Day After Saudi Arabia Gives Record $3 Billion To Lebanese Army, Lebanese Troops Fire At Syrian Warplanes
Zero Hedge - It was only yesterday [12/29/13] that Saudi Arabia pledged a record $3 billion to prop up Lebanon's armed forces, in what the WSJ described as "a challenge to the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militia's decades-long status as Lebanon's main power broker and security force.

‘You can’t hide from these things’ – Secret NSA spy programs exposed at conference in Germany
RT - Security researcher Jacob Appelbaum revealed what he calls “wrist-slitting depressing” details about the National Security Agency’s spy programs at a computer conference in Germany on Monday where he presented previously unpublished NSA files.... “Basically the NSA, they want to be able to spy on you. And if they have ten different options for spying on you that you know about, they have 13 ways of doing it and they do all 13. So that’s a pretty scary thing,” he said.

China says over 3 million hectares of land too polluted to farm
StratRisks - About 3.33 million hectares (8 million acres) of China’s farmland is too polluted to grow crops, a government official said on Monday, highlighting the risk facing agriculture after three decades of rapid industrial growth.

Syria: Testimony of Adra Survivors. Atrocities Committed by US-NATO Sponsored Terrorists
Global Research - The survivors of Adra town narrated their accounts of the terrorist crimes and massacres which were committed by the armed terrorist groups against the innocent residents of the town.

‘Israel wants Palestine obliterated’
Press TV - The Israeli regime is obliterating Palestine through its continued expansionist policies while the world turns a blind eye to the plight of Palestinians, says a political analyst.

VIDEO: UK to tighten security of US facilities
Press TV - The British Ministry of Defense is to set new restrictions aimed at tightening the security of US military facilities believed to be carrying out spying and drone activities from inside the UK.

Greece to exit EU/IMF bailout deal in 2014
RT - Greece will exit its EU-IMF bailout agreement in 2014, as scheduled, and will require no further loans, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Monday.

Volcano erupts in Indonesia, affects 19k
Press TV - National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Tuesday that Mount Sinabung, located on the island of Sumatra, erupted nine times late on Monday and Tuesday morning, spewing lava and clouds of gas up to 7,000 meter in the air. “On Monday night, 19,126 people fled their homes, and we expect that number to rise,” Nugroho said.

1000s evacuated after El Salvador volcano erupts
Press TV - The eruption occurred on Sunday in the eastern part of the country and produced a column of gas and ash about five kilometers (three miles) into the air, forcing residents to leave the area.

Navy: Six Months of Repairs to Drone-Struck Ship Will Cost $30 million
USNI News - The U.S. Navy ship that was struck by an errant target drone will need an estimated six-months of repairs costing around $30 million, according to a statement from the Navy provided to USNI News on Monday.... The collision of the Northrop Grumman BQM-74 target drone with the ship was part of a test of the Navy’s Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) for the installation of the Chancellorsville’s Baseline 9 Aegis combat system.

FAA announces locations for future drone testing sites
RT - Drones are coming to America – the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday the six states chosen to develop test sites for unmanned aerial vehicles. Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia were chosen by the FAA as the agency moves towards integrating commercial drones into American skies.

Fast and Furious: FBI Now Linked to Murder of U.S. Border Agent
New American - According to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent John Dodson, the criminals responsible for murdering border agent Terry were actually working for the two FBI operatives at the center of the Obama administration’s deadly plot to arm Mexican drug cartels.

Psychiatrist who treated Adam Lanza surrendered his license just months before the Newtown massacre and is now living in New Zealand
Daily Mail - The recently concluded investigation into Newtown killer Adam Lanza revealed that a psychiatrist who treated him as a teen has since surrendered his license. Dr. Paul Fox once held licenses to practice in Connecticut and New York but in 2012 he gave them both up in the face of charges he may have crossed a line in his relationship with a patient.

10 Predictions For 2014
Activist Post - As this year comes to a close it is once again time to reflect, learn from events, and plan for a new year with some predictions.

13 American Milestones For 2013
Zero Hedge - Here is a look at the highs and lows Americans reached this year, according to Pew's data.

State trooper can't have gun while off duty due to mental health record
Live Leak - Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael L. Keyes is in an odd situation. When on duty, he can carry a gun. Yet while off duty, he is barred by law from possessing any firearms, because seven years ago he suffered from deep depression, repeatedly tried to kill himself by taking drugs and was involuntarily committed for mental health treatment.

Conn. Gun Owners Line Up to Register Guns by January 1
New American - Residents in Connecticut were confronted with the reality that their constitutionally protected rights are not inalienable as they stood in long lines to register their firearms. The registration is mandated by the state’s new gun law set to go into effect on January 1, 2014.

VIDEO: Israel boycott angers NY lawmakers
Press TV - Two New York legislators say they will introduce a bill to strip state aid from universities that take part in a recent movement to boycott Israeli academic centers.

St. Louis to Become DUI “No Refusal Zone” – Driver Blood Tests Required
Gateway Pundit - St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce and St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch threatened to bring libel charges against those who spoke out falsely against Barack Obama. The Obama goon squads were formed. Now this… City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce is establishing a DUI “no refusal zone” inside the city limits of St. Louis. Starting today, drivers may face a blood test without consent if they are suspected of driving under the influence.

Dog shot by police in Holly Hill recovering
Volusia County News - Richard Stotlar said Lady, which he rescued more than a year ago, is now stitched up and in pain after being shot three times about midnight Friday on Elsie Avenue in Holly Hill. “I was sitting in there, watching TV, and all of a sudden we hear three gunshots,” Stotlar said.

Is Monsanto Using 4-H to Brainwash Your Children About GMOs?
Dr. Mercola - Monsanto is boasting its partnership with 4-H programs by giving a shout-out to “National 4-H Week.” This is not the first time Monsanto has used its clever propaganda to influence our nation’s youth. The Council for Biotechnology Information widely circulated a Biotechnology Basics Activity Book for kids, a disturbing and brightly colored obvious intent to 'educate' the children.

Stunnning Chart: Today’s Stock Market is Eerily Reminiscent of 1929…
shtfplan.com - The trajectory of our stock markets over the last eighteen months has been eerily reminiscent of markets back in 1929, right before the crash that led to a decade’s long depression in America.

Socialist Economist Predicts Soros and Crew Will Fleece the Rich in 2014
Kurt Nimmo - In a video produced by the Soros operation MoveOn.org, former Clintonista and “political economist” Robert Reich urges the Democrat horde to throw the tea party Republicans out of Congress next year and start anew the redistribution process.

Is America About To Reach A Breaking Point? Anger Grows As Unemployment Benefits Get Cut
Economic Collapse - In America today, there are close to 50 million people living in poverty and there are more than 100 million people that get money from the federal government every month. As the middle class disintegrates, poverty is climbing to unprecedented levels.

Businesses brace for 'serious cuts' as city enacts highest-in-nation $15 minimum wage
Fox News - On Jan. 1, an estimated 1,600 hotel and transportation workers in SeaTac, Wash., will see their pay jump to $15 an hour, a 60 percent increase from the state's $9.32 minimum wage. While many workers look forward to the higher pay, employers are looking for ways to absorb the big increase in labor costs. Some plan on eliminating jobs.

As tension rise, Saudi Arabia to give Lebanese army $3 billion
StratRisks - Saudi Arabia is giving the Lebanese army $3 billion in aid, Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman said on Sunday, calling it the largest grant ever to the country’s armed forces. Some of the money was likely to be spent on weapons from France, Suleiman indicated in a televised address.

Taliban back in the saddle in Afghanistan by 2017 - leaked intel report
RT - Any success the US and its allies have enjoyed in Afghanistan in the past three years will be dramatically reduced by 2017, even if a US military presence remains in the country, according to a US intelligence report.

Israel approves release of Palestinian prisoners, new housing tenders expected
RT - Israel has approved the release of a third group of Palestinian prisoners as part of US-brokered peace talks. However, Tel Aviv is expected to once again announce new housing tenders in West Bank settlements, despite international criticism.

Caught On Tape: Suicide Bombing In Russia's Fifth Largest Train Station Kills 15, One Month Ahead Of Sochi Games
Zero Hedge - A suicide bombing has killed at least 14 people and injured over 40 in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, raising concerns about terrorism just over a month before Russia hosts the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The train station attacked today is one of the five largest in Russia and is a major transit point for much of southern Russia.

Federal Court Gives Go-Ahead for Africans to Sue Nestle in U.S. over Slave Labor Claims
AllGov - Nestle is facing allegations that it used cocoa plantations in Africa that employed slave labor.

Traditional Danish Pastries Threatened By EU Cinnamon Ban
The Telegraph - The proposed ban followed plans by Denmark's food safety agency to implement EU regulations aimed at limiting the amount of coumarin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical found in the most commonly used type of cinnamon, cassia.

Earth Biggest Volcano Discovered
The Guardian - The biggest volcano on Earth has been discovered. In fact it is around the size of the state of New Mexico. This monster is underwater and has been named Tamu Massif. It was discovered approximately 1,000 miles off the eastern coast of Japan.

Volgograd Bombings Follow Saudi Threat to Attack Russia
Paul Joseph Watson - Twin blasts targeting a train station and a trolley bus in the city of Volgograd which killed at least 31 people follow a threat by Saudi Arabia to attack Russia using Chechen terrorists if Moscow did not withdraw its support for President Assad in Syria.

VIDEO: Volgograd trolley blast: Terror attack hits southern Russia day after railway station bombing
RT - A terrorist attack in the Russian city of Volgograd has killed at least 10 passengers on a trolley bus. The explosion comes a day after a suicide bombing in the city which killed 17 people and injured scores of others.

YouTube: The Truthseeker: Leaked US Regime Change Manual, Admits Ukraine's its 'Playbook' (E31)
RT - Openly pro-Nazi rioters ripping up paving stones for weapons and driving bulldozers at people get sweets from America's Asst. Secretary of State, the surprisingly long list of countries where the US attempts regime change under cover of 'human rights'; and George Clooney becomes the Pentagon's sexy new weapon....

Ex-CIA analyst: NYT Benghazi article ‘an effort to revive discredited theory’ of anti-Islam video
Daily Caller - A former CIA analyst poured cold water over the New York Times’ new report suggesting al-Qaida was not involved in the September 11, 2012 attack against American targets in Benghazi, Libya — calling the article “an effort to revive this discredited theory that the anti-Islam video was behind it.”

Don’t Let Other Countries Declare War For America
reason.com - The American people should know that pending right now in Congress is a bipartisan bill that would virtually commit the United States to go to war against Iran if Israel attacks the Islamic Republic.

US judge rules NSA phone surveillance program is legal
RT - Judge Pauley admitted in a decision penned in the Southern District of New York court that the NSA "vacuums up information about virtually every telephone call to, from, or within the United States," but that no evidence exists that the spy agency abuses this program to spy on people without ties to terrorist organizations.

Missouri bill would gut Obamacare
Washington Times - Following the lead of South Carolina, where lawmakers are fast-tracking House Bill 3101 in 2014, and Georgia, where HB707 was recently introduced by Rep. Jason Spencer, Missouri State Senator John T. Lamping (R-24) pre-filed Senate Bill 546 (SB546) to update the Health Care Freedom Act passed by Missouri voters in 2010. It passed that year with more than 70% support.

MDs sue ObamaCare insurer over dropped doctors
NY Post - A group of New York doctors is suing insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, charging that it booted doctors from its network to avoid cost hikes imposed by ObamaCare. The company’s decision to kick more than 2,000 docs from its Medicare Advantage network threatens to harm elderly and disabled patients, according to the filing in Brooklyn federal court.

LAPD deploys drug detection swab test at sobriety checkpoints
RT - The Los Angeles Police Department has announced plans to ramp up use of a portable tool that checks for drug use, beginning with a New Year’s Eve crackdown on intoxicated drivers. Officials cited increased medical marijuana use as a main justification.

FBI urges police to watch for people with almanacs
SFGate - An FBI intelligence bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies last week warned that "terrorist operatives may rely on almanacs to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning" because they include detailed information on bridges, tunnels and other U.S. landmarks, officials said.

Mich. lawmaker wants to suspend driver’s licenses of kids absent from school
Fox News - State Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, introduced two bills last week that would alert Michigan’s secretary of state – who oversees the issuance of licenses – whenever a student’s truancy gets so severe that his or her school refers the matter to court. The student’s license would be suspended or withheld for six months under the proposed law.

Hundreds Of Property Seizures Due To California Rail (That May Not Be Built)
Off The Grid News - The biggest seizure of private property by eminent domain in decades in the United States has started in California. The state is planning to take hundreds of properties — most of them in rural areas and small towns — to get land to build a high speed rail system which would connect San Francisco and Los Angeles.

I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on
The Guardian - What the public needs to understand is that the video provided by a drone is not usually clear enough to detect someone carrying a weapon, even on a crystal-clear day with limited cloud and perfect light. This makes it incredibly difficult for the best analysts to identify if someone has weapons for sure. One example comes to mind: "The feed is so pixelated, what if it's a shovel, and not a weapon?" I felt this confusion constantly, as did my fellow UAV analysts.

New Hampshire Moves Toward Nullifying NDAA
Activist Post - New Hampshire has now taken a critical step toward nullification with the introduction of their bill HB1279, scheduled to be formally presented on January 8th, 2014.... While other states like Michigan have offered some opposition contained in their legislation, many lack the thorough resistance being proposed by the "Live Free or Die" state of New Hampshire. The following analysis introduces the bill...

WABC Radio Suffers Meltdown On Air … As NSA Discussion Begins
Activist Post - Aaron Klein's radio program started suffering ‘technical problems’ during an interview with Larry Klayman, the lawyer who won an injunction against the NSA’s bulk phone records collection. “In my three years of broadcasting at WABC we never had such a technological meltdown as we are having today,” Klein said, according to the website WND.

VIDEO: Florida neighborhood bans kids from playing in street
Breitbart - After Advanced Management, the community's managing company, prohibited children, for their own safety, from playing on the one road passing through the 172-unit subdivision, the family-oriented neighborhood is surprisingly quiet in the days after Christmas, WTSP-TV, Tampa, reported Sunday.

I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on
The Guardian - What the public needs to understand is that the video provided by a drone is not usually clear enough to detect someone carrying a weapon, even on a crystal-clear day with limited cloud and perfect light. This makes it incredibly difficult for the best analysts to identify if someone has weapons for sure. One example comes to mind: "The feed is so pixelated, what if it's a shovel, and not a weapon?" I felt this confusion constantly, as did my fellow UAV analysts.

New Hampshire Moves Toward Nullifying NDAA
Activist Post - New Hampshire has now taken a critical step toward nullification with the introduction of their bill HB1279, scheduled to be formally presented on January 8th, 2014.... While other states like Michigan have offered some opposition contained in their legislation, many lack the thorough resistance being proposed by the "Live Free or Die" state of New Hampshire. The following analysis introduces the bill...

WABC Radio Suffers Meltdown On Air … As NSA Discussion Begins
Activist Post - Aaron Klein's radio program started suffering ‘technical problems’ during an interview with Larry Klayman, the lawyer who won an injunction against the NSA’s bulk phone records collection. “In my three years of broadcasting at WABC we never had such a technological meltdown as we are having today,” Klein said, according to the website WND.

VIDEO: Florida neighborhood bans kids from playing in street
Breitbart - After Advanced Management, the community's managing company, prohibited children, for their own safety, from playing on the one road passing through the 172-unit subdivision, the family-oriented neighborhood is surprisingly quiet in the days after Christmas, WTSP-TV, Tampa, reported Sunday.

DNC sends email defending Obama from impeachment possibility
Daily Caller - The Democratic National Committee (DNC) sent out a paranoid email Saturday evening urging supporters to vote for Democrats so that Republicans can’t impeach President Obama.

Marc Faber’s 2014 Predictions
Zero Hedge - In an interview with Talking Numbers’ Brian Sullivan, Faber offers what he thinks is next for the world in 2014...

Going Under: Over One Million Lose Unemployment Benefits – Will Hit Five Million By End of 2014
Mac Slavo - Five millions Americans will be losing access to what essentially amounts to their paycheck. And we’re not talking about a $29 cut to food stamps. We’re talking about a mortgage payment, a healthcare payment, and funds to pay for essential utilities. All of it will be vaporized by the end of the year. This will affect not just those five million people, but their dependents as well, which amounts to at least an additional 5 – 10 million people.

US Veterans Face Economic and Physical Hardship
Global Research - One in nine veterans is living at or below the poverty line, and 13 percent of homeless people in the US have been in the military.

Reported sexual assaults in US military jumped by 50% in 2013
RT - Data obtained by AP shows there were more than 5,000 sexual assault reports during the 2013 fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30. By contrast, there were 3,374 incidents reported in 2012.

More UN troops due in South Sudan in 48 hours: UN
Press TV - Hilde Johnson, head of the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said on Thursday that she hoped to get the critical reinforcements of military hardware and personnel for the UN's overtaxed mission in the country, AFP reported.

Iron Dome deployed in Beersheba, Sderot and Ashdod
UPI.com - Preparing for a possible escalation in rocket fire from Gaza, Israel deployed Iron Dome missile batteries near Beersheba, Sderot and Ashdod, the army said.

US secretly sends Hellfire missiles, drones to Iraq
RT - In an attempt to beat back gains by Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents, the United States is moving “dozens” of Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones into Iraq. According to a report by The New York Times, the decision comes after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki requested help from US President Barack Obama during a meeting in Washington last month.

American abducted in Pakistan calls for U.S. help
Washington Times - A 72-year-old American development worker who was kidnapped in Pakistan by al Qaeda more than two years ago appealed to President Obama in a video released Thursday to negotiate his release, saying he feels “totally abandoned and forgotten.”

Japan PM close to deal on controversial U.S. base on Okinawa
(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday moved close to winning approval from the island of Okinawa on a replacement for a U.S. air base, a move that would resolve a nearly 20-year-old deadlock that has strained ties with Washington.

Arab Monarchies: We Want to 'Bolster Friendship,' Trade with China
Breitbart - Riyadh and Beijing are cozying closer to each other this holiday season, as the Gulf Cooperation Council announced this week it has been in talks with China with the purpose of "bolstering friendship and cooperation ties" with the nation.

More radioactive water leaks from Fukushima reactor
straight.com - The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported today [Dec 25, 2013] that Tokyo Electric Power Corp. has revealed that "225 tons of radioactive rainwater likely leaked from cracks in the barriers surrounding storage tanks at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant". It appears to be the largest leak from the tank barriers since a March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami devastated the facility.

Update: Okinawa governor approves relocation of US airbase within prefecture
RT - Okinawa officials approved the long-anticipated relocation of the US Marines Corps’ Futenma Air Station on Friday, according to Japan's defense ministry. The move settles decades of often heated negotiations between Tokyo and Washington.
** Related video/article: US base move angers Okinawans

VIDEO: Netanyahu threatens more attacks on Gaza
Press TV - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened more assaults on the Gaza Strip, as the Tel Aviv regime intensifies its military operations against the besieged Palestinian territory.

Here Are The 15 Democratic Senators Bucking The White House And Threatening War With Iran
Huffington Post - As the United States finally puts a decade of war behind it, a group of senators, including 15 Democrats, is defying the White House and threatening to push the country into a fresh war with Iran.

Federal Judge Bombshell: Obama Admin Aids/Abets Human Traffickers
Susan Duclos - Judge Andrew S. Hanen of Brownsville, Texas dropped a massive bombshell on the Obama administration saying the admin’s immigration policies are “completing the criminal mission” of human traffickers “who are violating the border security of the United States” and assisting a “criminal conspiracy in achieving its illegal goals.”

Record Disapproval of Congress and Obama
Kurt Nimmo - CNN is trying to spin a survey showing record disapproval of Congress. The CNN/ORC International poll released today indicates two-third of respondents believe the current Congress is the worst in their lifetime. 73%, according to CNN, say Congress “has so far done nothing to address the country’s problems, with one in four disagreeing.”

New ObamaCare fees coming in 2014
NY Post - The cost of President Obama’s massive health-care law will hit Americans in 2014 as new taxes pile up on their insurance premiums and on their income-tax bills. Most insurers aren’t advertising the ObamaCare taxes that are added on to premiums, opting instead to discretely pass them on to customers while quietly lobbying lawmakers for a break.

Who Owns Your Congressman? [Infographic]
masters-in-accounting.org - Politics is big business, with millions spent each year trying to sway the electoral process. Which industries, businesses and outside interests have donated the most to which candidates?

Federal authorities charge white ‘knockout’ suspect with hate crime
Washington Times - Most knockout victims that have appeared in news reports have been white, but the Justice Department said in this instance the victim was a 79-year-old black man, and stepped in with federal charges.

VIDEO: Is The U.S. A Police State?
xrepublic.tv - C-SPAN Question: Is The U.S. A Police State? Related article

72-year-old East Moline woman arrested for 2008 seat belt ticket
wqad.com - “They said, ‘You got a warrant.’ A warrant? A warrant for what?” said Carol Fulscher, the woman arrested. “I never would’ve imagined in a million years that they would’ve arrested a 72-year-old woman,” said Jeanette Byrd, Carol’s daughter. Fulscher, comfortably sitting on her couch at her home in East Moline, was sitting in a jail cell Saturday night, December 21, 2013.

Kristin Tate: 15 Things Politicians Must Stop Saying In 2014
benswann.com - We should all be wary of almost everything career politicians tell us. But when certain words come out of our elected officials’ mouths, I really want to dry heave. Here are 15 overused bureaucratic terms and their politically-mutated definitions.

YouTube: Ron Paul: The Failure Of Government Is All Around Us
Air Date: Dec. 26th, 2013

Two states want their money back from the contractor that built most of Healthcare.gov
The Verge - Vermont and Massachusetts are taking steps to get their money back from CGI Federal, the government contractor that built the health insurance marketplaces in those states as well as the federal marketplace Healthcare.gov. State officials say CGI Federal delivered the websites late and with defects, reports the Boston Globe.

Be prepared: Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse
Washington Examiner - A top financial advisor, worried that Obamacare, the NSA spying scandal and spiraling national debt is increasing the chances for a fiscal and social disaster, is recommending that Americans prepare a “bug-out bag” that includes food, a gun and ammo to help them stay alive.

The Stock Market Has Officially Entered Crazytown Territory
Economic Collapse - Stocks just keep going higher and higher, and at this point what is happening in the stock market does not bear any resemblance to what is going on in the overall economy whatsoever. So how long can this irrational state of affairs possibly continue?

Local Courts Reviving ‘Debtors’ Prison’ For Overdue Fines, Fees
Fox News - More and more, courts are dragging people in for fines and fees that have ballooned due to interest imposed on the initial sums. Some owe money to the public defender's office for the representation they received during their time in court. Others incur hundreds of dollars in fees while they're incarcerated -- for everything from toilet paper to the beds inmates sleep on.

At least 37 dead in bombings in Baghdad’s Christian areas
RT - Bomb attacks at Christmas that targeted Christian areas of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, have left at least 37 people dead. The biggest blast happened near a church after a Christmas service.

Egypt formally declares Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group
RT - The crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has intensified, with the government formally listing the group as a terrorist organization and accusing it of being behind a recent suicide attack that killed 16 people.

Syria signs offshore oil and gas exploration deal with Russia
RT - Damascus has signed a major oil and gas deal with Russian company Soyuzneftegaz which allows for offshore drilling, development, and production to take place in Syria’s territorial waters for the very first time.

VIDEO: US court: No right for Bagram prisoners
Press TV - The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in a 44-page decision on Christmas Eve that habeas corpus petitions filed by five prisoners who are held by the US military at the Bagram prison in Afghanistan are “beyond the reach” of the US Constitution.

Israel Lobby Launches Fierce Counterattack Against American Studies Association
Common Dreams - Israel lobby groups are marshaling their formidable forces for a fierce counterattack against the American Studies Association (ASA), including calls for repressive legislation, boycotts and other measures to punish and silence solidarity with Palestinians.

North Korea Rushing Imminent War Preparations
Israel National News - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un further escalated tensions of war on Wednesday, putting his army on notice for imminent combat during an inspection of troops accompanied by North Korea's top 3 military leaders.

VIDEO: A Christmas Message From Edward Snowden
vimeo.com - Because this message appears to be blocked in some place here's another upload... Many thanks to Edward Snowden for his courage and hard work to let the world know about our predicament. ** Related article.

Mystery Oil Spill Turns Miles of Trinidad's Beaches Black
truth-out.org - Whether it is a case of sabotage or simply poor management practices by the state-owned PETROTRIN, as the union claims, a mysterious oil spill in south Trinidad is wreaking havoc on homes and wildlife in the area.

Gone Fission: Fish caught near Fukushima may swim in food chain
RT - Japan's seafood industry says it's blighted by contaminated catches - nearly three years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster polluted surrounding land and waterways. They can't convince customers their fish is safe - even though the authorities insist they're doing their level best to show they've got a grip on the problem.

US sends Marines to Uganda to aid South Sudan evacuations
RT - A small team of US Marines was deployed to Uganda on Tuesday to prepare for more evacuations of Americans from the escalating turmoil in South Sudan.

Israeli Air and Ground Assaults Pound Gaza
RINF - Israel slammed Gaza with a series of air and ground military assaults on Tuesday, killing 3-year-old Palestinian girl Hala Abu Sabikha and wounding at least nine in what appears to be the most severe attack on this besieged home to 1.7 million people since an Israeli offensive in November 2012.

Thai police officer killed in clashes with anti-government protesters
RT - Thai police say an officer has been killed during an anti-government rally in the country’s capital, Bangkok. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets on protesters who attempted to halt planning for the February elections over the controversial security law.

Putin says new post-Soviet economic union ready for 2015 launch
Blacklisted News - The alliance would replace a much looser Eurasian Customs Union that Russia formed with the two ex-Soviet nations in an effort to build up a free trade rival to the 28-nation EU bloc.

Healthcare.gov can't verify Obama's identity
WND - The White House appears to have dropped a bombshell when it explained to the press why White House staff in Washington enrolled President Obama in Obamacare instead of Obama himself. Officials said it was because HealthCare.gov could not verify Obama’s identity.

Local Man Denied Coverage Through Affordable Care Act for Pre-Existing Condition
FortWayneHomepage.net - We've all been told the Affordable Care Act is supposed to help people that have pre-existing medical conditions but now thanks to a loophole in the law, there are at least 22 people in Indiana with kidney failure that are not going to be able to get supplemental insurance coverage due to their pre-existing condition.

Krauthammer: 'Huge Gov't Bailout' of Health Insurance Industry at End of 2014
CNS News - "The insurers understand that they're going to be completely ruined," Krauthammer said on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace. "And what's going to happen as a result of this? There's only one way out, a huge government bailout of the insurers is waiting at the end of next year."

Americans Killed by Cops Now Outnumber Americans Killed in Iraq War
Matt Savoy - The increase in police brutality in this country is a frightening reality. In the last decade alone the number of people murdered by police has reached 5,000. The number of soldiers killed since the inception of the Iraq war, 4489.

GM doesn't owe $450 million in retiree benefits: U.S. judge
(Reuters) - In a 36-page decision, U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn in Detroit said on Tuesday that the current GM did not assume any obligation for the payment, which the automaker had contracted to make two years before its June 2009 bankruptcy filing.

It’s A Wonderful Life Report Censored
Infowars.com - Videos on Youtube are being taken down completely because of mere accusations that they violate copyrights, regardless if the copyright claim is completely unfounded and bogus. This was a pure political move meant to censor our powerful report exposing the truth on the fractional-reserve, fiat banking system.

U.S. Postal Service Wins 6 Percent Increase to Cover Loss
Bloomberg - A first-class stamp will cost 49 cents, up from 46 cents, starting Jan. 26. Similar changes will apply to magazines, bills and advertising mail. The increases of 4.3 percent approved yesterday are on top of 1.7 percent, an amount equal to inflation, approved last month.

VIDEO: Syria facing major extremist offensive: Assad
Press TV - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his country is being confronted by a major offensive led by Takfiri extremists.

UN Investigator Undercuts New York Times on Syria. Assad Government not Responsible for August 21 Chemical Attack
Global Research - Ake Sellstrom, the head of the United Nations mission investigating chemical weapons use in Syria, agrees that the vector analysis – at the heart of the New York Times’ indictment of the Syrian government for the deadly Aug. 21 Sarin gas attack – doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Any More U.S. “Stabilization” and Africa Will Collapse
uruknet.com - Those who believe that the U.S. efforts in South Sudan do not involve special forces on the ground and drones overhead no doubt will have a nice Christmas waiting up to catch a glimpse of Santa.

Israel Demands US Stop Spying on Them
antiwar.com - It may sound strange given the seemingly endless series of scandals involving Israeli spying on the US, but Israeli officials are reacting to the latest reports of US spying with complete, inconsolable outrage.

West starting to realize they are aiding terrorists in Syria - Lavrov to RT
RT - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes Western politicians have started to realize that overthrowing Assad’s government might lead to a worsening of the Syrian crisis. This shift in the attitude is due to the rise of jihadists in Syria and the threat of the country turning into a caliphate, he said in an interview with RT.

Al Qaeda Is Very Sorry for Attacking Yemeni Hospital
gawker.com - Al Qaeda can't stop apologizing. Five weeks after an affiliate of the terror group sought forgiveness for cutting off the wrong guy's head, the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda has apologized for an assault on a Yemeni hospital during a terror attack two weeks ago that left 52 people dead.

China to fund Pakistan power project
Press TV - China has pledged to grant a loan of USD 6.5 billion to finance the construction of a major nuclear power project in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi.... Pakistan has repeatedly asked the United States to sign a nuclear supply agreement with Islamabad, like the one Washington sealed with India in 2008; though the US has continuously rejected the calls.

‘North Korea restarts Yongbyon facility’
Press TV - The US-Korea institute of Johns Hopkins University says satellite imagery shows North Korea is making ‘wide-ranging, extensive’ efforts to re-launch the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center.

‘I already won’: Snowden is helping the NSA though it brands him a traitor
RT - In an interview with the Washington Post, Snowden said that he had “already won” because society has begun to address the issue of government surveillance. “For me, in terms of personal satisfaction, the mission’s already accomplished,” said the whistleblower. “Remember, I didn’t want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself.”

Almost Every Passenger On A Flight From Dubai To India Was Found Carrying 1 Kilo Of Gold
Zero Hedge - ...Faced with curbs on gold imports and crash in international prices leaving it cheaper in other countries, gold houses and smugglers are turning to NRIs to bring in the yellow metal legally after paying duty. Any NRI, who has stayed abroad for more than six months, is allowed to bring in 1kg gold.

Obama Administration Offers Flimsy Excuse for NSA Surveillance
Kurt Nimmo - On Sunday, National Security Advisor Susan Rice told Leslie Stahl and 60 Minutes that the NSA did not lie to the American people. The agency “inadvertently made false representations” to the secret FISA court about illegally collecting data on hundreds of millions of Americans, according to Rice. She said the NSA has “discovered it and corrected it.”

NSA Panel Member Recommends Increased Data Collection
National Journal - Michael Morell, the former acting director of the CIA and a member of President Obama's task force on surveillance, said in an interview on Sunday that a controversial telephone data-collection program conducted by the National Security Agency should be expanded to include emails. He also said the program, far from being unnecessary, could prevent the next 9/11.

For Health Coverage Starting Jan. 1, Deadline Extended a Day
WSJ - Federal officials delayed the deadline to sign up for Jan. 1 coverage through the end of Christmas Eve. The deadline was originally set for midnight on Dec. 23, but contractors managing the site changed configurations to allow users to sign up for the first wave of health-law coverage through Dec. 24, people familiar with the matter said.

Wal-Mart “Robo-Doctor” Kiosk Promotes Obamacare
Kit Daniels - Thousands of self-service “robo-doctor” kiosks are currently being installed inside Wal-Marts across America which collect personal information and promote Obamacare through a health screening loaded with advertisements.

Obama Family Christmas Card: No Mention of Christ or Christmas
Paul Joseph Watson - The Obama family Christmas card contains no mention of Christ or Christmas in yet another example of how politically correct sensitivities have eclipsed common sense.

The Genuine Conflict Being Ignored in the Duck Dynasty Debate
The Atlantic - An evangelical Christian points out that there is, in fact, a tension between orthodox Christianity and homosexuality. Saying otherwise robs American society of an honest debate about how to reconcile sexual tolerance with religious tolerance.... The message A&E’s decision sends is that the network will not tolerate someone who conscientiously objects to homosexuality on religious grounds.

US schools attempted to ban 49 books in 2013
RT - Censorship in American schools and libraries is on the rise as more institutions attempt to ban books tackling racial and sexual issues, as well as those written by minorities, according to the anti-censorship group Kids’ Right to Read Project.

Food Behind Bars Isn’t Fit for Your Dog
uruknet.com - Aramark, often contracted to provide food to prisoners at about a dollar a meal, is one of numerous corporations, from phone companies to construction firms, that have found our grotesque system of mass incarceration to be very profitable. The bodies of the poor, when they are not captive, are worth little to corporations. But bodies behind bars can each generate $40,000 to $50,000 a year for corporate coffers.

The U.S. Prison Population - By The Numbers (w/Infographic)
Activist Post - It has been well documented that despite the platitudes suggesting that the United States is the beacon of freedom, it is actually the location with the most filled cages of human beings. The capital of this Gulag is currently Louisiana, where the incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.

TSA confiscates photographer’s blower because it could be filled with gunpowder and used as a missile
RINF - In a photography forum, Surapon recounts the sad story of how the TSA took away his Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster, a blower for removing dust from equipment, at an airport in New York.

Christmas Toy Distribution in Pittsburgh Turns into a Mob Scene
The Daily Sheeple - In a true example of just how desperate people have become this year, chaos erupted at a Pittsburgh Salvation Army on Friday during Christmas toy distribution. It became so dangerous that the staff was forced to halt the handout and the police had to be called.

Army: Don’t say Christmas
Fox News - That’s the message that was conveyed to a group of soldiers at Camp Shelby by an equal opportunity officer from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, according to a soldier who attended a recent briefing. “It’s unbelievable that the Army would ban ‘Christmas’ like it’s a bad word,” said Michael Berry, an attorney with the Liberty Institute, a legal firm representing the unidentified soldier.

In 1965 Peanuts Creator Charles Shultz fought to keep the Christ in Christmas
henrymakow.com - "A Charlie Brown Christmas: Linus' iconic speech about the true meaning of Christmas was almost cut when the animated movie's producers and creator Charles Schultz clashed over the inclusion of religion. Schultz (left) wanted the one-minute-long speech left in, but the producers thought it would limit its audience and drive away advertisers."

15 Quotes About The Duck Dynasty Controversy That Every American Should See
Michael Snyder - What is being done to Phil Robertson shows just how far America has fallen. The thought police are waging an all-out campaign to take down one of the biggest names in the United States, and if they are successful none of us will ever be safe again. We are becoming a nation that is governed by bullying, intimidation and unwritten speech codes, and if you happen to say the “wrong thing” you could lose everything.

Obama signs order for federal worker pay raises in 2014
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama, as signaled earlier in the year, signed an executive order on Monday setting federal civilian and military pay rates for 2014, and including the first raise for civilian workers in four years.

13 Charts Of 13 Years For Christmas 2013
Zero Hedge - The following 13 charts of the last 13 years cover everything from collapsing SAT scores to record high prices of alcohol and from surging gun background checks to record high food stamp recipients, this is not your great grandma's depression-"recovery"...

As the clock ticks, retail traffic continues slide
CNBC News - Brick-and-mortar retailers saw no signs of relief last week, as store traffic in the final week before Christmas posted the third straight week of double-digit declines, according to the most recent report from ShopperTrak.

Missing POW's Remains Returned To His Widow 63 Years After His Death
LA Times - In the Korean War, he was assigned as a field medic, Battery C, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, when he was taken prisoner by North Korean forces in December 1950. He died in March 1951, it was learned later, but his remains were only recently returned to the U.S. and identified, said Bob Kurkjian, executive director of USO Greater Los Angeles Area.

China planning 110,000-ton 'super aircraft carrier' to rival US naval power
RT - Following Washington’s move to increase its military footprint in Asia, China has declared it is building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of a size to compete with the mightiest in the US naval fleet.

N.S.A. Dragnet Included Allies, Aid Groups and Business Elite
NY Times - Secret documents reveal more than 1,000 targets of American and British surveillance in recent years, including the office of an Israeli prime minister, heads of international aid organizations, foreign energy companies and a European Union official involved in antitrust battles with American technology businesses.

Snowden will help Germany investigate NSA spying if granted asylum – report
RT - Edward Snowden is offering Germany his help with investigating NSA spying activities on its soil, if Berlin grants him political asylum, Stern reports, citing correspondence with the whistleblower.

Wave of Radiation from Fukushima Will Be 10 Times Bigger than All of the Radiation from Nuclear Tests Combined
Zero Hedge - Above-ground nuclear tests – which caused numerous cancers to the “downwinders” – were covered up by the American, French and other governments for decades.... But the amount of radiation pumped out by Fukushima dwarfs the amount released by the nuclear tests.

TEPCO detects record radiation at Fukushima’s reactor 2, new leak suspected
RT - TEPCO has found a record 1.9 million becquerels per liter of beta ray-emitting radioactive substances at its No.2 reactor. Also radioactive cesium was detected in deeper groundwater at No.4 unit’s well, as fears grow of a new leak into the ocean.

Obama Tells Congress He ‘May Take Further Action’ in Turbulent South Sudan
CNS News - President Obama informed Congress Sunday that if necessary he “may take further action” to protect U.S. citizens, personnel and property, including the embassy, in South Sudan, where troops deployed to evacuate Americans came under fire on Saturday.

South Sudan: US citizens evacuated from Bor
The Guardian - US evacuates its citizens from strategic city amid heavy machine-gun fire, but Canadians, Britons and Kenyans trapped, UN official says.

U.S. Furious With Israel After Sale of Advanced Military Technology to China
algemeiner.com - The Israeli Defense Ministry’s Head of Defense Export Control, Meir Shalit, resigned last week after the United States expressed anger over a decision he made to sell sensitive military equipment to China, Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Sunday. At the time, Shalit did not provide a reason for his resignation.

Obama’s Muslim Brotherhood Partner in Terror Mohamed Morsi Linked to Al-Qaeda Chief
Freedom Outpost - Recordings of phone conversations between former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri could soon be released in detail.

U.S. Will Spend $3.35M to 'Improve the Quality of Media Content'--In Armenia
CNS News - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is planning to spend $3.35 million to “improve the quality of media content and strengthen the media’s capacity to meet professional standards” in Armenia, according to an agency request for applications (RFA).

Russia sends 75 combat vehicles to Syria to transport chemical weapons
RT - Russia has delivered 75 armored trucks to Syria, along with other equipment that will be involved in the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons arsenal, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported.

The Philippines is devastated as much by unfair debt as typhoon Haiyan
The Guardian - By Christmas Eve, the Philippines will have spent $1bn (£0.6bn) paying foreign debts in the seven weeks since typhoon Haiyan devastated much of the country. It will have spent a total of $8.4bn on foreign debt in 2013, and faces a further $8.8bn in 2014.

GRIDEX III In Toronto
Conspiracy Cafe - Toronto was hit with a massive lightning strike in the middle of the night that took out portions of the power grid. A friend of one of my associates witnessed the strike. It was a giant red lightning bolt. The lights shuddered after the strike. Then a giant green lightning bolt hit and knocked everything out.

Bigger, Badder NDAA 2014 Quietly Passed the House and Senate – and It Is On the Way to Obama’s Desk
The Daily Sheeple Dec 21, 2013 - Yesterday the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act was fast-tracked through the Senate, with no time for discussion or amendments. And you know, its Christmastime, so they just passed it so that they could recess for the holidays. The new version of the NDAA has already been quietly passed by the House of Representatives.

White House Tries to Prevent Judge From Ruling on Surveillance Efforts
NY Times - The Obama administration moved late Friday to prevent a federal judge in California from ruling on the constitutionality of warrantless surveillance programs authorized during the Bush administration, telling a court that recent disclosures about National Security Agency spying were not enough to undermine its claim that litigating the case would jeopardize state secrets.

YouTube: Black Budget: US govt clueless about missing Pentagon $trillions
RT - The Pentagon has secured a 630 billion dollar budget for next year, even though it's failed to even account for the money it's received since 1996. A whopping 8.5 trillion dollars of taxpayer cash have gone to defence programmes - none of which has been audited. This black budget has sparked concerns over potential fraud, as Gayane Chichakyan reports.

Obama Lifts Health Mandate for Those With Canceled Plans
Bloomberg - Hundreds of thousands of people whose health plans are being canceled because their coverage doesn’t meet Obamacare rules will be exempt next year from the U.S. mandate that all Americans carry medical insurance.

White House Damage Control: Obamacare Repeal Will 'Cost too Much'
Breitbart - Over the last several weeks the Obama White House has been executing a media blitz meant to sell Obamacare to the nation—again. As the final maneuver in that plan, the President is releasing several reports on how Obamacare will affect the states. His message: repealing Obamacare will just be too expensive.

Latest Obamacare Commercial Features 1/2 Naked Gay Men
benswann.com - The Obama administration has recently teamed up with a campaign called #Out2Enroll, the brainchild of the Sellers Dorsey Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that focuses on “improving the health of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community,” according to their website.

School Sanitizes “Silent Night” By Removing All Religious Lyrics
benswann.com - At Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School in Long Island, New York, religious lines were removed from the Christmas carol. A few of the axed lyrics were “Christ the Savior is born,” “Holy infant so, tender and mild,” “round yon virgin, mother and child” and “Jesus, Lord at thy birth.”

Judge Rules: Obama Social Security Card Fraud May Finally Get Answers
Freedom Outpost - Judge Hollander in Maryland gives Attorney Orly Taitz 21 days to file a second amended complaint and add allegations in regards to an improper withholding by the Social Security Administration of records of Harry Bounel, whose Social security number is being illegally used by Barack Obama.

Judge Claims DHS Assisting Traffickers With Smuggled Children
Fox News - In a scathing order filed last week, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen slammed the Obama administration for assisting a "criminal conspiracy," rather than enforcing border security laws. Hanen said the "dangerous" practice is effectively aiding human traffickers and particularly the Mexican drug cartels, which run many of these operations.

Public, media barred from hearing on James Holmes’ sanity
AP - The public and the news media will be barred from a pretrial hearing in the Colorado theater shooting case that will include testimony from a psychiatrist who evaluated whether defendant James Holmes was insane, the judge ruled Friday.... The order also bars victims of the July 2012 attack from the hearing, scheduled to start Jan. 27.

Michelle Obama: 'Make It a Christmas Treat' to Talk About Health Insurance
CNS News - "And we urge people to reach out. And if they signed up their child, then signed up -- sign up their friends," Mrs. Obama said. "You know, if you've got grandkids, make it a Christmas treat around the table to talk about a little health care. You know, ring in the new year with a -- new coverage."

Sheriff takes a stand; announces department will no longer assist A&E during filming
bizpacreview.com - The local sheriff in a Georgia county where A&E has filmed several of its programs has publicly announced the network will no longer receive the assistance of his Sheriff’s Department due to A&E’s “unreasonable” punishment of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson.

Phil Robertson Returning To Duck Dynasty
mrconservative.com - It has now been revealed that Phil Robertson will be returning to Duck Dynasty on January 15. A&E said they have no plans to fire the star. It appears as though the war on Phil Robertson and his freedoms of free speech and religions aren’t quite so savage. Although A&E declared they were suspending the star “indefinitely, ” it was apparently only a façade for the gay community as sources say they still intend to air episodes featuring Robertson .

Atlantic City Cop Ordered to Pay $250,000 From Own Pocket to Citizen He Abused
photographyisnotacrime.com - We’ve seen so many police abuse lawsuits settled before making it to trial where cops admit no wrongdoing while guiltily dishing out thousands of taxpayer dollars that it’s surprising to see one actually make it to trial.

We are Completely Unprotected in an Economic War that is Destroying Our Economy and Country
Economy In Crisis - Job killing “free trade” means open borders – no duties or tariffs – forcing American workers to compete against $4 per hour wages, which simply cannot be done. Manufacturers move jobs overseas to stay profitable and ship their products back here duty- and tariff-free.

NM Supreme Court rules state can trim benefits for retired workers
KOB4 - The court ruled that the state does have the right to trim pension benefits for retired government workers. The move will help improve the long-term finances of public employee retirement programs, but many retirees weren't happy about the ruling. The case was brought about by retired educators, who sued to prevent reductions in their annual cost of living adjustments.

JPMorgan Imposes Spending Caps On 10% Of Its Debit Cards Due To Target Security Breach
Zero Hedge - The new limit effects roughly 2 million accounts, or roughly 10% of Chase debit card accounts, according to a bank spokeswoman.

On The 100th Anniversary Of The Federal Reserve Here Are 100 Reasons To Shut It Down Forever
blacklistednews.com - December 23rd, 1913 is a date which will live in infamy. That was the day when the Federal Reserve Act was pushed through Congress. Many members of Congress were absent that day, and the general public was distracted with holiday preparations.

Sailors on old warship dumped thousands of tons of radioactive waste for years
Tampa Bay Times - "We turned off all the lights," George Albernaz testified at a 2005 Department of Veterans Affairs hearing, "and … pretend that we were broken down and … we would take these barrels and having only steel-toed shoes … no protection gear, and proceed to roll these barrels into the ocean, 300 barrels at a trip."

American senators introduce new Iran sanctions bill
Press TV - In a blatant move to oppose President Barack Obama’s request for not imposing fresh sanctions, 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans sponsored the new Senate bill on Thursday. Related article: Obama would veto new Iran sanctions bill

Putin: I envy Obama, because he can 'spy' and get away with it
RT - "I envy Obama because he can spy on his allies without any consequences," said Putin when asked about how his relations had changed with the US following Snowden’s espionage revelations.

Eyes everywhere: NSA's second tier spying partners identified
RT - Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and several other EU countries were named among “third party partners” in the NSA-led global signal intelligence program, a new leak submitted by journalist Glenn Greenwald to Danish TV reveals.

China’s central bank hacked; angry bitcoin traders may be to blame
MarketWatch - As bitcoin halved in value after several Chinese exchanges halted yuan deposits, China’s central bank was the target of a hacking attack on Wednesday, with state media suggesting angry bitcoin investors may be to blame.

VIDEO: US court revives 9/11 case against Saudi Arabia
Press TV - A federal appeals court in New York City has revived litigation against Saudi Arabia on behalf of families of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Leader of al Qaida-linked Nusra Front predicts victory over Syria’s Assad
McClatchy - The leader of one the most feared and effective Syrian rebel groups told Al Jazeera news service Thursday that the nearly 3-year-old conflict was close to an end and that his forces – considered to be among the most radical – held the upper hand over both the Syrian regime and secular rebel groups.

American Troops Sent to South Sudan
StratRisks - Barack Obama announced Thursday that he had deployed 45 American military personnel to South Sudan to protect the U.S. embassy and Americans in the country as it teeters toward ethnic civil war.

Russia did not ‘block’ Syria draft statement at UN – diplomatic source
RT - The UN Security Council failed Thursday to adopt a statement on the recent civilian deaths in Syria. The US-proposed draft had condemned Damascus for indiscriminate attacks on Aleppo, but the Americans would not accept Russia’s balancing amendments.

"The Chinese Don't Want Dollars Anymore, They Want Gold" - London's Gold Vaults Are Empty: This Is Why
Zero Hedge - Today gold slid under $1200 per ounce, dropping to a level not seen in three years. Judging by the price action one would think that gold is not only overflowing from precious metal vaults everywhere, but can be found thrown away on the street, where nobody even bothers to pick it up. One would be wrong.

Global Arctic wars already started
RT - Today’s globalized geopolitical grand chessboard often plays out in interestingly complex and roundabout ways. Such is the case of the on-going tug of war between the US, UK and EU on the one hand, and Russia and its allies on the other.

Dogs, Cows And Toxic Vials, That’s What Vaccines Are Made Of!
Natural Blaze - On December 3, 2013, UK newspapers reported that in the future, doctors will be given the power to lecture any parent who refuses to have their child vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. This move is a part of a government campaign to boost falling vaccination rates in the UK.

Former CIA Head: Snowden “Should Be Hanged By The Neck Until He Is Dead”
Steve Watson - In a statement that conjures images of the middle ages, former CIA chief and all round globalist neocon James Woolsey said on live TV Tuesday that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden should be hanged for treason.

Obamacare Enhances Globalist Effort to Restrict Freedom of Travel
Kurt Nimmo - Reading through the 381,517 words of the Obamacare bill, American Thinker’s Stella Paul discovered something overlooked in the ongoing discussion about the law — it discourages freedom of travel.

Gallup: Record 72% Say Big Government Is Greatest Threat
Breitbart - A record high 72% of Americans think that big government is the greatest threat to the future of the United States. Only 21% name big business as the greatest threat, while 5% say big labor.

VICTORY: Emmett, Idaho Bans NDAA Detention, Laws of War
Activist Post - On Tuesday, the Emmett City Council approved the Restoring Constitutional Governance Resolution, thus banning the detention provisions of the 2012 NDAA, and the application of the laws of war, which originally made Emmett a “battlefield” in the war on terror.

Duck Dynasty: It’s Not About the First Amendment
Kurt Nimmo - Issue is about government handing out special rights to preferential groups. Daniel D’Addario, writing for uber-liberal Salon, is correct. The Duck Dynasty imbroglio is not about the First Amendment. A&E has the right to suspend whatever actor or television show it deems appropriate for its business. “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one,” said A. J. Liebling, highlighting what should be common sense.
* Related Article: National Boycott Launched Against Duck Dynasty Censorship

TSA Launches ‘Fun’ Website For Kids
Paul Joseph Watson - The TSA has launched a new “fun” website for kids in order to “help all passengers understand what to expect when going through airport security.” The extent of the “fun” is an animated YouTube video which depicts TSA agents as polite, cuddly dog cartoon characters, a word search, and a print out of a TSA badge which can be colored in.

Senate reaches deal and prepares to head home; Yellen vote off till Jan. 6
McClatchy - The Senate finally broke its procedural logjam Thursday night, agreeing not to have an all-night session, push nomination votes into Friday, and postpone any vote on Janet Yellen as Federal Reserve Chairman until Jan. 6.

‘Data brokers’ selling personal info of rape victims to marketers - report
RT - “Data brokers” track, categorize and sell personal health information for marketing use, a new US Senate report reveals. Data groupings include rape victims and HIV-positive individuals, those with depression and dementia, and womens’ gynecologist visits.

JPM's Quiet Scramble To Refill Its Gold Vault
Zero Hedge - With gold plunging to multi-year lows, is JPM just taking advantage of the "blood on the streets" and becoming the helpful bidder of last (or first) resort and replenishing its record low depleted inventory by taking advantage of below production cost fire sales, or... is something else going on here? Inquiring minds want to know.

Six Great Reasons to 'Don't Buy Made in China' This Holiday Season
Huffington Post - As the holiday season madness officially begins, I want to offer six most excellent reasons for Don't Buy Made in China. Related video: Death by China 2013 ( Full DVD )

West Is Close To Destroying Paper Gold Scheme & The Comex
King World News - William Kaye, who 25 years ago worked for Goldman Sachs in mergers and acquisitions, also addresses major developments in the war on gold as well as what this will mean for investors. Below is what Kaye had to say in his powerful and timely interview.

YouTube: Stephen Moore: Hidden Obamacare Tax Will Cost Consumers Another $100-$500 a Year
Get ready for another hidden Obamacare tax... Stephen Moore, economist and Wall Street Journal contributor, discussed the hidden Obamacare tax that will take effect in two weeks. The hidden Obamacare tax will cost consumers $100-$500 a year and will take effect on January 1, 2014. "It's a tax that is imposed on health insurance plans.."

Russia Plans Rail-Mounted Missiles to Counter US Global Strike Program
RIA Novosti - Russia will draft a plan in the coming year to deploy rail-mounted nuclear missiles as a potential response to the United States’ Prompt Global Strike program, the commander of its Strategic Missile Force said on Wednesday.

VIDEO: Revealed: Norway Widely Spies On Russia For NSA – New Snowden Leak
Liberty Crier - The latest leak from Edward Snowden has exposed Norway’s role in America’s global spying operations. The Nordic country has been sharing intelligence with the U.S. on Russia’s political elite, as well as oil and gas companies and ordinary civilians. Helge Luras, director of the Center for International and Strategic Analysis, joins RT studio.

NSA ruined it!' Brazil ditches Boeing jets, grants $4.5 bln contract to Saab
RT - Brazil has rejected a contract for Boeing’s F/A-18 fighter jets in favor of the Swedish Saab’s JAS 39 Gripens. The unexpected move to reject the US bid comes amid the global scandal over the NSA’s involvement in economic espionage activities.

Oil Found by Israel Should Belong to Palestine: 3.5 Billion Barrels of Oil Reserves on the “Border between Israel and Palestine”
Global Research - While Israel is now facing a bright future as an oil producer, there is one problem: Meged 5 is located on the Green Line, the official border between Israel and Palestine. Lying a few dozen meters inside Palestinian territory, according to international law and the Oslo Accords, the well should belong to Palestine.

Chinese Moon Display Contains Image of Europe Being Nuked
Paul Joseph Watson - A display to promote China’s Jade Rabbit Moon rover includes a background photograph of a mushroom cloud over Europe, a startling detail which some have interpreted as an indication that Beijing’s space program is a cover for the militarization of space.

Ice Under The Ice: Diamonds Discovered In Antarctica
Zero Hedge - From Canada’s claims to Russia’s defense forces and China’s purposeful dependence-building aid to small Arctic states, everyone knows the stakes. So, with very few big new diamond mines having been developed in recent years, the FT reports that scientists have found a site containing the rocks that often produce diamonds – in Antarctica. The problem is that the frozen continent is protected from mining for decades under an international treaty.

Saudi Arabia warns it will act against West's policy in Middle East
The Telegraph - Saudi Arabia has warned it has been forced to go its own way in foreign policy as its Western allies seek diplomatic solutions to the war in Syria and crisis with Iran. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to London said US-led diplomacy in the region was risking the stability of the Middle East.

Nothing to warn about? UK may legalize fracking under homes without prior warning
RT - Hydraulic fracturing may soon take place under thousands of homes across the United Kingdom without their owners’ knowledge. Based on a proposed law change the burden of notifying homeowners will be lifted from energy companies, the Guardian reports.

VIDEO: US tests another nuclear-capable missile
Press TV - The United States has test-fired a nuclear-capable inter-continental ballistic missile from an airbase in the state of California. On Tuesday, a Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base into a 4,200 mile flight over the Pacific to a target on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Another US group joins academic boycott of Israel
Press TV - The Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) urges its members to boycott Israeli academia over Tel Aviv's violation of international law and UN resolutions, the NAISA president wrote on the association’s website this week.

White House releases recommendations for limiting NSA programs
RT - The Review Group suggests in their report that the NSA stop pressuring tech companies to put government-friendly “backdoors” into their programs and halt their habit of stockpiling so-called zero-day exploits — or otherwise-unknown software and hardware vulnerabilities than when relied upon may allow for unfettered access to a target’s system.

CNN Poll: Fading support for stricter gun control exposes reason why extremists move immediately to exploit tragedy
buckeyefirearms.org - CNN reported recently that "as memories fade from last December's horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a new national poll indicates that support for stricter gun control laws appears to be fading, too." While CNN's premise that only a fading memory can explain the decline in support for gun control is bogus, the findings are none-the-less encouraging.

Texas Court Rules Warrants Can be Obtained on ‘Predictions of Future Crimes’
Adan Salazar - A ruling by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals last week opens the door for Texas law enforcement to obtain search warrants “based on predictions of the commission of future crimes,” an appeals judge has stated.

Democrats Persecute Homeschooling Parents
Kit Daniels - Introduced by Sen. Capri Cafarao, Senate Bill 248 effectively requires homeschooling parents to be licensed by the state through an application process which includes an investigation, background checks and in-person interviews between social workers and children which the parents are not allowed to attend.

YouTube: Arkansas Mother Obliterates Common Core in 4 Minutes!
Karen Lamoreaux - Arkansas State Board of Ed - 12/16.

Southern Discomfort: U.S. Army seeks removal of Lee, ‘Stonewall’ Jackson honors
Washington Times - The U.S. War College, which molds future field generals, has begun discussing whether it should remove its portraits of Confederate generals — including those of Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

VIDEO: Judge Napolitano: 16-Year-Old Uses ‘Affluenza’ As Drunk Driving Defense
Liberty Crier - Judge Andrew Napolitano discusses a recent case where a sixteen year old boy who plead guilty to drinking and driving and who killed four people while driving under the influence.... For most people, conviction for vehicular manslaughter due to drunk driving warrants a lengthy sentence, but not in the case of Ethan Couch, a wealthy young man from the state of Texas.

Mayor Bloomberg On Homeless Girl Featured In The New York Times: ‘That’s Just The Way God Works’
thinkprogress.org - Bloomberg defended his homelessness policies and claimed that 11-year-old Dasani, the star of the piece, ended up in dire straits due to bad luck.... Bloomberg went on to attack the media for not understanding how good Dasani and her family have it compared to poor people in developing countries.

Christmas Wins Out! Ban On “Religious” School Poster Overturned Following Media Attention
Steve Watson - Shocker: It is not unconstitutional to display the words “Merry Christmas”. A School in Minnesota has backed down and agreed to overturn a ban on a Christmas poster designed by a student that was originally deemed to be potentially “too religious”.

VIDEO: CNN Leftist Kicks Off Larry Klayman During Live Air Interview
Daily Paul - A CNN segment about a federal judge’s ruling on National Security Agency surveillance turned into an all-out battle that led to the victorious attorney in the case actually getting kicked off the air.

Target stores' customers hit by major credit card attack
(Reuters) - Payment card data was stolen from an unknown number of Target Corp customers starting on the busy Black Friday weekend in a major breach at the U.S. retailer, according to a person familiar with the matter.

For those of you that would like to read Lauren from Ohio Declaration of Independence

Doctors now running for U.S. Senate amid Obamacare fiasco
(NaturalNews) In all, eleven doctors are running as Republicans for the U.S. Senate, in a bid to use their medical expertise to convince voters that they would be an asset against the backdrop of a flopped Obamacare law.

The Taper Is On – 8 Ways That This Is Going To Affect You And Your Family
Economic Collapse - The unelected central planners at the Federal Reserve have decided that the time has come to slightly taper the amount of quantitative easing that it has been doing.

FBI is global stakeholder in cryptocurrency, currently owns largest bitcoin wallet
When the FBI shut down the Silk Road, an internet black market, in October it also seized the accused owner’s assets and inadvertently became one of the wealthiest bitcoin operators in the world.

Oregon Spends $200,000 to Figure Out How to Impose a Carbon Tax
atr.org - Following a “regional climate change agreement” with California and British Columbia, Oregon legislators have commissioned a taxpayer-funded $200,000 study to examine a new state carbon tax. The study aims not to examine the impact on consumer energy costs, but merely on how to implement it in Oregon.

How Government Regulations Made Healthcare So Expensive
mises.org - The U.S. “health care cost crisis” didn’t start until 1965. The government increased demand with the passage of Medicare and Medicaid while restricting the supply of doctors and hospitals. Health care prices responded at twice the rate of inflation. Now, the U.S. is repeating the same mistakes with the unveiling of Obamacare (a.k.a. “Medicare and Medicaid for the middle class”).

Teleprompter Reader at Corporatist Network Floats Money for Nothing Idea
Kurt Nimmo - Krystal Ball, reading badly from her MSNBC teleprompter, is pushing the latest socialist idea tantalizing folks who are clueless about economics and human nature. Ball cites an idea seriously under consideration in Switzerland. The Social Democrat initiative would provide all citizens with an unconditional basic income of 2,500 francs, or about $2,800, per month.

Feds Spent Almost $1 Million on Romance Novel Website
Breitbart - Your tax dollars, to the tune of $914,000, are going to the serious study of romance novels, James Bond, and "Call Me Maybe."

Government Using NSA to Change Amount in Bank Accounts, Warns Panel
Paul Joseph Watson - A White House review panel report into the activities of the NSA suggested that the government was using the spy agency to launch cyber attacks against financial institutions and change the amounts held in bank accounts.

D.C. raises its minimum wage
MSNBC- The Washington, D.C. city council voted unanimously Tuesday to raise its minimum wage from $8.25 to $11.50 per hour by 2016. Although Democratic Mayor Vincent Gray had previously opposed the measure, unanimous approval from the city council makes it unlikely he would be able to successfully veto it.

Russia and Ukraine strike $15bn deal
Al Jazeera - Russia threw Ukraine an economic lifeline on Tuesday, agreeing to buy $15 billion of Ukrainian bonds and to reduce the price its cash-strapped neighbour pays for vital Russian gas supplies by about one-third.

France says EU nations to send troops to CAR
Al Jazeera - Diplomats said that Belgium and Poland may be tapped to contribute soldiers to support the French-African mission. Some European countries will send troops to support a French-African mission to restore order in the Central African Republic, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

Billion dollar race: Soviet Union vied with US in ‘mind control research’
RT - Competing with the US during the Arms Race, the Soviet Union put extensive effort in unconventional research seeking to outflank its rival in understanding behavior control, remote influencing and parapsychology, a new survey has revealed.

Dubious 'bankster' behind Russia’s bid to be first to trademark Bitcoin
RT - The chief of a bank that was shut down over money laundering has reportedly applied to register the trademark for the popular cryptocurrency bitcoin. If successful, Russia could become the first country to register the anonymous currency.

Russia condemns Adra massacre, calls on world community to react
RT - Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned massacre in the town of Adra, 20 kilometers north of Damascus. Survivors say jihadist rebel groups executed dozens of civilians, including children, beheading them or burning them alive.

VIDEO: US base attacked in Afghanistan
Press TV - Unknown militants in Afghanistan have attacked a US military base in the eastern province of Nangarhar. The attack started with rockets being fired at the base in the town of Torkham near the border with Pakistan on Wednesday. Gunfire was heard following the rocket attack.

Japan set to buy $240B worth of hi-tech weapons
StratRisks - Japan announced on Tuesday that it would buy stealth fighters, drones and submarines as part of a splurge on military hardware that would beef up defense of far-flung islands amid a simmering territorial row with China.

India retaliates against US diplomats over 'unacceptable' NY consular arrest
RT - Outraged by the “humiliating” detention and strip search of a female Indian deputy consul in New York last week, New Delhi has ordered a series of retaliatory measures against the US diplomatic corps in India.

NSA's goal is elimination of individual privacy worldwide - Greenwald to EU
RT - The NSA’s ultimate goal along with its UK partner, the GCHQ, is to eliminate individual privacy worldwide, journalist Glenn Greenwald has told an EU inquiry.

Uruguay: President Donates 90% of His Salary to the Poorest
argentinaindependent.com - Uruguayan President José Mujica is the poorest president in the world, according to the news website Infobae.com: he earns US$12,500 per month and donates 90% of it to charities. “His only property is his old Volkswaken, and he lives in an humble ranch in the outskirts of the capital,” the website writes. “But there are others who live with less,” Mujica said.

Rand Paul Plots NSA Class-Action Lawsuit Options
US News and World Report - After months of consideration, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is moving closer to filing a lawsuit in federal court against National Security Agency surveillance programs. A senior Paul staffer says U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon's Monday decision that NSA opponents have standing to sue over the bulk collection of phone records makes Paul "much more likely" to file his own lawsuit.

Larry Klayman crows on NSA win: ‘We hit the mother lode’
Politico - Klayman, the conservative legal activist well-known in Washington political circles a decade ago for his no-holds-barred court battles against the Clinton administration, was thrust back into the spotlight Monday after he obtained the first major ruling from a federal judge that the National Security Agency’s surveillance program was constitutionally flawed.

Expanded Medicaid’s fine print holds surprise: ‘payback’ from estate after death
Seattle Times - As thousands of state residents enroll in Washington’s expanded Medicaid program, many will be surprised at fine print: After you’re dead, your estate can be billed for ordinary health-care expenses. State officials are scrambling to change the rule.

Colorado school shooting was over in 80 seconds because of an armed officer
concealednation.org - You heard it right, gun grabbers. The recent shooting in Colorado at Arapahoe High School happened to have a Deputy Sheriff on school grounds who was working as a school resource officer, according to a CNN report.

How a top climate change expert defrauded EPA out of $900K by claiming he was an undercover CIA agent
Daily Mail - A top climate change expert at the Environmental Protection Agency has admitted to defrauding the government out of more than $900,000 by claiming he was an undercover CIA agent so he didn't have to show up for work for months at a time.

Books and movies about Edward Snowden: Coming soon
RT - Dust off your eyeglasses, actors, and get ready to show talent scouts your best stoic, anti-surveillance state stare: at least three books about National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden are currently in the works, and a movie could come soon after.

Pennsylvanians Coerced Into Giving Cheek Swab at “Voluntary” Checkpoint
Paul Joseph Watson - A supposedly “voluntary” survey checkpoint run by a private firm in Reading, Pennsylvania on behalf of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy caused outrage when residents said they were forced off the road into a car park and coerced into giving cheek swabs as a result of an intimidating police presence.

Accused September 11 attacker expelled from Guantanamo courtroom
(Reuters) - An accused conspirator in the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington was expelled from a courtroom at the Guantanamo Bay war crimes tribunal on Tuesday for being disruptive.

Paul threatens to keep Senate from Christmas vacation over Fed fight
The Hill - Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is threatening to keep the Senate in session by dragging out Janet Yellen’s confirmation as head of the Federal Reserve. The noted central bank critic said Tuesday that he was prepared to force the Senate to exhaust the full 30 hours of debate on Yellen’s nomination if he did not receive a vote on his legislation to fully audit the Fed.

China’s holdings of US Treasury debt back to 2011 record
RT - The US's biggest foreign lender China has boosted its Treasury bond holdings to near record levels of $1.3 trillion in October. This after the Fed calmed financial markets by saying in September it would continue its monthly $85 billion bond purchases.

Bread and Circus continues: Congress allows NFL to retain tax-exempt status
The Last Resistance - You probably didn’t know that the NFL is a tax-exempt organization. Well, it is. Which means that, in effect, it is sponsored by the federal government. It really makes no sense that the NFL should be tax-exempt. It is not a ministry or a charity or a small business needing a financial break. It is obviously a for-profit enterprise. In 2011, the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, made about 30 million clams. That’s insane.

The Perfect Storm is Coming For Gold: “Economics Will Crush the Very People Who are Behind the Devastation”
Mac Slavo - The perfect storm is coming for gold… With fiat currency being pumped into the system daily and the gold sector in shambles, the central banks are in for a big surprise because sooner or later supply and demand economics will crush the very people who are behind the devastation we have seen in the gold mining and precious metal industry.

Thanks to sweeping legalization measures, marijuana is fastest growing industry in US
(NaturalNews) A new report released by the marijuana advocacy group Arcview Market Research reveals that the legal marijuana market in the U.S. is now the fastest growing industry in the country, topping even the rapid growth rate of the smart phone market.

UPDATE: Man accused of taking Army IDs to stay in custody
theblaze.com - An Iraq War veteran accused of stealing identification information of roughly 400 members of his former Army unit so he could make fake IDs for his militia was ordered Monday to remain in federal custody.

Senate GOP fails in final bid to restore military pension cuts to budget bill
Fox News - A final effort by Senate Republicans to halt cuts to pensions of military retirees failed late Tuesday, after Democrats blocked an amendment to the controversial budget bill. The two-year budget agreement, which cleared a key test vote earlier in the day, was expected to get a final vote no later than Wednesday.

Young US veterans suffer unusually high death rate
Press TV - American war veterans under the age of 35 suffer an unusually high death rate, according to a new report. Between 2006 and 2011, 1,253 male and 110 female veterans lost their lives in the state of California, home to more veterans than any other state, an analysis of data by the Los Angeles Times shows.

Judge dismisses sailor radiation case
UTSanDiego.com - A San Diego federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that U.S. sailors were exposed to dangerous radiation during the humanitarian response to the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

6.4mn home mortgages in US still underwater
Press TV - "Nearly 6.4 million homes, or13 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage were still in negative equity at the end of the third quarter," said CoreLogic, an Irvine, California based company providing financial, property and consumer information.

‘Russia ready to grant loan to Ukraine’
Press TV - Russia has expressed its readiness to grant Ukraine a loan in order to help its indebted neighbor settle economic problems and end pro-EU protests.

Senator McCain Pimps for CIA-spawned Color Revolution in Ukraine
Kurt Nimmo - On Sunday, Arizona’s Republican Senator, John McCain, told thousands of protesters in Kiev, Ukraine, that the United States will take “concrete action” against Ukraine’s government if it moves against the demonstrations. McCain said sanctions against Ukraine “would deserve serious consideration” by Congress if Viktor Yanukovych and the Ukrainian government entered into a custom and trade agreement with Russia.

Moscow confirms deployment of Iskander missiles on NATO borders
RT - The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed media reports on the deployment of short-range Iskander missiles in the country’s west, near its borders with the Baltic states and NATO members, saying that it does not violate international agreements.

‘UK troops finish mission in Afghanistan’
Press TV - British Prime Minister David Cameron says UK troops have finished “their mission in Afghanistan” and can return home.... “The timetable for the withdrawal of British troops is a plan that we will stick to. I said, back in 2010, that after the end of 2014 there would not be British troops in a combat role and we will stick to that,” he said.

An NSA Coworker Remembers The Real Edward Snowden: 'A Genius Among Geniuses'
Forbes - “That kid was a genius among geniuses,” says the NSA staffer. “NSA is full of smart people, but anybody who sat in a meeting with Ed will tell you he was in a class of his own…I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Central Banks and the NSA agree to spy on stock market, emails phone calls etc.
MassPrivateI - The National Security Agency (NSA), a host of European, Russian, Canadian and Chinese spy agencies and the world’s Central Banks will ensure that the only relevant force in Global Stock markets will be the trading activity of the world’s Central Banks.

London Bankers Expect 44% Bonus Increase, Survey Finds
Bloomberg - Managing directors at banks in London are expecting a 44 percent rise in bonuses for 2013 even as European authorities seek to scale back compensation, according to a recruiter’s survey.

UK wastes millions on ‘development’ aid to China
RT - The British government has been blasted for giving millions in aid to China and other nations developing their own space missions. Yes, the world’s second largest economy and third nation to send a mission to the moon is receiving aid from the UK.

100s of UK elderly denied social care
Press TV - According to the study, conducted by the Personal Social Services Research Unit based at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Kent, some 483,000 old and disabled people in the UK have either lost their care support or are no longer eligible to claim it since 2008 when the financial crisis began.

20 People Arrested in France After It Emerged Horsemeat Used in Medical Experiments Was Sold at Butchers
Daily Mail - Butchers and traders were said to have been sold the left-over meat from some 200 horses used for vaccine experiments in laboratories run by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur. The mark-up was allegedly some 300 times what horse dealers had paid for the meat, which was unfit for human consumption.

UN's Syria "Aid" Appeal is Bid to Relieve Trapped Terrorists
Activist Post - As the UN prepares to flood the Syrian conflict with another 6.5 billion dollars, tales of how "aid money" is ending up facilitating the activities of terrorists inside and along Syria's borders suggest the UN is not trying to provide mercy for the Syrian people, but perpetuate the tragedy further still.

Russia says Aug. 21 Syria chemical weapons attack was 'staged' to provoke attention
Blacklisted News - Russia is lashing out at the U.S. and its allies on the United Nations Security Council over who is to blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria this year.

Snowden: NSA's indiscriminate spying 'collapsing'
AP - National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden wrote in a lengthy "open letter to the people of Brazil" that he's been inspired by the global debate ignited by his release of thousands of National Security Agency documents, and that the NSA's culture of indiscriminate global espionage "is collapsing."

Fukushima Aftermath? 98 Percent Of The Pacific Ocean Floor Covered By Dead Sea Creatures
thetruthwins.com - According to an absolutely shocking study that has just been released, one area of the Pacific Ocean floor was 98 percent covered by decomposing sea creatures in July 2012. But in March 2012, only 1 percent of that same section of the Pacific Ocean floor was covered by dead sea creatures.

The biggest Pinocchios of 2013
washingtonpost.com - It’s time for our annual round-up of the biggest Pinocchios of the year. This was not a presidential election year, so in some ways the subjects that needed to be fact checked were more substantive. In reviewing The Fact Checker’s more than 200 columns in the past year, we found an interesting evolution from statistics about gun violence to claims about President Obama’s health-care law. Our general rule of thumb held: the more complex a subject is, the more tempted politicians are to make misleading claims.

Judge: NSA spying ‘almost Orwellian,’ likely unconstitutional
Yahoo News - In a stinging rebuke to President Barack Obama’s surveillance policies, a federal judge on Monday branded the National Security Agency’s mass collection of Americans’ telephone data “almost Orwellian” and likely a violation of the Constitution. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden cheered the ruling.

White House: No amnesty for Snowden
RT - The White House said on Monday that it does not support amnesty for NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The comment comes after the head of an agency investigative unit probing the leaks suggested that amnesty was worth considering.

Congressmen Move to Declassify Key Part of 9/11 Report That They Say Could Indicate Hijackers Had Outside Help
The Blaze - Reps. Walter Jones (R-NC) and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) introduced a House resolution earlier this month urging President Barack Obama to declassify a portion of a government report that they say could provide evidence the 9/11 hijackers had outside help.

Obama Suppressing 6,000-Page Report on CIA Torture Adopted by Senate Intelligence Committee
Tikkun Daily - Over a year ago, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to adopt a historic, 6,000-page report which contains “startling details” about CIA misdeeds related to its torture program. The report, which cost $40 million to produce and appears to pose no national security threats, has been set for release since December 13, 2012. However, it has yet to see the light of day.

Boston Bomber Believed He Was a Victim of Mind Control
Paul Joseph Watson - Suspected Boston marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev believed that he was a victim of mind control, according to the results of a five month investigation published yesterday by the Boston Globe.

Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce Laws on Gun Control
NY Times - Some sheriffs, like Sheriff Cooke, are refusing to enforce the laws, saying that they are too vague and violate Second Amendment rights. Many more say that enforcement will be “a very low priority,” as several sheriffs put it. All but seven of the 62 elected sheriffs in Colorado signed on in May to a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the statutes.

Couple spends month in jail after cop mistakes soap for cocaine
RT - A New York couple spent nearly a month in jail after a Pennsylvania state trooper mistakenly identified two bricks of homemade soap as cocaine and arrested them for transporting the drug.

Influential group of 5,000 US scholars votes to boycott Israel
RT - A powerful group of US scholars has voted to launch an academic boycott of Israeli colleges and universities. With a membership in the thousands, the group has become the largest academic collective to protest Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

NSA Director Alexander Has to Ask Permission to Answer a Question
Paul Joseph Watson - One of the more jaw-dropping moments to emerge out of 60 Minutes’ profile piece on the National Security Agency yesterday was when NSA Director Keith Alexander had to ask permission from his superiors on whether or not he could answer a question.

Senate poised to pass budget, even as GOP presidential candidates say no
McClatchy - The Senate appears poised to pass and send to President Barack Obama as early as Tuesday a two-year budget agreement, as lawmakers are eager to head home and show gridlock-weary constituents Congress can get something done.

Newspeak From Chairman Ben on Fed’s 100th Birthday
Kurt Nimmo - On December 23, 1913, the banksters created the private cartel masquerading as a government agency, the Federal Reserve, to manipulate fiat money and engineer asset bubbles designed to level economies.

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk: After 100 Years Of Failure, It's Time To End The Fed!
Ron Paul: A week from now, the Federal Reserve System will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. Resulting from secret negotiations between bankers and politicians at Jekyll Island, the Fed's creation established a banking cartel and a board of government overseers that has grown ever stronger through the years....

83 Numbers From 2013 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
Economic Collapse - America continued to steadily march down a self-destructive path toward oblivion. As a society, our debt levels are completely and totally out of control. Our financial system has been transformed into the largest casino on the entire planet and our big banks are behaving even more recklessly than they did just before the last financial crisis.

GM's CEO rejects repaying Feds for bailout losses
USA Today -The General Motors bailout may have cost the government $10 billion, but GM CEO Dan Akerson rejects any suggestion that the company should compensate for the losses.

Schumer: Veterans Should Take a Pay Cut But Congress Should Not
Activist Post - Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) believes that it’s time that US military veterans do their part for America by taking a cut to their retirement benefits. Because, of course, veterans haven’t done enough for the country. Members of Congress, however, should take no such cuts. According to the rather despicable gun-control advocating Senator Schumer, the government officials have sacrificed enough.

‘Whole families murdered’: Syrian rebels execute over 80 civilians outside Damascus
RT - Over 80 civilians in a town northwest of the Syrian capital of Damascus have been executed by Islamist rebels, sources within the Syrian military told RT. Many others were kidnapped to be used as human shields.

U.S. Moves to Support Al-Qaeda Lite in Syria
Kurt Nimmo - The United States will engage in talks with radical Islamist forces fighting to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Talks over the next few days are expected to center on direct support for the newly formed Islamic Front, according to Reuters.

War on Syria begins with mass vaccination program
Activist Post -The World Health Organization reports that as of November 26, “17 children have been paralyzed by polio in Syria: 15 of these children are in the contested governorate of Deir Ez Zour, one is in Aleppo and another in Douma, near Damascus. Prior to this outbreak, no polio cases have been recorded in Syria since 1999.”

U.S. Navy-China showdown: Chinese try to halt U.S. cruiser in international waters
Washington Times - A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials.

Iceland’s jailed bankers ‘a model’ for dealing with ‘financial terrorists’
RT - By jailing four top officers of Iceland's failed Kaupthing Bank, the country showed the world the right way to deal with the people largely responsible for the 2008 financial crisis, said Charlie McGrath, founder of news website, Wide Awake News.

China Imposes First-Ever West Coast Shellfish Ban
kuow.org - China said it decided to impose the ban after recent shipments of geoduck clams from Northwest waters were found by its own government inspectors to have high levels of arsenic and a toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.... It applies to clams, oysters and all other two-shelled bivalves harvested from the waters of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Northern California.

‘Stop GMOs’: Russian scientists urge 10-year ban on genetically modified products
RT - "It is necessary to ban GMO, to impose moratorium [on it] for 10 years. While GMO will be prohibited, we can plan experiments, tests, or maybe even new methods of research could be developed,” vice president of Russia’s National Association for Genetic Safety, Irina Ermakova, told Interfax news agency.

VIDEO: Three Days of Severe Snow in the Middle East
RT - A severe winter storm pounded the Middle East for a third day on Friday bringing with it heavy snow and floods. In the West Bank city of Ramallah residents struggled to walk outside as mounds of snow blanketed the streets.... Heaviest snow in the region for 112 years.

What's up with Saudi Arabia's 15,000 anti-tank missiles?
StratRisks - No one is expecting a tank invasion of Saudi Arabia anytime soon, but the kingdom just put in a huge order for U.S.-made anti-tank missiles that has Saudi-watchers scratching their heads and wondering whether the deal is related to Riyadh’s support for the Syrian rebels.

VIDEO: ‘Turkey sent tons of arms into Syria’
Press TV - Based on data from the UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade), Turkey sent different amounts of guns, including shotguns and hunting rifles, to the militants, with the highest reaching nearly 29 tons in September alone.

VIDEO: Yemeni parliament bans US terror drone strikes
Press TV - Yemeni MPs have strongly condemned US assassination drone strikes inside the Arab country and the parliament passed a law banning the drone attacks.

Australian troops leave Afghanistan
Al Jazeera - More than 1,000 Australian troops have completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the end of a deployment that has left dozens of troops dead and hundreds more seriously wounded.

NSA considers Edward Snowden amnesty
Press TV - The US National Security Agency is offering a controversial amnesty to American whistleblower Edward J. Snowden in exchange for the confidential documents he is keeping about the super spy agency.

Video Clip: It Only Took This Army Vet 3 Minutes To Destroy Obama’s Gun Control Plan
conservativepost.com - In this clip we see an army vet that serves as a police officer speak to the motion to repeal the ‘Safe’ act at the Dutchess County Legislature New York State.

Inside the Saudi 9/11 coverup
nypost.com - After the 9/11 attacks, the public was told al Qaeda acted alone, with no state sponsors. But the White House never let it see an entire section of Congress’ investigative report on 9/11 dealing with “specific sources of foreign support” for the 19 hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudi nationals

New Obama adviser wants to cede U.S. oceans to U.N.
WND - President Obama’s new staff adviser, senior progressive strategist John Podesta, is a key player in an initiative seeking more government regulation of the oceans and the ceding of U.S. oceans to United Nations-based international law.

Colorado Shooter “Opinionated Socialist” and “Keynesian”
Kurt Nimmo - Don’t expect Mark Potok to get on MSNBC and dissect the ideological background of the latest high school shooter. It turns out Karl Halverson Pierson, the teenager who wounded two Colorado high schools students and then killed himself, was a dyed-in-the-wool liberal.

HHS to Issa: We Won't Comply With Your Subpeona Because We Don't Trust You
townhall.com - The Health and Human Services Department told House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa that it won’t turn over documents related to the security of the Healthcare.gov website because it can’t trust him to keep secret information that could give hackers a roadmap to wreak havoc on the system.

Reports of erroneous WA health exchange debits
KING 5 News - or the second week in a row, the Washington Healthplanfinder website is down, and it's causing problems for people who are dealing with billing issues. Some of them say the website is mistakenly debiting their accounts.

Government Takeover: White House Forces Obamacare Insurers To Cover Unpaid Patients At A Loss
Forbes - Of all of the last-minute delays, website bungles, and Presidential whims that have marred the roll-out of Obamacare’s subsidized insurance exchanges, what happened on Thursday, December 12 will stand as one of the most lawless acts yet committed by this administration.

White House Front Group Vows to Target Alternative Media
Paul Joseph Watson - White House front group Media Matters has vowed to target “alternative online outlets” as part of its new “strategic plan” to exert media influence in coordination with the Obama administration.

VIDEO: Ben Swann Debates Gun Control On RT
Liberty Crier - Ben Swann debates gun control on RT. For more debate segments please click here.

VICTORY: License Plate Scanners Suspended in Boston Over Privacy Concerns
Activist Post - Even as revelations of nearly ubiquitous NSA surveillance have been detailed, and databases of every stripe seem to be on the rise, we cannot ignore our victories. Little by little, we are beginning to see a roll-back of some of the surveillance state.

Active Shooter Drills in Littleton, Colorado Same Day as School Shooting
legitgov.org - In response to the shooting Friday at Arapahoe High School, Peter J. Kuehlen has unearthed two screenshots of 'security consultants' conducting active shooter response drills in the same location -- and on the same day, no less - of the school shooting in Colorado.

Media Works To Keep Mass Shooters’ Profiles Secret
Mikael Thalen - An undeniable pattern has continued to emerge in light of mass shootings, despite the media’s attempt to avoid connecting the dots.

Document Reveals State’s Move To Vastly Expand Continuity of Government Powers
Mikael Thalen - A document currently circulating through the Washington state government details the attempt to vastly expand Continuity of Government powers by amending the state’s constitution.

Missouri State University considers banning Nerf guns
CBS News - During October’s game, a professor called 911 and put a classroom on lockdown after thinking he saw a real gun. And the university’s safety and transportation department got several calls to its non-emergency number while the game was being played, The Springfield News-Leader reported.

Report: 50,000-60,000 paper Obamacare applications still haven’t been processed
Daily Caller - While the Obama administration boasts that the front end of healthcare.gov is supposedly working better, the government reportedly still has to process over 50,000 paper applications it took in when the site was all but inoperable. The stunning number was buried in a Washington Post report Friday.

Georgia looking to nullify Obamacare during the 2014 legislative session
The Examiner - South Carolina legislators a few days ago introduced legislation to eliminate Obamacare in their state under SC State House bill H 3101 and now Georgia is looking to follow South Carolina’s lead in nullifying Obamacare, the Washington Times reported on Thursday.

Beach bum: Obama to holiday in Hawaii for 17 DAYS
Washington Times - President Obama and his family will leave Washington Dec. 20 for a 17-day holiday vacation in Hawaii. The White House announced Friday that the Obamas will depart next week after what is expected to be a light work schedule for the president in Washington.

George P. Bush, Tea Party Conservative
Kurt Nimmo - Another Bush. This one says he’s with Ted Cruz and the refurbished tea party. George P. Bush is kicking off his political career in Texas. He’s running as land commissioner. Bush says he’s not like the rest of his family. He’s a real conservative unlike the previous two Georges. He describes himself as a “movement” conservative. Not a mainstream Republican.

Camden, New Jersey: One Of Hundreds Of U.S. Cities That Are Turning Into Rotting, Decaying Hellholes
Economic Collapse - Earlier this month, Rolling Stone published an article that took a hard look at the nightmare conditions that exist in Camden. A city that once made Campbell's soup and some of this nation's most famous warships is now a national disgrace. The following are six of the best quotes out of that article...

Senators Introduce Bill To Crack Down On ‘Lavish’ Self-Portrait Expenses
myfoxdc.com - A bipartisan Senate duo says they want to crack down on what they call the government’s “lavish” spending on oil paintings of congressmen, the costs of which can top $50,000 each. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said in a Thursday press release they are introducing a bill that would only allow $20,000 of taxpayer funds to be spent on each portrait, and would only cover paintings of lawmakers in the line of succession to the presidency.

JPMorgan's "Bitcoin-Alternative" Patent Rejected (175 Times)
Zero Hedge - Earlier in the week, we detailed JPMorgan's attempt to create their own "web cash" alternative to Bitcoin (and Sberbank's talk of doing the same). However, as M-Cam details, following the failure of the first 154 'claims', JPMorgan issued a further 20 claims - which were summarily rejected (making JPMorgan 0-175 for approved claims).

YouTube: Dirty Jobs' Mike Rowe on the High Cost of College
Reason TV - "If we are lending money that ostensibly we don't have to kids who have no hope of making it back in order to train them for jobs that clearly don't exist, I might suggest that we've gone around the bend a little bit," says TV personality Mike Rowe, best known as the longtime host of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs....

'They just wanted to ruin my head’: Records show Army lobotomized 2,000 WW2 vets
Raw Story - Newly uncovered documents show the U.S. Army embraced frontal lobotomy as a way to treat at least 2,000 troops in the aftermath of World War II, the Wall Street Journal reported.
** Related Article: ArmyTimes.com: VA lobotomized 2,000 disturbed veterans

UN: Chem arms used in Syria, but no direct links between attack, victims in some locations
RT - The United Nations has released its report on the alleged use of chemicals weapons in Syria, as investigators report evidence of probable chemical weapons use in five of seven attacks probed.

Will Saudis Send U.S. Anti-tank Weapons to Salafist Mercenaries in Syria?
Kurt Nimmo - Does Saudi Arabia face an awesome enemy in its mostly unpopulated desert kingdom? After all, it recently ordered nearly a billion dollars worth of tube-launched, optically-tracked wire-guided 2A/2B radio-frequency (RF) Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support, according to a DoD SCA news release.

Drone strike kills 15 'wedding party-goers' in Yemen
RT - Fifteen people who had been heading to a wedding in Yemen have been killed in an air strike. Local media reported that a drone attack had been responsible, and the party-goers had been hit instead of an Al-Qaeda convoy.

EU parliament votes to invite Snowden to testify over NSA spying
RT - The European Parliament has voted to formally invite former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden to provide official court testimony on NSA spying, in the face of overwhelming concern from conservative MEPs.

Another 20 Navy Sailors: USS Ronald Reagan crew with thyroid cancers, leukemia, brain tumors, bleeding, blindness after Fukushima disaster
ENENews - Charles Bonner, attorney representing sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan: They’re not only going to the rescue by jumping into the water and rescuing people out of the water, but they were drinking desalinated sea water, bathing in it, until finally the captain of the USS Ronald Reagan alarmed people that they were encountering high levels of radiation.

Call Made to Congress for China War Plan
StratRisks - The U.S. military needs a more focused war plan specific to China, especially after China’s recent declaration of an air defense zone over the East China Sea, a group of defense analysts told a prominent House subcommittee Wednesday.

Iran slams new US sanctions on firms, individuals
Press TV - Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi slams the new US sanctions targeting Iran, saying the bans run counter to the spirit of the recent nuclear deal reached between Tehran and six major world powers.

VIDEO: Karzai says won’t be bullied into inking US deal
Press TV - Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will not be ‘intimidated’ into signing a controversial security deal with Washington, which would allow thousands of US troops to stay in Afghanistan after 2014.

American who vanished in Iran was on unsanctioned CIA mission – report
RT - The retired FBI agent who seemed to vanish in Iran seven years ago was in fact on a strange unauthorized mission for the CIA that was organized by intelligence agents who did not have the authority to do so, a shocking new report has revealed.

'This is the time!’ Connecticut gov signs first GMO labeling law in US
RT - The governor of Connecticut hosted a ceremonial signing outside an organic restaurant in the city of Fairfield on Wednesday to commemorate the state’s passing of what could be the first GMO labeling law of its type in the United States.

YouTube: Sen. Paul Speaks Out Against Nuclear Option On The Senate Floor
Senator Rand Paul Dec 12, 2013

Omidyar’s PayPal Corporation Said To Be Implicated in Withheld NSA Documents
Boiling Frogs Post - "Yes. It is absolutely legit. Let me tell you this … NSA has had this cooperation, partnership … this relationship with major financial institutions … not only PayPal but credit card companies too. At least with 78 financial companies. Not only they get and store all this information, the financial data … Americans’ and foreigners’, but they also share it with FBI, DEA and other law enforcement agencies regularly."

A Distillation of DOD Funding Priorities for November 2013
Boiling Frogs Post - The Pentagon Spent at Least $28,960,969,531on 197 Individual Contracts During November 2013. The Pentagon issues a jumbled list of contracts every business day around 5:00PM local time. Our project distills an entire month of these contracts into an accessible form. Italics indicate notes from the editor.

Director Who Released Obama Birth Certificate Dies in Mystery Plane Crash
Paul Joseph Watson - The health director who approved the release of President Obama’s long form birth certificate, which some claim was a fraudulent document, has died in an unexplained plane crash in Hawaii, it was announced today.

South Carolina Looking to Pass Bill That Would Eliminate ObamaCare in the State
Fox News - South Carolina is on the verge of passing a bill that would end ObamaCare in the state. But is it legal for South Carolina not to follow a federal law? Judge Napolitano discussed the case today on America’s News Headquarters.

NC Cop Pushes K-9 Into Suspect’s Car Window, Cops Love It
Liberty Crier - It’s hard to know which is more disturbing in this case. The police officer shoving a dog through a window to bite a man who has clearly given up, or the comments from the community (mostly cops) at Police1.com. Here are a few...

Declassified FBI docs detail warrantless drone surveillance
RT - While previous reports have indicated that the FBI has sought to employ drone technology for years, newly unveiled documents from inside the agency show the extent to which the bureau believes it has the authority to conduct warrantless surveillance.

Passed in House, NDAA now heads to Senate
Politico - The House on Thursday approved a compromise version of this year’s defense authorization bill, kicking it to the Senate under a fast-track process that precludes senators from tacking on controversial amendments dealing with Iran sanctions and other divisive issues.

Obama advisers recommend NSA overhaul after surveillance scandal – report
RT - A White House-appointed task force is to recommend an overhaul of the National Security Agency, including changing the controversial bulk phone record collection and giving it civilian leadership, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

What is the TPP? A Primer
Activist Post - If you keep hearing about the TPP and really only have a general idea of what this is, there is a good reason for that. The negotiations have been kept a closely guarded secret, and those participating don’t want you to know what it is until it’s too late to change it.

VIDEO: Mike Rivero: NSA Giving ILLEGAL Inside Trading Info to Central Banks!
silverdoctors.com - In this interview with Finance & Liberty’s Elijah Johnson, Mike Rivero discusses the potential for gold confiscation in the wake of a US dollar collapse, and drops the bombshell that the NSA has begun providing Central Banks Around the world with illegal confidential inside information, allowing the Fed & other friendly western central banks (& the TBTF banks that own them) to trade with illegal confidential information.

The IMF Wants You To Pay 71% Income Tax
Zero Hedge - After it recently suggested a “one-off capital levy” – a one-time tax on private wealth as an exceptional measure to restore debt sustainability across insolvent countries – it has now called for “revenue-maximizing top income tax rates”.... They’ve singled out the US, suggesting that the US government could maximize its tax revenue by increasing tax brackets to as high as 71%.

Paul Ryan Surprised by Tea Party Outrage Over Budget Surrender
Kurt Nimmo - Ohio Republican and Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has unleashed a tirade on the tea party faction in the lower chamber. On Wednesday, he said opposition to the budget sell-out cooked up between Democrats and Republicans suspending the sequester for two years is “ridiculous.

Dent, Faber, Celente, Maloney, Rogers – What Do They Say Is Coming In 2014?
Economic Collapse - Some of the most respected prognosticators in the financial world are warning that what is coming in 2014 and beyond is going to shake America to the core. Many of the quotes that you are about to read are from individuals that actually predicted the subprime mortgage meltdown and the financial crisis of 2008 ahead of time.

Bitcoin beware: JPMorgan seeks patent for rival online payment system
RT - As public enthusiasm continues to grow over bitcoin, the digital crypto-currency, JPMorgan Chase seeks to patent an online payment system that would allow digital wallets, as well as anonymity – the most attractive feature to internet users.

Minn. Guardsman Accused of Stealing Military IDs
Military.com - A Minnesota National Guardsman faces federal fraud charges in connection with the theft of names, Social Security numbers and security clearance levels of roughly 400 members of his former Army unit in Fort Bragg, N.C. The Iraq War veteran intended to use the confidential material to create fake IDs for his militia, court documents say.

Anti-Christian Group Forces Air Force to Remove Nativity Scene
Kurt Nimmo - The last time we heard from Michael Weinstein, his Military Religious Freedom Foundation was complaining about the phrase “so help me God” in the U.S. Air Force Academy Honor Oath. Following complaints by Weinstein and his anti-Christian organization, the Air Force decided to make the phrase optional for cadets. Now Weinstein is targeting an Air Force Christmas nativity scene.

Plants won't grow near Wi-Fi routers, experiment finds
(NaturalNews) ...British activist website Stop Smart Meters recently published a list of 34 scientific studies demonstrating the adverse biological effects of Wi-Fi exposure, including studies linking it to headaches, reduced sperm count and oxidative stress. The latest research into the dangers of Wi-Fi, though, comes from a surprisingly humble source...

Dallas bans fracking in most of the city
grist.org - The Dallas City Council adopted new rules on Wednesday that bar hydraulic fracturing within 1,500 feet of a home, school, church, or well. Dallas is now the largest of five Texan cities and towns that have imposed local restrictions on fracking.

US, UK suspend non-lethal aid to Syrian opposition
RT - Washington and London have stopped providing non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebels via Turkey after radical Islamists began to take control of the Free Syrian Army’s bases in northern Syria. Turkey has reportedly closed its side of the border with Syria.

Foreign militants in Syria exceed 5,000
Press TV - A new report says the number of foreign militants fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is now above 5,000. According to the report published by the bimonthly American magazine, Foreign Policy, on Tuesday, the number of the militants fighting in the Middle Eastern country is also “higher than any previous conflict in the modern history of the Muslim world.”

'US won’t renegotiate Afghan pact'
Press TV - The US military chief says Washington will not renegotiate a security pact with Kabul, claiming that a full withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan can destabilize the country.

Lawmakers Push for Billions to Pay for Questionable Missile Defense System
Kurt Nimmo - The Senate and the House Armed Services committees have agreed to jack up spending on a highly questionable missile defense system by $358 million to $9.5 billion. In addition, the lawmakers want a “homeland defense radar” and are proposing to shower Israel with more money.

China-Japan Spat Could Lead to World War III
Activist Post - As the row over the rocks that are claimed by not only Japan and China, but South Korea and Taiwan continue, a former UN Ambassador has warned that any conflict in the region could quickly become global.

Russia Warns America ‘We Will Respond With Nukes’
Paul Joseph Watson - Addressing the threat posed by plans by the United States to install a missile defense system in Europe, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin today asserted that Russia would respond with nuclear weapons if it was targeted by conventional American missiles.

Pope Francis named Time's ‘Person of the Year 2013’
RT - Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pontiff, elected nine months ago, was named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2013, leaving whistleblower Edward Snowden in second place, the magazine revealed on Wednesday.

300k Fukushima refugees still living 'in cages' in makeshift camps
RT - Over two years after an earthquake and tsunami devastated areas in and around the Japanese city of Fukushima, many residents have been left to live in impromptu residential camps with no hope of returning to their previous ways of life.

General Electric Knew It’s Reactor Design Was Unsafe … So Why Isn’t GE Getting Any Heat for Fukushima?
Washington's Blog - Thirty-five years ago, Dale G. Bridenbaugh and two of his colleagues at General Electric resigned from their jobs after becoming increasingly convinced that the nuclear reactor design they were reviewing — the Mark 1 — was so flawed it could lead to a devastating accident.

Canada Post to phase out urban home mail delivery
cbc.ca - Starting March 31, the cost of a stamp to mail a standard-size first-class letter will increase to 85 cents if bought in a pack, up from 63 cents. Individual stamps will cost a dollar. Canada Post said that over the next five years, it will eliminate 6,000 to 8,000 positions, but it expects 15,000 workers will leave the company or retire within that period.

EU set for more Cyprus-style bail-ins for troubled banks
StratRisks - European finance ministers have reached the basis of an agreement to wind down failing banks and share the costs, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem told CNBC following a 16-hour marathon negotiating session in Brussels. The agreement is expected to begin with a Cyprus-style “bail-in” process in which major depositors in failing banks are tapped first in an effort to support the lender.

China rejects fifth US corn cargo in a month, citing GMO strain
RT - A cargo of 59,100 tons was turned away on Tuesday in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang after quarantine officials found MIR 162 -- an insect-resistant GMO strain which the country’s agriculture ministry has yet to warrant, Reuters cited an official as saying.

Now Obama gets 'executive power' czar
WND - A senior progressive strategist and former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton who specializes in the use of executive authority to bypass Congress is reportedly joining the White House. The New York Times is reporting John Podesta, founder of the Center for American Progress, has agreed to serve as counselor to President Obama for a year.

Let us spy: NSA chief pleads with Senate to keep surveillance programs
RT - The director of the National Security Agency implored lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday to continue authorizing the NSA’s controversial surveillance programs due to emerging threats against the United States.

NYPD to Roll Out Police State for Super Bowl
Adan Salazar - The New York City Police Department will deploy gun boats, as well as arm officers with “heavy weapons” in the week prior to the Super Bowl, efforts the department claims will “protect the public,” deter terrorists and prevent them from conducting reconnaissance.

NYPD Held Mall Terrorism Exercise After Kenya Attack
Kurt Nimmo - On Wednesday, the New York Police Department admitted it had conducted a late night drill at a closed shopping mall in November following the terrorist attack at a mall in Kenya on September 21.

You Can’t Keep Your Medication, Either: More Obamacare Issues Revealed
Activist Post - Prescription drug coverage – or the lack thereof – is the latest unpleasant surprise consumers will face courtesy of Obamacare. Here’s how prescription drug coverage “works” under Obamacare.

Missouri School District Hit With $150,000 Bill for Obamacare
Weekly Standard - A Missouri school district faces a $150,000 bill for Obamacare, according to a report on KMIZ-MO: "This came to light at last night's board meeting when district officials told board members they would have to pay health insurance for substitute teachers," says the other anchor.

Ron Paul: Hobby Lobby Case Is About Rights, Not Contraceptives
Liberty Crier - One of the most important cases the US Supreme Court will consider this term is Hobby Lobby’s lawsuit challenging the Obamacare mandate that employer-provided health care plans must cover abortion and contraceptives. Hobby Lobby, a corporation owned and managed by a traditional Christian family, argues that the mandate violates their First Amendment rights.

Cops Train to Kill People at Traffic Stops
Paul Joseph Watson - Medford Police are training to kill Americans at traffic stops as part of cold weather training designed to improve their shooting response time in freezing temperatures. The training scenarios, which are based on “real life events,” according to a report by KDRV, show police entering buildings and approaching vehicles with guns drawn in order to improve their range of motion and speed when using a firearm in sub-freezing winter conditions.

Colleges can’t ban guns, rules Florida court
bizpacreview.com - The Florida appeals court ruling that the University of North Florida was violating state law when it prohibited a woman from storing a gun in her vehicle while she attended class will spill over to cities and counties statewide, an attorney said Wednesday.

Shopper sues Macy's, says held in New York store jail cell
(Reuters) The plaintiff, Rachid Bakhari, said the incident started when he tried to return an ill-fitting belt he had bought for $27, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday [Dec 2] in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Because the shopper had removed the price tags at home, he followed a sales clerk's instructions to get a belt with tags intact from the sales rack and bring it to the cash register to finalize the return, the lawsuit said.

VIDEO: David Stockman: Buying or Owning Stocks Is Now Dangerous
(Bloomberg) - David Stockman, former director of Office of Management and Budget, explains why he believes there is a bubble in the equity market on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

Now That Obama Is Allowing Chicken From China, What Will That Do To The Chicken Industry?
Economic Collapse - It shouldn't take too much imagination to figure out what is going to happen. This is a movie that we have seen too many times before. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of U.S. businesses and millions of good paying jobs have been lost due to "competition" from communist China.

How Likely Are Bail-Ins? Bank of England Says U.S. “Could Do Today”
Zero Hedge - The Bank of England's Tucker, who has worked with U.S regulators on the cross-border hurdles to taking down an international firm said that "U.S authorities could do it today--and I mean today".,,, The U.S. already has in place plans for bail-ins in the event of banks failing. Indeed, the U.S. has conducted simulation exercises with the U.K. in recent weeks and will do so again in 2014.

Goldman's Q&A On Stanley Fischer As The Next Fed Vice Chairman
Zero Hedge - Since the bank that decides what happens at the NY Fed, and by implication, at the broader Federal Reserve system, is none other than Goldman Sachs, it would be informative to read what none other than Goldman thinks of Ben Bernanke's thesis advisor Stanley Fischer, formerly head of the Bank of Israel, as the next vice chairman - as he is now actively rumored to become shortly.

Suit: Marine's body sent home to Pa. without heart
Military Times - The parents of a Marine sergeant who died while stationed in Greece say that they discovered weeks after his funeral that his body had been sent home without a heart — and that the Department of Defense later gave them somebody else's heart in its place.

Is this REALLY time to take a selfie, Dave? Cameron and Obama strike a pose with Danish PM during memorial service for Mandela
Daily Mail - Perhaps not in keeping with the tone of a memorial service, US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt grinned as they cosied up for a quick picture at today's memorial service for the former South African president, prompting an outpouring of criticism.

Jail without charge for African migrants in Israel
RT - Israel’s parliament has passed a law allowing illegal immigrants from Africa to be held without charge for up to a year, despite the Israeli Supreme Court overturning a similar law in September.

UN launches ops against Rwanda rebels
Press TV - he United Nations peacekeeping troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have launched military operations against a Rwandan Hutu rebel militia group active along the country’s eastern border with Rwanda.

Russia forgives billions in Cuban debt
Press TV - Russia has announced that it will forgive Cuba’s multi-billion dollar debts, while opening the way for more investment and trade between the two countries.

First Swiss bank agrees to ‘sellout’ its US clients
RT - The Swiss regional lender Valiant Bank has agreed to a US voluntary disclosure programme aimed at divulging information on American tax evaders.

Fraser Health - One of the Largest Canadian Health Authorities Violates The Canadian Constitution Enforcing Vaccine Policy On Its Employees
Prevent Disease - The Chief Medical Health Officer of Fraser Health, one of the largest health authorities in Canada is violating the Canadian Constitution by requiring all its employees to comply with a directive to vaccinate.

Oxitec Cancels GM Flies Release after Government Health Questions
Sustainable Pulse - UK company Oxitec has withdrawn its plans to release GM olive and fruit flies in Spain and Brazil following human and environmental health questions from government regulators in the 2 countries.

GMO 'Suicide Seeds' On Edge of Approval in Brazil
Green Med Info - Intense internal and external pressure in mid-October forced the Brazilian Congress to pull back from adopting pro-Terminator legislation, and the Judicial Commission's Chair pledged never to allow legislation while at his post. Now, the same chair will entertain a motion Wednesday to accept Terminator seeds, making Brazil the first country in the world to defy a 13-year-old UN moratorium on the use of the technology.

Rice grown near crippled Fukushima nuclear plant served to govt officials
RT - Rice from fields in the Fukushima prefecture, evacuated after the worst nuclear disaster in Japan, will be served to government officials for 9 days in a bid to demonstrate the safety of the country’s most-beloved crop, a local broadcaster reported.

VIDEO: US-Russia nuclear war to end human race says study
Press TV - "With a large war between the United States and Russia, we are talking about the possible -- not certain, but possible -- extinction of the human race,” Helfand, the co-president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, said in a report released on Tuesday.

Tense night in Kiev as police clear part of protester-occupied territory
RT - During an overnight raid, Ukrainian police have driven protesters off some of the areas they occupied in central Kiev. The operation was carried out in order to clear the streets from the barricades to let transport pass, according to the law enforcers. Live Updates.

N. Korea sells gold in sign of imminent economic collapse says source
Yonhap News - North Korea has begun to sell large amounts of gold to China in a bid to tide over its economic crisis, multiple sources familiar with North Korea affairs said Wednesday. The disposal could be an indication of an imminent economic collapse as it goes against founding leader Kim Il-sung's order to never sell the country's gold, according to the sources.

Obama's Corporate Agenda Delayed as TPP Misses Deadline
Common Dreams - Ministers and delegates representing 12 nations announced Tuesday they have failed to meet the end-of-year goal of clinching the TPP trade deal after four days of negotiations in Singapore ended without an agreement.

South Carolina voting on bill to end Obamacare in state
dailycaller.com - A bill set for fast-track passage in the South Carolina Senate in January aims to eliminate Obamacare in the state. The law could become a model for other states fed up with the federal health-care law. House Bill 3101, titled the “South Carolina Freedom of Health Care Protection Act,” passed the state House of Representatives last April by a 65-34 vote. The bill now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate with special-order priority, setting up the likelihood that South Carolina will become the first state to exempt citizens and businesses from all participation in the Affordable Care Act.

Missouri School District Hit With $150,000 Bill for Obamacare
weeklystandard.com - "The Affordable Care Act could cost the Jefferson City public schools more than a $150,000," said the news anchor. "This came to light at last night's board meeting when district officials told board members they would have to pay health insurance for substitute teachers," says the other anchor.

Obama Mandela Speech Cost $500,000 Per Minute
Kurt Nimmo - Obama and his predecessor have flown on your dime to South Africa to attend the funeral of the former communist Nelson Mandela.

Useful Idiots 2013
lewrockwell.com - At the Nelson Mandela Memorial Service President Obama praised Mandela as “the last great liberator of the 20th century” and urged the world to continue his life’s work for justice and equality. What exactly did he mean by this?

Stunning Hypocrisy: Obama Slams Leaders Who “Do Not Tolerate Dissent From Their Own People”
Paul Joseph Watson - During a memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg today, President Barack Obama challenged leaders who supported Mandela’s struggle for freedom but “do not tolerate dissent from their own people,”...

President's approval rating plummets to 38 per cent overall, just 34 per cent on health care and 40 per cent on Iran
Daily Mail - Barack Obama is facing poll numbers that are now in the same territory as President George W. Bush's following Hurricane Katrina.

Data sharing among US law enforcement agencies is in 'chaos'
RT - The sharing of intelligence among American law enforcement agencies in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is being conducted in a manner that resembles “organized chaos,” according to a new study published this week.

Six-year-old boy accused of sexual harassment for kissing girl
KDRO - A Cañon City school six-year-old boy has been accused of sexual harassment and the school suspended him for kissing a girl on the cheek and hand.

NYPD Beat Family and Killed Pet Parakeet in Own Home, Lawsuit Says
dnainfo.com - A Staten Island woman has sued the city claiming police entered her St. George home without a warrant, beat her family and killed her beloved pet parakeet, according to court documents.

Man Handcuffed At Walmart After Attempting to Price Match
Adan Salazar - An Arizona man was recently handcuffed and banned for life from the Chinese slave labor retail outlet known as Walmart for doing something Americans do on a daily basis – price matching.

Watch This Incredible Young Woman Render Jon Stewart Speechless
upworthy.com - The Taliban already tried to kill her once. Think that stopped her? Think again.
Just wait and hear at 4:29 what she'll do if they come for her again — simply profound. Plus, I've never seen someone render Jon Stewart speechless. That's just cool.

House, Senate negotiators reach budget deal
Washington Post - House and Senate negotiators unveiled an $85-billion agreement late Tuesday to fund federal agencies through the fall of 2015, avoiding another government shutdown and ending the cycle of crisis that has paralyzed Washington for much of the past three years.

Obama’s IRS Nominee Promises to Restore Faith in Taxation Enforcement Agency
Kurt Nimmo - Obama has selected John Koskinen to head up the scandal-ridden Internal Revenue Service. Koskinen, who warms a seat on the board of American Capital and has experience running a government soccer foundation, told the Senate Finance Committee today he will restore faith in the IRS.

How Far Will Stocks Fall This Time When The Fed Decides To Slow Down Quantitative Easing?
Economic Collapse - When QE1 ended there was a substantial stock market correction, and when QE2 ended there was a substantial stock market correction. And if you will remember, the financial markets threw a massive hissy fit a few months ago when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that the Fed may soon start tapering QE3.

VIDEO: 'Stop KSA from backing terrorism’
Press TV - Syria has urged the United Nations to stop Saudi Arabia from "supporting al-Qaeda-linked militants" and fanning the flames of "terrorism" in the country.

‘Canada arms exports to Bahrain soars’
Press TV - A report shows Canadian arms exports have soared to countries with poor human rights records, including Bahrain, raising questions about the Canadian government’s foreign policy commitment.

Deep divisions over TPP as US pressures to close controversial deal – WikiLeaks
RT - The US is ramping up pressure to secure a Trans-Pacific Trade Deal with conditions that could undermine the national interests of nations involved. WikiLeaks documents say talks are “paralyzed,” with the US refusing to compromise on disputed issues.
* Related Articles:
** Trans-Pacific Partnership Ready for Christmas Delivery? - As the end of 2013 approaches, so does President Obama’s deadline for approving the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is a direct and deadly attack on sovereignty and representative government masquerading as a Pacific Rim trade pact. Currently, there are 12 countries negotiating in secret to create this regional trade agreement that some have called NAFTA on steroids. The number of participants could rise to a baker’s dozen should China be welcomed on board by the United States (President Obama has signaled that he would recognize the Chinese communist government’s partnership in the bloc).
** Final TPP Agreement Expected By End of This Month
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a 12-nation initiative to rewrite current rules and regulations governing trade and investments between countries. While more nations can join, this governmental pact is expected to decide the temperament of foreign markets.

VIDEO: Greece warned by EU over reform plans
Press TV - Greece has been warned by the head of eurozone finance ministers to push ahead with the nation’s reforms, despite the ongoing strikes and public anger in the debt-ridden country.

Polio vaccination launched in Mideast
Press TV - The United Nations children’s fund and the World’s Health Organization (WHO) have launched a campaign to vaccinate 23 million children in the Middle East after 17 polio cases were reported in Syria.

Canada to lay claim to North Pole amid Arctic resources rush
(Reuters) - Canada intends to lay claim to the North Pole as part of a bid to assert control over a large part of the resource-rich Arctic, Foreign Minister John Baird said on Monday.... The move could raise tensions with Denmark and Russia, both of which also look set to lay claim to the North Pole on the grounds it lies on a continental shelf they control.

Russia reactivates military airfield in the Arctic Region after 20 years
StratRisks - Earlier in October, Putin stated strongly that Russia would never “surrender” its Arctic area. Indeed, Temp airfield located on Kotelny Island, the largest of Russian islands in Novosiberian region, is being reactivated.

Write wrongs! Over 500 world-famous authors sign anti-surveillance petition
RT - More than 500 renowned authors – including five Nobel laureates - from across the globe have signed a petition demanding an end to ‘mass surveillance’. It follows the revelations over the last few months of the US and other countries spying.

'Mexico nabs 5 over radioactive theft'
Press TV - Five people, hospitalized last week in central Mexico with signs of radiation exposure, are allegedly formally arrested on suspicion of stealing a truck carrying highly radioactive material.

‘NSAssociate Google’ censors CLG on Fukushima radiation
Activist Post - Google has been censoring news link emails from Citizens for Legitimate Government, despite repeated attempts by Gmail users to declare those emails “not spam.” The latest email to be censored was sent on Dec. 7, and links to mainstream news sources warning of Fukushima radiation.

War on the Press: NYT Reporters Sue DHS Over Interrogation Coverup
Adan Salazar - The Department of Homeland Security is being sued by two New York Times reporters who say the agency failed to respond to FOIA requests following enhanced interrogations at New York’s JFK airport.

Unbelievable: ATF Using Mentally Disabled Teens to Run Drug-and-Gun Stings
Reason - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the agency responsible for setting off the events that led to Waco and were at the center of the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal are using mentally disabled teenagers to advertise businesses that are actually fronts for ATF sting operations.

Obamacare could force THOUSANDS of volunteer fire departments to close
Daily Mail - Volunteer fire departments all across the U.S. could find themselves out of money and unable to operate unless Congress or the Obama Administration exempts them from the Affordable Care Act.... The U.S. Department of Labor takes the term 'volunteer' literally, but the IRS says volunteer firefighters are technically employees if they're on the job more than 30 hours per week, making them subject to Obamacare's employee-mandate rules.

Protest Planned Against Last-Minute Bloomberg Push for Mandatory Flu Vaccines
Politicker - Autism advocates are set to protest tomorrow against a quiet effort by Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration to require annual flu vaccinations for all New York City schoolchildren.

Missouri state senator wants to require parents to notify school district how many guns they own
Liberty Crier - A Democratic Missouri state senator wants to require parents of children in public schools to notify their school district of how many guns the family owns. Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal prefiled the measure in advance of the Legislature’s regular session that begins in January. The St. Louis County Democrat’s plan would also make negligently storing a firearm a state crime.

‘Oh You’re Gonna Shoot Me?’ The Sarcastic Last Words Of An Unarmed Straight-A Student Shot Dead By College Cop...
Daily Mail - A witness says he heard the sarcastic final words of a Texas student moments before he was shot dead by a college police officer. Robert Cameron Redus, 23, was killed when Corporal Chris Carter, 35, opened fire on him in the early hours of Friday morning a few blocks away from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio where Redus studied, set to graduate in May.

TSA Seizes Sock Monkey’s Toy Gun
National Review - TSA agents in St. Louis, Missouri, disarmed Rooster Monkburn, a cowboy sock money, of his two-inch toy gun after a woman brought the stuffed monkey through security. Agents said that it posed a threat because it could be confused for a real gun, according to local reports.

CIA's multibillion dollar spy program ends up being 'a colossal flop'
RT - United States government officials with intimate knowledge of a little-known Central Intelligence Agency spy program now say the CIA’s post-9/11 efforts to send undercover agents around the globe was “a colossal flop.”

You Want to Keep Your Doctor? ‘You Can Pay for It,’ Says Obamacare Architect
CNS News - Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a former health policy adviser in the Obama White House, grudgingly admitted on Sunday that President Obama did promise the American people that they could keep their doctors if they liked them under Obamcare.

Obamacare forcing insurers to dump doctors, stranding thousands of patients
(NaturalNews) One of the predictable effects of Obamacare's intention to add tens of millions of new patients to the nation's healthcare system - without adding a single new doctor or other healthcare provider - is that there simply wouldn't be enough physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to care for everyone.

Job Numbers Cooked to Keep Quantitative Easing Scam Rolling
Kurt Nimmo - On Friday, the establishment media hinted the Federal Reserve was about put the brakes on its bankster monetization program, otherwise known as helicopter quantitative easing, in response to what was touted as a significant reduction in unemployment.

Detroit ruling opens door to pension cuts across the nation
McClatchy - It's not just Detroit retirees who are worried about their pensions. Financially troubled cities in California, Illinois and Pennsylvania will soon face decisions on what to do with chronically underfunded pension funds, and experts say the Detroit ruling has made it easier for cities to argue that pensions must be cut.

Female veterans do battle for benefits at home
McClatchy - A month after returning, Hughes found herself in an improbable spot: living in a dorm room at the Pacific Garden Mission, the sprawling homeless shelter on the city's West Side, shielding her two sons from addicts and criminals.

Bank might foreclose on home because late husband isn’t residing there
McClatchy - The California woman is scheduled to lose her home nine days before Christmas because her mortgage company concluded that the house is no longer the primary residence of her husband, who’s been dead since 2003.

Hersh: Obama administration lied about gas attack in Syria
Press TV - Prominent American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh says US President Barack Obama did not tell the whole story about a chemical weapons attack near the Syrian capital of Damascus in August.

Hunter may have nuked Iraq as Marine says Duff
Press TV - “Hunter’s service in Iraq and Afghanistan should now be questioned in light of his recent statements that demonstrate, minimally, his lack of respect for international law and his position as an elected official,” wrote Gordon Duff in an article published on Friday. Related article/video here and here.

Iran gives IAEA data on new centrifuges
Press TV - “The AEOI has provided the [International Atomic Energy Agency] agency with necessary information about the research being carried out on the country’s peaceful [nuclear] activities on time and within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement,” AEOI Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said Saturday.

Al-Qaeda militants seize FSA base
Press TV - Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Syria have seized a base belonging to the so-called Free Syrian Army, as infighting grows among foreign-backed militants in the Arab country.

Icelanders Overthrow Government and Rewrite Constitution After Banking Fraud-No Word From US Media
Las Vegas Guardian Express - Can you imagine participating in a protest outside the White House and forcing the entire U.S. government to resign? Can you imagine a group of randomly chosen private citizens rewriting the U.S. constitution to include measures banning corporate fraud? It seems incomprehensible in the U.S., but Icelanders did just that.

Mandela, the man once branded a 'terrorist' by the US
Yahoo News - In 2008 just before his 90th birthday, the United States gave Nelson Mandela a special present, striking him from a decades-old terror watch list and ending what US officials called "a rather embarrassing matter."

VIDEO: 'Suicide on rise among Canadian troops’
Press TV - The number of suicide cases among Canadian soldiers and veterans is rising at an alarming rate due to mental disorders, according to a new report.

Mexico blocks hospital on radiation fear
Press TV - Mexican police have blocked access to a hospital in the central state of Hidalgo where six people have been admitted for radiation exposure.

Anti-fracking clashes in Romania as activists break into Chevron site
RT - Hundreds of protesters have broken into a Chevron site after the US oil giant resumed its search for shale gas in northeast Romania. RT’s Lucy Kafanov reports from the scene, where clashes ensued as riot police started streaming in.

Record radiation level in underground water well near ocean at Fukushima
ENENews - Tepco: “Rise in radiation readings is an obvious concern” — 1.4 billion Bq/m³ of strontium/beta emitters.

South Korea Unveils It’s Own Air Defense Zone, Overlapping China’s And Japan’s
Zero Hedge - As fear and nationalism rise in Japan (and Abe’s grip on the people founders amid falling approval ratings and underperforming economic indicators such as GDP tonight), so another party has joined the debacle in the East China Sea. As NHK World reports, South Korea has officially announced that it will expand its air defense identification zone, making it partially overlap those of Japan and China.

Bangkok, Thailand: Mass Mobilization Against Wall Street-Backed Regime
Activist Post - For the second time during recent anti-regime protests, a mass mobilization is planned to begin this Monday, December 9, 2013 at 9:39am at Democracy Monument. Universities across Bangkok are setting times and locations for pre-rally staging.

Police In Thailand Lay Down Vests and Barricades In Solidarity With Protestors
Political Blind Spot - In a stunning turn of events today in Thailand, riot police yielded to the peaceful protesters they were ordered to harass and block. They police removed barricades and their helmets as a sign of solidarity.

UK: NHS Is ‘Rationing Knee Hip And Eye Operations’, Report Suggests
The Telegraph - Surgery for knees, hips and eyes is under pressure across the [National Health Service] NHS, with evidence of rationing to save money, a report suggests. Data from health analysis firm Dr Foster highlighted the effects of recent austerity, with some operations at their lowest level for several years.

Republicans tout campaign to blunt Obama's executive powers
Press TV - House Republicans say they’re proud of their 2013 campaign to stymie President Obama’s regulatory agenda, even as Congress comes under fire for one of its least productive years.

'Top Gun' Christine Fox Named Deputy DoD Secretary
Military.com - Christine Fox, who inspired the Kelly McGillis role in the movie "Top Gun," has been called back to the Pentagon to serve as a temporary replacement for outgoing Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

Nothing is beyond our reach’: Evil octopus strangling the world becomes latest US intelligence seal
RT - Billions of dollars annually are being used to fund operations conducted by the United States intelligence community, the likes of which allow the government to eavesdrop on emails, listen to world leaders’ phone calls and about everything in-between.

Obama and Bush families will head to South Africa for Mandela memorial
whatreallyhappened.com - US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will travel to South Africa next week to pay their respects to the late Nelson Mandela together with former first couple George W. and Laura Bush.

Senate To Vote On Gun Ban Expansion On Monday
Liberty Crier - The U.S. Senate is preparing to vote on an anti-gun bill on Monday (12/9/13). It’s a renewal of a 1988 law banning so-called “undetectable” firearms. Sadly, House Republican leadership rammed this bill through a virtually empty room earlier this week and sent it to Harry Reid’s Senate.

New York City confiscating rifles and shotguns
Daily Caller - The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is sending out letters telling gun owners to turn over their rifles and shotguns — or else face the consequences.

Check Out Mayor Bloomberg’s New Sandy Hook Gun Control Commercial
Activist Post - This new piece of fearmongering propaganda titled “No More Silence” is hitting cable TV just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Newtown shooting.

Army Officer Wants You Disarmed: “We Will Pry Your Gun from Your Cold, Dead Fingers”
Mac Slavo - The following opinion piece, penned by Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, shows in stark detail exactly what we’re dealing with and argues in no uncertain terms that the American public must be disarmed in order for the United States to survive. The ideas proposed by Lt. Col. Bateman in It’s Time to Talk About Guns and the Supreme Court are nothing short of shocking.

Men Thought To Be Impersonating Cops Robbing People, Turned Out To Just Be Cops Robbing People
DETROIT (WJBK) – A Good Samaritan snapped photos of what appeared to be two men impersonating police officers involved in a pistol-whipping and robbery outside a Citgo gas station on Detroit’s east side on July 21. Once Fox 2 aired those photos, an even more disturbing picture developed.

Government Criminalizes Church Groups Feeding Homeless
Storyleak - In what amounts to one of the most blatant displays of how truly corrupt the entire hierarchy of the establishment has become, church groups feeding the homeless are now being targeted by law enforcement and local government around the nation.

Your Brother’s Keeper
libertariancarguy.com - In Connecticut, prosecutors are beta-testing a new legal doctrine: That a person can be held criminally responsible for the actions of other people.... Instead of Big Brother watching you, everyone will be watching you. If you go out drinking with your buddies, your buddies will be eying you all night long (and you, they) for signs of potential (as well as actual) law-breaking.

Rand Paul: I'll Take Privacy Fight to Supreme Court
News Max - "I would like to apply the Fourth Amendment to third-party records," Paul said on "Fox News Sunday" "I don’t think you give up your privacy when someone holds your records, so when I have a contract with a phone company, I think those are still my records, and you can look at them if you’re from the government if you ask a judge."... Paul also said he is "seriously thinking about" running for president in 2016.

37 Reasons Why “The Economic Recovery Of 2013″ Is A Giant Lie
Economic Collapse - "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it." Sadly, that appears to be the approach that the Obama administration and the mainstream media are taking with the U.S.

China October Gold Imports Surge To Second Highest Ever
Zero Hedge - China has imported a whopping 2380 tons of gold in the past 26 months. Throughout this period the PBOC has never updated its new official holdings number. However, one thing is clear: the more the price of (paper?) gold drops, the more the Chinese purchases of physical gold become.

IRS using Google Maps to spy on taxpayers
Daily Caller - Agents from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are using Google Maps as part of their tool kit to audit taxpayers and organizations, The Daily Caller has learned. A redacted IRS letter dated Sept. 8, 2011 reveals that at least in one case the IRS’s examiners used photos of a property, obtained through Google Maps, as evidence to revoke the 501(c)(4) status of a homeowner’s association.

Libyan Leaders Give McCain Award, Vote in Sharia Law
Liberty Crier - Senator John McCain is in Libya, where he was “honored” to receive an award from the Libyan military Chief of Staff. McCain was, of course, a prime cheerleader for the 2011 US attack on Libya which has resulted in the ascent to power of various al-Qaeda linked groups who along with murderous militias further terrorize the decimated country.

VIDEO: Washington does not accept China air defense zone, White House says
Press TV - The United States has reaffirmed that it does not recognize China’s new Air Defense Identification Zone over the East China Sea, saying the move is “provocative.”

Our Warships Rival U.S. Navy, Brags Chinese PLA
Paul Joseph Watson - Amidst tensions with the United States over the disputed Senkaku Islands, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is bragging that its aircraft carrier combat task force, led by the inaugural Liaoning warship, is now close to rivaling the U.S. Navy.

France to ‘immediately’ deploy in CAR
Press TV - President Francois Hollande says French troops will be deployed immediately to the Central African Republic (CAR) after violence killed more than 120 people in the troubled nation's capital Bangui.

UN sanctions 'immediate' military intervention in Central African Republic
RT - The United Nations Security Council has given the green light to French and African troops deployed to the restive Central African Republic to use force to protect civilians, with the French president announcing "immediate" action late Thursday.

The Legacy of Nelson Mandela: A Dissenting Opinion
Global Research - Offering a dissenting opinion at this moment of a general outpouring of grief at Nelson Mandela’s death is not likely to court popularity. It is also likely to be misunderstood.

Russia launches criminal probe into online trafficking of adopted kids in US
RT - Russia has launched a criminal investigation into the illegal trafficking of children adopted by US citizens, the Investigative Committee has revealed. The Investigative Committee spokesperson Vladimir Markin said the case was started due to a journalistic investigation by Reuters and NBC initiated in September.

VIDEO: Italian farmers protest food imports
Press TV - During nationwide protest events on Wednesday and Thursday, farmers also set up a picket at a border point in the Alps, inspecting incoming trucks carrying a variety of foodstuffs such as Lithuanian meat products, German mozzarella and Austrian wheat, which they say are eventually sold as Italian goods.

Economic Hitman John Perkins Outraged After Ecuador Government Shuts Down Pachamama Alliance
Waking Times - Respected author, public speaker and spokesperson for indigenous rights John Perkins expressed outrage today that the government of Ecuador has violently closed down the rainforest protection activist group, Pachama Alliance, which Perkins helped to create in 1995. Strongly condemning the government’s actions as illegal

Argentinian Monsanto protester threatened, then physically beaten, by industry goons
(NaturalNews) GM Watch reports that Sofia Gatica, who has successfully spearheaded campaigns to block plantings of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in her home country of Argentina, was targeted by two men on motorbikes who very likely would have killed her if it were not for the intervention of her neighbors. Reports indicate that the men approached Gatica near her work, just 72 hours after she received a terrifying death threat.

A President Who Should ‘Live In Infamy’
antiwar.com - Written by Justin Raimondo - Pearl Harbor: FDR knew - Washington lies: how many times must Americans rediscover this home truth?

YouTube: Police body cameras in full effect
RT - In Laurel, Md. the police department has fully implemented the use of what's been coined the "lipstick camera," a miniature camera that's tacked onto the glasses of police officers....

Liberals Ignore Property Rights In Open Carry Debate
Kurt Nimmo - AOL Huffpo is once again trying to make an argument against the Second Amendment by dramatizing the stupidity of firearms owners who have neglected the safe handling of guns. According to Ben Hallman, the next front in the war over the cornerstone of the Constitution will be at the local mall.

Your Future Ammo Might Be Made Of Plastic
Liberty Crier - Gun blog GH&G wrote about company named PCP Ammunition from Reston, Virginia. PCP has developed match grade ammunition using polymer cases.... PCP’s literature states that the company has “created a revolutionary loading and inspection system that far surpasses anything available in the world”.

Child Suspended From School For Miming Shooting An Arrow
Steve Watson - A 10-year-old has been suspended from school and threatened with expulsion for firing a make-believe arrow at a classmate, prompting a rights group to step in and demand the incident be stricken from the record.

Obamacare Reg Treats Congress That Spent $3.5 Trillion as a ‘Small Business’
CNS News - An Obamacare regulation issued by the Office of Personnel Management in October treats the U.S. Congress—which employs more than 11,000 staffers and which spent $4,329,000,000 on its own operations and $3,454,253,000,000 to fund the full government in fiscal 2013--as a “small business.”

Obamacare Website Sending Faulty Medicare Enrollment Data To States…
weaselzippers.us - States are warning that they may not process Medicaid enrollments from people who have signed up for the health program through the troubled HealthCare.gov site, raising the prospect that several hundred thousand low-income people who thought they had obtained insurance actually may not have it.

In reversal, Obama says he lived with uncle
Boston Globe - President Obama acknowledged Thursday that he lived with his Kenyan uncle for a brief period in the 1980s while preparing to attend Harvard Law School, contradicting a statement more than two years ago that the White House had no record of the two ever meeting. Their relationship came into question Tuesday at the deportation hearing of the president’s uncle, Onyango Obama, in Boston immigration court.

Half-baked: Gov’t Restricts Homemade Cookie Sales
Liberty Crier - Can the government arbitrarily restrict where home-baking entrepreneurs can sell their treats or how much they can sell? According to a new lawsuit from the Institute for Justice and two Minnesota home bakers and filed in Minnesota Second Judicial District, the answer is no.

Congressman Fears Obama Could Suspend Election Laws
Paul Joseph Watson - Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) fears that the Obama administration’s refusal to enforce immigration laws could lead to Obama himself failing to enforce election laws, a concern voiced amidst calls by some for Obama to run for a third term in office.

Stunning Chart: Today’s Stock Market is Eerily Reminiscent of 1929…
Mac Slavo - Ken Jorgustin of Modern Survival Blog writes: Is there a major financial crash in our near future? You must check out this stunning analogy between the current day Dow Jones Industrial Index compared with the time period 1928-1929 leading up to the memorable stock market crash… The pattern of stock price movements looks VERY close to the lead-up to the 1929 top.

Big Banks Are Being Hit With Cyberattacks “Every Minute Of Every Day”
Economic Collapse - According to Symantec, there was a 42 percent increase in cyberattacks against U.S. businesses last year. And according to a recent report in the Telegraph, big banks are being hit with cyberattacks "every minute of every day". These attacks are becoming more powerful and more sophisticated with each passing year.

VIDEO: Democrat Tax Per Mile Scheme Surfaces - Again in Congress
Kurt Nimmo - Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, is investigating a wealth confiscation system that “looks to the future and helps provide a more stable funding base for the next one hundred years.”

A Major Wall Street Bank Just Initiated Coverage On Bitcoin And Identified A Fair Value
Business Insider - The game just changed. Bitcoin, the bizarre electronic currency that seemingly came out of nowhere and has been taking over financial market headlines, is now being covered by one of the biggest firms on Wall Street.

Chinese State Media Brags of Plan to Establish “Death Star” Moon Base
Paul Joseph Watson - A report appearing in the pro-regime China Times brags that China’s launch of the Long March-3B rocket earlier this week is part of a long term plan to turn the moon into a Star Wars-style “death star” from which the PLA could launch missiles against any target on Earth..

Anti-Drone Blockade in Pakistan Forces Halt to US Military Shipments
commondreams.org - Ongoing protests against U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan are fueling a non-violent blockade along its border that have now forced a halt to NATO military supply convoys heading to neighboring Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed Tuesday.

EU imposes record 1.7bn euro fines on major intl banks over rate-rigging
RT - The European Commission has slapped record fines of 1.7 billion euros on eight major banks for manipulating lending rates that play a key role in the global economy. The penalties will add to already escalating costs for leading global lenders.

UN starts drone surveillance in DR Congo
BBC - The UN mission in Democratic Republic of Congo has started to deploy unarmed surveillance drones to monitor rebel activity near the forested borders with Rwanda and Uganda. This is the first time any UN mission has deployed drones.

Judge's remarkable message to baby girl of woman who was forced to have caesarean
Daily Mail - A judge has written a heart-breaking message to the baby born by forced caesarean after ruling that the little girl be put up for adoption against her mother's wishes. Judge Roderick Newton said he wanted the baby, who is now 15 months old, to know when she is older that her mother - who suffers from a mental illness - had not chosen to abandon her.

Radioactive material container from hijacked truck found empty in Mexico
RT - Mexican police located a stolen truck which contained dangerous radioactive material the UN warned could be used to construct a “dirty bomb.” The safety container holding that cargo was found empty, with the material abandoned nearby.

Blast targets convoy of US-led troops in Kandahar
Press TV - Dozens of people including four US-led soldiers have been wounded in a bomb attack that targeted a convoy of foreign troops in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar. Related: 3 NATO forces injured in Kandahar

20 killed, dozens wounded after suicide bombing at Yemen defense ministry
RT - At least 20 people were killed and dozens wounded after a suicide car bomb attack rocked Yemen’s Defense Ministry in the capital Sanaa. Militants wearing military uniforms engaged security forces within the compound following the bombing.... There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, although it was operationally similar to previous Al-Qaeda attacks in the region.

NSA leaks: Sweden spied on Russian leaders for US
RT - Swedish signals intelligence agency FRA spied on Russian leaders and shared the data collected with the US, local media report citing Edward Snowden leaks. Sweden’s ‘cable access’ made its position ‘unique’ in the eyes of the NSA.

Food poverty in UK has reached level of 'public health emergency', warn experts
The Independent - Hunger in Britain has reached the level of a “public health emergency” and the Government may be covering up the extent to which austerity and welfare cuts are adding to the problem, leading experts have said.

Chaos, riots, looting as police go on strike in Argentine city (VIDEOS)
RT - At least 130 people were injured and one killed following mass looting and vandalism by gangs of youths, who took over several parts of Cordoba City in Argentina. The lawlessness was a result of the police going on strike over low pay.

They’re Going to Dump the Fukushima Radiation Into the Ocean
Washington’s Blog - As EneNews reports: Juan Carlos Lentijo, head of IAEA’s mission to Fukushima Daiichi, Dec. 4, 2013: “Controlled discharge is a regular practice in all the nuclear facilities in the world. And what we are trying to say here is to consider this as one of the options to contribute to a good balance of risks and to stabilize the facility for the long term.”

NSA collects 5bn cellphone records a day
Press TV - The documents, provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, show that the collected records are stored in a vast database containing location information of at least hundreds of millions of devices, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

John Boehner Signs Up for Obamacare
Kurt Nimmo - Wait a minute. Didn’t Boehner lead the Republican charge against Obamacare? Once he got through the system, Boehner’s office said he chose an individual plan that was similar to the Blue Cross Blue Shield one he has now as part of the federal employees health package. Surprise, surprise. The “affordable care” boondoggle almost doubled his premium...

Obama Asks Bartenders to Host Obamacare-themed Happy Hours
atr.org - Today at the White House Youth Summit, President Obama made suggestions on how Americans can tout the supposed benefits of Obamacare to their communities.

Allen West warns Obama’s ‘backdoor gun control is moving forward’
Washington Times - Come 2014, all ammunition sold to civilian gun-owners in America will have to be imported, a result of President Obama’s crackdown on sulfur dioxide and lead emissions and accompanying harsh Environmental Protection Agency regulations, said former Florida congressman, Lt. Col. Allen West.

Video that led to Aaron Swartz’s arrest released
RT - Several minutes of surveillance camera footage used to identify, then arrest and indict late computer prodigy Aaron Swartz has surfaced due to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Sandy Hook 911 calls released today
Sherrie questioning All - Some things don't make sense after listening to them. Link to recordings.

Mom Passionately Pleads Against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
Ben Swann - In a typical government meeting, public comments are near the beginning. At this particular Clark County (Nevada) Commission meeting, there were two sets of comments: the beginning and the end of the meeting. Daphne Lee had to wait to the end of the meeting, which was 8 hours including a 1-hour lunch break.

Eerie 'Very Chilling' Noise Coming from One World Trade Center Baffles New Yorkers
Daily Mail - A spooky, high-pitched whining sound coming from One World Trade Center has been giving New York residents the creeps. The strange choral sound, which appears to be caused by the wind, was first reported last year at around the time of Hurricane Sandy and has been heard several times since.

Georgia School Confiscates Christmas Cards
Fox News - For as long as anyone can remember, teachers at Brooklet Elementary School have posted Christmas cards in the hallways outside their classrooms – until Monday.

11-Year-Old Banned From Selling Mistletoe In Oregon Park
Ben Swann - Madison Root, an entrepreneurial 11-year-old from Oregon, tried to sell some hand-picked mistletoe in downtown Portland on Saturday. She was raising money to help her dad pay for her braces. Related article/video.

Mysterious China-themed 'city' proposed in New York’s Catskills
Fox News - U.S. immigration officials are considering a proposal from Chinese investors to create a multibillion-dollar development in New York’s Catskills called "China City" -- raising concerns among critics about the potential cost to U.S. taxpayers and, according to one analyst, the possibility it could be a "stalking horse" for the Beijing government.

Rand Paul offers 'Freedom Zones' to save bankrupt Detroit
Washington Examiner - Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul this week is traveling to Detroit, the nation's economic disaster zone, to lay out a sweeping proposal to revive the Motor City while also extending his recent outreach to blacks by opening a GOP African-American engagement office.

VIDEO: Judge Napolitano: Bankruptcy Court Finds Detroit Insolvent
Liberty Crier - Judge Napolitano discusses the state of Detroit and the pensions of city employees on FOX.

Obamacare’s Top Five Worst Tax Hikes on Women and Families
atr.org - As part of their newly-launched public relations offensive, the White House and congressional Democrats are tromboning the supposed benefits of Obamacare for women and families. Left unmentioned is the fact that Obamacare contains 20 new or higher taxes on the American people – the top five worst tax hikes on women and families are listed below:

8 Ridiculous Ways That The Government Wasted Your Money
(Before It's News) - Individuals and business owners around the country regularly make an effort to reduce spending, pay off debts, and save. But the federal government continuously fails to do the same.

10 Ways Bitcoin Is Better Than The Federal Reserve
Activist Post - The Federal Reserve System is a parasite that feeds off human suffering. It is indeed the dragon that must be slayed for humanity to experience true freedom. I want to End the Fed, but I want it to end as peacefully and orderly as possible. That is why I buy Bitcoin.

(WWP) Wounded Warrior Project Is A Fraud
helpindianavets.com - We have personally investigated Wounded Warriors and what we have learned is very disturbing. Related article: Wounded Warrior Project sues Indiana veterans
Related Info: Tax Return Form 990 for the Wounded Warrior Project Organization

Is this even America? Local bar ordered to remove sign thanking veterans for their service
(NaturalNews) You may not always agree with our country's decisions to send troops to certain parts of the world, but holding the men and women who do the fighting in contempt is not right, no matter how you feel about U.S. foreign policy. So it's no surprise that veterans and the owner of a local bar and grill in Huntington Beach, Calif., are fuming about a city rule that essentially dishonors the men and women who do our fighting for us.

White House steps up bid to forestall new Iran sanctions
Breitbart - The White House warned Congress Tuesday that passing new sanctions -- even with a delayed launch date -- would give Iran an excuse to undermine an interim nuclear deal.

VIDEO: EU imposes fresh sanctions on Iran shipping
Press TV - The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) says the European Union has imposed fresh sanctions against the country by banning Iranian vessels from using its ports and shipping lines despite the recent nuclear deal in Geneva.

US vows to help Japan defend status quo as China air defence row escalates
The Guardian - The US and Japan will work together to prevent any attempt by China to change the status quo in the Asia-Pacific region, the US vice-president, Joe Biden, has said, on a visit to north-east Asia.

Putin: Russia needs Arctic presence to guard against U.S. threat
The Star Online - President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Russia had vital defence and economic interests in the Arctic, citing a potential U.S. military threat from submarine-based missiles there.... Putin has ordered a Soviet-era military base reopened in the Arctic as part of a drive to make the northern coast a global shipping route and secure the region's vast energy resources.

Bail-Ins And Deposit Confiscation Confirmed At ‘Future of Banking in Europe’ Conference
Zero Hedge - A major conference on the future of banking yesterday heard contributions on a European banking union which is being negotiated by Eurozone finance ministers. One of the aspects of that union will be a 'bail-in' of deposits when banks fail in the future. Michael Noonan, Ireland’s Minister for Finance confirmed yesterday that bail-ins or deposit confiscation will be used.

First ever open court hearing held on the CIA ‘black site’ prison in Poland
RT - In the first ever public hearing, Europe’s human rights court examined Poland’s role in CIA ‘black site’ prisons and torture of suspects. Poland refuses to share information with the court saying that it could compromise a domestic investigation.

VIDEO: Edward Snowden spy leaks: only 1% of files published
The Telegraph - Appearing before the Home Affairs Select Committee, Alan Rusbridger said Edward Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency (NSA) handed 58,000 files to four places - The Guardian, Washington Post, a location in Rio de Janeiro and a location in Germany.
* Related Article: Guardian journalists could face criminal charges...

Venezuela: Socialists Can’t Keep the Lights On
Kurt Nimmo - The South American country was pitched into darkness for a second time this year as a power outage struck the oil-rich country. The electricity went out in Caracas and much of the rest of Venezuela around 8 p.m. local time.

Japan brainstorms new measures to stop radioactive leak at Fukushima
RT - Japan’s government panel offered new measures to stop radioactive water leaking from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Officials said the plant could completely run out of storage space for contaminated water within two years.

VIDEO: Saudi criminals fighting in Syria: Al-Ja’afari
Press TV - Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations says many Saudis who have been either sentenced to death or life in prison are released to fight against the Syrian government.

EU fines 8 major banks record 1.7bn euro for rigging rates
RT - The European Commission has slapped record fines of 1.7 billion euro on eight major banks for manipulating lending rates that play a key role in the global economy. The penalties will add to already escalating costs for leading global lenders.

Truck with dangerous radioactive materials hijacked in Mexico - IAEA
RT - The truck was reportedly carrying outdated medical equipment used to perform radiotherapy when it was hijacked at a gas station in Tepojaco, Hidalgo – near Mexico City – on Monday, the National Commission of Nuclear Safety and Safeguards (CNSNS) said.

Most Americans think US should 'mind its own business' abroad, survey finds
The Guardian - A majority of Americans believe the US plays a less important and powerful role in the world than it did 10 years ago, according to a long-running study that found that most people now believe America should “mind its own business internationally”.

Boeing Wins $76 Million “Doomsday Plane” Contract
Dubbed “Nightwatch” by the military (and unofficially called “the Doomsday Plane”), the E-4B fleet consists of four modified Boeing 747 aircraft which are designed to keep the U.S. president and Secretary of Defense safe, airborne, and in control of U.S. military forces in the event of a nuclear conflict.

Drone Nation Infographic
homeland-security-degree.org - The American love affair with drones (officially called unmanned aerial vehicles) extends to both military and law enforcement uses. The U.S. isn’t the only country that uses drones, but it is the most regular user in the world.

TSA Expands Searches of Parked Cars at Airports
Paul Joseph Watson - TSA-approved warrantless searches of vehicles parked outside airports are being expanded, with a photograph taken at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport informing Thanksgiving travelers that all vehicles belonging to AmeriPark customers “will be searched by uniformed security.”

Expert Testifies to Congress that Obama’s ‘Ignoring Laws’ Could Lead to Overthrow of Government
mediaite.com - During a congressional committee hearing about the constitutional limits imposed on the presidency and the implications of President Barack Obama’s disregard for implementing the Affordable Care Act as written, one expert testified that the consequences of the president’s behavior were potentially grave.

Expert: Healthcare.gov Security Risks Even Worse After ‘Fix’
Free Beacon - Health and Human Services (HHS) released a progress report on Sunday following its self-imposed Nov. 30 deadline to repair the website, saying that the “team has knocked more than 400 bug fixes and software improvements off the punch list.”... The eight-page report made no mention of the website’s numerous security flaws, which experts say put Americans’ personal information at risk.

Health insurers post huge stock price gains in expectation of financial windfall from Obamacare
(NaturalNews) Among the insurers enjoying record gains: Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealth and Gilead. All of these companies have been trading at near one-year highs. In fact, according to CNBC, Gilead stocks are up nearly 200 percent since Obamacare was enacted. Amgen is up more than 90 percent. Biogen has done even better - gains of more than 300 percent.

Parents Stop Biometric Hand Scanner Program At Public Schools
Kit Daniels - A school district in the state of Washington has stopped its use of biometric hand scanners at schools which uniquely identified each student after parents flooded a school board meeting last night to complain.

In largest-ever U.S. city bankruptcy, cuts coming for Detroit creditors, retirees
(Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday formally declared Detroit bankrupt, a landmark ruling that clears the way for potentially sweeping cuts to city worker pensions and retirement benefits and for steep and possibly precedent-setting losses to the cash-strapped city's bond holders.

Too Big To Fail Banks Are Taking Over As Number Of U.S. Banks Falls To All-Time Record Low
Economic Collapse - In 1985, there were more than 18,000 banks in the United States. Today, there are only 6,891 left, and that number continues to drop every single year. That means that more than 10,000 U.S. banks have gone out of existence since 1985. Meanwhile, the too big to fail banks just keep on getting even bigger.

Illinois approves retiree benefit cuts
Press TV - Lawmakers from the US state of Illinois on Tuesday approved a sweeping overhaul of government worker pension systems by trimming retiree benefits and increasing state contributions.

US deploys newest surveillance aircraft to Japan amid tensions with China
RT - As tensions mount over China’s declaration of a new air defense zone, the United States Navy has deployed next-generation surveillance aircraft to Japan.

Islamist rebels seize part of ancient Syrian Christian town, take nuns captive
RT - Islamist fighters have captured the ancient quarter of Maaloula, a predominantly Christian town and UNESCO heritage site in Syria, and are holding captive several nuns and their mother superior from the St. Thecla Convent, SANA reported.

Ukraine Protesters Commandeer Bulldozer to Push Back Cops
Kurt Nimmo - Protesters in Ukraine may be somewhat deluded. It looks like they want the country to join the bankster cabal’s European Union. They are also upset over President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision to embrace Russia’s sphere of influence and what many perceive as a return to the bad old days of dictatorial rule under the Soviets.

Nearly 1000 Iraqis killed in November
Press TV - According to figures released by the country’s ministries of health and defense earlier this week, the death toll included 852 civilians, 53 police officers and 43 soldiers. Another 1,349 people were also injured in the attack.

VIDEO: Australia faces new intelligence leak
Press TV - A report says Australia’s intelligence agency offered to share ‘medical, legal or religious’ information about ordinary Australian citizens with major intelligence partners.

Travelers May Be Able To Turn Leftover Change Into Bitcoins
yahoo.com - In yet another sign of the Bitcoin’s potential impact on the travel industry, a vending machine kiosk in Turkey may soon allow travelers to exchange their leftover foreign change into Bitcoins.

Transgene Escape: GMOs Spreading Uncontrollably Around the World
Natural Society - Testbiotech, a nonprofit organization started with independent (‘non-biased’) biotech research in mind, recently released a report on the spread of genetically altered plants. The organization says GMOs are spreading throughout the world without any controls in place to stop them. They have escaped their intended areas and are moving into the environment and even infringing on wild plant populations.

US calls on China to rescind air defence zone to avoid Japan confrontation
The Guardian - The US called on China to scrap its newly declared air defence identification zone on Monday, warning that Beijing risked a potentially dangerous confrontation with Japan and its allies at the start of a trip to the region by vice-president Joe Biden.

'Saudis, Israelis developing new ‘super Stuxnet’ against Iran nuclear program'
RT - Saudi Arabia and Israel’s Mossad intelligence division are co-conspiring to produce a computer worm “more destructive” than the Stuxnet malware to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program, according to a report from the semi-official Iranian Fars news agency.

New Russian Submarines Are So Silent That The U.S. Navy Calls Them “Black Holes”
thetruthwins.com - Did you know that Russia is building submarines that are so quiet that the U.S. military cannot detect them? These “black hole” submarines can freely approach the coastlines of the United States without fear of being detected whenever they want.

Rare Iceland armed police operation leaves man dead
BBC - Icelandic police have shot dead a man who was firing a shotgun in his apartment in the early hours of Monday. It is the first time someone has been killed in an armed police operation in Iceland, officials say.

Directive Provides Government With Intelligence After Declaration of Martial Law
Kurt Nimmo - Even in the unlikely event there is a nuclear war or some other catastrophic event, a directive issued by the director of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, will make sure the NSA still listens in on your calls, that is if there are any phones or cell towers left following Armageddon.

Over 700,000 people on US watch list: and once you get on, there’s no way off
RT - The names of nearly three-quarters of a million individuals have been secretly added to watch lists administered by the United States government, but federal officials are adamant about keeping information about these rosters under wraps.

NSA employees received talking points for Thanksgiving dinner
RT - If a politically-charged dinnertime debate sidelined your Thanksgiving, don’t blame the National Security Agency. New documents have surfaced suggesting the NSA sent their employees home for the holidays with pre-determined talking points.

The Fix Is In: Obamacare Website STILL Doesn’t Work
Steve Watson - It’s December, so that must mean the Obamacare website is now working right? After all, December 1st was the deadline date set during the congressional hearings for when the site would be running smoothly. Well, turns out that was ANOTHER lie, because the website is still not functioning and will not be doing so for some time.

California cops go on trial for beating mentally ill homeless man to death
RT - On July 5, 2011, 37-year-old Kelly Thomas was hospitalized after a run-in with police that saw him tasered multiple times, beaten with batons and the blunt side of a taser, while yelling for his father for help. Former Fullerton Officer Manuel Ramos, 39, has been charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Meanwhile, former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 41, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and the use of excessive force. Both are pleading not guilty.

VIDEO: No security ever built into Obamacare site: Hacker
CNBC News - It could take a year to secure the risk of "high exposures" of personal information on the federal Obamacare online exchange, a cybersecurity expert told CNBC on Monday.

Single-Payer Healthcare for Vermont on Track for 2017
Truthout - Amidst the difficulties of rolling out the private insurance company model of the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA), it has almost gone unnoticed by the national corporate media that one state is going ahead with plans for a single-payer non-profit system to be implemented by 2017.

Cancer Patient and ObamaCare Critic Says He's Being Audited by IRS
CNS News - Elliot, who has Stage 4 cancer, informed viewers he wasn’t going to pay the $1,500 a month for the new plan being offered, preferring not to burden his family and to “let nature take it’s course.” After his story attracted media attention, Elliot says his insurance company decided to let him keep his coverage...

Kids Arrested Waiting for School Bus
Adan Salazar - The Edison Tech high school students were on their way to a basketball scrimmage as part of a group of about a dozen teens who had been instructed by their coach to wait for the bus in downtown Rochester. A Rochester police officer arrived when he saw the group of teens gathered on the sidewalk, and ordered them to disperse. Students attempted in vain to explain they were headed to a basketball game.

Judge Andrew Napolitano 2016 Draft Gains Momentum
Sunshine State News - Over the weekend, Larry Hunter from the"'Draft Andrew Napolitano For President" committee insisted the effort he helps lead was making progress. “We are focused on convincing the judge the support is there to make a run,” Hunter emailed supporters. “And the numbers are making the case.

YouTube: Gerald Celente - Lew Rockwell Show - December 2, 2013
Gerald Celente - Bond Market Explosion and Intellectual Revolution for Liberty.

Tally of U.S. Banks Sinks to Record Low
WSJ - The number of banking institutions in the U.S. has dwindled to its lowest level since at least the Great Depression, as a sluggish economy, stubbornly low interest rates and heightened regulation take their toll on the sector.

Wow – The Holiday Shopping Season Is Off To A Horrible Start
Economic Collapse - According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent an average of 4 percent less over the four day Thanksgiving weekend than they did last year. Overall, that means that approximately $1.7 billion less was spent at U.S. retailers compared to last year.

Gold Drops Below Cash Cost, Approaches Marginal Production Costs
Zero Hedge - As we showed back in April, the marginal cost of production of gold (90% percentile) in 2013 was estimated at between $1250 and $1300 including capex. Which means that as of a few days ago, gold is now trading well below not only the cash cost, but is rapidly approaching the marginal cash cost of $1125...

Chart Of The Day: The Fed Now Owns One Third Of The Entire US Bond Market
Zero Hedge - The most important chart that nobody at the Fed seems to pay any attention to, and certainly none of the economists who urge the Fed to accelerate its monetization of Treasury paper, is shown below...

Breaking: False HIV diagnosis extremely common in military prosecution cases
(NaturalNews) It's a sad day in America, the most diverse experiment in democracy ever attempted, when individuals are persecuted, and their lives ruined, for politically motivated reasons.

Miley: VA Medical Center's healing pet cat
SF Gate - Traumatic events arise every day at the VA, but none this year has been as traumatic as the day Miley got a toothache and had to be rushed away for treatment.

US halts logistic support to some Afghan army, police units
Press TV - The US military in Afghanistan has reportedly reduced its logistic military support to Afghan army and police forces amid Kabul’s refusal to sign a security deal with Washington.

Syria army confiscates Israeli-made arms
Press TV - The Syrian army says it has confiscated Israeli-made weapons in its latest operations against foreign-backed militants. A military source told the Syrian news agency SANA on Sunday that Israeli weaponry -- including missiles -- were seized in an operation in the central city of Tadmur in Homs province.

VIDEO: Israel to join UNHRC despite violations of Palestinians' rights
Press TV - On Sunday, an unknown Israeli source confirmed Tel Aviv’s membership in the UNHRC, saying a formal invitation was expected soon. This comes three days after the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described Tel Aviv’s illegal settlement activities as “a cause for grave concern.”

‘Day of rage’: UK protests Israeli plan to remove 70,000 Bedouins
RT - Across the UK Britons are to take to the streets to protest an Israeli plan to forcibly remove 70,000 Palestinian Bedouins from their homes. The proposal has triggered accusations of “ethnic cleansing” and “discrimination” from activists groups.

‘Revolution!’ Thousands pour in for pro-EU rally in Ukraine, storm govt buildings
RT - Thousands of demonstrators chanting ‘Revolution!’ have flocked into 'Maidan' square in Kiev despite a court-imposed ban on rallies. The protesters have reportedly taken several government buildings

Bangkok police use tear gas on protesters besieging govt buildings (PHOTOS)
RT - Police dispersed activists with tear gas who were attempting to storm Bangkok’s Government House amidst deadly clashes in the Thai capital. Opposition protesters are calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawtra.

China plan to quit dollar infuriates US: Analyst
Press TV - Finian Cunningham made the remark in a Sunday column for Press TV amid escalation of tensions between US and China over Beijing's enforcement of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Iceland thumbs nose at international opposition to advance $1.2 billion debt relief plan
RT -Iceland’s government has announced that it will be writing off up to 24,000 euros ($32,600) of every household’s mortgage, fulfilling its election promise, despite overwhelming criticism from international financial institutions.

Woman has child taken from her womb by social services
The Telegraph - Essex social services obtained a High Court order against the woman that allowed her to be forcibly sedated and her child to be taken from her womb. The council said it was acting in the best interests of the woman, an Italian who was in Britain on a work trip, because she had suffered a mental breakdown.

Thailand: As Promised, Regime Deploys Black-Clad Militants
Tony Cartalucci - UPDATE: Regime gunmen have been identified by their shirts as a sect drawn from Phitsanulok province, part of the Thaksin Shinawatra regime’s northeast political stronghold. This particular groups has strong affiliations with leading pro-regime mob leader and regime MP Jatuporn Prompan, and was involved directly with bloodshed in 2010′s violence as well.

Japanese firm plans 250 mile-wide solar panel belt around Moon
The Telegraph - Tokyo-based Shimizu Corp. wants to lay a belt of solar panels 250 miles wide around the equator of our orbiting neighbour and then relay the constant supply of energy to “receiving stations” on Earth by way of lasers or microwave transmission. The “Luna Ring” that is being proposed would be capable of sending 13,000 terawatts of power to Earth.

Fukushima? 5 Million Seabirds Estimated to Have Died on the Beaches of Australia and New Zealand
Activist Post - Reports are coming out that unusually high counts of dead seabirds are winding up on shores in Australia and New Zealand. All the birds that have been tested by vets so far were found to be starving and emaciated.

Senate and House Intelligence Committees Defend Destruction of Constitution
Kurt Nimmo - The Senate and House Intelligence committees believe revelations about the NSA are more damaging to the United States than the ongoing dismantlement of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

VIDEO: "Improved" ObamaCare Site Crashes Live, on CNN
townhall.com - The new and improved ObamaCare web site: Good enough for government work?! This would be a joke if millions of Americans didn't need to replace their cancelled insurance -- and by two weeks from today, if they need it to begin on January 1, 2014.

Don't Believe the Obamacare Spin - Here's What's Still Wrong
townhall.com - Today is the day of President Obama's self-imposed "deadline" for marked improvements in functionality for Healthcare.gov, a crucial cog in the Rube Goldberg machine of Obamacare. Don't be surprised if the Obama Administration's out there front and center with spin on how they've met their deadline.

Canadian denied entry to the US after agent cites private medical records
RT - A wheelchair-bound Canadian woman was denied entry to the United States this week because she was previously diagnosed with clinical depression. Now she wants to know why the US Department of Homeland Security had her medical history on file. Related article.

Mobs, Stampedes, Fights, Brawls, A Stabbing And Shooting: A Video Compilation Of Black Thursday 2013
Zero Hedge - That greatest of all American traditions – the Black Friday Thursday stampede, this year accompanied with a stabbing and a shooting, is back.

Consider: Is Black Friday is a Crime Against Humanity?
Activist Post - The Chinese labor camps indeed have women and children forced to work 7 days a week, and sometimes 20 hours a day. These factories are home for U.S. corporations that make staggering profits from the slave labor of women and children - and you're paying for it.

Church Group Kicked Out Of Public Park For Handing Out Thanksgiving Dinners To Homeless
Storyleak - A church group in Lake Worth, FL was kicked out of a public park Thursday afternoon after a park ranger spotted them feeding homeless residents.... Unfortunately, a Palm Beach County park ranger “just following orders” soon approached the group and demanded they leave for violating an alleged city ordinance.

Colorado Black Friday Gun Purchases in the Thousands
Denver Post - Criminal background checks for firearm sales in Colorado were in the thousands on Black Friday. By the end of the evening, 3,804 checks had been processed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, according to the bureau's social media updates.

Punished for Her Good Deed? City Threatens Woman Housing the Needy With Fines
Fox News - A woman who has been helping the less fortunate for over 40 years could be punished for her good deeds. The city of Lawrence, Kansas is threatening Debbie Nall with fines for allowing strangers in need into her home.

Strategic Air Command Was Not Very Strategic with the Super Secret Nuke Code of 00000000
The Daily Sheeple - The only numbers that stood between the world and a nuclear apocalypse were a closely guarded secret for many years but now we know that they must have been developed through intensely difficult algorithms. Obviously, great care had to be taken that this super secret code would not be easily cracked.

15 Signs That We Are Near The Peak Of An Absolutely Massive Stock Market Bubble
Economic Collapse - One of the men that won the Nobel Prize for economics this year says that "bubbles look like this" and that he is "most worried about the boom in the U.S. stock market." But you don't have to be a Nobel Prize winner to see what is happening.

Wage Strikes Planned at Fast-Food Outlets
NY Times - Seeking to increase pressure on McDonald’s, Wendy’s and other fast-food restaurants, organizers of a movement demanding a $15-an-hour wage for fast-food workers say they will sponsor one-day strikes in 100 cities on Thursday and protest activities in 100 additional cities.

Self-Driven Vehicles to Eliminate Countless Jobs
Activist Post - Well, you've got less than ten years to warn that millions more will go unemployed due to self-driven cars. Two fresh reports outline where this is all going.

The Establishment’s New Tactic: Gag All War Veterans
21st Century Wire - Formalizing its gagging order policies with regards to veterans is important, because it’s the state’s way of not only neutralizing dissenting veterans, but also dehumanizing them by stripping away their right to free speech and expression. Below details the stories of many such individuals including American combat veterans who served in Afghanistan...