JANUARY 2011

Today In History Monday January 31, 2011
1865 - In America, General Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies.
1865 - The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. It was ratified by the necessary number of states on December 6, 1865. The
amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
1876 - All Native American Indians were ordered to move into reservations.
1893 - The trademark "Coca-Cola" was first registered in the United States Patent Office.
1917 - Germany announced its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1929 - The USSR exiled Leon Trotsky. He found asylum in Mexico.
1930 - U.S. Navy Lt. Ralph S. Barnaby became the first glider pilot to have his craft released from a dirigible, a large blimp, at Lakehurst, NJ.
1940 - The first Social Security check was issued by the U.S. Government.
1944 - During World War II, U.S. forces invaded Kwajalein Atoll and other areas of the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.
1945 - Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the U.S. Civil War to be executed for desertion.
1946 - A new constitution in Yugoslavia created six constituent republics (Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia) subordinated to a central authority, on the model of the USSR.
1949 - The first TV daytime soap opera was broadcast from NBC's station in Chicago, IL. It was "These Are My Children."
1950 - U.S. President Truman announced that he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.
1958 - Explorer I was put into orbit around the earth. It was the first U.S. earth satellite.
1971 - Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.
1971 - Telephone service between East and West Berlin was re-established after 19 years.
1983 - The wearing of seat belts in cars became compulsory in Britain.
1983 - JCPenney announced plans to spend in excess of $1 billion over the next five years to modernize stores and to accelerate a repositioning program.
1985 - The final Jeep rolled off the assembly line at the AMC plant in Toledo, OH.
1990 - McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow, Russia.
1995 - U.S. President Clinton invoked presidential emergency authority to provide a $20 billion loan to Mexico to stabilize its economy.
2000 - An Alaska Airlines jet crashed into the ocean off Southern California. All 88 people on board were killed.
2001 - A Scottish court in the Netherlands convicted one Libyan and acquitted a second in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that occurred in 1988.

Malaysia unleashes 6,000 genetically-modified mosquitoes into wild
Malaysian officials recently set loose thousands of "Frankenbugs" into the forests of Asia, purportedly to help curb the spread of dengue fever. Scientists programmed the 6,000 genetically-modified (GM) Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes in such a way that when they breed with females, the offspring will die early and thus reduce their overall population.

Cilantro Recall Update: Grower Claims There Is NO recall
A cilantro recall has been issued due to concern over possible salmonella contamination. Or has it? There are conflicting reports in the media right now as to what is happening with this alleged recall.

9 Signs That The Price Of Oil Is About To Soar Beyond $100 A Barrel
Will we see the price of oil rise significantly in 2011? Unfortunately, that appears to be precisely where we are headed.

Controversial Muslim Cleric Caught Being Smuggled in US Over Mexico Border
U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric - banned from France and Canada - curled up in the boot.

Looters in Egypt Identified as Police Officers
As I write this, Egyptian military fighter jets are flying over Cairo in a show of brute force while thousands of citizens on the ground raise their fists to the sky chanting “get out,” directing their anger toward the jets above.

Egyptian Government Shuts Down Al Jazeera: Press Credentials Revoked
Egyptian state TV is now reporting the Al Jazeera news office in Cairo has been shut down and reporters are loosing their press credentials throughout Egypt.

How Apple and Google Will Kill the Password
Imagine sitting down at a public PC, surfing the Web, visiting Facebook, checking your online bank account and buying something on Amazon.com -- all without entering passwords or credit card information.

Ex-Pentagon Official John Wheeler Died From 'Blunt Force Trauma'
John P. Wheeler, a former White House aide and top Pentagon official whose body was found last month on new years even a Delaware landfill was beaten to death in a brutal assault, the Delaware medical examiner’s office announced yesterday.

Public Optimism But Little Progress on Doha Deal
DAVOS, Switzerland – Key global trade officials spoke of their optimism that a new deal to liberalize international commerce can be finalized, but offered little in the way of concrete progress Saturday to indicate they can reach agreement before the end of the year.

Rogue Cancer Gene Discovered
This fills in the details on the recent announcement regarding the ability to halt metastasis. The direct cause of metastasis is identified and isolated. Interrupting the errant gene will halt metastasis cold.

Mubarak Gives Army Shoot-to-Kill Order
Reports say the army has been ordered to shoot when it sees fit. Military helicopters and jet fighters fly over major locations as the numbers of protesters multiply there.

Are We Witnessing the Start of a Global Revolution?
For the first time in human history almost all of humanity is politically activated, politically conscious and politically interactive...

Gag's Fragrance Will Reportedly Smell Like 'Blood and Semen'
According to sources in the fragrance industry hired to develop Lady Gaga‘s first fragrance, the pop star has requested that the scent “smell of blood and semen.”

Egypt Protests: Hillary Clinton Urges 'Orderly Transition'
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for an "orderly transition" to democracy in Egypt, but warned there is a long way to go in the process.

Mubarak Meets Army as Obama Urges Reform
Egyptian protesters turned to the army and to a retired diplomat to maintain momentum in efforts to unseat Hosni Mubarak, but as the president's Western backers called for change he met the generals who can keep him in power.

Cairo Protesters Stand Their Ground
Egyptian air force fighter planes buzzed low over Cairo, helicopters hovered above and extra troop trucks appeared in a central square where protesters were demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

Egypt Protests: America's Secret Backing for Rebel Leaders Behind Uprising
The American Embassy in Cairo helped a young dissident attend a US-sponsored summit for activists in New York, while working to keep his identity secret from Egyptian state police.

Anti-Government Protest in Albania
TENS of thousands of demonstrators have started a silent protest in the Albanian capital Tirana, a week to the day after clashes during an opposition rally killed three.

Thousands Protests in Jordan
Thousands of people in Jordan have taken to the streets in protests, demanding the country's prime minister step down, and the government curb rising prices, inflation and unemployment.

New Protests Erupt in Yemen
Dozens of activists calling for the ouster of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, have clashed with government supporters in Sanaa, the country's capital.

Groundhog Day Blizzard Brings Travel Chaos
A large winter storm forecast to unfold could adversely affect more than 100 million people this week from the Rockies to the Plains, South, Midwest and Northeast, if it develops to its full potential.

Cyclone Headed for Australia
BRISBANE, Australia – A cyclone raced toward Australia's flood-ravaged northeast Sunday, rattling nerves in a region that has already suffered billions of dollars worth of damage from a monthslong crisis.

North Pole Shift Could Cause Airport Trouble
Airports like Tampa and West Palm Beach have recently closed runways because of a shift that is taking place, and it is not the runway that is moving.

US Winter Wheat Faces Make or Break Week
America's parched hard red winter wheat crop may face something of a make or break week, potentially receiving up to 20 inches of snow – which it will need to protect it from a follow-up freeze.

TSA Shuts Door on Private Airport Screening Program
A program that allows airports to replace government screeners with private screeners is being brought to a standstill, just a month after the Transportation Security Administration said it was "neutral" on the program.

Is Something Serious Up at the Treasury?
On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Geithner will have dinner at Treasury with former secretaries of the Treasury.

FDIC Failed Bank List

Baltic Dry Index Is Down 3.9% Overnight to 1,186
The freefall in the BDIY is just ridiculous: following a steep plunge it has now gone in freefall, and is down 3.9% overnight to 1,186.

Era of Leaded Gasoline Still Poisoning Vegetable Gardens Across America
Vegetable gardens across the United States are contaminated with lead, even those using presumably safe soil from newly made compost, according to a study conducted by researchers from Wellesley College and presented at a meeting of the Geological Society of America.

Walmart to Reformulate Store Brand Items, Make Them Healthier
America's largest grocer, Walmart, recently announced that it will reformulate its "Great Value" store brand line of food products to include less sodium and sugar, and the removal of all remaining industrially-produced trans fats.

Doctors in Training Taught to Physically Violate Unconscious Patients
Warning: Explicit language. We apologize for the extremely explicit nature of this story, but we feel that publishing this truth, no matter how repulsive, is in the public interest and serves the greater purpose of informing patients about what can happen to them while under sedation at hospitals.

Republican Committee Targets Organic Farmers for Funding Cuts, Avoids Big AG Subsidies
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group composed of 175 House Republicans concerned with advancing conservative social and economic agendas, recently made several budget cut proposals to the U.S. House of Representatives that target organic farmers and the relatively inexpensive government programs that support them.

One in Ten Women Regularly Consumes Organic Food During Pregnancy
The growth of the organic food and personal care product sectors over the past decade-or-so has been truly astounding, with reports indicating, for instance, that organic fruit and vegetable sales increased by almost 375 percent between 2000 and 2010. http://www.naturalnews.com/028721_organics_food.html

Hunger Affects One in Seven Households in the United States
More than one in seven U.S. households lacked food security at some point in 2009, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That figure is the highest since record-keeping began in 1995.


Today In History Friday January 28, 2011
1788 - The first British penal settlement was founded at Botany Bay.
1807 - London's Pall Mall became the first street lit by gaslight.
1871 - France surrendered in the Franco-Prussian War.
1878 - The first telephone switchboard was installed in New Haven, CT.
1902 - The Carnegie Institution was established in Washington, DC. It began with a gift of $10 million from Andrew Carnegie.
1909 - The United States ended direct control over Cuba.
1915 - The Coast Guard was created by an act of the U.S. Congress to fight contraband trade and aid distressed vessels at sea.
1918 - The Bolsheviks occupied Helsinki, Finland.
1922 - The National Football League (NFL) franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears.
1935 - Iceland became the first country to introduce legalized abortion.
1938 - The first ski tow started operation in Vermont.
1945 - During World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
1958 - Construction began on first private thorium-uranium nuclear reactor.
1965 - General Motors reported the biggest profit of any U.S. company in history.
1980 - Six Americans who had fled the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, left Iran using false Canadian diplomatic passports. The Americans had been hidden at the Canadian embassy in Tehran.
1982 - Italian anti-terrorism forces rescued U.S. Brigadier General James L. Dozier. 42 days before he had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades.
1986 - The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff. All seven of its crewmembers were killed.
1994 - In Los Angeles, Superior Court Judge Stanley Weisberg declared a mistrial in the case of Lyle Menendez in the murder of his parents. Lyle, and his brother Erik, were both retried later and were found guilty. They were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
1998 - In Manilla, Philippines, gunmen held at least 400 children and teachers for several hours at an elementary school.
1999 - Ford Motor Company announced the purchase of Sweden's Volvo AB for $6.45 billion.
2002 - Toys R Us Inc. announced that it would be closing 27 Toys R Us stores and 37 Kids R Us stores in order to cut costs and boost operating profits.

Trading Halted on Egyptian Stock Exchange After the Market Plunges 6.25% in 15 Minutes
Trading halted on Egyptian stock exchange after the market plunges 6.25 percent in 15 minutes.

VIDEO: More Proof That They Intend to Create a Disaster, and That They Know Something! Pt 4

Time to End Foreign Aid to Israel: 'We just can't do it anymore.' Sen. Paul Warns
One of the Senate's newest members has settled upon an idea to reduce American debt that's likely to come off as highly controversial in the halls of power: ending all foreign aid, including the tens of billions dedicated to Israel.

Ron and Ran Paul Introduce 'Audit the Fed' Legislation in House and Senate
Congressman Ron Paul and his son, Senator Rand Paul, today introduced companion legislation in both chambers of the United States Congress to require a full and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve.

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Increase Sharply to 454,000
This graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims for the last 10 years.

China's New World Order
By all appearances, last week's visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Washington changed little in the lopsided American-Chinese relationship. What we have is a system that methodically transfers American jobs, technology and financial power to China in return for only modest Chinese support for important U.S. geopolitical goals: the suppression of Iran's and North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.

Federal Reserve Openly Aiming for Inflation
The Federal Reserve has painted itself into a very narrow and troubling corner for most of working and middle class America. The massive debt problems on hand have no realistic way of being paid off and the best path in the eyes of the Federal Reserve is to slowly inflate away the currency and debt.

Snowstorm Shatters New York, Philadelphia Records
New York City and Philadelphia are just two of the communities across the mid-Atlantic that broke daily snowfall records on Wednesday.

Supreme Court: Emanuel on Chicago Mayor Ballot
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled today that Rahm Emanuel can stay on the ballot for mayor of Chicago.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in Malaysia Sparks Fears of Uncontrollable New Species
Malaysia has released 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes into a forest in the first experiment of its kind in Asia aimed at curbing dengue fever.

Chinese Firms Set Sights on US Investments
Key Chinese companies are considering stepped-up investment in the U.S., particularly in infrastructure, and the White House is encouraging them to move ahead.

Seismic Fault Beneath Us Is 'Fully Loaded' After 311 Years
“It’s been 300 years,” Bill Steele said Tuesday. “We have a fully loaded subduction zone.”

Color-Coded Terror Alert System Gone By April 27th
Democrats, Liberals, Obama Administration and Mainstream Media. You are free to blame the whimsical color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System on the Bush administration.

Grains, Soybeans Rise as Food Riots Spur Demand for Exports
Wheat rose, capping the longest rally since November 2009, while corn and soybeans climbed as countries increase purchases from the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter, to cut food inflation and quell civil unrest.

Wheat Rises on Fresh Concerns About Global Supply
Wheat prices rose Wednesday as dry weather in China and the United States renewed concerns about global supplies and rising food prices.

The First GM Food Crop Containing Human Genes Is Set To Be Approved for Commercial Production
The first GM food crop containing human genes is set to be approved for commercial production.

Warning: Scientists Discover Mad Cow Disease-Causing Prions Infect Through Air
Cancer and Alzheimer's disease are usually described as the two most dreaded health disorders.

Grocery Prices Skyrocket Faster Than Official Inflation
Grocery prices increased at more than 50 percent the rate of inflation in 2010, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tenth Amendment Center Helps States Challenge Unconstitutional Health Care Bill
America's Founding Fathers understood that the encroachment of federal power over the states was a threat to free society, so they carefully framed the U.S. Constitution as a protection for the People.


Today In History Thursday January 27, 2011
1870 - Kappa Alpha Theta, the first women’s sorority, was founded at Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) in Greencastle, IN.
1880 - Thomas Edison patented the electric incandescent lamp.
1888 - The National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, DC.
1926 - John Baird, a Scottish inventor, demonstrated a pictorial transmission machine called television.
1927 - United Independent Broadcasters Inc. started a radio network with contracts with 16 stations. The company later became Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).
1943 - During World War II, the first all American air raid against Germany took place when about 50 bombers attacked Wilhlemshaven.
1944 - The Soviet Union announced that the two year German siege of Leningrad had come to an end.
1945 - Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.
1948 - Wire Recording Corporation of America announced the first magnetic tape recorder. The ‘Wireway’ machine with a built-in oscillator sold for $149.50.
1951 - In the U.S., atomic testing in the Nevada desert began as an Air Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats.
1967 - At Cape Kennedy, FL, astronauts Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo I spacecraft.
1967 - More than 60 nations signed the Outer Space Treaty which banned the orbiting of nuclear weapons and placing weapons on celestial bodies or space stations.
1973 - The Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris.
1977 - The Vatican reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's ban on female priests.
1981 - U.S. President Reagan greeted the 52 former American hostages released by Iran at the White House.
1985 - The Coca-Cola Company, of Atlanta, GA, announced a plan to sell its soft drinks in the Soviet Union.
1992 - Former world boxing champion Mike Tyson went on trial for allegedly raping an 18-year-old contestant in the 1991 Miss Black America Contest.
1997 - It was revealed that French national museums were holding nearly 2,000 works of art stolen from Jews by the Nazis during World War II.
1998 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on NBC's "Today" show. She charged that the allegations against her husband were the work of a "vast right-wing conspiracy."
1999 - The U.S. Senate blocked dismissal of the impeachment case against President Clinton and voted for new testimony from Monica Lewinsky and two other witnesses.
2002 - A series of explosions occurred at a military dump in Lagos, Nigeria. More than 1,000 people were killed in the blast and in the attempt to escape.
2003 - Altria Group, Inc. became the name of the parent company of Kraft Foods, Philip Morris USA, Philip Morris International and Philip Morris Capital Corporation.
2010 - Apple unveiled the "iPad".

USDA Fluoride Content in Foods and Beverages
2004 USDA National Fluoride Database of Selected Beverages and Foods.

FAA warns of ongoing GPS issues in southeastern US due to Defense Department 'tests'
Don't panic, but anyone planning on using GPS in the southeastern US for the next month or so will likely want to make sure they have a fallback option. That's according to a flight advisory just issued by the FAA, which warns pilots that their GPS signal "may be unreliable or unavailable" due to "GPS tests" that the Department of Defense will be conducting between January 20th and February 22nd.

Rep. Kucinich sues over olive pit in sandwich
Democratic congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio has sued a congressional cafeteria for dental damage he says he suffered after biting into an olive pit in a sandwich wrap he bought there.

Swiss police: blast at Davos hotel, no injuries
A small blast shattered two windows but caused no injuries at a hotel near where top business and political leaders are attending the World Economic Forum, Swiss police said Thursday. The explosion happened in a storage room of the Posthotel Morosani shortly after 9 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) Thursday, regional police spokesman Thomas Hobi told the AP. He said federal prosecutors are investigating whether the blast has a criminal origin.

FEMA Requests Information on the Availability of 140 Million Packets of Food, Blankets, and Body Bags
FEMA has issued multiple RFI’s(Request For Information) in regards to the availability of 140 million packets of food specifically for a disaster in the New Madrid Fault System. Normally this sort of information would seem like disinformation or fear mongering but this particular situation is heavily documented.

But But But Deficits Were Coming Down!
For the federal government, the sharply lower revenues and elevated spending deriving from the financial turmoil and severe drop in economic activity—combined with the costs of various policies implemented in response to those conditions and an imbalance between revenues and spending that predated the recession—have caused budget deficits to surge in the past two years.

5 Reasons Why Barack Obama's of the Union Address Was Completely Wrong About the Economy
Barack Obama's State of the Union address sure sounded good, didn't it?

Food Freedom Betrayal?
Our food supply is in jeopardy. Not only from outside forces such as poisons from China, but from within.

Global Insiders Warned: US Debt Crisis Could Explode at Anytime
Global insiders are starting to gather in Davos, Switzerland for this week's World Economic Forum. JPMorgan Chase's Jamie "Obama's Favorite Banker" Dimon will be there, as will be Treasury Secretary Geithner.

Jobless Rise in 20 States as Workers Still Laid Off
The Labor Department says the unemployment rate rose in 20 states and fell in 15. It was unchanged in another 15 states.

Google Comes Under Fire for 'Secret' Relationship With USA
Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group largely focused in recent years on Google's privacy practices, has called on a congressional investigation into the Internet giant's "cozy" relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

Bank of fAmerica's Countrywide Sued, Accused of Massive Fraud
Bank of America Corp's Countrywide mortgage unit has been sued by investors claiming they were victimized in a "massive fraud" when they bought mortgage-backed securities.

The Global Fund and UNCP Under Investigation for Missing Millions
Against an ambiance of somber music with a few upbeat notes suggestive of hope, Bono appears on our flat-screen TVs and softly intones, “Through the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, over three-and-a-half thousand lives are saved every day.

Obama Picks RIAA Lawyer to Replace Kagan as Solicitor General
President Barack Obama announced Monday that he plans to nominate former Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lawyer Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. as solicitor general, a position formerly held by Elena Kagan.

Food Speculation: aFood Speculation: 'People Die From Hunger While Banks Make a Killing on Food'
Just under three years ago, people in the village of Gumbi in western Malawi went unexpectedly hungry. Not like Europeans do if they miss a meal or two, but that deep, gnawing hunger that prevents sleep and dulls the senses when there has been no food for weeks.

Postal Service Eyes Closing Thousands of Post Offices
The U.S. Postal Service plays two roles in America: an agency that keeps rural areas linked to the rest of the nation, and one that loses a lot of money.

Obama's Plan Would Cost Another $20 Billion
President Obama's agenda spelled out in his well-received State of the Union address would boost spending an additional $20 billion and lead to higher taxes, according to a line-by-line analysis from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. [See photos of the Obamas behind the scenes.]

CBO: This Year's Budget Deficit to Hit $1.5T
A continuing weak economy and last month's bipartisan tax cut legislation will drive the government's deficit to a record $1.5 trillion this year, a new government estimate predicts.

VIDEO: Abercrombie Admits There Are No Obama Birth Records in Hawaii

GOP Invokes 1700s Doctrine in Health Care Fight
Republican lawmakers in nearly a dozen states are reaching into the dusty annals of American history to fight President Obama's health care overhaul.

Egypt and Lebanon Protest: Thousands Clash With Police on Streets
Thousands of anti-government protesters inspired by the Tunisian revolution clashed with riot police in the centre of Cairo today demanding the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak.

Tectonic Plates Collapsing Under Pakistan and Indonesia
On January 17, 2011, it was reported that the 17,500 Islands Nation of Indonesia was flooding.

Game-Changer! Arizona to Pass 2012 Eligibility Law
A plan in Arizona to require presidential candidates to prove their eligibility to occupy the Oval Office is approaching critical mass, even though it has just been introduced.

Here Comes the Sun a Little Early
Last week I was knocked off my chair with the report from the Arctic Circle in Greenland that the sun came back over the horizon two days early.

FEMA Advising Australia Amid Takeover of America?
Theories as to whether or not all this information has been released on purpose in order to scare the public have become all the more credible after the astonishing admissions of FEMA camps on cable TV.

Dr. Wakefield Demands Retraction From BMJ After Documents Prove Innocence From Allegations of Vaccine Autism Data Fraud
In light of new evidence that has emerged clearing Dr Wakefield of the allegations that he fabricated study data involving MMR vaccines and symptoms of autism, Dr Wakefield is now publicly demanding a retraction from the British Medical Journal and author Brian Deer.

Documents Emerge Proving Dr. Andrew Wakefield Innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer Caught Misrepresenting the Facts
New documents have emerged that clear Dr Andrew Wakefield of the allegations of fraud recently made by the British Medical Journal and its reporter Brian Deer.

What's in Your Future Kitchen? Food Fabrication Technology Prints Out Your Meals in Seconds
In the not-so-distant future, instead of buying manufactured food items at the store, you may instead just "print" them right in your own kitchen.

Combination of Essential Oils Halts PMS
When a young woman is moody or bursts into tears easily, it's not unusual for someone to joke "oh, it must be near her 'time of the month'."

Dutch Scientists Push for Bugs to Replace Meat as Food Source
Arnold van Huis and his research team from Wageningen University in the Netherlands believe that insects and other bugs are more sustainable food source for humans than traditional cows and pigs are, and they want you to agree with them.


Today In History Wednesday January 26, 2011
1788 - The first European settlers in Australia, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, landed in what became known as Sydney. This day is celebrated as Australia Day.
1802 - The U.S. Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the U.S. Capitol.
1837 - Michigan became the 26th state to join the United States.
1861 - In the U.S., Louisiana seceded from the Union.
1870 - The state of Virginia rejoined the Union.
1875 - George F. Green patented the electric dental drill for sawing, filing, dressing and polishing teeth.
1911 - Inventor Glenn H. Curtiss flew the first successful seaplane.
1934 - The Apollo Theatre opened in New York City.
1939 - In the Spanish Civil War, Franco's forces, with Italian aid, took Barcelona.
1942 - The first American expeditionary force to go to Europe during World War II went ashore in Northern Ireland.
1950 - India officially proclaimed itself a republic as Rajendra Prasad took the oath of office as president.
1950 - The American Associated Insurance Companies, of St. Louis, MO, issued the first baby sitter’s insurance policy.
1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy appointed Dr. Janet G. Travell as the first woman to be the "personal physician to the President".
1962 - The U.S. launched Ranger 3 to land scientific instruments on the moon. The probe missed its target by about 22,000 miles.
1965 - Hindi was made the official language of India.
1969 - California was declared a disaster area two days of flooding and mudslides.
1992 - Russian president Boris Yeltsin announced that his country would stop targeting U.S. cities with nuclear weapons.
1993 - Former Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel was elected president of the new Czech Republic.
1994 - In Sydney, Australia, a young man lunged at and fired two blank shots at Britain's Prince Charles.
1996 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton testified before a grand jury concerning the Whitewater probe.
1998 - U.S. President Clinton denied having an affair with a former White House intern, saying "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."
1999 - Saddam Hussein vowed revenge against the U.S. in response to air-strikes that reportedly killed civilians. The strikes were U.S. planes defending themselves against anti-aircraft fire.
2001 - Near Ciudad Boliva, Venezuela, twenty four people were killed when a 50-year-old DC-3 crashed.
2009 - The first trial at the International Criminal Court was held. Former Union of Congolese Patriots leader Thomas Lubanga was accused of training child soldiers to kill, pillage, and rape.
2009 - The Icelandic government and banking system collapsed. Prime Minister Geir Haarde resigned.
2010 - It was announced that James Cameron's movie "Avatar" had become the highest-grossing film worldwide. At the time it was the second highest-grossing film in the United States.

3 Thoughts For The Day from Mike Tawse Original
   * Good And Bad Depend Upon Your Acceptance
   * The Gift Of Silence
   * My Age Is Not A Number

The 10 Leading Theories for Dead Birds and Fish
Puzzled by the mass deaths of birds and fish in Alabama? It's also happening elsewhere, across the Eastern and Southern U.S. and around the world -- Gizmodo has a handy map of all the U.S. events.

Will America go broke?
The government would have to stop issuing debt to fund its day-to-day operations. If it does not have sufficient cash on hand from other sources, such as tax receipts, it would have to curtail some activities, including closing government offices. The government may have to halt payments of federal benefits, such as Social Security or Medicare, or default by halting interest payments on treasury debt.

Malaysia releases lab mosquitoes to fight dengue
Malaysia released about 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes into a forest in the first experiment of its kind in Asia aimed at curbing dengue fever, officials said Wednesday. Read More...

Renewing the Patriot Act While America Sleeps
“Of course, there is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists.

Obama May Get Power to Shut Down Internet Without Court Oversight
A bill giving the president an Internet "kill switch" during times of emergency that failed to pass Congress last year will return this year, but with a revision that has many civil liberties advocates concerned:

Jesse Ventura Files Lawsuit Against TSA and Dept. of Homeland Security
The former Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, is suing the Department of Homeland Security. Ventura claims TSA’s full-body scans and airport pat-downs have violated his privacy rights.

Justice Department Seeks Mandatory Data Retention
Criminal investigations "are being frustrated" because no law currently exists to force Internet providers to keep track of what their customers are doing, the U.S. Department of Justice will announce tomorrow.

Supreme Court Denies Petition Questioning Constitutional Validity
In November, I reported on the petition filed by William M. Windsor with the Supreme Court. The petition asked the Court to answer the following questions:

US Home Prices Keep Weakening as Eight Cities Reach New Lows in November
S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for November (actually a 3 month average of September, October and November).

Home Sales, Real Estate and US Economy: 'Distressed' Home Sales Are Fuzzing the Numbers
A new report today from Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance shows distressed sales, that is bank-owned properties (REO's) and short sales, where the home is sold for less than the value of the mortgage, made up 47 percent of all home sales in December.

McDonald's May Raise Prices as Food Costs Rise
McDonald's affordable food drew even more customers in its fourth quarter, but the burger chain said it may raise prices this year as its own food tab rises.

Insurance Companies Sue Bank of America Over 'Massive Mortgage Fraud', Find 91% of Securitized Loans Are Misrepresented
The benchmark for documented mortgage originators' lies is getting higher and higher.

Scientists Fear MMR Link to Autism
New American research shows that there could be a link between the controversial MMR triple vaccine and autism and bowel disease in children.

Bono and Bill Gates-Backed Global Health Charity EXPOSED As a Fraud
What institutions can you trust these days with your donations?

Security Scanner Blamed for Woman's Death
A 57-year-old Palestinian woman with a pacemaker died over the weekend, after passing through the scanning machine at the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Rep. Ryan Is Republican Point Man
When Rep. Paul Ryan delivers the Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday, many viewers will get their first look at a man whom GOP leaders are trusting to manage a central policy issue—how to cut the federal budget—that could shape the party's image for years.

Wall Street Partying in Davos as Bankers Overcome Crisis
As Wall Street chief executive officers flock to the World Economic Forum, they’ll be breathing a sigh of relief along with the Swiss mountain air: There are no panels on compensation or redesigning financial regulation.

IMF: Instability Threatens Recovery
The uneven global recovery continues apace but sovereign debt and financial sector risks, particularly in Europe, could threaten global stability, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.

Thump of Snow for Mid-Atlantic, Heavy Snow for New England
The ingredients for a potent snowstorm will come together over New England, while the second part of the storm will bring the most snow to the mid-Atlantic.

W.H: 'Birthers aren't rational'
Gibbs hinted that President Obama will talk about gun rights in his State of the Union address. “I don’t doubt that, as a result of the impact – or the issues of what happened in Tucson, that there will be a number of proposals that this White House and the Congress will evaluate, and we'll wait until tomorrow to see what’s in the State of the Union,” he said.

Federal Agency Headquarters Leave Lights On in DC
Night after night, year after year, this nightside reporter observed lights left on in federal government buildings.

Food Prices Rocket By 50% as Global Hunger Epidemic Causes Riots and Famines
The cost of food will soar by 50 per cent over the next few decades as the world becomes racked by famine, mass migrations and riots, experts have warned.

Food Crisis II
A story I’ve been warning about for years is making sensational headlines right now.

Hawaii Official Now Swears: No Obama Birth Certificate
Former Hawaii elections clerk Tim Adams has now signed an affidavit swearing he was told by his supervisors in Hawaii that no long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate existed for Barack Obama Jr. in Hawaii and that neither Queens Medical Center nor Kapi'olani Medical Center in Honolulu had any record of Obama having been born in their medical facilities.

Cocoa Jumps to One-Year High as Ivory Coast Leader Bans Exports
Cocoa climbed in New York to the highest price in almost a year after the president-elect of Ivory Coast, the world’s largest producer, barred exports for a month.

The Doomsday Project, Deep Events, and the Shrinking of American Democracy
I know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency [the National Security Agency] and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return."-

GMO Lies: Deliberate Misuse of the Term 'Genetically Modified' Designed to Mislead People
It's one of the most common false arguments of GMO pushers: There's nothing to be worried about with genetically modified foods, they argue, because almost everything is genetically modified, they claim.

Antioxidants Offer Natural Help for Men Who Are Infertile
The multi-million dollar infertility industry offers a huge list of expensive -- and often invasive -- tests and procedures to help couples who have difficulty conceiving, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Monsanto Launches Deceptive Ad Campaign in Desperate Attempt to Improve Image
Monsanto has become the new Marlboro, with a new advertising campaign designed to improved its hopelessly-tarnished image.

Global Sugar Shortage Looms, Price Hikes Expected
Global sugar prices are at their highest level in 30 years and may rise higher as fears of a worldwide shortage loom.

Farmers Forced to Buy Expensive Chemical Arsenals to Control Pesticide-Resistant 'Superweeds'
Genetically-modified (GM) crops require an intensive, regular application of pesticides and herbicides as part of their proprietary cultivation regimen.

Study: If You Had Swine Flu, You Now Have Super Immunity
U.K. researchers have made an interesting discovery concerning swine flu.


Today In History Tuesday January 25, 2011
1799 - Eliakim Spooner patented the seeding machine.
1870 - G.D. Dows patented the ornamental soda fountain.
1881 - Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and others signed an agreement to organize the Oriental Telephone Company.
1890 - The United Mine Workers of America was founded.
1915 - In New York, Alexander Graham Bell spoke to his assistant in San Francisco, inaugurating the first transcontinental telephone service.
1924 - The 1st Winter Olympic Games were inaugurated in Chamonix in the French Alps.
1949 - The first Emmys were presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.
1961 - John F. Kennedy presented the first live presidential news conference from Washington, DC. The event was carried on radio and television.
1971 - Charles Manson and three female members of his "family" were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder and seven counts of murder in the first degree. They were all sentenced to death for the 1969 killings. The sentences were later commuted to life sentences.
1981 - The 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the United States and were reunited with their families.
1993 - A gunman shot and killed two CIA employees outside the agencies headquarters in Virginia. Mir Aimal Kansi, a Pakistani national, was later convicted of the shootings.
1995 - The defense gave its opening statement in the O.J. Simpson trial.
1999 - At least 1,000 people were killed when an earthquake hit western Columbia. The quake registered 6.0 on the Richter Scale.
1999 - In Louisville, KY, man received the first hand transplant in the United States.
2001 - A minor earthquake hit northeastern Ohio. The quake measured only 4.2 on the Richter Scale.
2010 - In Arlington, TX, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame had its grand opening.

Food Freedom Betrayal!
Our food supply is in jeopardy. Not only from outside forces such as poisons from China, but from within.

US Farmers Called to "Plant Every Acre They Can This Spring"
Grain production shortages around the world and high grain prices are calling for American farmers to plant every acre they can this spring, the Wall Street Journal reported.Farmers will need to sow an additional 10 million acres to boost supplies of several crops. Supplies are expected to drop to 15-year lows for corn and more than 40-year lows for soybeans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Court takes Rahm Emanuel's name off ballot
An attorney says an Illinois Appeals Court has ruled that Rahm Emanuel's name can't appear on the ballot for Chicago mayor. Attorney Burt Odelson said Monday that the court voted 2-1 to overturn a judge's ruling to keep Emanuel's name on the ballot. Those challenging Emanuel have said the White House chief of staff did not meet a residency requirement because he lived in Washington and not Chicago when he worked for President Barack Obama. Emanuel has said he always intended to return to Chicago and was only living in Washington at the request of the president.
Related Article: Appellate Court Rules Again Emanuel

UK: Paramedic paralysed after having swine flu jab provided by ambulance service
A paramedic was paralysed after having the swine flu jab.
Medics diagnosed transverse myelitis, a rare complication often associated with vaccines.

Emergency Lamp: Salt and Cooking Oil
How to create an emergency salt and cooking oil lamp.

ObamaCare Flatlines: ObamaCare Taxes Home Sales - Clobbers Middle-Class Americans
Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare imposes a 3.8% Medicare tax on unearned income, including the sale of single family homes, townhouses, co-ops, condominiums, and even rental income. This new ObamaCare tax is the first time the government will apply a 3.8 percent tax on unearned income. This new tax on home sales and unearned income and other Medicare taxes raise taxes more than $210 billion to pay for ObamaCare.

List of Foreign-Trade Zones by State
Check your state out.
More on Foreign Trade Zones

Only 43% of Working Age Americans Have Full Time Jobs
The total non institutional civilian labor force (Americans 16 years and older who are not in a institution -criminal, mental, or other types of facilities- or an active military duty) is reported as 238.889 million. Of these, we see:

FEMA Requests Information on the Availability of 140 Million Packets of Food, Blankets, and Body Bags
The Department of Homeland Security is also looking for a vendor that can supply “various fuels in support of disaster relief.”

Tunisian Inspired Demonstrations in Yemen and Algeria Violently Put Down
Unrest has continued to spread across North Africa and the Middle East with demonstrators in Yemen on Saturday demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, while riot police in Algeria clashed with demonstrators, injuring dozens.

'Bug Mac' and Lovely 'Grub' Food of the Future
Dutch student Walinka van Tol inspects the worm protruding from a half-eaten chocolate praline she's holding, steels herself with a shrug, then pops it into her mouth.

At&T Asks Top Court to Recognize Its 'Personal Privacy'
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today on a case between AT&T and the Federal Communications Commission, revisiting the legal concept of “corporate personhood” last strengthened under the court’s Citizens United ruling on corporate campaign spending.

Splatterings of Green Goo Fall From the Sky Unto Snyder, NY
A mysterious greenish-yellow goo that fell from the sky has splattered homes in Snyder, N.Y., and triggered investigations by the FAA and the town's waste engineer.

Bye Bye Blackbird: USDA Acknowledges a Hand in One Mass Bird Death
It's not the "aflockalyptic" fallout from a secret US weapon lab as some have theorized. But the government acknowledged Thursday that it had a hand in one of a string of mysterious mass bird deaths that have spooked residents in Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, South Dakota, and Kentucky in the last month.

2012 - Are American Voter's Being Scammed?
“Are Americans to assume that neither the Republicans nor Democrats have any plans to address the issues of a sensible legal immigration system, ending illegal immigration, enforcement of our immigration laws and border security?”

Ireland Government Crumbles As Green Party Pulls Out of Ruling Coalition
It has been a while since we had one of those "before Asia opens" kind of Sundays.

China Might Revalue Its Currency This Year
WASHINGTON – China could act on revaluing its currency over the course of the year, without admitting defeat in their battle with the international community over its value, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger said Sunday.

Suicide Bomber Kills 35 at Russia's Biggest Apart
A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people at Russia's biggest airport on Monday in an attack that bore the hallmarks of militants fighting for an Islamist state in the north Caucasus region.

Four Police Shot in Detroit Precinct, Gunman Killed
A female sergeant in a hallway was hit first. Commander Brian Davis raced out of his office, exchanged fire with the gunman and got shot in the back.

Shooting At Washington Walmart
Two people are dead, including the gunman after a shooting incident Sunday at a Walmart in Kitsap County, Wash. A young woman who died is believed to have known the gunman.

Officers Killed in St. Petersburg
Two police officers were fatally shot while executing a search warrant at a home in the 3700 block of 28th Avenue South in St. Petersburg this morning. A U.S. Marshal involved in the operation was also shot and is in stable condition.

Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Accused of Killing Woolbridge, Va Woman
A Philadelphia abortion doctor is accused of killing a Woodbridge, Virginia woman.

Global Price Fears Mount
Inflation fears—fueled by spiraling food, oil and raw material prices—are mounting around the globe, prompting the head of the European Central Bank to signal that it could raise interest rates in the future even though some countries have been weakened by the Continent's debt crisis.

Wheat Extends Advance to Five-Month HIgh as La Nina Threatens Global Crops
Wheat rose to a five-month high in Chicago on signs of stronger demand and on speculation adverse weather that has hurt production in Australia, the U.S. and South America will persist.

Bird Death is Spreading
Port Director Odd Bernt Mevold is one of those who collect the birds. - Så langt i dag har vi plukket opp ti fugler, så det er stor dødelighet nå. - So far today we've picked up ten birds, so there is a high mortality rate now.

Credit Cards: On Their Way Out 'Like Vinyl Records'
Credit cards may soon be as outdated as vinyl records. (Remember those?) And this is the year that the slow, steady march to oblivion begins.

'Unscientific' Is Secret Code for Anyone Who Opposes GMO's or Pesticides
Watch out for the word "unscientific" in propaganda that's pushing GMOs, pesticides or other dangerous chemicals onto our world. In a joint letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, three Republican members of Congress (Rep. Frank Lucas, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Sen. Pat Roberts) attempted to spin GMOs as being "scientific."

Genetically Modified, Oil-Eating Bacteria Creating Dangerous Mutant Organisms in the Gulf
Even the most creative science fiction movie could not have concocted the reality of what is taking place both in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world right now.

Physical Fitness Prevents Seasonal Flu Infections Far Better Than Vaccines
Staying physically fit may reduce your time spent sick during cold and flu season by nearly 50 percent, according to a study conducted by researchers from Appalachian State University and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.


Today In History Monday January 24, 2011
1848 - James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California. The discovery led to the gold rush of '49.
1908 - In England, the first Boy Scout troop was organized by Robert Baden-Powell.
1922 - Christian K. Nelson patented the Eskimo Pie.
1924 - The Russian city of St. Petersburg was renamed Leningrad. The name has since been changed back to St. Petersburg.
1935 - Krueger Brewing Company placed the first canned beer on sale in Richmond, VA.
1943 - U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill concluded a wartime conference in Casablanca, Morocco.
1952 - Vincent Massey was the first Canadian to be appointed governor-general of Canada.
1965 - Winston Churchill died at the age of 90.
1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws that denied welfare benefits to people who had resided in a state for less than a year.
1978 - A nuclear-powered Soviet satellite plunged through Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated. The radioactive debris was scattered over parts of Canada's Northwest Territory.
1980 - The United States announced intentions to sell arms to China.
1985 - Penny Harrington became the first woman police chief of a major city. She assumed the duties as head of the Portland, Oregon, force of 940 officers and staff.
1986 - The Voyager 2 space probe flew past Uranus. The probe came within 50,679 miles of the seventh planet of the solar system.
1989 - Ted Bundy, the confessed serial killer, was put to death in Florida's electric chair for the 1978 kidnap-murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach.
1990 - Japan launched the first probe to be sent to the Moon since 1976. A small satellite was placed in lunar orbit.
1995 - The prosecution gave its opening statement at the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Missouri law that limited the contributions that individuals could donate to a candidate during a single election.
2002 - The U.S. Congress began a hearing on the collapse of Enron Corp.
2002 - John Walker Lindh appeared in court for the first time concerning the charges that he conspired to kill Americans abroad and aided terrorist groups. Lindh had been taken
into custody by U.S. Marines in Afghanistan.
2003 - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security began operations under Tom Ridge.

Health Effects from Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Weapons
The expected outcomes of this independent study are to improve the quality of health care provided to military personnel who place themselves in harm’s way. Drug treatments and dosages provided in this study guide should be double-checked prior to prescribing therapy.
Original Source: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/vhi/chem_bio_rad_weapons.pdf

18,000 Pgs CIA Mind Control Documents Released
The CIA has declassified over 18,000 pages of documents on extensive mind control programs carried out since the early 1950s. Through the Freedom of Information Act, you can order these documents in the form of four CDs directly from the government for only $30. Read More...

Jack LaLanne dies at 96; brought fitness to masses
LaLanne died Sunday at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast, longtime agent Rick Hersh said. The cause was respiratory failure due to pneumonia.

Triad Alcohol Prep Pads, Alcohol Swabs, and Alcohol Swabsticks: Recall Due to Potential Microbial Contamination
Triad alcohol prep pads packaged for use in the U.S. with Betaseron (interferon beta 1-b) should not be used by patients. There is no involvement or potential contamination of the Betaseron vial or other components in the Betaseron U.S. packaging.

Fannie, Freddie leave $160 million in legal bills to taxpayers
Since the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taxpayers have spent more than $160 million defending the mortgage finance companies and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud.

MERS Exposed II: General Counsel Tells Whoppers in Testimony Before Virginia House
It has become so common for members of the securitization industry to play fast and loose with the truth that nothing should surprise me any more.

Treasury Says Anything But a Debt Ceiling Hike Would Lead to Default
Which, however is certainly not a good thing, as it merely confirms just how totally screwed this country is, and that absent a hike in the ceiling to $15.5 trillion (which we believe is where the debt ceiling will be through March of 2012 when it will be raised to $17 trillion), the dollar will be backed by several trillion in insolvent Federal Reserve Notes, er, assets (that should quickly end all debate about EUR-USD parity).

Oil 'Could Hit $200 a Barrel' Says Investor
When it comes to state visits the devil is in the detail. It's the nuances of the arrangements that allow you to calibrate just how important a relationship is.

Emperor Obama and His Back Door Regulations
There is a strange phenomenon occurring in Washington DC these days. I think I will call it the Napoleon Affect. Here is how it works:

Russia to Adopt Universal ID Card in 2012
For all those conspiracy theorists out there, 2012 just got a little more ominous. As required by legislation passed this last summer, Russia will adopt a universal ID card starting next year.

Obama Wants to Impose New Universal Internet ID
The Obama administration is developing a "universal Internet ID" program that would watch, track, monitor and potentially control your activity on the Internet.

Obama Goal: 'Putting the Economy Into Over Drive'
More than half the nation disapproves of President Barack Obama's policies to reduce stubbornly high unemployment, a new Associated Press-GfK poll said Friday as Obama refocused his job-creation efforts on a business-friendly vision emphasizing innovation and exports to other countries.

Food Stamps as a JPMorgan Growth Industry
JP Morgan is the largest processor of food stamp benefits in the United States. JP Morgan has contracted to provide food stamp debit cards in 26 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Mexico to Become First Country to Use Iris Scans on ID Cards
The documents, which will include the eye's image as well as fingerprints, a photo and signature, will be 99 per cent reliable, according to Felipe Zamora, who is responsible for legal affairs at the Mexican interior ministry.

Obama Says Paul Volcker Stepping Down As Adviser
President Barack Obama announced Thursday that former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was stepping down from his role as head of an outside panel advising the White House on economic policy.

Chinese Bank ICBC Signs Deal to Enter US Market
Chinese bank ICBC, the world's largest by market value, has signed an deal that will allow it to enter the US retail banking market, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Are We Accidentally Medicating Ourselves Into a Mind Numbing, Body-Weakening Stupor?
The Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, Glenn D. Braunstein, M.D., noted Wednesday:

BP's Spilled Oil Is Washing Up In People
Though the gushing well was capped last July, oil continues to wash ashore along the Gulf Coast. BP's oil is also washing up in people's bodies, raising concerns about long-term health effects.

Social Networking Under Fresh Attack As Tide of Cyber-Sceptism Sweeps US
The way in which people frantically communicate online via Twitter, Facebook and instant messaging can be seen as a form of modern madness, according to a leading American sociologist.

Federal Agency To Spearhead New Drug-Development Center
The Obama administration has become so concerned about the slowing pace of new drugs coming out of the pharmaceutical industry that officials have decided to start a billion-dollar government drug development center to help create medicines.

Obama Recalls Roe v. Wade Backs Abortion Rights
President Obama echoed his support for abortion rights today, the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court's pro-choice decision in Roe v. Wade.

Hawaii Law Bars Release of Obama Birth Info
A privacy law that shields birth certificates has prompted Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie to abandon efforts to dispel claims that President Barack Obama was born outside Hawaii, his office says.

VIDEO: New Congress Forms 'The Slumber Party' One-Fifth of House Freshmen Sleep in Offices

Violent Seismic Activity Tearing Africa in Two
The fissures began appearing years ago. But in recent months, seismic activity has accelerated in northeastern Africa as the continent breaks apart in slow motion. Researchers say that lava in the region is consistent with magma normally seen on the sea floor -- and that water will ultimately cover the desert.

Northeast Snowstorm Next Week Will Pack a Big Punch
More and more signs are pointing toward a major storm along much of the Atlantic Seaboard next week, meaning a wind-whipped snow for some areas and wind-driven rain for others.

China Bank Moves to Buy US Branches
CHICAGO—China’s biggest bank signed an agreement that would make it the first Beijing-controlled financial institution to acquire retail bank branches in the U.S., though regulators could still block the deal.

Iranian Warships Coming to Mediterranean and Red Seas
Less than 24 hours after the breakdown of its nuclear dialogue with the six world powers in Istanbul, Iran announced plans Sunday, Jan. 23, to senda fleet of warships, including a home-made destroyer, on operational and intelligence-gathering missions to the Red Sea and on to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.

FAA Warns of Ongoing GPS Issues in Southeastern US Due to Defense Department 'Tests'
Don't panic, but anyone planning on using GPS in the southeastern US for the next month or so will likely want to make sure they have a fallback option.

US Supreme Court Issues Landmark Decision - Constitution Void
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that serves to allow judges to void the Constitution in their courtrooms. The decision was issued on January 18, 2011, and the Court did not even explain the decision (Docket No. 10-632, 10-633, and 10-690). One word decisions: DENIED.

Dr. Edwin Vieria, JR: The Coming Military Crackdown
The Daily Bell is pleased to publish an interview with the distinguished libertarian attorney and activist, Edwin Vieira, Jr.

Satanist Insider: 'The Party is Beginning!'
America is an increasingly dark place and this will continue apace. "Change that you can believe in!" A little more change and Americans will be able to buy a coffee.

Obama Manufacturing Public About US Dollar and Yuan
President Obama’s comments on Wednesday in a joint press conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao, misinformed the public about potential changes in foreign exchange rates and their effects on U.S. citizens.

Rep. Cohen: Ventura's Show Promotes Terrorism
After making a comment comparing establishment Republicans opposed to Obamacare to Nazi propagandist Goebbels, Tennessee Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen went on CIA operative Anderson Cooper’s CNN show to defend himself.

US Government Commits Avian Holocaust With Mass Poisoning of Millions of Birds
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is engaged in what can only be called an avian holocaust through its Bye Bye Blackbird program that has poisoned tens of millions of birds over the last decade.

Pesticides Give Rise to Mutant Bed Bugs
Bedbugs are coming back with a vengeance, and a new study out of Ohio State University says that pesticides and insecticides are at least jointly responsible for spawning a new breed of mutant bedbugs that is genetically-resistant to the very chemicals commonly used to eradicate it..

Avocado Fat Boosts Good Cholesterol
The types of fat found in avocados and in olive oil boost levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol without raising levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital in Ontario, Canada, and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Flu Vaccine Causing Infant Seizures; FDA to Investigate
The Sanofi-Aventis flu vaccine known as "Fluzone" is causing febrile seizures in children, the FDA revealed yesterday. According to the FDA, 42 cases of seizures have been reported in children receiving the Fluzone vaccine. Most of the children suffering seizures are under the age of two.

J&J Recalls 50 Million More Drugs on Top of 200 Million Recalled Throughout 2010
Just when it seemed like the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) recall saga had come to a close, the company announced yet another recall that includes nearly 50 million units of Tylenol, Benadryl, Rolaids, Sudafed and Sinutab.

Congress Introduces Bill to Stop Upcoming Ban of Incandescent Light Bulbs
In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act which contains a subsection that bans the sale of incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012.


Today In History Friday January 21, 2011
1793 - During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI was executed on the guillotine. He had been condemned for treason.
1846 - The first issue of the "Daily News," edited by Charles Dickens, was published.
1853 - Dr. Russell L. Hawes patented the envelope folding machine.
1861 - The future president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, resigned from the U.S. Senate. Four other Southerners also resigned.
1865 - An oil well was drilled by torpedoes for the first time.
1900 - Canadian troops set sail to fight in South Africa. The Boers had attacked Ladysmith on January 8, 1900.
1908 - The Sullivan Ordinance was passed in New York City making smoking by women illegal. The measure was vetoed by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr.
1915 - The first Kiwanis club was formed in Detroit, MI.
1924 - Soviet leader Vladimir Llyich Lenin died. Joseph Stalin began a purge of his rivals for the leadership of the Soviet Union.
1927 - The first opera broadcast over a national radio network was presented in Chicago, IL. The opera was "Faust".
1954 - The gas turbine automobile was introduced in New York City.
1970 - The Boeing 747 made its first commercial flight from New York to London for Pan American.
1970 - ABC-TV presented "The Johnny Cash Show" in prime time.
1976 - The French Concorde SST aircraft began regular commercial service for Air France and British Airways.
1977 - U.S. President Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft evaders.
1980 - Gold was valued at $850 an ounce.
1994 - A jury in Manassas, VA, acquitted Lorena Bobbitt by reason of temporary insanity of maliciously wounding (severing his penis) her husband John.
1997 - Newt Gingrich was fined as the U.S. House of Representatives voted for first time in history to discipline its leader for ethical misconduct.
1998 - A former White House intern said on tape that she had an affair with U.S. President Clinton.
1999 - The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a ship headed for Houston, TX, that had over 9,500 pounds of cocaine aboard. It was one of the largest drug busts in U.S. history.
2002 - In London, a 17th century book by Capt. John Smith, founder of the English settlement at Jamestown, was sold at auction for $48,800. "The General History of Virginia, New England and the Summer Isles" was published in 1632.
2003 - It was announced by the U.S. Census Bureau that estimates showed that the Hispanic population had passed the black population for the first time.

Statins: the drug firms' goldmine
Cholesterol-lowering statins are amongst the biggest-selling medicines in the world, generating billions in revenue for pharmaceutical companies.

10,000 cattle in Vietnam mysteriously die from cold weather
Thousands of cattle recently turned up dead in various Vietnamese provinces, reportedly due to the long cold spell that has hit the area in recent weeks. Officials from the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) had allegedly been working with local cities and provinces to help keep animals fed and warm once reports emerged of them dying, but such efforts largely failed as thousands more continued to die across the country.

Gold Prices Slammed by Rate Hike Worries
-- Rate hike worries were pressuring gold prices Thursday as Brazil led the charge to control inflation. The selloff was accelerated by solid economic data from the U.S. and technical trading.

Flame Retardants Found in Common Foods
Many common foods contain traces of flame retardants—and some at alarming levels, according to a recent study.

Prevent High Blood Pressure by Eating Blueberries
Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Harvard University have discovered that eating blueberries helps to prevent the development of high blood pressure.

Wal-Mart to make, sell healthier foods
thousands of products to make them healthier and push its suppliers to do the same, joining first lady Michelle Obama's effort to combat childhood obesity.

Path Is Sought for States to Escape Debt Burdens
Policy makers are working behind the scenes to come up with a way to let states declare bankruptcy and get out from under crushing debts, including the pensions they have promised to retired public workers.

Natural gas drilling responsible for causing flammable drinking water
Opposition groups are simply asking that proper environmental impact investigations be conducted before further drilling takes place, in order to ensure that citizens are not being needlessly exposed to dangerous chemicals in their drinking water.

The Fourth American Revolution
Turnings are not about specific events, but how generations react to the events based on their stages of life. A turning is an era with a characteristic social mood, a new twist on how people feel about themselves and their nation.

Obama May Call For Gun Control During State of the Union
Democratic Party donors, members of Congress and gun control groups are being urged to lobby the president to speak on gun control laws during the upcoming state of the union address, according to an investigative NBC report.

Report on chemical risks in perfumes!
The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance!

72% US Workers Admit Working Sick, Spreading Diseases
New Survey Shows People Going to Work Sick Much More Often than Previously Reported And more than half said they felt guilty when they called in sick.

Yet Another Attempt To Bury Fraud
Bair, who has pushed lenders and loan servicers to extend help to homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgages, urged creation of a panel modeled on those formed to distribute money to victims of BP Plc’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of 2001.

House Votes To Repeal Health-Care Law
In the first major act of the new Congress, the Republican-led House voted Wednesday to repeal the Democrats' health-care overhaul, fulfilling a pledge that GOP candidates made during the fall midterm campaigns.

China Devalues US Buying Power by 30%, Protects US Treasury Holdings
The trade imbalance between the US and China, a hot button between the nations for the last decade or so, is finally going to start to stabilize in the summer of 2011.

12 Economic Collapse Scenarios That We Could Potentially See In 2011
What could cause an economic collapse in 2011? Well, unfortunately there are quite a few "nightmare scenarios" that could plunge the entire globe into another massive financial crisis.

Are You Ready For The Universal Internet ID That Barack Obama Wants To Impose On All Of Us?
The Obama administration is developing a "universal Internet ID" program that would watch, track, monitor and potentially control your activity on the Internet.

FBI Rounds Up 100 Mobsters in Biggest NY Mafia Bust Ever
The FBI calls it the biggest mafia round-up in New York history. More than 100 suspected mobsters were arrested this morning in connection with numerous federal investigations into New York area mob groups as first reported on NBCNewYork.com.

Hu Says China Not a Military Threat to Any Nation
Chinese President Hu Jintao sought to assure U.S. business leaders on Thursday that his country is an economic partner and not a military threat to America or anyone else. But he rejected foreign interference on issues such as Tibet and Taiwan.

Materials Stocks Fall on Fear of Chinese Rate Hike
Worries that China may raise its interest rates sent copper, oil and the companies that produce them lower Thursday.

Weekly Claims Lower as Hope Rise for Jobs Market
Claims for initial jobless benefits last week posted their biggest decline in nearly a year, erasing a holiday-related spike to show a trend toward a healthier labor market remained intact.

Over One Million Immigrants Land US Jobs in 2008-10
Over the past two years, as U.S. unemployment remained near double-digit levels and the economy shed jobs in the wake of the financial crisis, over a million foreign-born arrivals to America found work, many illegally.

Hawaii Governor Says Obama's Birth Record 'Exists' But Can't Produce It
Pressure was mounting on Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie today amid increasing confusion over whether President Obama was born there.

House GOP Lists $2.5 Trillion in Spending Cuts
Moving aggressively to make good on election promises to slash the federal budget, the House GOP today unveiled an eye-popping plan to eliminate $2.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years.

Obama: 'We Welcome China's Rise'
China's rapid growth is often painted as a threat to American interests.

Japan Hits 'Critical Point' On State Debt
Japan has hit a “critical point” where it risks losing investor confidence if politicians fail to reach agreement on how to rein in the ballooning national debt, a cabinet minister has warned.

Global Food Chain Stretched to the Limit
Strained by rising demand and battered by bad weather, the global food supply chain is stretched to the limit, sending prices soaring and sparking concerns about a repeat of food riots last seen three years ago.

Spike in World Food Prices: It's More Than Bad Weather
Of all the world headlines that Sen. Richard Lugar could have highlighted this week – the visit of China’s president in Washington, for instance, or the revolt in Arab Tunisia – the most burning issue for him was ... alfalfa.

Christchurch Rattled By More Aftershocks
A series of aftershocks have been felt in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, but there are no reports of significant damage.

All Oct/Nov H1N1 US Sequences Have S186P or S188T
The recently released HA sequences from Iran and the UK have focused attention on two emerging sub-clades which have S186P or S188T.

PLO Raises Flag Over Washington
The PLO flag flew in Washington, DC for the first time Tuesday, with PLO officials hoisting their banner over their United States mission.

Yellowstone Has Bulged as Magma Pocket Swells
Yellowstone National Park's supervolcano just took a deep "breath," causing miles of ground to rise dramatically, scientists report.

Anesthesiologists Spread Dangerous Infections During Surgery Because They Don' wash Their Hands
With all the amazing and advanced medical technology available in the 21st century, operating rooms must be extremely safe when it comes to being sterile and clean for surgery.


Today In History Thursday January 20, 2011
1801 - John Marshall was appointed chief justice of the United States.
1839 - Chile defeated a confederation of Peru and Bolivia in the Battle of Yungay.
1841 - The island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.
1885 - The roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson.
1886 - The Mersey Railway Tunnel was officially opened by the Prince of Wales.
1887 - The U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.
1891 - James Hogg took office as the first native-born governor of Texas.
1892 - The first official basketball game was played by students at the Springfield, MA, YMCA Training School.
1929 - The movie "In Old Arizona" was released. The film was the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors.
1937 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to be inaugurated on January 20th. The 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution officially
          set the date for the swearing in of the President and Vice President.
1942 - Nazi officials held the Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Europe's Jews.
1944 - The British RAF dropped 2,300 tons of bombs on Berlin.
1961 - Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller were divorced. They were married on June 29, 1956.
1972 - The number of unemployed in Britain exceeded 1 million.
1981 - Iran released 52 Americans that had been held hostage for 444 days. The hostages were flown to Algeria and then to a U.S. base in Wiesbaden,
          West Germany. The release occurred minutes after the U.S. presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.
1986 - The U.S. observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
1986 - Britain and France announced their plans to build the Channel Tunnel.
1987 - Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite was kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon. He was there attempting to negotiate the release of Western hostages. He
          was not freed until November 1991.
1994 - Shannon Faulkner became the first woman to attend classes at The Citadel in South Carolina. Faulkner joined the cadet corps in August 1995 under
          court order but soon dropped out.
1996 - Yasser Arafat was elected president of the Palestinian Authority and his supporters won two thirds of the 80 seats in the Legislative Council.
1997 - Bill Clinton was inaugurated for his second term as president of the United States.
1998 - American researchers announced that they had cloned calves that may produce medicinal milk.
1999 - The China News Service announced that the Chinese government was tightening restrictions on internet use. The rules were aimed at 'Internet Bars.'
2000 - Greece and Turkey signed five accords aimed to build confidence between the two nations.

The New Light Bulbs Lose a Little Shine
Compact Fluorescent Lamps Burn Out Faster Than Expected, Limiting Energy Savings in California's Efficiency Program

Chase Bank apologizes for overcharging troops for mortgages
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is repaying more than $2 million to about 4,000 military families who were overcharged for their mortgages. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act caps service members’ interest payments at 6 percent while they are on active duty, according to Military One Source. The bank also improperly foreclosed on the properties of 14 of the families. SCRA mandates that banks cannot arbitrarily foreclose on property owned by active-duty military personnel or those in the first nine months after leaving active duty.

Domino's Pizza Receives $12 Million Government Bailout While Experts Warn of Global Food Riots
While food riots have begun emerging across the globe as a result of surging food prices, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided to funnel 12 million dollars into the popular pizza chain Domino’s Pizza, in what has become known as a secret government bailout.

Virginia Teen Detained in Kuwait Sues US Over No-Fly List
A Northern Virginia teenager detained in Kuwait is suing the U.S. government, saying officials violated his rights by apparently placing him on the no-fly list without reason.

House Votes to Repeal Obama 'Health Care' Law
The vote was 245 to 189, with 3 Democrats joining all 242 Republicans in support of the repeal.

FDIC Chair Calls for Commission to Settle Foreclosure Errors
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman Sheila C. Bair called today for a "foreclosure claims commission" to address complaints from homeowners who have been harmed by flaws in the foreclosure process.

Housing Starts in US Decreased in December to One-Year Low
Builders began work on fewer homes than projected in December, a sign the industry that triggered the recession continued to struggle more than a year into the U.S. economic recovery.

The failure of derivatives regulation of precious metals
For any bank running unallocated bullion accounts on a fractional reserve basis, markets that allow the public to buy gold and silver only increase the price risk to its own position. The temptation to use these markets to manipulate prices downwards, or at least to try to stop them rising is therefore very great, and this is exactly what has happened.

Our Choice: State Secession or Washington Debt Depression
Everyone with any intelligence in the US and around the world knows that there is no way for Washington to manage the tens of trillions in debt and unfunded liabilities short of ultimate repudiation or hyperinflation.

Doping Up the Troops
U.S. Central Command policy allows troops a 90- or 180-day supply of highly addictive psychotropic drugs before they deploy to combat, reports Nextgov.

Here Come the 'Unbanked'
The U.S. government has so many regulations that it should come as no surprise that some work at cross purposes.

The Identity Ecosystem: Obama's Plan for Internet Control
The Obama Administration has yet to come up with a plan to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which are draining our economy, prevent the continuing mortgage meltdown, get more Americans back to work, or do away with pork-barrel spending and government corruption, to name just a few of the overriding concerns plaguing our nation today.

Bill Fleckenstein: The Race to the Bottom Will Be Won By the Dollar
"This printing money is going to lead to huge trouble. It’s going to lead to higher interest rates. It’s going to lead to more inflation and at some point there is going to be a train wreck in the currency and the bond market."

'Reminiscent of Nazi Germany'
From a Dec. 6 Walmart press release, "Walmart is proud to be the first national retailer to partner with Secretary Napolitano and the Department of Homeland Security in the "If you see something, say something" campaign. We urge our customers and associates to join us ... ."

Study Points to Windfall for Goldman Partners
Goldman Sachs executives have long been among the most richly paid on Wall Street in the best of times. They are now poised to reap a windfall that was sown in the dark days of the financial crisis in 2008.

David Rockerfeller Gets Welcomed in Chile
The video below shows an irate Chilean telling David Rockefeller and his friend Augustin Edwards Eastman that they are not welcome in Chile, nor is their "New World Order"

Wyoming House Bill Would Force DUI Tests
A bill to force suspected drunken drivers to submit to a breath, blood or urine test for alcohol is headed to the House floor for debate.

'Experience China' Debuts at NYC's Times Square
A video show about Chinese people made its debut on screens at Times Square on Monday, presenting Americans a multi-dimensional and vivid image of Chinese people.

What Is Plan B If China Dumps It's US Debt?
When borrowing money it's always good to have a Plan B in case a big creditor pulls the plug.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, Calls Chinese President Hu Jintao a 'Dictator' During US Trip
Harry Reid has done put his foot in his mouth again -- and this time he might really wish he'd been more careful with his words.

Obama Hosts Hu as World Powers Seek Common Ground
Touching on a key source of tension between the U.S. and China, President Barack Obama greeted Chinese President Hu Jintao Wednesday by stressing the need for nations to observe universal human rights.

Climate Change Study Had "Significant Error': Experts
A climate change study that projected a 2.4 degree Celsius increase in temperature and massive worldwide food shortages in the next decade was seriously flawed, scientists said Wednesday.

Scientists Fight Bugs With Poo
Once a year, every year, Professor Thomas Borody receives a single-stem rose from one of his most grateful patients. She is, he says, thanking him for restoring her bowel flora.

Wheat Nearing Record Price Amid Supply, Production Fears
World wheat supplies are so tight and grain demand so strong that any new hiccup in a major producing area would fire already bullish markets and send European prices near or beyond the all-time highs hit in 2008.

US Wheat Review: Soars On Firm Global Demand, Poor Weather
U.S. wheat futures rallied Tuesday as global weather problems, including new floods in Australia, pushed buyers to accelerate their purchases.

China and US, Wary Powers, Set to Square Off
China's President Hu Jintao landed in Washington for a summit that will help to define a new relationship between the world's longtime superpower and its rising Asian rival, at a time when their bonds have been frayed by mutual suspicions and an ideological gulf.

Hawaii Governor Can't Find Obama's Birth Certificate
The media-starved sycophantic liberal Governor of Hawaii who swore to ‘unveil‘ Obama’s birth certificate, just had his bluff called:

China Moves Troops Into North Korea
South Korea's daily newspaper is reporting that what Western analysts have feared has happened: Chinese troops have been deployed into North Korea.

US Food Companies Caught Faking Blueberries With Artificial Colors and Liquid Sugars, Reveals Health Ranger Investigation
A Food Investigations mini-documentary released today exposes the "blueberry deception" in name-brand cereals, bagels, breads and bars.

You Don't Need a Bronzer for a Golden Glow, Just Eat Lots of Fruits and Veggies
Looking a bit pale and even pasty this winter?

Petitions Lead to EPA Ban on Toxic Sulfuryl Fluoride
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted a petition filed by the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Beyond Pesticides, to stop the commercial use of sulfuryl fluoride in food.

Food Bubble Collapse Threatens Survival of Human Civilization
The following article originally ran on NaturalNews in 2008 but was shifted over to Counterthink.com which ultimately got replaced with political cartoons.


Today In History Wednesday January 19, 2011
1793 - King Louis XVI was tried by the French Convention, found guilty of treason and sentenced to the guillotine.
1825 - Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett of New York City patented a canning process to preserve salmon, oysters and lobsters.
1861 - Georgia seceded from the Union.
1883 - Thomas Edison's first village electric lighting system using overhead wires began operation in Roselle, NJ.
1907 - The first film reviews appeared in "Variety" magazine.
1915 - George Claude, of Paris, France, patented the neon discharge tube for use in advertising signs.
1915 - More than 20 people were killed when German zeppelins bombed England for the first time. The bombs were dropped on Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn.
1937 - Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record. He flew from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
1942 - The Japanese invaded Burma (later Myanmar).
1944 - The U.S. federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads after the settlement of a wage dispute.
1949 - The salary of the President of the United States was increased from $75,000 to $100,000 with an additional $50,000 expense allowance for each year in office.
1955 - U.S. President Eisenhower allowed a filmed news conference to be used on television (and in movie newsreels) for the first time.
1977 - U.S. President Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D'Aquino (the "Tokyo Rose").
1979 - Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell was released on parole after serving 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
1981 - The U.S. and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months and for arrangements to unfreeze Iranian assets and to resolve all claims against Iran.
1993 - IBM announced a loss of $4.97 billion for 1992. It was the largest single-year loss in U.S. corporate history.
1996 - U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury. The investigation was concerning the discovery of billing records related to the Whitewater real estate investment venture.
1997 - Yasser Arafat returned to Hebron for the first time in more than 30 years. He joined 60,000 Palestinians in celebration over the handover of the last West Bank city in Israeli control.
2001 - Texas officials demoted a warden and suspended three other prison workers in the wake of the escape of the "Texas 7."

Soldiers' Omega-3 Test Targets Suicide Risk
U.S. Army clinical trial is testing the psychological effects of taking fish oil for two months; Positive results would likely lead to a larger study in the military...

Net Worth of the 25 Richest People in Congress and the White House
And you thought royalty and ruling classes were for other countries, didn't you?

Tossing the Consumer Under the Bus
Perhaps the simplest way to look at it is this: 55%-65% of our income goes to taxes and fees, we work 8.5 months of the year to pay for this insane mess. The consumer has then 3.5 months of income with circa 1970s wages to consume.

Army to report rise in National Guard, Reserve suicides today
The U.S. Army on Wednesday (Jan. 19) will report that while the number of suicides in the active-duty force declined in 2010, the number of suicides in the Army Reserve and National Guard increased, a senior Army official said.

China: The new landlord of the U.S.
China is the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt. Despite this fact, many politicians are talking tough (perhaps tougher than they should be) about China's artificially low currency and how that affects trade relations between the two world powers.

Shock - Big Media Fault Elite Finance
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's (left) approach to stopping the financial crisis by printing money is wrong, as the private sector is still unable to pay its debts, Richard Duncan, the author of 'The Dollar Crisis:

End of Euro? Ireland Prints Own Notes
Emergency lending from the ECB to banks in Ireland fell in December, the first decline since January 2010, but only because the Irish Central Bank stepped up its help to banks.

Sudan Next to Succumb to Bernanke's Inflationary Experiment, As Country Threatens Revolution Over Surging Food Prices
About a month ago, some took offense at our characterization of the Chair-hewlettpackard-man as a “bearded mutant-cum-supreme genocidal overlord” after we predicted to the dot that his monetary policy would eventually lead to a global, well, genocide, presumably first in the developing world.

Obama May Cut Social Security, Sen Sanders Tells Raw
Social Security may be on the White House chopping block, a US Senator recently told Raw Story, expressing deep uneasiness about President Barack Obama's noncommittal attitude toward staving off cuts to the cherished program.

At Least 65 Die In Attack At Recruitment Center in Northern Iraq
A suicide bomber wearing an explosives-packed vest attacked a police recruitment center in northern Iraq Tuesday, a bloody strike that killed at least 65 people and wounded 160 others.

'Explosive' Food Prices the Biggest Risk
Overheating emerging markets, in China in particular, pose the biggest threat to the market and political situation in 2011 according to Philippe Gijsels, head of research at BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets.

November TIC Data Update: China Reasury Holdings Decline By $11.2 Billion
As we get Treasury International Capital data for one more (delayed) month, we realize just why QE will be a part of our financial landscape for a long time. In November, the formerly largest US credit (before it was overtaken by the Fed), lowered its Treasury holdings by $11.2 billion from $906.8 billion to $895.6 billion.

JP Morgan Chase Says It Charged Military Families Too Much On Mortgages
NEW YORK - One of the nation's biggest banks, JP Morgan Chase, admits it has overcharged several thousand military families for their mortgages, including families of troops fighting in Afghanistan. The bank also says it improperly foreclosed on more than a dozen homes belonging to military families.

Lawmaker's New Proposal Would Hit Feds With Charges
The state of Montana, which came up with the idea that the guns made, sold and kept inside its borders simply are exempt from federal regulations and made that its law, now is considering a new weapon that could be used to cancel much of the authority of federal agents over its residents.

Disinformation Fog Intensifies As Economic Turmoil Develops
In the past few years, the concept of economic globalism has revealed itself as quite the Trojan horse; once posing as the next step in the evolution of “free market” capitalism and the savior of third world nations striving for development status, now revealed as a fiscal plague spreading delirium and destruction wherever it touches ground.

US Sick Gulf Residents Beg Officials For Help
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Jan 14, 2011 (IPS) - In an emotionally charged meeting this week sponsored by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, fishermen, Gulf residents and community leaders vented their increasingly grave concerns about the widespread health issues brought on by the three-month-long disaster.

An Example of Bank of America Refusing to Provide and Original Mortgage Note
Two months ago, there were a variety of campaigns launched to get the mass public to demand from their bank an original, wet ink signature note for their mortgage. Many of these fizzled out.

High Oil Price = Faster Economic Decline for America
Most Americans have no idea how important oil prices are to the overall health of the U.S. economy.

A Strategy to Straddle the Planet
Anil Ambani was in ebullient mood last October when he arrived at a luxury hotel in Shanghai to sign one of the biggest business deals of the year.

Magnitude 7.4 Quake Hits Pakistan: USGS
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Tuesday.

Oil Prices Climb Amid IEA Warning on $100 Price
World oil prices rose slightly on Tuesday as the IEA warned that crude near $100 was posing a real risk to the global economic recovery.

CU Student Pay $14L Tuition In $1 Bills
"I just have a newfound respect for what people are willing to give up and how much education really does costs for just one semester. So I wanted the school be able to see that," he said. "It gives me a much deeper appreciation for the money that my parents give me just to go to school."

Police Seize Guns After Los Alamos Standoff
High-powered weapons and ammunition were among the items seized from the home of a former Los Alamos National Laboratory physicist who has become increasingly paranoid and outspoken against the lab and the government.

Scientists Trying to Clone, Resurrect Extinct Mammoth
A team of scientists from Japan, Russia and the United States hopes to clone a mammoth, a symbol of Earth’s ice age that ended 12,000 years ago, according to a report in Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun. The researchers say they hope to produce a baby mammoth within six years.

Scientists Warn California Could Be Struck by Winter 'Superstorm'
A group of more than 100 scientists and experts say in a new report that California faces the risk of a massive "superstorm" that could flood a quarter of the state's homes and cause $300 billion to $400 billion in damage.

House Set to Launch Health Law Challenge
House Republicans, toning down their rhetoric slightly, plan to reset the debate over the health law repeal Tuesday on Capitol Hill, building a strictly economic case against "Obamacare" after pausing for a week out of respect for the victims of the Tucson shooting.

Are We At The Beginning Of A Global Food Crisis?
The world’s food chain is maxed out. Are we at the beginning of a global food crisis? Global unrest begins with an empty stomach.

Icy Commute, Canceled Flights Across Northeast
A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain iced over roads, driveways and sidewalks from Delaware up into New England on Tuesday — making for a slippery and sometimes dangerous morning commute that also saw hundreds of flight cancellations.r/

Australia Floods: Government Contract To Turn Queensland Into Wetland
On January 15th, 2010 I received the first e-mail from a man in Australia who was concerned by a strange symbol he had seen on the weather radar operated by The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), a department of the Australian government.

Federal Debt Jumped $463.6 Billion In First Quarter of FY 2011
As Government Borrowed an Additional $1,500 Per Person in US
The national debt jumped $463.6 billion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 (which ran from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31), the Treasury Department reports.

States Warned of $2 Trillion Pensions Shortfall
US public pensions face a shortfall of $2,500 billion that will force state and local governments to sell assets and make deep cuts to services, according to the former chairman of New Jersey’s pension fund.

Devvy - Do Not Support Kucinich Fed Bill
The damnable lies that continue out of lazy, corrupt media mouthpieces regarding the true state of the economy is nothing short of reprehensible. We expect politicians to lie every time they open their mouths.

Food Bubble Collapse Threatens Survival of Human Civilian
The following article originally ran on NaturalNews in 2008 but was shifted over to Counterthink.com which ultimately got replaced with political cartoons.

Breast Cancer Breakthrough: Vitamin D in Combination With Sun Exposure Is Key To Prevention
As NaturalNews has covered for years, researchers have found a profound link between breast cancer and low levels of vitamin D.

Updated Timeline of Mysterious Animal Deaths
Here's an updated timeline of the mysterious animal deaths now happening around the world. Conventional explanations for these deaths now border on the outlandish:

Congressman Uses Tucson Massacre to Demand Preferential Treatment by TSA
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) wasted no time trying to take advantage of the Tucson massacre for his own personal benefit.

California County Allows Marijuana, But Not Raw Milk
Humboldt County, Calif., is largely recognized as the marijuana capital of the U.S. Its lax attitude towards both the legal and illegal growth and sale of the controversial plant is unmatched, and has earned the county quite a reputation.


Today In History Tuesday January 18, 2011
1803 - Thomas Jefferson, in secret communication with Congress, sopught authorization for the first official exploration by the U.S. government.
1778 - English navigator Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands, which he called the "Sandwich Islands."
1788 - The first English settlers arrived in Australia's Botany Bay to establish a penal colony. The group moved north eight days later and settled at Port Jackson.
1896 - The x-ray machine was exhibited for the first time.
1911 - For the first time an aircraft landed on a ship. Pilot Eugene B. Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor.
1919 - The World War I Peace Congress opened in Versailles, France.
1939 - Louis Armstrong and his orchestra recorded "Jeepers Creepers."
1943 - During World War II, the Soviets announced that they had broken the Nazi siege of Leningrad, which had began in September of 1941.
1943 - U.S. commercial bakers stopped selling sliced bread. Only whole loaves were sold during the ban until the end of World War II.
1950 - The federal tax on oleomargarine was repealed.
1957 - The first, non-stop, around-the-world, jet flight came to an end at Riverside, CA. The plane was refueled in mid-flight by huge aerial tankers.
1964 - The plans for the World Trade Center in New York were disclosed.
1967 - Albert DeSalvo, who claimed to be the "Boston Strangler," was convicted in Cambridge, MA, of armed robbery, assault and sex offenses. He was sentenced to life in prison. Desalvo was killed in 1973 by a fellow inmate. 
1987 - For the first time in history the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) was seen by over 100 million viewers. The audience was measured during the week of January 12-18,1987.
1990 - In an FBI sting, Washington, DC, Mayor Marion Barry was arrested for drug possession. He was later convicted of a misdemeanor.
1991 - Eastern Airlines shut down after 62 years in business due to financial problems.
1993 - The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed in all 50 U.S. states for the first time.
2002 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of a saliva-based ovulation test.

Oops! Obama's Mother's passport 'destroyed'
Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request, the State Department has released passport records of Stanley Ann Dunham, President Obama's mother – but records for the years surrounding Obama's 1961 birth are missing. Read More...

Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer plans to hand over offshore banking secrets of the rich and famous to WikiLeaks
The offshore bank account details of 2,000 "high net worth individuals" and corporations – detailing massive potential tax evasion – will be handed over to the WikiLeaks organization in London tomorrow by the most important and boldest whistleblower in Swiss banking history, Rudolf Elmer, two days before he goes on trial in his native Switzerland.

Sal the Cat summoned for jury service... and court rules he 'must attend'
Sal's owners Anna and Guy Esposito are preparing to take their pet to court after a jury commissioner turned down their request to have the animal exempted from service.

Top 30 Hidden FACTS about “America”
Don’t let this information alarm you because without it you cannot ever HOPE to be free.

VIDEO: Raw Food: The Fountain Of Youth?
This is the latest video update from Mike Tawse's My Serrapeptase Adventure, which will be of interest to listeners who are advocates of Raw Food.

Coming to Milwaukee: A Chinese mega-mall?
A Beijing-based company will soon open a Chinese-style mega shopping mall in the most unlikely of places: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Internet ID: Do We Have Any Say?
It’s been called the "Trusted Internet ID" scheme by some observers. It won’t matter what we choose to call the government’s proposed Internet licensing system because in the end we probably won’t have a say in it.

Where did that come from? U.S. failed to detect Chinese stealth fighter
U.S. intelligence apparently failed to figure out how quickly the Chinese were developing their newest fifth generation J-20 stealth fighter, which U.S. government analysts now say was based on critical U.S. stealth technology transfers that happened while Bill Clinton was president, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

UK: Mysterious infection is killing B.C. salmon
Large numbers of sockeye salmon are dying in the Fraser River, before spawning, because of a mysterious virus, new research suggests.

Cyber-Attacks Could Cause Global 'Catastrophe'
A succession of multiple cyber-attacks could "become a full-scale global shock" on a par with a pandemic and the collapse of the world financial system, the report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said.

In Case You Wondered Why the Price at the Pump is Going Up
In any other administration, Obama’s energy policies would be dominating the political debate.

China's President Lays Groundwork for Obama Talks
BEIJING—Chinese President Hu Jintao emphasized the need for cooperation with the U.S. in areas from new energy to space ahead of his visit to Washington this week, but he called the present U.S. dollar-dominated currency system a "product of the past" and highlighted moves to turn the yuan into a global currency.

Stuxnet Worm Used Against Iran Was Tested in Israel
The Dimona complex in the Negev desert is famous as the heavily guarded heart of Israel’s never-acknowledged nuclear arms program, where neat rows of factories make atomic fuel for the arsenal.

Congress Urged to Raise Debt Limit
The Congress must allow the country to borrow more to avoid a debt default that would wreak havoc on financial markets and imperil the U.S. economy, Democratic and Republican lawmakers said on Sunday.

'Baby Doc' Duvalier Back in Haiti After Long Exile
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returned Sunday to Haiti after nearly 25 years in exile, a surprising and perplexing move that comes as his country struggles with a political crisis and the stalled effort to recover from last year's devastating earthquake.

Swiss Find Signs of Illegal US Surveillance
Bern has found signs that the US embassy in Geneva has been conducting illegal surveillance on Swiss territory, the justice ministry told AFP Sunday, confirming local press reports.

Accelerating Deposit Flight In Ireland Forces Irish Central Bank to Print Money
It appears that Irish savers are sufficiently smart to realize that their money is no longer safe in a banking system whose existence is now only backstopped merely from referendum to referendum.

Court Rules Government Can keep Naked Body Scanner Images Secret
A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Homeland Security can keep images produced by x-ray body scanners out of the public domain, in a blow to privacy group The Electronic Privacy Information Center’ s (EPIC) efforts to release more than 2000 of the images that show intimate details of airport travelers’ bodies.

Utah City May Use Blimp as Anti-Crime Spy in the Sky
A proposed unmanned floating airship surveillance system is being hailed by city officials in Ogden, Utah as one way to fight crime in its neighborhoods.

US Sick Gulf Residents Beg Officials for Help
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Jan 14, 2011 (IPS) - In an emotionally charged meeting this week sponsored by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, fishermen, Gulf residents and community leaders vented their increasingly grave concerns about the widespread health issues brought on by the three-month-long disaster.

Banned Toxic Chemicals Found in 100 Percent of Pregnant Women
A new study from the University of California, San Francisco reveals that 100 percent of expectant mothers (sample size = 268) are contaminated with highly toxic synthetic chemicals.

More Tunisia Unrest: Presidential Palace Gun battle
Tunisian authorities struggled to restore order Sunday, arresting the top presidential security chief and trying to stop gunfights that erupted in and beyond the capital.

Egypt Stocks Drop Most in Six Weeks on Tunisia Unrest May Spread
Egyptian stocks fell the most since November after a popular uprising in Tunisia forced the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, raising concern Egypt’s regime may face similar pressure.

'Explosive' Food Prices the Biggest Risk
Overheating emerging markets, in China in particular, pose the biggest threat to the market and political situation in 2011 according to Philippe Gijsels, head of research at BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets.

China to Send Troops to N Korea
Citing an anonymous official at the presidential Blue House, the South Korean Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported on Saturday that the troops “would protect Chinese port facilities” in the Rason special economic zone near the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

Obama's Push for China Currency Changes Could Cost US Consumers
When President Obama meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao this week, one of the top items on the agenda will be resolving a dispute over how China sets the value of its currency.

200 Dead Cows Found on Farm in Stockton
Deputies were dispatched to the town just after 1 p.m. on Friday after they were notified of numerous dead cows lying in a field in the 8000 block of Fourth Avenue, according to a Portage County Sheriff's Department news release.

Doom and Gloom
Have you noticed that most Americans seem to know far more about American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Justin Bieber and their favorite sports teams than they do about world affairs?

Balkanization of America
A year ago the U.S. Bureau of the Census published a report which revised previous estimates of the future population of the United States.

How Many Senators Does It Take to Screw a Taxpayer?
When bipartisanship breaks out in Washington DC, check to make sure your wallet is still in your pocket. Every time you fill up your car this winter you are participating in the biggest taxpayer swindle in history.

Feds Come Knocking for Home Inspections
A sanitation district in Pennsylvania has notified homeowners that its representatives will be making personal visits to every structure served by its network of drainpipes because that's what the federal Environmental Protection Agency is demanding.

Drug Used for Male Pattern Baldness Makes Men Impotent, Grows Man Boobs
Here's a story that shows how the "cure" truly can be worse than the disease. Specifically, it's a true life horror story of how a Big Pharma drug prescribed frequently for totally benign conditions can produce serious, life altering side effects in men -- including loss of their sex drive, impotence, depression and even the growth of "man boobs".

Bill Gates Wants to Register All New Babies on the Planet for Vaccines
Bill Gates is promoting a plan to use wireless technology to register every newborn on the planet in a vaccine database.

Feds Forced to Stop Planting GMO's in All Refuges in 12 Northeast States
A federal lawsuit filed by several conservation and food safety groups has led to a ban on any further plantings of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) in all U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) refuges in 12 Northeastern states.
 

Today In History Monday January 17, 2011  - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1773 - Captain Cook's Resolution became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle.
1806 - James Madison Randolph, grandson of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, was the first child born in the White House.
1871 - Andrew S. Hallidie received a patent for a cable car system.
1900 - The U.S. took Wake Island where there was in important cable link between Hawaii and Manila.
1900 - Mormon Brigham Roberts was denied a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for his practicing of polygamy.
1905 - Punchboards were patented by a manufacturing firm in Chicago, IL.
1913 - All partner interests in 36 Golden Rule Stores were consolidated and incorporated in Utah into one company. The new corporation was the J.C. Penney Company.
1916 - The Professional Golfers Association was formed in New York City.
1928 - The fully automatic, film-developing machine was patented by A.M. Josepho.
1934 - Ferdinand Porsche submitted a design for a people's car, a "Volkswagen," to the new German Reich government.
1945 - Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw during World War II.
1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody. Wallenberg was credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews.
1946 - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting.
1961 - In his farewell address, U.S. President Eisenhower warned against the rise of "the military-industrial complex."
1966 - A B-52 carrying four H-bombs collided with a refueling tanker. The bombs were released and eight crewmembers were killed.
1977 - Double murderer Gary Gilmore became the first to be executed in the U.S. in a decade. The firing squad took place at Utah State Prison.
1991 - Coalition airstrikes began against Iraq after negotiations failed to get Iraq to retreat from the country of Kuwait.
1992 - An IRA bomb, placed next to a remote country road in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, killed seven building workers and injured seven others.
1994 - The Northridge earthquake rocked Los Angeles, CA, registering a 6.7 on the Richter Scale. At least 61 people were killed.
1995 - More than 6,000 people were killed when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 devastated the city of Kobe, Japan.
1997 - Israel gave over 80% of Hebron to Palestinian rule, but held the remainder where several hundred Jewish settlers lived among 20,000 Palestinians.
1998 - U.S. President Clinton gave his deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit against him. He was the first U.S. President to testify as a defendant in a criminal or civil lawsuit.
2000 - British pharmaceutical companies Glaxo Wellcome PLC and SmithKline Beecham PLC agreed to a merger that created the world's largest drugmaker.
2002 - It was announced that Microsoft had signed a joint venture agreement to produce software with two partners in China. The two partners were Beijin Centergate Technologies (Holding) Co. and the Stone Group.

'Mike Tawse Original' Thought For The Day
When You Raise Your Voice: When you disagree with someone, make your point firmly and calmly. Remember that when you raise your voice, the only thing you prove is that your voice is stronger than your argument.

Is State Bankruptcy the Best Solution for Fiscal Woes?
Dateline Sacramento, Jan. 5, 2012: The state of California today filed for federal bankruptcy protection, citing a worsened economy that has blown out even the most pessimistic assumptions about its long-term financial picture.

Hidden Meanings in 12 Popular Logos
Sometimes a company or brand logo is more than it first appears. For example, take a look at the hidden meanings or messages embedded in these 12 popular logos below. You won't look at these designs the same way again.

Houston permit rule stops couple's effort to feed homeless
Anyone serving food for public consumption, whether for the homeless or for sale, must have a permit, said Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services Department. To get that permit, the food must be prepared in a certified kitchen with a certified food manager.
** Related Article: Feeding the homeless? Better have a permit

Two decades on, battle goes on over 'Gulf War Syndrome'
Twenty years ago this weekend, coalition forces began the air campaign to force Saddam Hussein's Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. There is little doubt that some veterans developed unexplained illnesses following their service in the Gulf two decades ago. Reported symptoms range from chronic fatigue, headaches and sleep disturbances to joint pains, irritable bowel, stomach and respiratory disorders and psychological problems.

Bill Gates wants to register all new babies on the planet for vaccines
Bill Gates is promoting a plan to use wireless technology to register every newborn on the planet in a vaccine database.

Strong Indications of Gold & Silver Shortages
The clear trend in the data clusters that has developed over the last ten years indicates that the gold open interest will soon be declining with a rising price as is the case for silver. Taken together the data shows that in both gold and silver there is a growing reluctance of the traditional short sellers to meet rising demand even at elevated prices. This is strongly indicative of looming physical shortages. This conclusion is corroborated by many other market observations and anecdotal evidence. We are likely very close to the “tipping point” where shortages become exposed and a stampede of investors into precious metals to benefit from the accelerating prices will give rise to a feeding frenzy that will exacerbate the shortages.

Goldrunner: Has Gold Topped Out? Nope, You Ain’t Seen Nothing, Yet!
Short-Term Projection For Price of Gold – $1,975 by May/June
The channel top for Gold on the log chart lies up around $1975 into May/ June 2011. Is it possible that Gold will go parabolic to the point that it will bust through the channel top on the log chart before consolidating above it? We know that even a log chart did not contain the price rise in Gold in the late 70’s. The Gold Parabola rise tends to keep investors nervous – potentially selling too soon, then chasing price higher.

200 dead cows found in Wisconsin field
An investigation is under way after 200 dead cows were found in a field in the Town of Stockton.
** Map of Some Mass Animal Deaths

'Secure Communities' Comes to Wisconsin
All 72 counties in Wisconsin are now participating in the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) program called “secure communities,” a federal information sharing system that uses biometrics, or fingerprints, to identify both legal and illegal immigrants booked on criminal charges, federal officials have announced.

Political Rock Stars Rocking Political Correctness?
When asked by the reporter about comments made to the news people by the NAACP, the Governor rightly pointed out the status of the NAACP as a special interest – which it is – and that he wouldn’t bow to any special interest.

Korean War Games
This is of significant interest. It gets past the propaganda into certain realities. The conflict area is obviously a set up area that allows the South Koreans to provoke the North Koreans as much as possible in order to create a pretext for an actual war.

Jet Stream Winter Blues
The one thing that we have learned is that the jet stream is able to hugely divert weather conditions anywhere but certainly over North America. We have been experiencing an extreme of the jet stream.

Obama Touts Internet ID For All US Citizens
President Obama apparently quite likes the idea of bringing out an Internet ID for all US citizens.

$140 Oil and $5 Gas
According to a loosely-organized apocalyptic Christian movement, May 21, 2011 will be the "end of days."

Feds to States - Drop It Or We'll Sue
Someone in the Federal Government better realize that there are two things they aren’t realizing when they do this kind of stunt:

Obama to Ease Travel Restrictions to Cuba, Allow More US Cash to Island
The Obama administration Friday said it will allow for more U.S. travel to Cuba, making it easier for schools, churches and cultural groups to visit the island.

BP Unveils Major Share Swap With Russian Oil Giant
BP and Russia's state-controlled Rosneft agreed to a share swap under which they would jointly explore for offshore oil and gas, in a deal that immediately raised concerns in the United States about Russia's global oil ambitions.

BUSTED: Unsealed Docs Show the Fed Was Fully Warned OF A Housing Crisis
New minutes released today show Fed members were fully aware of the growing housing bubble in the U.S. in June of 2005.

Could Britain Be Heading For A Crash?
I had a long talk on Tuesday with one of the wisest and cleverest economic thinkers I know, and he was sure of one thing: we are heading for a crash. Is he right?

Global Food Chain Stretched To The Limit
Strained by rising demand and battered by bad weather, the global food supply chain is stretched to the limit, sending prices soaring and sparking concerns about a repeat of food riots last seen three years ago.

Chinese Yuan; A New World Reserve Currency?
Only a mere twelve days into the New Year (2011) and China have already set the wheels in motion to use their most powerful weapon, the Yuan, in order to combat inflation. This may well be the first decision of many that will result in the Yuan being phased in as the new world reserve currency.

Stuxnet Worm Used Against Iran Was Tested In Israel
The Dimona complex in the Negev desert is famous as the heavily guarded heart of Israel’s never-acknowledged nuclear arms program, where neat rows of factories make atomic fuel for the arsenal.

Man Wounded in Tucson Shooting Arrested at Meeting
A victim in the mass shooting north of Tucson attending a special town hall today was arrested after his outburst at a tea-party supporter who favored delaying talk about gun laws until emotions over the shooting have died down.

Oil Off On US Data But OPEC Eyed As $100 In Sight
Oil slipped on Thursday as markets weighed disappointing U.S. jobless claims data and the prospect OPEC would raise output should prices break above $100 a barrel for an extended period.

Scientists Create GM 'Superchicken That Doesn't Spread Bird Flu
A genetically modified 'superchicken' that doesn't spread deadly bird flu has been developed by scientists.

Rescuers Struggle as Brazil Flood Deaths Rise
Rescuers uncovered more corpses buried under mud and wrecked homes in southeastern Brazil on Friday as the death toll from torrential rains and massive floods hit 540 people and looked certain to climb.

Food Prices, Riots, and Starvation
Food prices are going up. Riots in China, India, Bangladesh, Tunisia and Algeria are about the cost of food. Some countries are talking about price controls and subsidies to keep prices down.

The Deadly Sun
Often we think of the deadly nature with the sun as one of fire and heat but the opposite can be true as well.

So You Still Doubt FEMA Camps? OK
So much has taken place in America in the last few months you have to figure that an uber-socialist power hungry Executive Branch would be all too ready to institute Martial Law when things lack their definition of civility.

Where Is America Headed?
“Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing [a people] to slavery.” Thomas Jefferson

FDIC Failed Bank List

Why Most Natural Disasters Aren't Natural At All
From the point of view of many humans, the term "natural disaster" is a convenient scapegoat because it allow a person (or a whole nation) to blame nature for their own poor planning.

Bananas, Herbs May Help Prevent HIV Transmission
A study published in the March 19, 2010, issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry found that banana lectins, the proteins that bind to sugars, also bind to HIV-infected cells and prevent their replication and transmission.

Global Warming Researchers Says Eating Bug Better For The Environment Than Eating Meat
Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands say that insects produce far less greenhouse gases than cattle and pigs do, and would thus be a viable alternative to eating meat.

B Vitamins Proven To Slow Progression of Dementia, Alzheimer's
Mega-doses of B vitamins may significantly slow brain shrinkage and slow the progression of dementia, according to a study conducted by researchers from Oxford University and published in the journal PLoS One.

Study Reveals Top Ten Violence-Inducing Prescription Drugs
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently published a study in the journal PLoS One highlighting the worst prescription drug offenders that cause patients to become violent.

Infant Formula Manufacturers Routinely Violate Marketing Rules in Africa
Infant formula companies regularly promote their products in violation international standards adopted to protect infant health, an article on AllAfrica.com charges.

Grandmother Dies From Swine Flu Soon After Receiving Swine Flu Vaccine
A 68-year-old UK grandmother named Eleanor Carruthers has died from the swine flu. Importantly, she was given the swine flu vaccine shot several months ago and was told the shot would offer her absolute protection from the flu.

FDA Deputy Commissioner Tough On Medical Devices Resigns
After serving less than two years as the Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Joshua Sharfstein recently announced that he is resigning from his position at the agency to become head of Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

90 Percent of Americans Are Nutrient Deficient, But Processed Milk Is Not The Answer
The Milk Processor Education Program Dairy Research Institute recently released a study entitled "What America's Missing: A 2011 Report on the Nation's Nutrient Gap," revealing that 90 percent of Americans are nutrient deficient.

Treat Chronic Hives With Vitamin D, Says University Study
Researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) have found that vitamin D plays an important role in mitigating chronic hives.

New York Proposes That Food Stamps Can't Be Used To Buy Sugary Drinks That Promote Obesity
The city of New York is seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to exclude sugar-sweetened drinks from the list of items that may be purchased using food stamps.

Number of the Week: Big Banks Gobble Up Market Share
The top five U.S. commercial and investment banks — Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs — have emerged from the financial crisis larger than ever. As of the third quarter of 2010, they had a total of $8.6 trillion in assets, according to data provider Capital IQ. That’s 13.3% of all U.S. financial firms’ assets, up from 11.8% three years earlier, when the financial crisis hit. Comment: Like the illusionary two party system, this is the illusionary "top five" banks.


Today In History Friday January 14, 2011
1784 - The United States ratified a peace treaty with England ending the Revolutionary War.
1878 - Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone for Britain's Queen Victoria.
1882 - The Myopia Hunt Club, in Winchester, MA, became the first country club in the United States.
1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane while in office. He flew from Miami, FL, to French Morocco where he met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss World War II.
1952 - NBC's "Today" show premiered.
1954 - The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator. The new company was called the American Motors Corporation.
1963 - George C. Wallace was sworn in as governor of Alabama.
1969 - An explosion aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise off Hawaii killed 25 crew members.
1994 - U.S. President Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed Kremlin accords to stop aiming missiles at any nation and to dismantle the nuclear arsenal of Ukraine.
1998 - Whitewater prosecutors questioned Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House for 10 minutes about the gathering of FBI background files on past Republican political appointees.
1998 - In Dallas, researchers report an enzyme that slows the aging process and cell death.
1999 - The impeachment trial of U.S. President Clinton began in Washington, DC.
1999 - The U.S. proposed the lifting of the U.N. ceilings on the sale of oil in Iraq. The restriction being that the money be used to buy medicine and food for the Iraqi people.
2000 - A U.N. tribunal sentenced five Bosnian Croats to up to 25 years for the 1993 massacre of over 100 Muslims in a Bosnian village.
2002 - NBC's "Today" celebrated its 50th anniversary on television.
2004 - In St. Louis, a Lewis and Clark Exhibition opened at the Missouri History Museum. The exhibit featured 500 rare and priceless objects used by the Corps of Discovery.
2005 - A probe, from the Cassini-Huygens mission, sent back pictures during and after landing on Saturn's moon Titan. The mission was launched on October 15, 1997.

Paxil Warnings and Recent Studies
Paxil has been linked to numerous birth defects. Heart defects including atrial and ventricular septal defects have been linked with Paxil use during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Beyond Pesticides
Beyond Pesticides (formerly National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides. The founders, who established Beyond Pesticides as a nonprofit membership organization in 1981, felt that without the existence of such an organized, national network, local, state and national pesticide policy would become, under chemical industry pressure, increasingly unresponsive to public health and environmental concerns.

Video post from Mike Tawse's Website: My Serrapeptase Adventure -  Our Future Is The Future Of Food

Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 4 in Pakistan
Suspected U.S. unmanned aircraft fired four missiles at a house in a militant-infested area of northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least four people, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

IED's Killed 21,000 Iraqi Civilians 2005-2010
Insurgents in Iraq killed more than 21,000 civilians and wounded another 68,000 people with homemade bombs over the past five years, according to newly released data from the Pentagon

Student Sues College for Having Her Committed Over Hidden Cam
Chinemerem Eze, a Nigerian national attending Brooklyn College, believed that her landlord had hidden a camera in her apartment. When she asked school officials for help, they shipped her off to a psychiatric ward. Then she found the camera.

Mexican Official: 34,612 Drug-War Deaths in 4 Yrs
MEXICO CITY — A total of 34,612 people have died in drug-related killings in Mexico in the four years since Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared an offensive against drug cartels, officials said Wednesday.

Secrets of a Former Credit Card Thief
Committing credit card fraud is still "ridiculously easy to do," he says.

City Of Detroit Sends Out Thousands Of Incorrect Property Tax Bills
Nearly 60,000 Detroit property tax bills we mailed out with the wrong interest rate. “In an environment where we are told on a daily basis that the city is broke, it makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever that the city can not get their game together so that they collect money and collect it on time.” City ombudsman, Dorian Brown, says her office has been swamped with calls.

Auto Industry Looks To Attract More Women To Executive Level
A survey finds most of the top women in the automotive industry don’t think enough is being done to attract female talent, while female college students rank the field as next to last among their career options.

Clinton: Loughner Acted Politically
Jared Loughner is an extremist because he carried out the Arizona shootings while acting on his “political views,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday.

Third gun Control Bill Proposed Since Tucson Shootings
High-profile gun violence has historically renewed legislative interest in the cause of gun control, and the shootings of twenty people in Tucson, Arizona is no exception -- only this time, the measures face steeper hurdles than before.

Researchers Say Cocaine Vaccine Ready for Human Trials
Recently, researchers developed a vaccine that creates a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice.

Initial Claims Surge to 445K, On Expectations of 410K, Not Adjusted Claims Surge By 191,686 to 770,413 In One Week
So much for that amazing beat in the last 2010 number in initial claims, which is now proven to have been purely a figment of the BLS' imagination and a whole load of guesstimations.

JP Morgan Told Judge to Stop Paying Mortgage to Become Eligible For Loan Modification
In the latest stunner of disclosure in what goes on just below the murky surface of the biggest scam market in the world (that would be the multi-trillion residential debt market), we learn that a Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court judge, Peter Sikora, who is facing foreclosure on his million dollar (8 room) home.

December Foreclosure Filings Slump By Biggest Annual Amount in History as Fraudclosure Clampdown Persists
RealtyTrac has reported its December foreclosure data: at a total of 257,747 default notices, foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions, total foreclosure activity dropped by 1.8% in December and 26.3% from a year earlier, "the biggest annual drop in foreclosure activity since RealtyTrac began publishing its foreclosure report in January 2005 and giving December the lowest monthly total since June 2008."

DC Puts It's Bankster-Friendly Solution for Foreclosure Fraud on the Table
We’ll analyze a proposal to fix the foreclosure mess put out by a DC think tank known as Third Way. Normally this blog steers clear of delving into random policy documents. In this case, though, it is likely that Third Way is speaking for the administration.

The Debt Ceiling: 71 Days
The dirty little secret titled “The Debt Ceiling” is again fast approaching. We have a minimum daily operating cost of 4 Billion Dollars and only $290 Billion left until we smack the limit.

France and German Veto Increase in EU Rescue Fund
Germany and France have rejected calls by Brussels for a rapid increase in the size and powers of the EU's rescue machinery,
once again exposing serious differences at the heart of monetary union.

South Africa Becomes Full Member of BRIC
Brazil, Russian Federation, India and China (BRIC) has invited South Africa to join them as a full member. This is seen as an affirmation of the country's status as part of the dynamic evolving world economy and it is expected to boost investment and trade opportunities for the country, as it has done for the other four states comprising the informal grouping.

Portents of a Collapsed Society
Throughout history societies have developed, flourished, and collapsed; human nature has remained the same for eons.

Shirts Sit On Back of Chairs Before a Memorial Service
Shirts sit on the back of chairs before a memorial service for the victims of Saturday's shootings at McKale Memorial Center on the University of Arizona campus Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, in Tucson, Ariz.… Read more »

Obama: "Our Hope and Dreams Are Bound Together"
Offering no easy explanations but yearning to put hatred and division aside, Presidenti Obama offered a stirring memorial later Wednesday for those killed and wounded at a weekent get-together with U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (text below).

2011 to Top 2010 Record of 1 Million Foreclosures
The bleakest year in the foreclosure crisis has only just begun.

S&P, Moody's Warn On US Credit Rating
LONDON—Two leading rating firms have cautioned the U.S. on its credit rating, expressing concern over a deteriorating fiscal situation that they say needs correction.

Could the US Central Bank Go Broke?
With the U.S. unemployment rate at 9.4 percent and only tentative signs that businesses are beefing up hiring, Fed officials, including Chairman Bernanke, see a duty to prevent a further deterioration of economic conditions -- and have signaled a readiness to use all the tools at their disposal.

NJ Politician Proposes License Plates for Bicycles
If a proposed bill becomes law in New Jersey, bicyclists will have to pay to register bikes or face a fine.

Is Treasurer Maria Pappas Wasting Your Tax Dollars?
She has a driver who makes $94,000 a year and a cleaning lady making $57,000 a year. Is Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas wasting tax dollars?

Court Battle for Right To Have DYI Abortions At Home
Women could have a ‘DIY abortion’ in their home within months under controversial plans to change the law.

Switzerland Considers Repealing Incest Laws
The upper house of the Swiss parliament has drafted a law decriminalising sex between consenting family members which must now be considered by the government.

Age of Aquarius Actually Age of Capricorn, Thanks to Rotation of the Earth
There are many newspapers and websites that promise to tell your fortune, detailing where the planets were when you were born and what their future movements suggest about your future. It's called astrology, and whether or not you believe in the signs of the zodiac, you won't believe this: It's all wrong.

Fireball Streaks Across Arkansas Sky
There's still no official explanation for a fireball that was reported by residents of seven states, from Florida to Oklahoma around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday night.

Weather Control Is No Myth: Scientists Engineer Thunderstorms Over Abu Dhabi
Discussions of weather control technology used to be limited to the hushed gossip of conspiracy theorists, but it turns out the conspiracy theorists were right (again). Today in Abu Dhabi, scientists have successfully manipulated entire weather systems, causing up to fifty downpours of rain across the Al Ain region the desert nation over the last year.

Poverty Soars As Millions of Americans Head to Food Banks
Those who insist the "recession" is over might want to tell that to the nearly 50 million people, and growing, in the U.S. that are now considered to be "food insecure," or unable to provide food for themselves and their families.

Wyoming Bill Would Make It Illegal To enforce Obamacare
Legislation recently introduced in Wyoming would make it a federal crime for government officials and those who work with the government to enforce any provisions in the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," also widely known as "Obamacare".

Arsenic Shows Promise As Treatment For Deadly Brain Tumors
Arsenic and its related compounds are mostly thought of as killers -- and these natural substances can be just that. Notoriously poisonous to myriad forms of life, arsenic is often used in pesticides.

Republicans To strike 'Civil Liberties' And 'Civil Rights' From Subcommittee
In an odd demonstration of seemingly pointless controversy, the new Republican House majority has announced its intention to strike the words "civil rights" and "civil liberties" from the name, "Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties."


Today In History Thursday January 13, 2011
1794 - U.S. President Washington approved a measure adding two stars and two stripes to the American flag, following the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the union.
1854 - Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, PA, patented the accordion.
1900 - In Austria-Hungary, Emperor Franz Joseph decreed that German would be the language of the imperial army to combat Czech nationalism.
1906 - Hugh Gernsback, of the Electro Importing Company, advertised radio receivers for sale for the price of just $7.50 in "Scientific American" magazine.
1928 - Ernst F. W. Alexanderson gave the first public demonstration of television.
1942 - Henry Ford patented the plastic automobile, which allowed for a 30% decrease in car weight.
1966 - Robert C. Weaver became the first black Cabinet member when he was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by U.S. President Johnson.
1982 - An Air Florida 737 crashed into the capital's 14th Street Bridge after takeoff and fell into the Potomac River. 78 people were killed. 
1989 - Bernhard H. Goetz was sentenced to one year in prison for possession of an unlicensed gun that he used to shoot four youths he claimed were about to rob him. He was freed the following September.
1990 - L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, the nation's first elected black governor, took the oath of office in Richmond.
2002 - Japan and Singapore signed a free trade pact that would remove tariffs on almost all goods traded between the two countries.
2002 - U.S. President George W. Bush fainted after choking on a pretzel.
2009 - Ethiopian military forces began pulling out of Somalia, where they had tried to maintain order for nearly two years.

Loughner Stopped by Wildlife Officer Hours before Shooting
A wildlife officer pulled over the suspect in the assassination attempt against an Arizona congresswoman less than three hours before the deadly attack, authorities said Wednesday as they pieced together more details of a frenzied morning.

WARNING! Bogus Accounting Identical to 2007!
I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. The banks are doing exactly the same thing that blew them up in 2007 and 2008, and it will end the same way.

Bill Seeks to Wrap Congress in Actual Bubble
In the wake of a mass shooting in Arizona that left six dead and one congresswoman in the hospital, some Republican lawmakers seem to be most worried about finding ways to protect themselves.

10 Things That Would Be Different If The Federal Reserve Had Never Been Created
So how would America be different if we could go back to 1913 and keep the Federal Reserve Act from ever being passed? Well, the following are 10 things that would be different if the Federal Reserve had never been created....

Fat, friendly feline keeps tabs on village
Freddy, the unofficial mayor of the Village of Sharon, makes his daily rounds Monday. Freddy visits several businesses each day before returning to the Village Hall..

2 Iraqis, 1 Kuwaiti Killed; 42 Iraqis Wounded
The Iraqi government is investigating a shootout between the Kuwaiti Coast Guard and a group of Iraqi fishermen that left one Kuwaiti dead. Meanwhile, at least two Iraqis were killed and 42 more were wounded in this and other incidents.

71% Oppose Raising the Debt Ceiling As Congress Prepares To Ignore Supermajority's Wishes Again
Just in case there was any confusion that congress (and its Wall Street superiors) almost work for the majority, but not quite, here is some additional evidence:

China Demands the US Make Statement Promising Its Dollar Assets Will Be Held Safe
This headline is getting a little bit of attention this morning: Ahead of a state visit from Hu Jintao, Chinese Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai says his country is looking for some kind of "positive statement" about the safety of US dollar holdings.

Fed Prints Another $600bn to Keep US Recovery On Track
The latest round of quantitative easing (QE) comes on top of the $1.7 trillion already completed and is intended "to promote a stronger pace of recovery", the Fed said.

Talk radio Under Siege
As I reported on the main site today, conservative media figures’ fears that the left will use Tucson to clamp down on them are not entirely unfounded.

BMW Explodes in Arlington
Two exploding BMWs in two days, within about six miles of each other…

Wage Drop Has Been Worst in Decades
Wages for American workers have fallen dramatically since the financial crisis, in what will likely turn out to be the worst such plunge since the Great Depression, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Jared Loughner's Friend Says Suspect 'Did Not Watch TV'
Osler says his friend wasn’t shooting at people, “he was shooting at the world.” Regarding the high-pitched talk radio and cable news political rhetoric, Osler says his friend didn’t even watch the news.

Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory
As the economy revs back to life, with signs of hiring on the horizon, the housing market is being left behind like Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone.”

Arizona Shooting: Pima County Sheriff's Department, College Won't Release Data on Suspect
Sheriff's Department and community-college officials in Pima County are refusing to release a wide range of public documents about the man charged in Saturday's shooting rampage that left six dead and more than a dozen wounded.

Blizzard Hits Southern New England
Several reports of thunder and lightning came into the weather office before sunrise, as intense bands of snowfall rotated onshore

Snow in 49 State Including Hawaii
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - According to national news sources, it is snowing in 49 states across the country including Hawaii where snow has fallen atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Brent Oil Hits 27 Month High; $100 Looms
Brent crude prices rose on Wednesday to near $99 a barrel after production shutdowns, falling U.S. inventories and growing demand sent oil toward triple digits for the first time since 2008.

Bank of China Allows US Customers to Trade Yuan
State-owned Bank of China Ltd has opened trading in the yuan currency to U.S. customers, according to a posting on the bank's website dated December 2010.

New Move to Make Yuan a Global Currency
China has launched trading in its currency in the U.S. for the first time, an explicit endorsement by Beijing of the fast-growing market in the yuan and a significant step in the country's plan to foster global trading in its currency.

The Global Food Supply Chain is Built on Shifting Ground
In recent weeks there’s been a sensational level of focus on food supply.

Dozens of Dead Birds Found Near Sullivan, MO
Dozens of dead birds are discovered near Sullivan, Missouri about an hour southwest of St. Louis.

World Food Price Shock Feared
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has raised the alarm on the potential danger of a “food price shock”, specially for the poor people in developing countries.

Lebanon in Crisis: Hizballah Quits Government, US-French Buildup, Israel on Standby
With backing from Tehran, Hizballah and its Christian ally Michel Aoun abruptly quit the Lebanese unity government Wednesday, Jan. 12, in a move that could pave the way for their seizure of power in Beirut.

At Least 10 States Have Introduced Gold Coins-as-Currency Bills
Legislators in at least ten states have introduced bills in the past few years to allow state commerce to be conducted with gold and silver.

Michael Douglas Cancer Cure Announcement Is A Cruel Medical Hoax
Today the mainstream media is gleefully announcing that Michael Douglas has been "cured" of throat cancer.

How the Food Safety Modernization Act Will Destroy American Jobs, Farms and Local Foods
How will the new Food Safety Modernization Act actually impact small, local farmers who grow food for CSA's, local restaurants and grocers?

Timeline of Recent Mysterious Bird, Fish Deaths
The recent mysterious deaths of birds and fish are causing alarm among naturalists around the world.

Man Fined $5,200 for Growing Cucumbers in Basement
Mission, British Columbia, resident Len Gratto recently experienced the wrath of local city officials who fined him $5,200 for growing cucumbers in his basement.

Beekeepers Fume at Association's Endorsement of Fatal Insecticides
Britain's beekeepers are at war over their association's endorsement for money of four insecticides, all of them fatal to bees, made by major chemical companies.


Today In History Wednesday January 12, 2011
1773 - The first public museum in America was established in Charleston, SC.
1866 - The Royal Aeronautical Society was founded in London.
1896 - At Davidson College, several students took x-ray photographs. They created the first X-ray photographs to be made in America.
1908 - A wireless message was sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
1915 - The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a proposal to give women the right to vote.
1932 - Hattie W. Caraway became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
1940 - Soviet bombers raided cities in Finland.
1942 - U.S. President Roosevelt created the National War Labor Board.
1945 - During World War II, Soviet forces began a huge offensive against the Germans in Eastern Europe.
1948 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not discriminate against law-school applicants because of race.
1966 - U.S. President Johnson said in his State of the Union address that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there was ended.
1970 - Nigeria's civil war ended.
1973 - Yassar Arafat was re-elected as head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
1986 - Space shuttle Columbia blasted off with a crew that included the first Hispanic-American in space, Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz.
1991 - The U.S. Congress passed a resolution authorizing President Bush to use military power to force Iraq out of Kuwait.
1995 - Northern Ireland Secretary Patrick Mayhew announced that as of January 16 British troops would no longer carry out daylight street patrols in Belfast.
1998 - 19 European nations agreed to prohibit human cloning.
1998 - Linda Tripp provided Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's office with taped conversations between herself and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, gave police broad authority to stop and question people who run at the sight of an officer.
2005 - NASA launched "Deep Impact". The spacecraft was planned to impact on Comet Tempel 1 after a six-month, 268 million-mile journey.
2006 - The U.S. Mint began shipping new 5-cent coins to the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks. The coin has an image of Thomas Jefferson taken from a 1800 Rembrandt Peale portrait in which the president is looking forward. Since 1909, when presidents were first depicted on circulating coins, all presidents had been shown in profile.

Your smartphone could be your most dangerous possession
Now that smartphones double as wallets and bank accounts -- allowing users to manage their finances, transfer money, make payments, deposit checks and swipe their phones as credit cards -- they are very lucrative scores for thieves. And with 30% of phone subscribers owning iPhones, BlackBerrys and Droids, there are a lot of people at risk.

FDA Issues New Warning: Osteoporosis Drugs Cause Thigh Bone Fractures
A class of widely prescribed osteoporosis drugs may significantly increase the risk of a rare type of thigh fracture, the FDA has warned.

VIDEO: Westboro Baptist to Picket 9-Year Old's Funeral
 
Quote from Westboro's Site:
"Westboro Baptist Church to picket the funeral of Christina Greene, the 9-year-old girl cut off in her youth for the rebellion of the parents, preachers, and leaders of this nation."

California swipes state employee cell phones
Gov. Jerry Brown is requiring the return of 48,000 government-paid cell phones by June 1. He said he found it difficult to believe that 40% of state employees needed a work phone.

No Talk Radio For Chafee, and On-Duty State Workers Too
PROVIDENCE — No one is likely to confuse new Governor Chafee with his Republican predecessor, Donald L. Carcieri, and now here’s another way to tell them apart:

VIDEO: Dem Congressman: If violent rhetoric didn't cause this shooting, it will cause next one"
"Whether [political rhetoric] caused what happened in Tucson or not, it’ll cause the next tragedy," Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) predicts on FOX News.

Glock Pistol Sales Jump in Aftermath of Arizona Shootings Amid Ban Concern
Greg Wolff, the owner of two Arizona gun shops, told his manager to get ready for a stampede of new customers after a Glock-wielding gunman killed six people at a Tucson shopping center on Jan. 8.

DeLay Defiant Before Getting 3-Year Prison Term
AUSTIN, Texas— Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay remained defiant as he faced a judge's sentence to three years in prison for a scheme to illegally influence Texas elections, insisting he committed no crime and was the victim of selective prosecution by authorities targeting his politics.

Housing Prices Declined 1.6% in November
CoreLogic reports the year-over-year change. The headline for this post is for the change from October to November 2010. The CoreLogic HPI is a three month weighted average of September,October and November, and is not seasonally adjusted (NSA).

Apocalypse Now? Will the Massachusetts Ibanez Case Unravel Widespread Irregularities in the Residential Securitized Mortgage Market?
Barely 24 hours old — the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s U.S. Bank v. Ibanez decision is already a huge national story. CNN-Money calls it a “beat down” of the big banks. Reuters says its a “catastrophe risk” for banks.

Oh, It Was the John P Wheeler III Who Was Involved In the Barksdale-Minot Incident Who Was Found at Landfill!
Wheeler was the assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force in the George W. Bush Administration. It was the Secretary of the Air Force who discovered that Richard Cheney had set up an alternative chain of command to the nuclear weapons wing of the AF.

US Forced to Import Bullets From Israel as Troops Use 250,000 For Every Rebel Killed
US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand.

Is the US Harboring One of the Worlds Most Infamous Terrorists?
Did you know Florida is home to one of the most dangerous international terrorists in the world; Luis Posada-Carriles. Posada, a former CIA agent was convicted of being involved in several terrorist attacks and plots in the Americas.

New Government Weapon Will Temporarily Blind Crowds
Tasers are so yesterday. The latest government gizmo is the "Dazer Lazer". Writes a friend embedded within the government:

5 Iraqi's Killed, 13 Wounded
At least five Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in new violence. Several more were wounded in Baghdad, but no figures were released.

Wall Street Dumps Most on Treasuries Since 2004 on Growth Wager
Wall Street banks are cutting their holdings of Treasuries at the fastest pace since 2004 as the world’s biggest bond firms bet that the economy will strengthen and demand for higher-yielding assets will increase.

Investors Still Face Hundreds of Billions in Mortgage Losses, and These Claims Could Kill Top Banks
Bank industry expert Chris Whalen is the subject of a good interview with CNBC coming conveniently in the aftermath of the possibly earth-moving Ibanez decision out of Massachusetts.

Fluoride in Toothpaste May Be Good, But Fluoride in Water is NOT
Scientists are only now finding out how toxic fluoride is. Time Magazine notes: What has ... changed is how much toxicologists know about the harmful effects of fluoride compounds.

Judge Sides With GATA, Orders Fed to Present Her With Its Classified Gold Records for Private Review
Our friends at GATA report an interesting development in its multi-year confrontation with the Fed, namely that the organization has "scored a small but perhaps auspicious victory over the Federal Reserve in our lawsuit seeking access to the Fed's secret gold files.

Portugal Given Lifeline Ahead of 'Battle of Spain'
The European Central Bank threw Portugal a temporary lifeline yesterday (10 January) by buying up its bonds, as market and peer pressure mounted on Lisbon to seek an international bailout soon.

Lawmakers Consider New Curbs on Incendiary Speech
Shocked and saddened lawmakers grappled on Monday with the weekend shooting of one of their own, with some suggesting that new laws and regulations are needed to curb incendiary speech.

Assange: We're Stepping Up Release of Leaked Docs
WikiLeaks will step up its publication schedule of secret documents, founder Julian Assange announced Tuesday, promising more revelations based on the group's stash of confidential U.S. embassy cables and other leaks.

The Fed's QE2 Traders, Buying Bonds by the Billions
In a spare, government-issue office in Lower Manhattan, behind a bank of cubicles and a scruffy copy machine, Josh Frost and a band of market specialists are making the Fed’s ultimate Wall Street trade.

Oil Surges on Offshore Drilling Report
Oil prices surged Tuesday after a presidential panel investigating the Gulf oil spill said the oil industry and the government need to do more to reduce the chances of another large-scale disaster.

VIDEO: 78 Missing as 'Instant Tsunami' Hits Australia Town

Major, Bizarre Fish Die Off Along Lakefront
A bizarre scene is evolving on the Chicago lakefront, with Canada geese and mallard ducks gulping down dead or dying gizzard shad.

Gates Warns of North Korea Missile Threat
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned Tuesday that North Korea was within five years of being able to strike the continental United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile, and said that, combined with its expanding nuclear program, the country “is becoming a direct threat to the United States.”

USDA Begins Surveying Damage to Citrus Crop
Plan on paying more for fruits and vegetables over the next couple of months.

The Great Food Crisis of 2011
As the new year begins, the price of wheat is setting an all-time high in the United Kingdom. Food riots are spreading across Algeria.

The Coming Food Riots
If all the food in the world were shared out evenly, there would be enough to go around.

Virginia Creates Subcommittee to Study Monetary Alternatives In Case of Terminal Fed Breakdown
In what may one day be heralded as the formal proposal that proverbially started it all, the Commonwealth of Virginia introduced House Resolution No. 557 to establish a joint subcommittee to "to study whether the Commonwealth should adopt a currency to serve as an alternative to the currency distributed by the Federal Reserve System in the event of a major breakdown of the Federal Reserve System."

Bill Ayers, Communist Provided Arizona Shooter's Curriculum?
Jared Lee Loughner, the suspected gunman in Saturday's Arizona shooting, attended a high school that is part of a network in which teachers are trained and provided resources by a liberal group founded by Weatherman terrorist Bill Ayers and funded by President Obama, WND has learned.

How Congress Helped Created the Very Mental Illness That Resulted in the Giffords Shooting
Giffords was assaulted while doing what more representatives in Washington should be doing:

Today In History Tuesday January 11, 2011
1770 - The first shipment of rhubarb was sent to the United States from London.
1805 - The Michigan Territory was created.
1815 - U.S. General Andrew Jackson achieved victory at the Battle of New Orleans. The War of 1812 had officially ended on December 24, 1814, with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. The news of the signing had not reached British troops in time to prevent their attack on New Orleans.
1861 - Alabama seceded from the United States.
1878 - In New York, milk was delivered in glass bottles for the first time by Alexander Campbell.
1902 - "Popular Mechanics" magazine was published for the first time.
1913 - The first sedan-type car was unveiled at the National Automobile Show in New York City. The car was manufactured by the Hudson Motor Company.
1922 - At Toronto General Hospital, Leonard Thompson became the first person to be successfully treated with insulin.
1935 - Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
1942 - Japan declared war against the Netherlands. The same day, Japanese forces invaded the Dutch East Indies.
1943 - The United States and Britain signed treaties relinquishing extraterritorial rights in China.
1964 - U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released a report that said that smoking cigarettes was a definite health hazard.
1988 - U.S. Vice President George Bush met with representatives of independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh to answer questions about the Iran-Contra affair.
1996 - Ryutaro Hashimoto become Japan's prime minister. He replaced Tomiichi Murayama who had resigned on January 5, 1996.
2000 - The merger between AOL and Time Warner was approved by the U.S. government with restrictions.
2000 - The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the second Vietnam Veterans Memorial commemorative stamp in a ceremony at The Wall.
2001 - The Texas Board of Criminal Justice released a review of the escape of the "Texas 7." It stated that prison staff missed critical opportunities to prevent the escape by ignoring a fire alarm, not reporting unsupervised inmates and not demanding proper identification from inmates.
2002 - Thomas Junta, 44, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for beating another man to death at their son's hockey practice. The incident occurred on July 5, 2000.

At Least 10 States Have Introduced Gold Coins-As-Currency Bills
Legislators in at least ten states have introduced bills in the past few years to allow state commerce to be conducted with gold and silver.

Here's That Big Citigroup Report On Why Absolutely No Sovereign Debt Is Safe
Greece may appear to be making short term progress, but the costs of servicing its debt will continue to rise, all the way to 8% of GDP by 2013.

Timing the Inevitable Decline of the U.S. Dollar
From an investment perspective, investors should continue to expect currency volatility under the current international monetary system. Further, the U.S. Dollar will continue to be the world's safe haven currency in times of crisis for the forseeable future. However, according to Eichengreen a change in the international monetary order is all but inevitable within a decade.

Obama aide's wife dead in burning car
Washington lobbyist Ashley Turton, the wife of a White House aide, was found dead Monday in a burning vehicle at her home in Washington, authorities said.

ATF Plans Gun Registration in Border States
As the Obama administration is poised to enact a sweeping infringement of the right of Americans to keep and bear arms in the states bordering Mexico, the only thing which may stand in the way is not the Republican-dominated House of Representatives, but the Federal Paperwork Reduction Act.

Empire of Bases 2.0
India, a rising power, almost had one (but the Tajiks said no). China, which last year became the world’s second largest economy as well as the planet’s leading energy consumer, and is expanding abroad like mad (largely via trade and the power of the purse), still has none.

Geithner Says US Insolvent
The U.S. government is insolvent. Who says so? Timothy F. Geithner, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

V FOR VENDETTA - 2011
Every Crisis intensifies as time progresses to an ultimate crescendo. The initial financial crisis built to a dramatic peak in September 2008 as the government and Federal Reserve have taken extraordinary and immoral actions to protect Wall Street banks. Since September 11, 2001, the government has used fear as its primary means of controlling the American population. Fear of terrorists, fear of flying, fear of WMD, fear of mushroom clouds, fear of the axis of evil, fear of economic collapse, fear of a Great Depression, and now fear of the Tea Party movement. This attack by a crazy man will lead to further losses of liberties and freedoms. That is a certainty.

Newt Gingrich Pushing Bill to Allow States to File Bankruptcy Allowing Them to Renege On Pension and Benefit Obligations
Some unpleasant news for pensioned workers who believe that their insolvent state will be able to afford ridiculous legacy pensions in perpetuity.

America Has 'Reached the point of no return,' Reagan Budget Director Warns
The Obama administration's $78 billion cut to US defense spending is a mere "pin-prick" to a behemoth military-industrial complex that must drastically shrink for the good of the republic, a former Reagan administration budget director recently told Raw Story.

North Magnetic Pole at 55 KPY
This is one more attempt at explaining the nature of the Earth’s magnetic field. The presumption is that a deep plume moving slowly will twist and distort the magnetic field.

Spinning Unemployment in a Collapsing Empire
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday that the economy gained only 103,000 new jobs in December--not enough to keep up with population growth--but the rate of unemployment (U.3) fell from 9.8% to 9.4%. If you are confused by the report, you are among the many.

Biggest US Pension Funds Get Into Fraudclosure Fray, Demand Banks 'Immediately Examine Foreclosure Practices'
More bad news for the BofA/Wells syndicate.

Biometric Identification On A Grand Scale
Biometric technology continues to evolve and is gaining increasing importance as a trusted method of personal identification in a wide range of applications deployed throughout the world.

EuroGovt - Periphery Suffers As Supply Worries Gather Pace
Higher-yielding euro zone bonds suffered on Friday as upcoming debt sales from the region's peripheral states unsettled investors, though safe-haven gains for German debt were limited ahead of key U.S. jobs data.

Animal Death Mystery: 8K Turtle Doves Fall Dead in Italy With Blue Stain on Beaks
Thousands of dead turtle doves that rained down on roofs and cars in an Italian town were victims of their on greed, an expert claimed today.

No Estimate For Reopening of Alaska Oil Pipeline
The Trans Alaska Pipeline was shut for a second day on Sunday, with no indication of when it would reopen, after a leak was discovered at Prudhoe Bay, forcing oil companies to cut production to 5 percent of their average 630,000 barrels per day.

Carolyn McCarthy Readies Gun Control Bill
One of the fiercest gun-control advocates in Congress, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), pounced on the shooting massacre in Tucson Sunday, promising to introduce legislation as soon as Monday targeting the high-capacity ammunition clip the gunman used.

Food Skyrockets to Highest Prices Ever
Figures recently released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) index of 55 food commodities indicates that worldwide food prices hit a record high in December.

For Millions of Senior Citizens the Only Future They Have To Look Forward To Is One Filled With Debt and Poverty
In America today, millions upon millions of senior citizens are very deep in debt.

Iran Says It Has Arrested Spy Ring Linked to Israel
Iran has arrested a "network of spies" linked to Israel's Mossad intelligence service which it blames for the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist in 2010, Iran's state television reported on Monday.

Suspect In Arizona Shootings to Appear in Court
A 22-year-old man charged with trying to assassinate congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in a shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 14, is due to appear in court on Monday on charges of murder and attempted murder.

VIDEO: Megyn Kelly Asks Pima Co. Sheriff Why Are You Politicizing This Tragedy?

Giffords Shooting Captured on Surveillance Video
The scene where a congresswoman was shot Saturday was captured on surveillance video, according to law enforcement officials.

AZ Congresswoman Assassination Scenario Has MKULTRA Profile, Drug & Space Target
The mass political assassination attack in Tucson, AZ on Saturday January 8, 2011 that as of 2:44 pm pst had left six people dead and eighteen shot were shot during the attack has a marked MKULTRA profile, and of suppression of drug cartel investigation and of expansion the U.S. space program as one of its effects.

Following Giffords Shooting, Ignorant Lawmakers Call for Criminalizing Certain Symbols and Words
It's barely 48 hours after the fatal shooting of federal judge John Roll and the wounding of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the assaults on Free Speech are already underway.

Hearings Begin on Botched Blizzard Response
Expect a flurry of criticism today as the City Council grills Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration in detail for the first time about its admittedly poor response to the post-Christmas blizzard.

China Leads List of Biggest US Creditors
President Barack Obama will host Chinese President Hu Jintao for a state visit on January 19, and the leaders of the two economic powerhouses are expected to discuss thorny issues such as China's trade surplus and its currency policies.

Tensions Rise In Currency Wars
If the world’s shell-shocked investors thought that 2011 might see an outbreak of peace in the currency wars, they were sadly mistaken.

'NYPD Blue' Ruling Opens the Door to More Nudity
The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the $1.21 million worth of fines that the FCC levied against ABC after alleging that the network violated broadcast indecency standards for daring to show actress Charlotte Ross' naked behind during a 2003 episode of "NYPD Blue."

Pressure on Portugal Heightens Amid Debt Fears
Europe's debt crisis flared up once again Monday, as Portugal's borrowing rates briefly spiked to euro-era highs amid reports Germany and France are pushing it to accept outside help to avoid contagion to other countries.

Greece Borrowing Rates Hit New Record
Greek bond yields have hit another record high, exceeding benchmarch German bond rates by 10 percentage points for the first time.

States Declare Emergency as Storm Slam South, Aims for Northeast
Stranded vehicles littered roadsides Monday as several inches of snow and sleet coated Atlanta and other parts of the South, freezing the morning commute in many areas and canceling thousands of flights at the world's busiest airport.

Magnetic Field Imbalance May Be Cause For Bird Deaths
The recent deaths of birds literally falling from the sky in two locations on earth, may be linked to a Magnetic Field Imbalance indicating that the Pole Shift that is predicted for 2012 has started already.

America's Night of Broken Glass in Arizona
On November 7th a little known German diplomat, Ernst vom Rath, was shot by teenager named Herschel Grynszpan and killed.

Republicans May Elect Pfizer Lobbyist to Head RNC
As yet more proof that Big Pharma corruption crosses all political lines, Republicans are now considering putting a Pfizer lobbyist, Maria Cino, into the top position at the RNC.


Today In History Monday January 10, 2011
1776 - Thomas Paine published his pamphlet "Common Sense."
1861 - Florida seceded from the United States.
1863 - Prime Minister Gladstone opened the first section of the London Underground Railway system, from Paddington to Farringdon Street.
1870 - John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil.
1901 - Oil was discovered at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont, TX.
1920 - The League of Nations ratified the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending World War I with Germany.
1920 - The League of Nations held its first meeting in Geneva.
1928 - The Soviet Union ordered the exile of Leon Trotsky.
1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sailed from Miami, FL, to Trinidad becoming the first President to visit a foreign country during wartime.
1946 - The first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly took place with 51 nations represented.
1949 - Vinyl records were introduced by RCA (45 rpm) and Columbia (33.3 rpm).
1957 - Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, following the resignation Anthony Eden.
1984 - The United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century.
1990 - Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. completed a $14 billion merger.
1994 - In Manassas, VA, Lorena Bobbitt went on trial. She had been charged with maliciously wounding her husband John. She was acquitted by reason of temporary insanity.
2000 - It was announced that Time-Warner had agreed to buy America On-line (AOL). It was the largest-ever corporate merger priced at $162 billion. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved the deal on December 14, 2000.
2001 - American Airlines agreed to acquire most of Trans World Airlines (TWA) assets for about $500 million. The deal brought an end to the financially troubled TWA.
2002 - In France, the "Official Journal" reported that all women could get the morning-after contraception pill for free in pharmacies.
2003 - North Korea announced that it was withdrawing from the global nuclear arms control treaty and that it had no plans to develop nuclear weapons.
2007 - The iTunes Music Store reached 1.3 million feature length films sold and 50 million television episodes sold.

Tucson Suspect Jared Loughner Due in Ariz. Court - They're asking that San Diego attorney Judy Clarke be appointed!
Authorities weren't saying late Sunday where Loughner was being held, and officials were working to appoint an attorney for him. Heather Williams, the first assistant federal public defender in Arizona, said they're asking that San Diego attorney Judy Clarke be appointed. Public defenders are asking that the attorney who defended Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski defend Jared Loughner, who makes his first court appearance Monday afternoon.

VIDEO: ABC News Reports Shooting in Head of Rep Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az)

US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Shot as Six Die In Arizona Massacre
A US congresswoman was shot in the head at point blank range yesterday and six people were killed at a public meeting outside a grocery shop in Arizona. The dead included a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge.

Arizona Assassin Obsessed With Mind Control
Jared Loughner, the gunman who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and numerous other victims including a Federal Judge and a nine-year-old girl during a political event in Tucson today, was a US military recruit who was obsessed with mind control, mirroring the circumstances of many other mass shooters in history.

VIDEO: Person in the crowd shot at the gunman

Democrat Group Using Gifford's Shooting for Fundraiser!
An extreme, left-wing Democrat group calling itself 21st Century Democrats has had the gall to send out an email blast using as a fundraising tool Saturday’s criminal shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona.

Sheriff Blames Free Speech As Likely Cause of Arizona Massacre
In a press conference held hours after a deadly massacre in Arizona, Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnick targeted free speech as a likely cause of Saturdays shooting.

In Wake of Gifford's Shooting, the Mere Act of Questioning The Government Now Being Demonized
In the aftermath of the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson yesterday, the mainstream media is now desperately trying to blame the attack on "anti-government" sentiment.

AZ Congresswoman assassination scenario has MKULTRA profile, drug & space target
The mass political assassination attack in Tucson, AZ on Saturday January 8, 2011 that as of 2:44 pm pst had left six people dead and eighteen shot were shot during the attack has a marked MKULTRA profile, and of suppression of drug cartel investigation and of expansion the U.S. space program as one of its effects.

Milwaukee man's website mirrors suspect's conspiracy statements
Man gets national attention when he's mentioned on MSNBC. Miller began receiving national attention when he was mentioned Saturday on the cable TV news channel MSNBC. Mark Potok, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, said Loughner's YouTube video rant that "the government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar" is similar to Miller's views on grammar and government conspiracy.

VIDEO: Even The Troops Are Waking Up

Parent alert: New report confirms poisoned Gulf seafood (video)
Scientists have released a new report on results of testing Louisiana seafood that further confirms the present dangerous human health situation, especially to children, not just in the Gulf region but throughout the nation, as reported by other doctors such as Dr. Rodney Soto.

VIDEO: Controversy Over Vaccine Research
CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson asked Dr. Andrew Wakefield about the controversy surrounding his original study in 1998 on autistic children and MMR vaccine.

Banks lose key foreclosure ruling in top Massachusetts court
In a decision that may slow foreclosures nationwide, Massachusetts' highest court voided the seizure of two homes by Wells Fargo & Co and US Bancorp after the banks failed to show they held the mortgages at the time they foreclosed. Bank shares fell, weighing on broader stock indexes, on fears the decision could threaten lenders' ability to work through hundreds of thousands of pending foreclosures.

Birds and Fish are now Dying all Around the World
EU Times Publishes Worldwide List!

Is 2011 The Beginning of the End for Medicare?
But the bottom line is that all Americans — not just Boomers getting ready to sign up for Medicare — must recognize Medicare is the really big federal deficit elephant in the room. What we're all paying into the system through payroll deductions is in no way close to the amount of Medicare benefits we will consume. Comment: Who's to say that the new Obamacare will be managed any better? History tells us, it won't. (Thanks Jimm)

The New Realities of Retirement
Average 401(k) account balances — after increasing in 2003 and for the next four consecutive years — fell 28% in 2008, according to a recent joint study by the Investment Company Institute and the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Although the average account balance bounced back 32% in 2009, rising to $109,723, it was still below 2007 levels. Overall, accounts rose by an average annual growth rate of 10.5% from 2003 to 2009. But most of the increase was due to continued contributions rather than investment gains. Comment: See how gold and silver also did during that time period...tax-free!

Janet Yellen Says Fed Asset Purchases Will Create 3 Million Private Jobs by 2012
Fed Governor Janet Yellen is bragging about the number of jobs the Fed is going to create because of its Quantitative Easing programs. Please consider Yellen Says Fed Asset Purchases Create 3 Million Private Jobs

Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans
STANFORD, Calif. - President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today.

4 Iraqis Killed, 10 Wounded
Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr drew thousands of Iraqis to his first speech since returning home from Iran. Al-Sadr spoke of resisting the United States but also allowing American troops the opportunity to leave in a "suitable" way.

8 Iraqis Killed, 4 Wounded
At least eight Iraqis were killed and four more were wounded in unusually light violence.

Darrell Issa - Government Oversight
This is something that is available, that they already tape and now they are making available on the web. This is something that every single committee and subcommittee ought to be required to do.

Leftist Concerted Attack Begins Already
Did we really expect anything different? Did we expect that the left leaning media, who hasn’t had anyone to really target over the last few years besides fast moving and hard to hit bloggers and people in the minority in Congress, wouldn’t just bubble over with enthusiastic vituperative hate now that they have a viable target to hit? Did you think they wouldn’t come out and just tell you how stupid you were for the vote you just cast?

Parcel Addressed to Napolitano Ignites in DC
A package addressed to the U.S. Homeland Security secretary ignited Friday at a postal facility, and authorities said it was similar to fiery parcels sent to Maryland officials a day earlier by someone complaining about the state's terrorism tip line.

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules Against Banks in Foreclosure Paperwork Case
In a ruling that could escalate the mortgage problems facing banks, the Massachusetts Supreme Court on Friday voided two foreclosures because the banks failed to show the proper paperwork to prove they owned the loans.

DHS Links Jared Loughner to American Renaissance
A DHS memo obtained by Fox News suggested strong suspicion linking Jared Loughner, the man accused in the Tucson shooting on Saturday, to what it called an “anti-ZOG (Zionist Occupational Government) and anti-semitic” group known as American Renaissance.

Obama Picks Wall Street Insider As White House Chief of Staff
President Obama’s choice of William Daley for the post of White House chief of staff is a clear signal to corporate America that his administration will dedicate the next two years to accommodating the wishes of big business for reduced regulations and taxes for corporations and austerity measures for the working class.

Islamic Group is CIA Front, Ex-Turkish Intel Chief Says
A memoir by a top former Turkish intelligence official claims that a worldwide moderate Islamic movement based in Pennsylvania has been providing cover for the CIA since the mid-1990s.

Royal Family Granted New Right of Secrecy
The Royal Family is to be granted absolute protection from public scrutiny in a controversial legal reform designed to draw a veil of secrecy over the affairs of the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William.

Illinois Lawmakers Propose 75 Percent Income Tax Hike
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) – Gov. Pat Quinn and the leaders of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly have agreed on raising the state income tax.

39 Percent of NYC Pregnancies Result In Abortion
Archbishop Timothy Dolan is calling for efforts to make abortions in New York City “rare.”

Periphery Suffers As Supply Worries Gather Pace
Higher-yielding euro zone bonds suffered on Friday as upcoming debt sales from the region's peripheral states unsettled investors, though safe-haven gains for German debt were limited ahead of key U.S. jobs data.

Portugal's Debt Worries Worsen As Bond Yields Rise
Portugal's bond yields rose to euro-era record highs on Friday, driven by market fears about the debt-laden country's economic health and wider concerns about the eurozone's financial stability.

Sarkozy: Mideast Christians Victims of Cleansing
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that Christian minorities in the Middle East are victims of "religious cleansing", following deadly attacks on churches in the region.

Louisiana Officials: Parts of Coastline Still Heavily Oiled
More than eight months after an oil rig explosion launched the biggest oil disaster in U.S. history, Louisiana officials say they're still finding thick layers of oil along parts of the state's coastline.

Why Americans Are So Angry
CNBC financial reporter Rick Santelli had just blasted the Obama administration's plan to help homeowners facing foreclosure, and called for a "tea party" protest in Chicago.

Dead Birds Discovered in Davidson, Wilson Counties
Swarms of dead birds have been found in Tennessee as well as in a few nearby states, with hundreds found in Davidson, Montgomery and Wilson County, according to TWRA.

US Corn Stocks Seen 15 year Low
U.S. corn stocks are expected toslump to the lowest level in 15 years this year due to strong demand, possibly stoking global food prices which hit a record high last month, a Reuters Poll of analysts showed.

IDF Needs to Step Up Its Attack on Hamas
Former defense minister says army's deterrence strategy in Gaza is weakening as Kassam, mortar attacks escalate in area.

CDC Adjusts Fluoride Poisoning of America's Water Supply to a Lower Level
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) today issued a startling report that admits 2 in 5 children in America show signs of fluoride poisoning (streaking, spotting or pitting of teeth due to dental fluorosis).

Breastfed Babies Make Stronger, Healthier Adults
A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition adds more evidence to the fact that breastfed babies end up healthier and more vibrant than babies that are not breastfed.

New York Owes $200 Billion in Retiree Health Care Costs
New York State, along with its cities and counties, have promised $200 billion worth of retirement health care benefits to their employees, and no one knows where that money is going to come from, according to a study conducted by the Empire Center for New York State Policy.

New Juvenile Delinquent Rehab Program May Soon Include Yoga, Tai Chi
Barry Holman, interim deputy director of the Washington, D.C., Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), has come up with a new approach to overcome the agency's current flailing system: yoga.

Researchers Discover a Shocking 96 Percent Decline in Four Major Bumblebee Species
New research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that another vitally important pollinator, the bumblebee, is in serious decline.


Today In History Friday January 7, 2011
1782 - The Bank of North America opened in Philadelphia. It was the first commercial bank in the United States.
1789 - Americans voted for the electors that would choose George Washington to be the first U.S. president.
1887 - Thomas Stevens completed the first worldwide bicycle trip. He started his trip in April 1884. Stevens and his bike traveled 13,500 miles in almost three years time.
1896 - "Fannie Farmer Cookbook" cookbook was published.
1904 - The distress signal "CQD" was established. Two years later "SOS" became the radio distress signal because it was quicker to send by wireless radio.
1927 - Transatlantic telephone service Service began between New York and London. 31 calls were made on this first day.
1942 - The World War II siege of Bataan began.
1953 - U.S. President Harry Truman announced the development of the hydrogen bomb.
1954 - The Duoscopic TV receiver was unveiled this day. The TV set allowed the watching of two different shows at the same time.
1959 - The United States recognized Fidel Castro's new government in Cuba.
1968 - The cost of a U.S. first class stamp was raised to 6 cents.
1975 - OPEC agreed to raise crude oil prices by 10%, which began a time of world economic inflation.
1979 - Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, overthrowing the Khmer Rouge government.
1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed legislation that authorized $1.5 billion in loans for the bail out of Chrysler Corp.
1989 - Crown Prince Akihito became the emperor of Japan following the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito.
1990 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed to the public. The accelerated rate of "leaning" raised fears for the safety of its visitors.
1996 - Alvaro Arzu was elected president of Guatemala.
1996 - One of the biggest blizzards in U.S. history hit the eastern states. More than 100 deaths were later blamed on the severe weather.
1998 - Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky signed an affidavit denying that she had an affair with U.S. President Clinton.
1999 - U.S. President Clinton went on trial before the Senate. It was only the second time in U.S. history that an impeached president had gone to trial. Clinton was later acquitted of perjury and obstruction of justice charges.
2002 - Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates introduced a new device code named Mira. The device was tablet-like and was a cross between a handheld computer and a TV remote control.
2009 - Russia shut off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed the move and urged greater international involvement in the energy dispute.

Incendiary Devices Found at 2 Government Buildings in Maryland
Two incendiary devices went off at government buildings in Maryland today, producing smoke and odors but no serious injuries, officials said.
** Related Article: Package 'Flare-Ups' Reported At 2 State Buildings

VIDEO: ANOTHER Mystery Missile, this time fired off the coast of Texas.

Millard South shooting: Suspension ignited fury
Questions remained and the pain lingered Thursday in the wake of what's believed to be the worst school shooting incident in Nebraska. After Wednesday, Millard South joins the long, sobering list of schools around the globe that have been devastated by disaffected students with guns.

Map plotting all the dead birds
Mass Animal Deaths pin pointed on a map.

Another Sign of the Dollar Collapse: World Bank Issues First Yuan Bonds
In yet another sign of the coming collapse of the Dollar as the sole international reserve currency, the World Bank issued its first bond denominated in the Chinese yuan currency in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The primary purchasers of the two-year bond were Hong Kong-based financial institutions, companies and wealthy individuals. While the issuance raised only 500 million yuan ($76 million), it provides further evidence that the the global economy is in search of alternative currencies to the diseased U.S. Dollar.

2011: Year of the Yellow Brick Road
Think volatility, think falling dollar. Think you wish your yellow brick road was paved in gold. But if enough believe in the dream, we might be able to keep on dreaming. Unfortunately, little has worked out the way our policy makers have wanted, so at the very least, investors my want to consider taking into account the possibility that we have woken up from this fairy tale.

U.S. to send 1,400 extra troops to Afghanistan
The United States plans to send 1,400 additional combat Marines to Afghanistan to try to hold on to recent but fragile security gains, only months before a planned U.S. drawdown, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

'Birther' Arrested During Constitution Reading
A woman was arrested in the House gallery Thursday after interrupting a reading of the Constitution by yelling out her belief that President Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen of the United States.

Raw milk issue could resurface in Legislature
Another attempt to legalize the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk to Wisconsin consumers is coming before the Legislature and a new governor who says he would support it. Thursday, several key lawmakers said they favored reviving a raw milk bill that was vetoed in 2010 by former Gov. Jim Doyle (Democrat). Advocates say raw milk contains nutrients, enzymes and bacteria that boost the immune system. Opponents say it can carry bacteria that can sicken or kill people.

US Could Hit Debt Ceiling By March 31
As we predicted in September, the US, which is issuing debt at a clip of about $125-150 billion per month (in line with the Fed's monetization of every single newly printed dollar of debt), will likely hit its debt ceiling as soon as March.

Seasonally Adjusted Initial Claims Jump to 409K Vs. Exp. of 408K, Non-Seasonally Adjusted Claims Surge by 52K to 57K
The seasonal adjustment in the last week's sub 400k initial claims is starting to water out, and the resulting jump in initial claims from 388K to 409K was to be expected.

Swine Flu in Britain
The take home here is that we need to strengthen our immune systems with Vitamin D which happens to be commonly deficient throughout the northern lands like England.

Can Banks Foreclose on Mortgages They Do Not Own?
“The record in this case reflects how mortgage lending changed in recent years and how the industry failed to ensure that its new business model conformed to state law. . . Having profited greatly from practices regarding the assignment and securitization of mortgages not grounded in the law, it is reasonable for them to bear the cost of failing to ensure that such practices conformed to Massachusetts law.”

Told 'Ya So
What was the rule? That you couldn't claim "general welfare" or "necessary and proper" as justification - you had to point to an actual enumerated power.

Big Sis Responds In Lawsuit To Suspend TSA Scanners
The Department Of Homeland Security, headed up by ‘Big Sis’ Janet Napolitano has filed an answer brief (PDF) in the ongoing lawsuit brought against the TSA over the controversial use of radiation-firing naked imaging scanners.

IRS Tax Liens Jump by 60%, But How Effective Re They?
IRS liens filed against taxpayers jumped 60% since the start of the national recession, according to a new federal report that urges the tax agency to moderate the collection policy and study its effectiveness.

Pentagon to Cut Spending by $78 Billion, Reduce Troop Strength
The Pentagon will have to cut spending by $78 billion over the next five years, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday, forcing the Army and Marine Corps to shrink the number of troops on active duty and eventually imposing the first freeze on military spending since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

US Treasury Asks Congress to Lift Debt Ceiling
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner asked Congress to raise the US debt ceiling Thursday, firing the starting gun on a fresh political battle over the country's massive deficit.

January Could Be Coldest for US Since 1985
Winter has only just begun, and many people across the country are already sick of the cold.

Madison Lab Solves Mystery of Arkansas Blackbird Die-Off
They died of blunt-force trauma, according to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison. Samples of the blackbirds - and other blackbirds from a separate mass die-off about the same time in Louisiana - were brought to the little-known laboratory on Madison's west side for necropsies.

Dead Birds in Sweden Killed by 'External Blows'
A large number of dead birds were found in the city of Falköping, Sweden, on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, according to the Swedish National Veterinary Institute.

Shift of Earth's Magnetic North Pole Affects Tampa Airport
Scientists say the magnetic north pole is moving toward Russia and the fallout has reached -- of all places -- Tampa International Airport.

China Buys EU Government Debt
China has been increasing its holdings of European government debt, including that issued by Spain, amid the euro-zone crisis, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Utah's $1.5 Billion Cyber-Security Center Under Way
Thursday's groundbreaking for a $1.5 billion National Security Agency data center is being billed as important in the short term for construction jobs and important in the long term for Utah's reputation as a technology center.

Aspartame Exposed - GM Bacteria Used to Create Deadly Sweetner
The manufacturers of the most prevalent sweetener in the world have a secret, and it's not a sweet one.

Florida Professor Arrested After Carrying Suspicious Bagel on Airplane
If you carry bagels or other food items with you on an airplane these days, you'd better paint them red white and blue just to make sure all the passengers around you know you're truly an American.

Obesity Costs USA 4168 Billion Every Year
Obesity-related health problems cost the United States $168 billion every year, amounting to 17 percent of all medical bills, according to a study conducted by researchers from Cornell and Lehigh Universities and released by the National Bureau of Economic Research.


Today In History Thursday January 6, 2011
1838 - Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated the telegraph for the first time.
1896 - The first American women’s six-day bicycle race was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1900 - In India, it was reported that millions of people were dying from starvation.
1900 - Off of South Africa, the British seized the German steamer Herzog. The boat was released on January 22, 1900.
1912 - New Mexico became the 47th U.S. state.
1930 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip was completed after a run of 792 miles from Indianapolis, IN, to New York City, NY.
1931 - Thomas Edison executed his last patent application.
1942 - The first commercial around-the-world airline flight took place. Pan American Airlines was the company that made history with the feat.
1942 - The National Collegiate Football Rules Committee abolished the Y formation.
1945 - The Battle of the Bulge ended with 130,000 German and 77,000 Allied casualties.
1950 - Britain recognized the Communist government of China.
1952 - "Peanuts" debuted in Sunday papers across the United States.
1967 - U.S. and South Vietnamese forces launched a major offensive, known as Operation "Deckhouse V", in the Mekong River delta.
1982 - William G. Bonin was convicted in Los Angeles, CA, of being the "freeway killer" who had murdered 14 young men and boys.
1987 - After a 29-year lapse, the Ford Thunderbird was presented with the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. It was the first occurrence of a repeat winner of the award.
1994 - Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the right leg by an assailant at Cobo Arena in Detroit, MI. Four men were later sentenced to prison for the attack, including Tonya Harding's ex-husband.
1998 - The spacecraft Lunar Prospect was launched into orbit around the moon. The craft was crashed into the moon, in an effort to find water under the lunar surface, on July 31, 1999.
1999 - The 106th U.S. Congress opened. The first item on the agenda was the impeachment proceedings of U.S. President Bill Clinton. The trial was set to begin January 7, 1999.

FEMA Urges Public To Be Prepared On Anniversary Of New Madrid Quake (Dec. 20, 2010 article)
For more information on preparing for an earthquake and other emergencies, please visit www.Ready.gov. For more information on Resolve to be Ready in 2011, visit http://www.Ready.gov/resolve2011. For more information on the Great Central U.S. Shakeout, visit http://www.shakeout.org/centralus.

Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef
According to the New York Times, The "majority of hamburger" now sold in the U.S. now contains fatty slaughterhouse trimmings "the industry once relegated to pet food and cooking oil," "typically including most of the material from the outer surfaces of the carcass" that contains "larger microbiological populations." This "nasty pink slime," as one FDA microbiologist called it, is now wrung in a centrifuge to remove the fat, and then treated with AMMONIA to "retard spoilage," and turned into "a mashlike substance frozen into blocks or chips". Read More...

National Level Exercise to be conducted May 2011
National Level Exercise NLE 2011 will be an operations-based exercise centered on the scenario of a catastrophic earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, encompassing four FEMA Regions (IV, V, VI and VII) and eight Central U.S. Earthquake States: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. NLE 2011 will exercise initial incident response and recovery capabilities, to test and validate existing plans, policies and procedures to include the New Madrid Catastrophic Plan (currently under development).

Shooting suspect warned of violence in online post
The teen suspected of shooting two administrators at his Omaha high school warned in a Facebook post on the same day of the attack that people would hear about the "evil" things he did and said the school drove him to violence.
**Related Article: Millard South shooting: Suspension ignited fury

World Bank Taps Offshore Yuan Bond Market For First Time
The World Bank issued its first yuan-denominated bond, raising $76 million and trying to promote the use of the Chinese currency in international markets at a time when China's stake in the institution is about to increase.

Goldman Circumvents the Rules
Perhaps even more intriguing than Goldman's direct stake in Facebook is the "special purpose vehicle" that it is creating to allow its wealthy clients to invest in Facebook alongside the firm ... Goldman did not pioneer this type of investment structure.

Birds Fall From Sky Again, This Time in Louisiana
The second unexplained mass bird death within a week has been discovered in the southern United States, this time in the state of Louisiana, officials said Tuesday.

John Wheeler: 'Disorientated and wearing just one shoe': Bizarre last sighting of top White House aide found murdered and dumped in landfill
The top Pentagon aide found dead at a landfill site was seen in a confused state 48 hours before his death wandering around the wrong car park and wearing only one shoe. John Wheeler was ‘disorientated’ and not wearing a coat despite the freezing temperature, according to the car park attendant in Wilmington, Delaware.

Calif. Supreme Court Approves Warrantless Data Seizures by Police
If you're arrested in California, data stored on your mobile phone, tablet or other portable computing devices could be seized by police without so much as a search warrant.

How High Will Gold Go in 2011?
After stellar years for both gold and silver, what prices will precious metals hit in 2011? Here's an analysis based strictly on their price behavior in the current bull market.

World Food Prices Jump to Record on Sugar, Oilseeds
World food prices rose to a record in December on higher sugar, grain and oilseed costs, the United Nations said, exceeding levels reached in 2008 that sparked deadly riots from Haiti to Egypt.

In The Future You May Not Be Able To Provide The Basics For Your Family Even If Everyone In Your Family Has A Job
Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you want to look at it), most of this new money is trapped in the financial markets right now. The first people that get their hands on all of this new money are banks, financial institutions and the folks down on Wall Street and right now they are hoarding much of it and much of it is going to pump up the stock market.

Forecast 2011 - Gird Your Loins for Lower Living Standards
The outstanding question from the get-go of 2011 is just this: can a political economy be kept floating along like a Winnie-the-Pooh balloon on gusts of sheer fakery? To me, the simple answer is no. The people running things in the USA have tried everything from pervasive accounting fraud to complete opacity in trading procedures to looting the republic’s future. The consensus trance of "recovery" makes itself manifest through every conduit of public utterance – cable TV news, The New York Times, the pronouncements of every last elected official – even though the Consumer Price Index omits items such as food, gasoline, and heating oil in its calibrations, while heaping on fictional "hedonic" adjustments.

Coalition of State Lawmakers Target Birthright Citizenship
A coalition of state lawmakers is collaborating on legislation to "correct" the 14th Amendment and deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants born in the United States.

World Prices Surge to Record, Passing Levels That Sparked 2008 Riots
World food prices rose to a record in December on higher sugar, grain and oilseed costs, the United Nations said, exceeding levels reached in 2008 that sparked deadly riots from Haiti to Egypt.

New Mass Death of Birds in Sweden
In a week that saw unexplained massive bird deaths in the southern United States, up to 100 birds were found lying in a snow-covered street in Sweden Wednesday, officials said.

Police Issue Warning About Buying and Selling Gold
As soaring gold prices tempt many to sell off jewelry and other gold items, police are working to keep thieves from taking advantage of the trend by making it difficult to sell stolen gold.

Leaked Document: EPA Knowingly Approved Bee-Killing Pesticide
A Colorado beekeeper recently obtained a leaked document revealing that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knows a popular crop pesticide is killing off honey bees, but has allowed its continued approval anyway.

Boehner Elected Speaker of the House; Pelosi's Support Divided
Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio was elected speaker of the House Wednesday in a vote that saw a significant portion of the Democratic caucus vote for someone other than outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Rising Oil Price Threatens Fragile Recovery
High oil prices threaten to derail the fragile economic recovery among developed nations this year, the leading energy watchdog has warned, putting pressure on the Opec oil cartel to increase production.

Departure of White House Spokesman Part of 'Major Retooling'
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday called his departure part of a "major retooling" of President Obama's senior staff.

US-Mexico Border Vanishes Under Obama Agency Program
U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada simply have been erased under a program run by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol that issues The Trusted Traveler of North America cards.

As Food Costs Rise, Retailers Keep Prices Stable by Shrinking Package Sizes, Quantities
Household brands ranging from Ivory soap to Kraft cheese singles have seen their packages downsized up to 20% over the last few years - even though shoppers are paying just as much, according to a new study by Consumer Reports.
Related Article: It's Not Your Imagination: Your Juice Has Been Downsized

Action Alert - Now the FDA Is Going After Vitamin C
The FDA has just notified small pharmacies that they will no longer be allowed to manufacture or distribute injectable vitamin C—despite its remarkable power to heal conditions that conventional medicine can’t touch. Please help reverse this outrageous decision!

How the Fed Could Become Insolvent
You’ve seen the proof in real time. Once-dominant industrial companies, e.g., General Motors, can run out of money.

The Care Bill HB3200
Before you read below, note that about 3 weeks ago the Federal Government granted over 100 'exemptions' from the Obama Health Care Bill (mostly to Unions and large public corporations.

Children Exposed To Far Too Much Radiation From Imaging Scans
The amount of radiation-emitting imaging scans administered to children is on the rise, and many experts are worried about the long-term negative effects of this toxic exposure.

Is Coconut Oil The Secret Cure For Alzheimer's?
A doctor says that taking just four teaspoons of coconut oil per day reversed her husband's dementia.


Today In History Wednesday January 5, 2011
1885 - The Long Island Railroad Company became the first to offer piggy-back rail service which was the transportation of farm wagons on trains.
1896 - It was reported by The Austrian newspaper that Wilhelm Roentgen had discovered the type of radiation that became known as X-rays.
1900 - In Ireland, Nationalist leader John Edward Redmond called for a revolt against British rule.
1903 - The general public could use the Pacific cable for the very first time.
1914 - Ford Motor Company announced that there would be a new daily minimum wage of $5 and an eight-hour workday.
1925 - Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross was sworn in as the governor of Wyoming She was the first female governor in the U.S.
1933 - Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began.
1940 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) got its very first demonstration of FM radio.
1944 - The London "Daily Mail" was the first transoceanic newspaper to be published.
1948 - Warner Brothers-Pathe showed the very first color newsreel. The footage was of the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl football classic.
1956 - In the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy walked on two legs for the first time.
1961 - "Mr. Ed" debuted. The show would run for six years.
1972 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon ordered the development of the space shuttle.
1987 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan underwent prostate surgery.
1993 - The state of Washington executed Westley Allan Dodd. It was America's first legal hanging since 1965. Dodd was an admitted child sex killer.
1998 - U.S. Representative Sonny Bono died in skiing accident.
2002 - A 15 year-old student pilot, Charles Bishop, crashed a small plane into a building in Tampa, FL. Bishop was about to begin a flying lesson when he took off without permission and without an instructor.

Mobile Guard Towers in Walmart Parking Lots
What's next? Naked bodyscanners at the entrance of every Walmart store?

Year-End Debt-Stravaganza
No promises to "do something about it tomorrow." We've heard about that now for three years. The time for political stunts and showmanship is over. This is a real issue, it is a real national crisis, and if you don't do something about it you'll be lucky to get through 2011 before it blows up.

Ron Paul versus Ben Bernanke
Since the nomination of Paul to chair the domestic monetary policy sub-committee, media and academic circles have become intrigued as to how the relationship between the congress and the Fed will evolve? In particular, to what extent will he be able to implement the ideas that he has advocated since the early 1970s, calling for sound money, a return to gold, and culminating with the elimination of the Fed? To say that Paul faces great challenges is an understatement.

The Long Swim – How the Fed Could Become Insolvent
The 1933 prohibition on gold ownership by U.S. citizens weakened the constraint of gold redeemability, but not by much, since foreigners (whom governments normally treat better than their own citizens) could still redeem dollars for gold. Next, in 1944, in conjunction with the Bretton Woods agreement, the gold reserve requirements were lowered to 25%. In the late 1960s, through a series of steps, the requirements for a gold reserve were eliminated altogether. Then, in 1971, the U.S. government told all foreigners, "If you haven't redeemed your dollars for gold already, it's too late, ha-ha-ha." The era of Central Bankers Gone Wild had arrived.

When States Default: 2011, Meet 1841
Yet for all their similarities, there was an ominous difference from now: Leaders and citizens of the 1840s were more willing to accept new taxes to pay for the infrastructure and to defend, in the earnest words of the time, their "moral duty" of meeting debts. In Indiana and Ohio, property taxes went up eightfold in the early 1840s. New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Massachusetts all installed state property taxes, the first in 40 years for Pennsylvania.

Miami-Dade Police Buy Drones
In places such as Kabul, Gaza, and Baghdad, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) hovering over homes, following suspects, and tracking enemies of the state are a daily reality.

US Closes 2010 With $14,025,215,218, 708 and 52 Cents In Debt, a $154 Billion Increase Overnight
When we predicted a few weeks ago that the US would end 2010 with $13.8 trillion in debt we miscalculated the settlement dates on all the last round of bond auctions .

Fraudclosure Settlement Imminent
To all those who penned lengthy essays and activist missives to various law enforcement and judicial organizations in 2010 over the fraudclosure fiasco, we have one word: condolences.

Bank of America Settles Loan Dispute With Frannie Mae
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the financial giants whose failed mortgage investments made them wards of the government, have accepted $2.8 billion from Bank of America to largely put to rest claims that the bank sold them faulty loans.

Obama Could Bypass Guantanamo Limits, Aides Say
President Obama’s legal advisers, confronting the prospect of new restrictions on the transfer of Guantánamo detainees, are debating whether to recommend that he issue a signing statement asserting that his executive powers would allow him to bypass the restrictions, according to several officials.

Airports Toy With the Idea of Tossing TSA
A new year has brought new resolve for airport managers who are fed up with the Transportation Security Agency.

Bank of America Scurries to Mount Defense Ahead of WikiLeaks Revelations
Fearing that Wikileaks could publish secrets that will damage its reputation, top Bank of America officials are internally investigating what information Wikileaks may possess, as the company's chief executive officer closely monitors the situation.

Is the Federal Reserve Really Purchasing Over 60% of 2011's Fiscal Deficit? Yeah.
The other day, in my post “The Lull Before the Storm”, I mentioned that for fiscal year 2011, the Federal Reserve would be purchasing over 60% of the Federal government deficit.

European Nations Begin Seizing Private Pensions
People’s retirement savings are a convenient source of revenue for governments that don’t want to reduce spending or make privatizations. As most pension schemes in Europe are organised by the state,

Mass La. Bird Deaths Puzzle Investigators
Hundreds of dead and dying birds littered a quarter-mile stretch of highway in Pointe Coupee Parish on Monday as motorists drove over and around them.

Woman Reports Dozens of Dead Birds In Her Yard
Near her car, a dead bird. A quick walk to her mailbox, another. Scattered across her front yard, a local woman discovered dozens of dead birds.

Potential for More Snow in Boston, Providence This Week
AccuWeather.com meteorologists continue to monitor the potential for another round of accumulating snow in the Northeast Friday into the weekend.

Bankruptcy Filings Leapt 9% Last Year
The number of Americans filing for personal bankruptcy topped 1.5 million last year, as high long-term jobless rates and depressed home prices drove more households to seek court protection.

Obama Ready to Deploy Executive Powers
President Obama challenged congressional Republicans to embrace the "shared responsibility" of governance even as the White House appears ready to use unilateral executive powers to battle Capitol Hill.

The truth behind the Headlines: Iran and India Bypass the Dollar
January 4, 2010 St. Petersburg, FL-- Part of the reason the Federal Reserve has been able to get away with printing MASSIVE amounts of counterfeit money relies on the fact that the US dollar (USD) still retains the elite title of the World's Reserve Currency.

Is The New Madrid Fault Earthquake Zone Coming to Life?
What in the world is happening in the middle of the United States right now?

Iran Can Attack Israel Within 10-12 Minutes
However, Ashkenazi says, Hamas and Hizbullah are the biggest threat, with over 40,000 rockets and an ability to attack any point in
Israel.

Victoria River Mysteriously Turns Bright Green
Horrified nature-lovers at Goldstream Provincial Park watched as the Goldstream River turned bright green late Wednesday afternoon.

Body of US Military Expert Found Del. Landfill
The body of a military expert who served in three Republican administrations was found dumped in a landfill over the New Year's weekend, and investigators said Monday they do not know who might have killed him.

Why Are The Animals Dying? Birds, Fish Wiped Out In Mysterious Deaths
In the last week, nearly 100,000 fish washed up on the shores of the Arkansas River, dead.

Monsanto Connected To At Least 200,00 Suicides in India Throughout Past Decade
When India's seed economy was forced by the World Bank to become globalized in the late 1990s, economic conditions within the nation's agricultural sector almost immediately took a nosedive for the worst.

The Top Five Negative-Calorie Health Foods That Burn Fat While Making You Feel Full
How do you eat more while losing more weight at the same time?

Midwife Organization Head Says Establishment Conspiring Against Home Births
The maternity services sector of the U.K. public health system is greatly strained and "almost near breaking point," according to Cathy Warwick, head of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

Scientist Says Animals Have Spiritual Experiences, Too
Humans are not the only animals that have spiritual and mystical experiences, a growing number of biologists are becoming convinced.

Anonymous Web Surfing by Bill Rounds
There is less anonymity on the internet than many people realize. When people surf the web they also leave behind bread crumbs, well their IP address is left behind. And, unfortunately, those crumbs are awfully tasty to many little creatures like search engines, snoopers, and cookie monsters. The wrong creatures getting a hold of those crumbs can leave you much more than lost and hungry if you are not careful. Comment: There's a setting in Firefox for private browsing. It works well, but as this article explains, things will run a bit slower (than usual) while you're on the internet.


Today In History Tuesday January 4, 2011
1885 - Dr. William Grant performed the first successful appendectomy.
1896 - Utah became the 45th U.S. state.
1935 - Bob Hope was heard for the first time on network radio as part of "The Intimate Revue."
1936 - The first pop music chart based on national sales was published by "Billboard" magazine.
1944 - The attack on Monte Cassino was launched by the British Fifth Army in Italy.
1948 - Britain granted independence to Burma.
1951 - During the Korean conflict, North Korean and Communist Chinese forces captured the city of Seoul.
1953 - Tufted plastic carpeting was introduced by Barwick Mills.
1958 - The Soviet satellite Sputknik I fell to the earth from its orbit. The craft had been launched on October 4, 1957.
1965 - In his State of the Union address, U.S. President Johnson proclaimed the building of the "Great Society."
1974 - U.S. President Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
1974 - NBC-TV presented hockey in prime time. The Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers were the teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) game.
1987 - An Amtrak train bound from Washington to Boston collided with Conrail engines approaching from a side track, 16 people were killed.
1991 - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.
1997 - The Greek Cypriot government signed an agreement to buy S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Russia.
1999 - Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as Minnesota's 37th governor.
2001 - FBI agents in the Dallas area charged the "Texas 7" of unlawful flight to avoid federal prosecution for capital murder, broadening the manhunt nationwide.
2006 - Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first woman to hold the position.
2010 - In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) opened as the world's tallest tower at 2,625 feet.

Neotame - USDA Certified Organic’s Dirty Little Secret
"Organic" food is no longer safe. The FDA and USDA have colluded in approving the neurotoxin 'Neotame' which may be even more toxic than aspartame. No labeling will be required, nor will it be listed in the ingredients. It will be used in USDA certified "organic" processed food and cattle feed. [The only hope of escape is to raise our own food or buy from local growers who do not use such chemicals – which is why Congress recently passed legislation that eventually will put small-scale organic growers out of business.]

Food Emergency: Millions of Americans Are Heading to Foodbanks for the First Time in Their Lives
"We're seeing a large number of families that have never needed food assistance before," reports Traore. How many? So far, for 2010 FBSJ has witnessed a 10% increase in their client base of approximately 100,000 people. Here's the surprise: a large portion of the people needing food assistance today are working, and especially among FBSJ's new clients, many are earning incomes nearly twice the poverty line of $22,055 per year for a family of four (up to 185% of poverty).

VIDEO: How They Started the First Gulf War
This is a very suitable representation of how, 20 years ago, the United States of America embarked on founding the New World Order, and in so doing, undermined the foundations of our country

The Soy and Other 'Natural' Food Products in Your Cabinet May Contain a Dangerous Neurotoxin
All too often it's the companies playing the "natural" card that are doing the most unnatural things to your food.

Goldman Sachs Invests $450 Million in Facebook at $50 Billion Valuation
Huge news for Facebook: Goldman Sachs is investing $450 million in the company at a $50 billion valuation, the New York Times' Dealbook reports.

Class action against Morgan, HSBC specifies silver manipulation mechanism
Cafferty Faucher LLP (www.caffertyfaucher.com) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a class that includes purchasers and sellers of the iShares Silver Trust (NYSE-Arca SLV) and the ETF Securities Ltd. Silver Trust (NYSE-Arca SIVR) during the period March 1, 2008, through the present. The lawsuit alleges that JPMorgan, the custodian of silver backing SLV securities and the sub-custodian of silver backing SIVR securities, and HSBC, the custodian of silver backing the SIVR securities, manipulated and suppressed the price of silver bar financial products, including SLV and SIVR, in violation of Section 9 of the Securities Exchange Act.

Fallujah Birth Defects Reach Epidemic Levels
New research set to be published this week shows birth defects of newborn babies in the Iraqi city of Fallujah have reached epidemic proportions since the city was annihilated six years ago by the US military.

George Soros: The United States Must Stop Resisting the Orderly Decline of the Dollar, the Coming Global Currency and the New World Order
In the video you are about to see, George Soros talks about "the creation of a New World Order", he discusses the need for a "managed decline" of the U.S. dollar and he talks at length of the global need for a true world currency.

Dead Fish Cover 20 Miles of Arkansas River
Arkansas Game & Fish is trying to figure out why 100,000 fish in Northwest Arkansas turned up dead. They were found along a 20-mile stretch between the Ozark Dam and Highway 109 Bridge in Franklin County. 2

6 top financial trends for 2011
Although the old Chinese curse “may you live in interesting times” has a certain irony about it, this year will certainly not be dull for investors. To prepare for it, you’ll need a plan, as always. I suggest you craft an investment policy statement that puts down in writing your goals and the amount of money you don’t want to lose. Then plan accordingly. Comment: How interesting that commodities made this list.

VIDEO: No Poison Found in Birds That Fell on Town - Arkansas

The “Money Supply” with a Gold Standard by Nathan Lewis
Let's look at the United States. The U.S., during the 19th century, had the most libertarian money and banking system you could imagine. Unlike Britain, where the Bank of England had an effective monopoly on currency issuance, it was pretty much a free-for-all in the United States. Anyone could issue money. Of course, nobody would accept this money unless it had a credible link to gold. The gold link was mandated by the Constitution of 1789, and they stuck to it (with some lapses, notably during the Civil War) until 1933. Comment: This is a brilliant history article on the demise of the dollar.

30 Reasons Why 2011 Is Going To Be Another Ugly Year For America's Middle Class
Do you think that 2011 will be a good year for America's middle class?

Bankers Rebuffed by University Over Request to Censor Scholarly Paper
A powerful banking association tried -- and failed -- to censor a Cambridge University student's thesis that exposed a flaw in electronic card security.

Is the World’s Richest Man Getting Into Silver?
A source in mergers and acquisitions out of Europe has alerted King World News that Carlos Slim may be looking to enter the silver market in a big way. Gold and silver are in big bull markets and this is attracting the attention of some of the smartest money around the globe. James Turk commented, “If this deal does happen Eric, this is going to make the silver shorts choke.” Fresnillo has a current market cap of roughly $19 billion. The European source commented, “This deal has been floating around for a while, but I think this time it is going to happen. It’s in his backyard. This is the world’s richest man wanting to get into silver.”

'Death Panels' Are Real - Brought On By Budget Pressures
During the debate over health reform, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Sarah Palin and others railed against the "death panels" that would result from the bill. Government bureaucrats, critics said, would decide who would die and when.

Is Something Wrong With the Sexual Development of Human Males?
Have you noticed there aren’t as many males in the world anymore?

2011- The Year of Catch 22
By mid-year confidence in Ben’s master plan will wane. He is trapped in the paradox of Catch-22. When you start hearing about QE3 you’ll know that the gig is up.

Lindsey Graham Call For Permanent US Military Presence In Afghanistan
The US military will never leave Afghanistan if Sen. Lindsey Graham has his way.

Have Scientists Discovered How To Create Downpours In The Desert?
For centuries people living in the Middle East have dreamed of turning the sandy desert into land fit for growing crops with fresh water on tap.

Oil Nears $100, 2008-Style Not In Cards
Nearly three years to the day after oil prices first pierced $100 a barrel, they are again threatening to break triple digits on a wave of fund-led optimism, but similarities between 2008 and 2011 end there.

US Yield Spreads Fall Below Rest Of The World
For the first time on record, investors are demanding a smaller premium to own U.S. corporate bonds than global company debt.

New Laws Govern Guns, Web, Banks
A raft of new federal and local laws ring in the new year, governing a span of topics from health care and finance to texting, guns and smoking.

US Approves New Trial Of Embryonic Stem Cells
US biotech company Advanced Cell Technology said Monday it was cleared by the government to start its second trial using human embryonic stem cells to treat blindness, this time in older people.

Egypt On High Alert Over Copt Protests
Police forces are on high alert and have set new checkpoints across the country, following overnight clashes at Cairo's St. Mark's Cathedral -- headquarters of Coptic leader Pope Shenouda III -- during which 45 policemen were wounded, AFP reported on Monday.

US Stocks At 2-Year Records; Banks, Tech Gain
Stocks surged to new two-year highs as investors flocked to stocks, pushing all the major indexes up more than 1 percent on the first trading day of the year.

Big Sis Photocopies Credit Cards, Confiscates Christmas Calendars
Despite the fact that TSA agents have routinely been caught abusing their power for criminal ends, the agency is now instructing its airport security screeners to make photocopies of people’s credit cards, while Big Sis is also busy fighting terrorism and protecting America by confiscating chocolate Christmas advent calendars.

Millions of Americans Are Heading to Food Banks For First Time in Their Lives
The good news is there's no reason anyone should ever starve to death in America. The bad news is more and more working Americans, many earning what were once middle class incomes, are spending their time and scarce money to find their next meal.

Health ranger's Predictions for 2011
What's ahead for 2011 - 2012? This time in human history promises to bring forth more changes than any other similar duration of time known to our civilization.

Europe, Japan to Cancel Grain Contract With Australia Due to GMO Contamination
Australia is playing with fire by relaxing its standards on genetically-modified organisms (GMO).

Olive Oil, Green Leafy Vegetables Prevent Heart Disease
Italian researchers have confirmed that diets rich in leafy green vegetables and olive oil are vital for heart health. Dr. Domenico Palli from the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence and his colleagues discovered that women who eat at least one serving of leafy greens a day are 46 percent less likely to develop heart disease than women who eat less.

Huge New Screening (and Drug Treatment) Push for Alheizmers
Alzheimer's researchers are pushing for the disease to be redefined so that treatment can begin years earlier than under current practices.


Today In History Monday January 3, 2011
1777 - The Battle of Princeton took place in the War of Independence, in which George Washington defeated the British forces, led by Cornwallis.
1815 - By secret treaty, Austria, Britain, and France formed a defensive alliance against Prusso-Russian plans to solve the Saxon and Polish problems.
1823 - Stephen F. Austin received a grant from the Mexican government and began colonization in the region of the Brazos River in Texas.
1833 - Britain seized control of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. About 150 years later, Argentina seized the islands from the British, but Britain took them back after a 74-day war.
1871 - Henry W. Bradley patented oleomargarine.
1888 - The drinking straw was patented by Marvin C. Stone.
1925 - In Italy, Mussolini announced that he would take dictatorial powers.
1938 - The first broadcast of "Woman in White" was presented on the NBC Red network. The program remained on radio for 10 years.
1938 - The March of Dimes was established by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The organization fights poliomyelitis. The original name of the organization was the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
1959 - In the U.S., Alaska became the 49th state.
1961 - The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.
1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicated Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro.
1967 - Jack Ruby died in a Dallas, TX, hospital. 
1988 - Margaret Thatcher became the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th century.
1990 - Ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican's diplomatic mission.
1991 - The British government announced that seven Iraqi diplomats, another embassy staff member and 67 other Iraqis were being expelled from Britain.
1993 - U.S. President H.W. George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in Moscow.
1995 - WHO reported that the cumulative total of officially reported cases of AIDS had risen to 1,025,073 in 192 countries as at the end of 1994.
1995 - The U.S. Postal Service raised the price of the first-class stamp to 32 cents.
2001 - The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) charged the "Texas 7" with weapons violations. An autopsy showed that Office Aubrey Hawkins, killed by the convicts, had been shot 11 times and run over with a vehicle.
2004 - NASA's Spirit rover landed on Mars. The craft was able to send back black and white images three hours after landing.

War contamination could be causing deformities in Iraq
Unusually high rates of birth deformity in an Iraqi city at the centre of the biggest battle of the allied occupation may be due to war contamination, a new study has concluded.

Military kids taking more psychiatric drugs
Prescriptions increase as families struggle with repeated deployments. The use of psychiatric medications by military children is on the rise. Overall, in 2009, more than 300,000 prescriptions for psychiatric drugs were provided to children under 18 who are Tricare beneficiaries.

Master Lock reassessing China
Milwaukee-based company finds it can compete better from U.S. soil. In a new twist, however, it's China where Master Lock's costs are rising disruptively. The company has responded by pulling production back to Milwaukee, where the manufacturer of iconic padlocks was founded in 1921.

Thousands of birds fall from the sky in Beebe, Ark.
Wildlife officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area.
** 10,000s of Birds also found dead in Manitoba

Hyperinflation will drive gold to unthinkable heights
Due to a century of money creation (and in particular since the 1970s) by governments and by the fractal banking system, investors believe that stocks, bonds and property can only go up. Understanding risk and sound investment principles has not been necessary in these casino markets with guaranteed payouts for anyone who plays the game.
** New Lows for Gold Silver Ratio
** Holding Physical Gold Is Absolutely Critical To Your Financial Survival

"Cracking the Code" is now FREE online
Get it and Spread it around to others.

VIDEO: Mobile Prison Guard Towers Coming to a Walmart Near You - must watch video
Related Link:  http://www.icxt.com/products/icx-surveillance/integrated-platforms

Why Mortgage-Backed Securities Aren't (Backed by Securities): How MERS Toasted the Banks
In a series of pieces I have argued that MERS, a creation of the mortgage banking industry, has effectively destroyed the institution of private property in America.

Debt Limit Showdown In March
The new House Republican majority (242R-193D) won't wait for the normal budget process to send the Senate weekly spending cuts, which the Senate won't take up.

Rumor: Obama to Announce UFO Visits and US Contract With ET's in 2011?
"All News Web has received information from government insiders close to the US President that Barack Obama has been given the go ahead to make an important "off the cuff" announcement regarding UFO visits and US contact with aliens.

Will 2011 Become 1848?
The United States badly need a change of course, and 2011 will be a good opportunity to see if the American people will take up the challenge and march to the barricades. If they do not, there is evil in the air and we have a long and dreary future ahead of us.

The Codex Scam, or How to Make Billions in the Name of Food Safety
Codex Alimentarius is a heinous concept Europe now faces and America and the rest of the world soon will after it was slipped into the recently-passed American “Food Safety” bill that (also) allowed the FDA to become the world’s food policeman.

Observations On the Latest Debt 'Inflation Point', and Why Bernake Has at Most 5 Months in Which to Announce QE3
Yet what is interesting is that both ceded that both employment and housing, the two key traditional drivers of economic growth and prosperity, would likely continue deteriorating, with employment ending the year over 9%.

VIDEO: TSA Photocopies Mans Credit Cards and Other Personal Documents

'No Refusal" DUI Blood Test Goes Nationwide Funded on Federal Grant Money
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

Smartest Dog Ever Can Pick Out 1,022 Toys by Name
Bet your Christmas puppy won’t be able to do this. Actually, you’d better hope it can’t, because your dog-toy needs might break the bank.

Bradley Manning: One Soldier Who Really Did 'Defend Our Freedom'
If there’s a soldier anywhere in the world who’s fought and suffered for my freedom, it’s Pfc. Bradley Manning.

Credit Card Withdrawal - Banks Pull the Plug On Consumer Revolving Credit
When people talk about the credit bubble they typically refer to the housing bubble and the trillions of dollars of debt secured by real estate.

Boomers Hit New Self-Absorption Milestone: Age 65
On New Year’s Day, the oldest members of the Baby Boom Generation will turn 65, the age once linked to retirement, early bird specials and gray Velcro shoes that go with everything.

Judge Warns of 'Orwellian State' in Warrantless GPS Tracking Case
Police in Delaware may soon be unable to use global positioning systems (GPS) to keep tabs on a suspect unless they have a court-signed warrant, thanks to a recent ruling by a superior court judge who cited famed author George Orwell in her decision.

China-Russia Oil Pipeline Launched
The pipeline, linking Siberia to refineries in the northeastern Chinese city of Daqing, started its operation on Saturday.

2010 Was the Deadliest Year for US Troops in Afghanistan
With 496 casualties, 2010 was by far the deadliest year for U.S. troops fighting a war in Afghanistan that has now entered its tenth year, according to casualty reports issued by the Department of Defense and tracked in a comprehensive database of war casualties maintained by CNSNews.com.

USDA Certified Organic's Dirty Little Secret: Neotame
Just when we thought that buying “Organic” was safe, we run headlong into the deliberate poisoning of our organic food supply by the FDA in collusion with none other than the folks who brought us Aspartame. NutraSweet, a former Monsanto asset, has developed a new and improved version of this neurotoxin called Neotame.

House GOP Plans Two-Pronged Assault on Health Law
The new Republican-controlled House plans to schedule a vote to repeal the sweeping health care overhaul before President Barack Obama delivers his annual State of the Union address late this month, incoming House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said Sunday.

Goolsbee Says Failure to Raise Debt Ceiling Would Be 'Catastrophic'
Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers, said if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling, the “impact on the economy would be catastrophic.”

New Congress Sets Its Eyes on Oversight
The new Republican-majority House will vote on repealing or changing last year's health care overhaul before the State of the Union address, Rep. Fred Upton, incoming chairman of the energy and commerce committee, said on "Fox News Sunday."

50 Million Itemizers Can't File Taxes Before Mid-February
Itemize your tax deductions? Itching for a refund? You're going to have to wait.

Venezuelans Fret Over Prices After Devaluation
Venezuelans worried on Friday that a second devaluation of their currency in 12 months would make life even harder as the socialist government of President Hugo Chavez struggled to turn the economy around.

Iran Shoots Down Western Spy Drones in Gulf
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have shot down two "Western spy drones" in the Gulf, a senior Iranian commander has been quoted as saying.

Probe of Egypt Church Bomb Focuses on Local Group
The bombing touched off riots and protests by Egypt's Christian minority, who feel they are targeted and discriminated against and do not get adequate protection from authorities.

7th Dies of Injuries From New Year's Eve Tornadoes
Shaken residents spent New Year's Day sifting through the wreckage wrought by tornadoes that touched down in several states in the final hours of 2010, killing seven people in two states and injuring dozens of others.

Next Year's Wars
Across the globe today, you'll find almost three dozen raging conflicts, from the valleys of Afghanistan to the jungles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the streets of Kashmir. But what are the next crises that might erupt in 2011? Here are a few worrisome spots that make our list.

Corn Rationing Needs to Begin
The corn market is extremely tight heading into the New Year, and analysts expect short supplies and heavy use to keep upward pressure on corn prices in 2011.

Record Floods Swamp Australia's Northeast
Large parts of Australia's coastal northeast disappeared under floodwaters on Sunday in a spreading disaster that has brought some of the highest floods on record and forced thousands from their homes.

Severe Arctic Outbreak Forecast for Mid-January
The latest indications are that nasty cold will burst onto the Plains and spread over much of the nation during the middle of January.

All the Health News for 2011, Pre-Written for Your Convenience
As the year 2011 begins, an interesting thought occurred to me. Rather than spending the whole year writing the news one day at a time, I was thinking it would be much easier to just write all the headlines for 2011 in advance and let you read them today.

Pesticides Used In California's 'Salad Bowl' Growing Region Destroying Health of Workers, Children
Pesticide residues found on conventional fruits and vegetables have been shown to be harmful to health, but what about the people who pick this produce and the children they bare?

Councilman To Introduce Legislation To Stop Fluoridation on New York City Water Supply
The momentum to remove fluoride from America's water supplies is picking up steam, thanks to mounting evidence that the toxic chemical byproduct of the aluminum and phosphate fertilizer industries causes brain damage, thyroid problems and cancer.

Americans Just Won't Eat Their Vegetables
Twenty years of government and public interest programs aimed at increasing US vegetable consumption have had no significant effect on the country's dietary habits, according to a comprehensive nationwide study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
 

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