via Reuters
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Bank for International Settlements fears fresh Lehman crisis from worldwide debt surge
BIS chief fears fresh Lehman from worldwide debt surge – Telegraph40pc of syndicated loans are to sub-investment grade borrowers The disturbing twist in this cycle is that China, Brazil, Turkey and other emerging economies have succumbed to private credit booms of their own, partly as a spill-over from quantitative easing in the West. Their debt ratios have risen 20 percentage points as well, to 175pc.
via Telegraph
N. Carolina cops lied about 911 calls to illegally search homes
Exposed: N. Carolina cops lied about 911 calls to illegally search homesReuters / Philip Scott Andrews Questions are being asked of a North Carolina police department after an officer in the city of Durham testified that its common practice for cops there to make up excuses to illegally enter, then search, the homes of local residents. Durham Police Dept.
via Rt
Meditating really does work – and you’ll see a difference in just three days, say researchers
Stressed? Meditating really does workResearchers found 25 minutes of mindful meditation for three consecutive days alleviated psychological stress By Mark Prigg Meditating can have an almost instant effect on reducing stress, researchers have found. They say three consecutive days of 25 minute sessions can have a dramatic effect.
via Dailymail
CIA employee’s quest to release information ‘destroyed my entire career’
CIA employee’s quest to release information ‘destroyed my entire career’His CIA career included assignments in Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq, but the most perilous posting for Jeffrey Scudder turned out to be a two-year stint in a sleepy office that looks after the agency’s historical files.
via Washingtonpost
The Senate is giving more power to the NSA, in secret.
The Senate is giving more power to the NSA, in secret. Everyone should fight itOne of the most underrated benefits of Edward Snowden’s leaks was how they forced the US Congress to shelve the dangerous, privacy-destroying legislation- then known as Cispa – that so many politicians had been so eager to pass under the guise of “cybersecurity”.
via Theguardian
Citigroup may pay $7 billion to resolve U.S. mortgage probes
via Reuters
The ultimate goal of the NSA is total population control
The ultimate goal of the NSA is total population controlWilliam Binney is one of the highest-level whistleblowers to ever emerge from the NSA. He was a leading code-breaker against the Soviet Union during the Cold War but resigned soon after September 11, disgusted by Washington’s move towards mass surveillance.
via Theguardian
The Senate Judiciary Committee Just Backed an Amendment to Overturn ‘Citizens United’
The Senate Judiciary Committee Just Backed an Amendment to Overturn ‘Citizens United’ | Blog | BillMoyers.comThis post originally appeared at The Nation. Constitutional amendments are often proposed but rarely advanced to the stage of serious debate. What moves any meaningful amendment from mere paperwork to serious consideration is the popular will of the great mass of Americans.
via Billmoyers
15 Powerful Quotes From the World’s Most Humble President
15 Powerful Quotes From the World’s Most Humble President“I’ve seen some springs that ended up being terrible winters. We human beings are gregarious. We can’t live alone. For our lives to be possible, we depend on society. It’s one thing to overturn a government or block the streets.
via Mic
County intends to join lawsuit over recording fees
County intends to join lawsuit over recording feesLuzerne County has lost out on millions of dollars in recording fees over the past decade and intends to join a class-action lawsuit targeting the banking industry’s mortgage database, the recorder of deeds said Friday. The class-action lawsuit, which was brought by the Montgomery County recorder of deeds, alleges that MERSCORP Holdings, Inc.
via Citizensvoice
Five men suing Obama administration after falling into ‘suspicious activity’ file
Five men suing Obama administration after falling into ‘suspicious activity’ fileAFP Photo / Stan Honda From photographing public works of art to bulk-buying computers, five Americans now have a record on file with US intelligence agencies for carrying out everyday activities. Thousands of unsuspecting Americans are also tagged in the database.
via Rt
ACLU Digs Deep Into The Law Enforcement War Machine
ACLU Digs Deep Into The Law Enforcement War Machine | Techdirt“Advocates from every corner of the political compass have produced a mountain of disinformation about the ‘militarization’ of American law enforcement.”
via Techdirt
Germany’s failed attempts to get its gold back from the US ‘opens question of its sovereignty’
Germany’s failed attempts to get its gold back from the US ‘opens question of its sovereignty’There is neither real criticism from German politicians, nor any visible efforts to return German gold held in the US, so it seems that US controls Germany, economic analyst Michael Mross told RT.
via Rt
The Looming Foreclosure Crisis: As the Fed Runs Out of Bullets, Local Governments Are Stepping In
OpEdNews Article: Article: The Looming Foreclosure Crisis: As the Fed Runs Out of Bullets, Local Governments Are Stepping InMortgage debt overhang from the housing bust has meant lack of middle-class spending power and consumer demand, preventing the economy from growing. The problem might be fixed by a new approach from the Fed. But if the Fed won’t act, counties will, as seen in the latest developments on eminent domain and litigation over MERS.
via Opednews
The Pathology of the Rich – Chris Hedges on Reality Asserts Itself
The Pathology of the Rich – Chris Hedges on Reality Asserts Itself pt1On RAI with Paul Jay, Chris Hedges discusses the psychology of the super rich; their sense of entitlement, the dehumanization of workers, and mistaken belief that their wealth will insulate them from the coming storms
via Therealnews
Elizabeth Warren says the U.S. economy is rigged
Elizabeth Warren says the U.S. economy is rigged. Many conservatives agree.Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has built a sizable political profile – including the requisite presidential speculation – by espousing a simple idea: that the system is “rigged” against average Americans. And you might be surprised who agrees with her: A whole bunch of conservatives.
via Washingtonpost
EPIC Challenges Facebook’s Manipulation of Users, Files FTC Complaint
EPIC – EPIC Challenges Facebook’s Manipulation of Users, Files FTC ComplaintEPIC Challenges Facebook’s Manipulation of Users, Files FTC Complaint EPIC has filed a formal complaint to the Federal Trade Commission concerning Facebook’s manipulation of users’ News Feeds for psychological research. “The company purposefully messed with people’s minds,” states the EPIC complaint. EPIC has charged that the study violates a privacy consent order and is a deceptive trade practice.
via Epic
NSA sued for hoarding details on use of ‘zero day’ exploits
NSA sued for hoarding details on use of ‘zero day’ exploitsAFP Photo / Paul J. Richards The National Security Agency has been hit with several lawsuits since leaks began to expose its spy programs last year. Now the latest legal challenge, filed this week, finds fault with the NSA for its unwillingness to explain its use of certain exploits.
via Rt
NYPD brutally arrest man on subway ‘for sleeping on way from work’
NYPD brutally arrest man on subway ‘for sleeping on way from work’ (VIDEO)A video has recorded a violent altercation erupting between a man on a New York City subway and police officers, who apparently arrested him for the crime of nodding off while commuting home for work. The incident occurs at the 57th street station stop in Manhattan in a mostly-empty carriage.
via Rt