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 Daily Headlines
By David Snieckus
Attorney Gernerals: Do NOT settle with Banks!
Exposing the money creation ability of banks and demanding that the Attorney Generals not settle with fraudulent bankers! By Jay Janson
Three GOP Presidentials Commit Crime Against Peace Under Nuremberg Principles  Mitt, Newt, Rick vow to bomb a foreign nation, a crime against peace indictable under Nuremberg Principles, which, when they was signed automatically became part of the US constitution. At Nuremberg, Nazi media personalities were indicted for promoting war. They stood alongside Nazi officials who ordered the wars and generals who executed criminal orders. Note:During Superbowl games the US is usually bombing poor people By Gareth Porter
A Dangerous Game on Iran  The Obama administration is engaged in complex diplomacy over Israel's possible attack on Iran, trying simultaneously to restrain Israel and use its military threat to pressure Iran on its nuclear program. But some maneuvers may work at cross purposes. By Chris Floyd
Runaway Train: Stop the War Against Iran -- Now  Almost every day brings some new barrage of fear-mongering lies and vaporous accusations from leading members of the Obama Administration and other nabobs at the top of the political-media elite, all of them aimed relentlessly at one goal: justifying military action against Iran. By Sherwood Ross
Is America a Police State?  You know you live in a police state when the president orders the assassination (i.e., murder) of American citizens without bothering to arrest them and bring them to trial. You know you live in a police state when police forces across the country attack unarmed and non-violent citizen protesters with pepper spray and clubs. Groundhog's Day and a "mild winter"
Climate Change and mild winters, hot summers, very hot summers, extremely hot summers, storms, droughts (fires), floods. Not at the end of the century, but mid century, a few years from now. By Trudy Lieberman
Jon Stewart Takes on Sebelius - What Madame Secretary didn't say
Trudy Lieberman covers the healthcare reform beat for The Columbia Journalism Review and often takes the mainstream media to task for its failure to adequately inform the public on this very important issue. In this column she gives credit where credit is due: To Jon Stewart for asking HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius some tough questions about The Affordable Care Act (sometimes referred to as "Obamcare") Stephen Colbert is winning the war against the Supreme Court and Citizens United  n the history of the Supreme Court, nothing has ever prepared the justices for the public opinion wrecking ball that is Stephen Colbert. The comedian/presidential candidate/super PAC founder has probably done more to undermine public confidence in the court's 2010 Citizens United opinion than anyone, including the dissenters. In this contest, the high court is supremely outmatched. By Stephen Lendman
America's Racist Drug Laws
Criminal injustice is pervasive, especially against people of color. By Robert Bostick
Strange Fruit Redux?
Rove and Norquist fighting Voter fraud or promoting voter suppression to even the odds, while at the same time risking social discontent over the disenfranchisement of some and the benefit of others in a tinder box of economic and social deprivation. Egypt to prosecute Americans, including Sam LaHood, in NGO probe  The Egyptian government intends to prosecute at least 40 people, including some U.S. citizens, as part of an investigation into nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign funding, state media reported Sunday. I Will Not Be Pinkwashed: Komen's Race Is For Money, Not Cure
Outrageous salaries, drug company ties, and less than a dime of every dollar looks for a cure. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a multimillion-dollar company with assets totaling over $390 million. Only 20.9% of these funds were reportedly used in the 2009-2010 fiscal year for research "for the cure." Where does the rest of the money go? Let's have a look. Health screening is 13.0%. Treatment is 5.6%. Fundraising is 10.0%. The largest chunk of the pie is going toward "public health education," 39.1%. More on that later, but for now I'd like to take a look at the millions, or 11.3%, spent on "administrative costs." By Nancy Tobi
NH Secretary of State Tries to Remove AG oversight of SoS  The latest in a series of actions taken by the NH Secretary of State to expand his powers at the expense of election integrity and voting rights. By Tom Engelhardt
Kicking Down the World's Door  Onshore, American power in the twenty-first century proved a disaster. Offshore, with Washington in control of the global seas and skies, with its ability to kick down the world's doors and strike just about anywhere without a by-your-leave or thank-you-ma'am, it hopes for better. By David Glenn Cox
Sometimes  I am in Astoria Oregon sitting in a house overlooking the bay and it is a beautiful site to see. The town is picturesque, like a postcard and here at least, I've yet to see anyone dumpster diving or hand lettering signs to beg for food. I saw them all yesterday on the way up here, Latest Articles
Open-Minded to a Fault
Liberals are too open-minded for their own good. They make a vice out of a virtue when they allow their open-mindedness to become their sole virtue, even when dealing with close-minded people who will bully them into sounding weak by prudently considering all sides of an issue. They need to stand up for themselves and for all those who are depending on them to beat back the conservative onslaught. Komen Slapped for Right-Wing Extremism The debacle of the decision by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation not to fund joint ventures with Planned Parenthood caused a huge defeat for the organization. The reprehensible behavior of the board inserted religiously motivated politics into the issue of women's health care and showed once again the mania of the right's attempts to enforce its dictates on the consciences of all Americans. Heading for War on Syria
Washington's longstanding policy is regime change in Iran and Syria. At issue is replacing independent regimes with client ones and securing unchallenged control of valued Middle East resources. The New American Police State
There are few, if any, areas left of a citizen's life in which the Federal government cannot probe. There is no citizen in the nation upon which the government cannot spy, remove from his or her abode and incarcerate indefinitely or for life in military detention. This article provides just a glance at some of the many areas in which a despotic government seeks to control its citizens as well as dominate the world. Why the AGs Must Not Settle: Robo-signing Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg  A foreclosure settlement between five major banks guilty of "robo-signing" and the attorneys general of the 50 states is pending for Monday, February 6 th ; but it is still not clear if all the AGs will sign. Antibiotics Injected Directly into Eggs and Big Pharma Secrets  There is no scientific evidence that antibiotics used in food animals have any significant impact on the effectiveness of antibiotics in people," deadpans the Animal Health Institute, representing Abbott, Bayer, Elanco/Lilly, Merck, Novartis and Pfizer in a brochure. Where are Romney's Blacks?
An NAACP notable, that is a local NAACP branch notable in Texas, praised GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul to the skies after the barrage of attacks on Paul for the racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic digs in his Ron Paul Survival Report newsletter. Herman Cain endorsed Paul rival Newt Gingrich. Russia and China Veto Syria Resolution
Shortly before 1PM EST, Reuters headlined, "Russia, China veto UN resolution telling Assad to quit. City of Brotherly Love Event Promotes War and Hate
On February 2, notorious hatemonger Alan Dershowitz keynoted a Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP)/Hillel of Greater Philadelphia "Evening of Unity & Community Solidarity" with Israel. Dershowitz Attacks Penn BDS Conference; Next In Line, The United Methodist Church  During his talk, Dershowitz' comment that the UN is a "house of hypocrisy" was greeted by loud cheers and applause. Also in his speech, Dershowitz charged: "BDS hypocrites [are] interested in de-legitimizing Israel." The Betrayal of the Nobel Peace Prize
Alfred Nobel's will, written in 1895, left funding for a prize to be awarded to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." Newt Gingrich: the spawn of Citizens United  Justice Kennedy, meet Sheldon Adelson -- a product of your cluelessness about how real politics work. For years, this casino baron has spent lavishly on right-wing front groups to advance his personal agenda, including pouring money into Newt Gingrich. US Business and Government Colluding to Fill American Jobs with Foreign Workers?  The practical implications of the State Department's conduct is that every U.S employer can now hire as many foreign workers as they desire to replace all American workers. U.S. business is "gaming the system." If no one is talking about the issue of importing immigrants to take American jobs away from Americans, then there is no problem. Will you stand with me to save the American Dream? The American Dilemma  The Quaker Seminary is facing a serious challenge here. It has to decide whether to stand up for its precious principles or surrender to mammon seeking and face total moral bankruptcy. Interestingly enough, America faces the exact same dilemma. It has to choose between a fight for freedom or total surrender to a foreign materialist ideology conveyed by AIPAC, ADL and other Zionist warmongers. Mitt Romney's Man on Iran  As tensions between Israel and Iran rise to unprecedented levels, and Israel's leadership beseeches the US to join a military strike on Iran, Eliot Cohen's visions of regime change seem closer to realization than ever before. For him and the neoconservative policy elite, a Romney victory in November might deliver the next "big prize." Exposed: The Arab agenda in Syria
The report points to shady armed gangs as responsible for hundreds of deaths among Syrian civilians, and over 1,000 among the Syrian army, using lethal tactics such as bombing of civilian buses, bombing of trains carrying diesel oil, bombing of police buses and bombing of bridges and pipelines. Return of Cheney's One Percent Doctrine  ust as happened before the Iraq War, those who want to bomb Iran are scaring the American people with made-up scenarios about grave dangers ahead, new warnings as ludicrous as the "mushroom cloud" tales that panicked the U.S. public a decade ago. In The "Real Non-Propaganda World," Does Iran Constitute a Nuclear Menace?  As we all know only too well, the United States and Israel would hate to see Iran possessing nuclear weapons. Being "the only nuclear power in the Middle East" is a great card for Israel to have in its hand. But -- in the real, non-propaganda world -- is USrael actually fearful of an attack from a nuclear-armed Iran? The Beginning of the End for the U.S. Dollar as the World Reserve Currency  Dark times lie ahead for the U.S. dollar as its future as the world's reserve currency looks to be in great jeopardy. For more than 50 years the U.S. dollar has been the chief monetary instrument used by the nations of the world to facilitate trade. But the times are changing and many of these nations, with China at the forefront, are finalizing trade agreements that utilize only their own currencies. Your Future and the Justice Party  This is a highly summarized version of the interview that Rob Kall did with Rocky Anderson, Presidential Candidate via the newly-formed Justice Party, about two weeks ago. If you missed that, or couldn't get to it all, I recommend this summary.  Best News Links from the Web
Mumia Abu-Jamal: The Picture  Prison officials in Pennsylvania do not allow photos of death row and do not allow contact between prisoners and visitors. Mumia Abu-Jamal just got both: a photo and several contact visits with family and supporters, after finally winning transfer to a general prison, ten years after the lifting of his death sentence. Ari Fleischer to advise Susan G. Komen charity on Planned Parenthood PR disaster
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer will help the Susan G. Komen foundation deal with its decision to halt grants to Planned Parenthood and the subsequent PR disaster, according to the Washington Post. Vatican astronomer says Big Bang theory in tune with creation history  "The Big Bang is not in contradiction with the faith," Father Jose Gabriel Funes said... Fr Funes told CNA at the event that the Big Bang explanation "is the best theory we have right now about the creation of the universe." The theory holds that creation began some 14 billion years ago with a colossal explosion in which space, time, energy and matter were created, and galaxies, stars and planets - which are in continual expansion - came to be... Ultimately, Catholics "should see the cosmos as a gift of God" and should "admire the beauty that exists in the universe." "This beauty we see in some way leads us to the beauty of the creator," he said. "And also, because God has granted us intelligence and reason, we can find the logos, that rational explanation that exists in the universe that allows us to engage in science as well." The Big "Bang" was a Seed; the "explosion" was a sprouting. Maureen Dowd: The Great Man's Wife  IF you want to figure out why Newt Gingrich is still out there grasping for lost power, howling at the moon like King Lear, look to Callista. You can find her anytime standing statue-still on stage next to Newt as he speaks, gazing at him with such frozen attentiveness that she could give a master class to Nancy Reagan. Police, some on horseback, clear Occupy DC protesters  Police removed protesters as they confiscated bedding and most tents on Saturday from an "Occupy" protest site just blocks from the White House, enforcing a no-camping rule for the public McPherson Square they had ignored for months. Occupy demonstrators called the action a "full force eviction" and said the police had beaten them with batons and pushed them out so violently that several people were trampled. Top Of The Pyramid Billionaires, Secretly Buying The 2012 Election  The injustice of the supremely wealthy is not that they drive better cars or live in better homes. The injustice of the supremely wealthy is that they became supremely wealthy at the expense of millions of Americans. The injustice of the supremely wealthy is that thanks to new rules, such as Citizen's United, they are able to change the rules in a way that will benefit just a handful of Americans and drive millions into poverty or permanent serfdom. Europe Rises Up Against ACTA - Outbreaks Overwhelming
The widespread protests against the anti-democracy bill ACTA by the Polish people have forced Poland's prime minister to stall -- or perhaps even back out -- of the treaty. As TechDirt notes: Following the growing protests about ACTA in Europe, as well as signs of US meddling, Poland's prime minister is making it clear that Poland will not ratify ACTA for the time being, leading to speculation that the EU may not actually join ACTA. Tusk's backtracking could spell the end of ACTA for the entire European Union. If Poland or any other EU member state, or the European Parliament itself, fails to ratify the document, it becomes null and void across the union. As it stands, there are already five member countries that have not even signed ACTA. "I share the opinions of those who from the beginning said that consultations were not complete," Tusk said, according to a report... UPDATE: Komen confirms continued involvement of Ari Fleischer on Planned Parenthood strategy
Yesterday, ThinkProgress exclusively reported Ari Fleischer's involvement -- dating back at least to December -- with the Komen Foundation, including issues related to Planned Parenthood. Tonight, the Washington Post reports that Komen is now publicly confirming that Fleischer, a prominent right-wing pundit and former press secretary for George W. Bush, will help "on crisis communications" related to Planned Parenthood. Komen stressed that Fleischer, who is a long-time critic of Planned Parenthood, "had nothing to do with the funding decision." The abortion that Mitt doesn't talk about anymore - Family donated to Planned Parenthood
His young relative died tragically in an illegal abortion in 1963: Her untold story -- and what it means for Romney Susan G. Komen's priceless gift  A radical decision woke the country up to an alarming rightward drift, and gave new life to women's health advocacy Afghan civilian deaths rise for 5th straight year to record high  Afghan civilian casualties have reached a grim new milestone, with a record 3,021 noncombatants killed in wartime violence last year, the United Nations said in a report released Saturday. The toll for 2011 represented an 8% increase from the previous year and marked the fifth year in a row that the number of noncombatant deaths and injuries has risen. Komen Halted Funding for $12 Million in Stem Cell Research Like We Wouldn't Notice [UPDATED]  Now, that Susan G. Komen for the Cure has sufficiently pissed off progressives, they've changed course and reinstated existing grants to Planned Parenthood, pissing off the anti-abortion crew they'd initially been trying to appease. But before Komen was loudly defunding-- and then reinstating funding for-- Planned Parenthood, they were stealthily defunding organizations that associate with embryonic stem cell research. And the financial damage from this iteration of their pro-life ideology totals in the millions. When Komen messed with Planned Parenthood, they messed with an organization with millions of vocal supporters tired of seeing the health care provider being politically stigmatized. But when Komen's newly Karen Handel flavored muscle messed with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Kansas, the US National Cancer Institute, the Society for Women's... Russia and China Block U.N. Action on Syrian Crisis  A United Nations Security Council effort to end the violence in Syria collapsed in acrimony with a double veto by Russia and China on Saturday, hours after the Syrian military attacked the city of Homs in what opposition leaders described as the deadliest government assault in the nearly 11-month uprising. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange awaits court decision on extradition  Grave precedents are being set by the persecution of Julian Assange. Were the Supreme Court to reject Assange's appeal, he could be extradited to Sweden within days. From there he could face possible extradition and prosecution on terrorism charges in the United States, with which Sweden has a "temporary surrender" agreement. Bradley Manning: US general orders court martial for WikiLeaks suspect  all charges against Bradley Manning were referred to a general court martial on Friday. The referral means Manning, 24, will stand trial for allegedly giving more than 700,000 secret US documents and a classified combat video to WikiLeaks for publication. He faces 22 counts, including aiding the enemy, and could be imprisoned for life if convicted of that charge. ANALYSIS: Obama Reproductive Health Reg Mirrors State Conscience Protections
The Catholic Bishops and their Republican allies argue that the Obama administration's regulation requiring insurers and employers to offer reductive health coverage at no additional cost sharing is an "unprecedented attack on religious liberties" that will force houses of worships to sacrifice deeply held beliefs. In reality, the rule, part of the Affordable Care Act, exempts houses of worship and other religious nonprofits that primarily employ and serve people of the same faith. But religious groups contend that its conscience protections are too narrow. A closer examination of the Obama provision, however, reveals that the conscience language closely mirrors the existing provisions in at least five states. Twenty-eight states already require employers, including most religiously affiliated institutions, to cover contraception... Indiana Sec. of State Convicted On Voter Fraud Charges
The long saga of Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White (R) isn't over yet -- but it now it includes a conviction on 6 felony charges. White, the top elections official in his state, was indicted last March on charges that he lied about where he lived to remain on the voter rolls in the Fishers, IN district where he served on the city council along with other related charges. On Friday, he was convicted on 6 out of 7 felony charges and was immediately replaced by a new interim director. The Indianapolis Star reports that the conviction may not be the end of this time at the top of the state's electoral law enforcement strucuture.
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