Month: April 2016

House Panel Approves Measure To Require Women To Register For Draft

by

ranger-school-packs-600

– Congress Fixes “Sexist” Draft – Votes To Require Women To Register For Selection:

With all the problems facing America – both at home and abroad – The House Armed Services Committee decided on Wednesday to solve one of the nation’s crucial “problems” – a “sexist draft.”

As Military.com reports on Wednesday the committee approved (by a narrow margin) an amendment to a defense bill to require women to register for the draft.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican from California, proposed the amendment to lift the restriction on women registering for the selective service at a committee-wide mark-up session of the proposed fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

Read moreHouse Panel Approves Measure To Require Women To Register For Draft

Did Bernie Sanders Just Go Full Establishment?

by

All candidates are “full establishment” …

… and Hillary is the worst of them all.

You have no choice. None.

Bernie-Drone-kill-list

– Did Bernie Sanders Just Go Full Establishment?:

Comments made by Bernie Sanders this week may just have blindsided and disillusioned swathes of his support base.

Some of those with higher expectations of the ‘peacenik’ candidate breathed a collective sigh of disappointment after he endorsed Obama’s extrajudicial drone assassination program.

At the same time, the Democratic candidate backed the recent deployment of 250 U.S. troops to further death and destruction in Syria. During the town hall meeting at Philadelphia’s National Constitution centre, he told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes that the people of the United States have a right to defend themselves. The warmongering endorsement, which could have easily slid under the radar, was slotted into a much wider discussion that included vote-winners like Planned Parenthood, violence against women, marijuana, and gun control.

Read moreDid Bernie Sanders Just Go Full Establishment?

“No Brainer” – Carl Icahn Dumps Entire Stake Of AAPL

by

– “No Brainer” – Carl Icahn Dumps Entire Stake Of AAPL:

And just like that the “no brainer” party’s over. Remember when in January 2014 Carl Icahn laid out his extensive thesis on why being long AAPL is the best investment out there?  Or when a little over a year later, hoping for even more stock buybacks (even as he was decrying short term activism) he boosted his price target on AAPL to $240?  All that is now over and moments ago Carl Icahn admitted that the hedge fund hotel holding AAPL stocks, which consisted of 163 hedge funds as of December 31, has one less member, and he has sold his entire Apple position.

…

* * *

PayPal: Donate in USD
PayPal: Donate in EUR
PayPal: Donate in GBP

What Americans Spent The Most Money On In Q1

by

Q1 spending

– What Americans Spent The Most Money On In Q1:

As reported moments ago, Q1 GDP which came at just 0.5% growth, was a lousy number in which virtually every component besides personal spending (and government) subtracted from growth. In fact, in nominal terms, Q1 GDP grew only $22.2 billion annualized, of which personal consumption was more than double, or $52.5 billion.

But what did Americans spend money on in Q1? To our surprise, Healthcare, Obamacare was no longer what soaked up most Americans’ cash in the first quarter (nonetheless, it was a runner up with $10.8 billion in spending).

Read moreWhat Americans Spent The Most Money On In Q1

David Stockman: Anything Trumps Hillary

by

– Anything Trumps Hillary:

It’s all over except the shouting. That is, the primary election season effectively ended last night and now the actual shouting match between Hillary and The Donald begins.

This will surely be the most entertaining election in US history, and probably the most pointless, too. After all, Hillary wants to use government to make Government Great Again. And Trump promises to use government to make America Great Again.

But government doesn’t make anything great, including itself. It is a necessary evil that always and everywhere is driven toward self-aggrandizement and mission creep by the politicians and special interest lobbies which control its operations.

Read moreDavid Stockman: Anything Trumps Hillary

China “Wealth Manager” Disappears With $154 MILLION

by

– China “Wealth Manager” Disappears With $154 Million:

As China’s credit fueled craziness rages on, individual “investors” have been tripping over themselves trying to get in on a piece of the action, opening up enough brokerage accounts for every man, woman, and child in LA and pouring hard earned money into “investment” opportunities such as P2P funds.

This has of course lead people to game the system, recall Ezubao’s $7.6 billion P2P ponzi scheme that led to the arrest of 21 people earlier this year, and more recently the shuttering of Zhongjin Capital Management, which also led to 21 arrests on charges of suspicion of illegal fundraising.

Read moreChina “Wealth Manager” Disappears With $154 MILLION

Greek Default Looms In July After EU Rejects Greek Emergency Summit

by

– Greek Default Looms In July After EU Rejects Greek Emergency Summit:

More Greece “Uncertainty”: Default Looms in July, EU Rejects Greek Emergency Summit

Those who thought the situation in Greece was solved after prime minister Alexis Tsipras suddenly caved in to creditors’ demands need think again.

Greek tax revenues are running well under expectations. A default looms in July unless the creditors give more money to Greece so that Greece can pay back the creditors. As convoluted as that sounds, that’s precisely the way this madness works.

Read moreGreek Default Looms In July After EU Rejects Greek Emergency Summit

Japanese Bloodbath After BoJ Disappoints – Nikkei Drops 1000 Points, USDJPY Crashes

by

– Japanese Bloodbath After BoJ Disappoints – Nikkei Drops 1000 Points, USDJPY Crashes:

If there was a sign that nothing else matters but central bank largess, this was it. The moment The Bank of Japan statement hit and proclaims “unchanged” a vacuum hit USDJPY and Japanese stocks. Reflecting that Japan’s economy has “continued a moderate recovery trend” which is utter crap given the quintuple-dip recession, Kuroda and his cronies said they will “add easing if necessary” and apparently that is not now. Not so much as a higher ETF purchase or moar NIRP.. and the aftermath is carnage – NKY -1000 points and USDJPY crashed to a 108 handle!!

 …

* * *

PayPal: Donate in USD
PayPal: Donate in EUR
PayPal: Donate in GBP

China successfully tests nuclear-capable hypersonic missile

by

– China successfully tests nuclear-capable hypersonic missile – Pentagon sources:

China successfully carried out a flight test of its state-of-the-art high-speed maneuvering warhead last week, sources in the Pentagon said. The trial took place just days after a hypersonic glider was reportedly tested by Russia.

The DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle was launch on Friday by a ballistic missile fired from the Wuzhai site in central China, unnamed US military officials told the Washington Free Beacon website.

Read moreChina successfully tests nuclear-capable hypersonic missile

Russia’s Top TV Host Kiselyov Ridicules Merkel And Erdogan On Weekly Show (Video):

by

– Russia’s Top TV Host Kiselyov Ridicules Merkel and Erdogan on Weekly Show (Video):

And gives a big plug to one of Germany’s leading alternative publications

Lately, Frau Merkel is everyone’s favorite punching bag.   For Russian state media, she is a staple of almost daily abuse.

The woman is roundly hated throughout Russia for her mind-boggling moral and financial support of the government in Kiev which waged, and continues to wage a vicious military campaign against civilians in Eastern Ukraine, with her very vocal, even giddy, encouragement.

German military estimate the casualties on both sides exceed 70,000 troops and civilians, with three times that number wounded, and let’s not forget the 1 million refugees, and the 4-5 million shoved in to wrenching poverty in the war zone.

Did we mention she was a strong favorite for the Nobel Peace Prize?

https://youtu.be/7NqeLK9rchA

Well at least TIME magazine, a neocon cesspool, was sufficiently impressed.  They made her “Man” of the year, cause, they think she is a real hero.  Seriously, here is part of their explanation:

Read moreRussia’s Top TV Host Kiselyov Ridicules Merkel And Erdogan On Weekly Show (Video):

Chemo child abuse: Connecticut FORCED 17-year old girl to have chemotherapy without her consent… now her cancer is back

by

Man-Upset-Cry-Cancer-Patient-Chemotherapy

– Chemo child abuse: Connecticut FORCED 17-year old girl to have chemotherapy without her consent… now her cancer is back:

Cassandra Callender, of Windsor Locks, Conn., was diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was 17 years old. Shortly after the diagnosis in September 2014, she refused chemotherapy, and decided to look into alternative treatments to protect her body from long-term effects such as organ damage and infertility.

However, the state of Connecticut forced her into getting treatment against her own and her mother’s will. Her doctors said she would likely die without chemotherapy, and reported her case as child abuse to the Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families (DCF), who took her case to the state Superior Court.

Read moreChemo child abuse: Connecticut FORCED 17-year old girl to have chemotherapy without her consent… now her cancer is back

Officials for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are trying to determine if a second giant tank containing radioactive waste from the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons is leaking

by
Hanford

– Officials for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are trying to determine if a second giant tank containing radioactive waste from the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons is leaking:

SPOKANE, Washington — Officials for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are trying to determine if a second giant underground tank containing radioactive waste from the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons is leaking, the U.S. Department of Energy revealed on Tuesday.

Air monitors attached to an aging tank known as AY-101 recently found radiation at higher than normal background levels, the agency said.

Read moreOfficials for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are trying to determine if a second giant tank containing radioactive waste from the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons is leaking

Boy, 14, armed with replica pistol is shot by Baltimore police

by

– Boy, 14, armed with replica pistol is shot by Baltimore police:

A 14-year-old boy armed with a replica gun was shot and wounded by a Baltimore police officer Wednesday afternoon.

The teen, later identified by the Baltimore Sun as Dedric Colvin, ran when approached by two undercover police officers driving an unmarked police car shortly after 4 p.m., the authorities said.

He is expected to survive after being hit in the leg and the shoulder.

…

* * *

PayPal: Donate in USD
PayPal: Donate in EUR
PayPal: Donate in GBP

Mumps Outbreak Among Vaccinated Harvard Students

by

Vaccine-Money-Symbol

– The latest disease outbreak among vaccinated Harvard students highlights the truth about vaccine failures:

In case you hadn’t heard, there is something going on at the Harvard University campus that isn’t supposed to happen: There is a widening outbreak of mumps, and all the students who have contracted the disease thus far had already been vaccinated for the disease.

As reported by CNN, the most recent mumps outbreak began with a whimper in February, after two students were confirmed to have developed the disease. But within a few weeks, the number grew to 16, then 30, and now there are about 40 students with confirmed cases of mumps.

Read moreMumps Outbreak Among Vaccinated Harvard Students

EU In Trouble As Eurosceptic Parties Gain In Strength

by

From the article:

“We are not very popular when we advocate for Europe.”

How come?

Here are some Jean-Claude Juncker quotes:

“When it becomes serious, you have to lie.”

“We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don’t understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back.”

“If it’s a Yes, we will say ‘on we go’, and if it’s a No we will say ‘we continue’.”

“There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties.”

“Monetary policy is a serious issue. We should discuss this in secret, in the Eurogroup […] I’m ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic, but I want to be serious […] I am for secret, dark debates.”

– EU in trouble as Eurosceptic parties gain in strength:

VIENNA (AP) — Even before a vehemently anti-EU party won strong support in Austria, the European Union’s top official acknowledged that the 28-nation bloc was in trouble. “We are facing very tough times,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told parliamentarians this month. “We are not very popular when we advocate for Europe.”

Those comments were reinforced just days later with the victory Sunday of an anti-EU right-wing party in the first round of Austria’s presidential election. Such parties are growing in strength and putting European unity under siege. Instead of moving closer toward the founding nations’ ultimate goal of “an ever-closer union,” the EU faces disconnect and drift as populists blame it for much of the continent’s ills.

Read moreEU In Trouble As Eurosceptic Parties Gain In Strength

Greece: Several Injured As Riot Erupts At Moria Refugee Centre (Video)

by

Apr 26, 2016

Description:

Several refugees were injured after riots broke out at Moria refugee centre on Lesbos island, Tuesday, with refugees setting rubbish cans on fire and throwing stones at police, who in turn responded with tear gas. Reports from inside the centre state that the violence was sparked by authorities striking a minor.

The unrest started in a section of the camp where mostly minors are kept before spreading across the entire space. Columns of black smoke could be seen rising from the camp, prompting a deployment of the fire brigade.

* * *

PayPal: Donate in USD
PayPal: Donate in EUR
PayPal: Donate in GBP

The Privatization of Water in Detroit. Massive Water Shut-Offs

by

– The Privatization of Water in Detroit. Massive Water Shut-Offs:

Thousands of households are being subjected to ongoing terminations

Despite the business media praise of the actual program of dislocation and underdevelopment aimed at long-time residents disguised as “revitalization”, the City of Detroit is slated to embark upon a new round of massive water shut-offs.

Read moreThe Privatization of Water in Detroit. Massive Water Shut-Offs

Germany confirms departure of spy agency chief

by

– Germany confirms departure of spy agency chief:

The German government confirmed on Wednesday that Gerhard Schindler, the head of the BND foreign intelligence agency, would leave his post two years early but provided no reason for the surprise change.

In a short statement, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff Peter Altmaier said Schindler, who has run the BND since 2012 and is not due to retire until 2018, would be replaced on July 1 by Bruno Kahl, an official in the finance ministry responsible for privatizations and government real estate.

“The BND faces major challenges over the coming years, encompassing all aspects of its work,” Altmaier said.

Read moreGermany confirms departure of spy agency chief

Ted Cruz to Name Carly Fiorina as His Running Mate

by

– Ted Cruz to Name Carly Fiorina as His Running Mate

And she did a “great” job at HP …

– Yale professor on Carly Fiorina’s business record: She ‘destroyed half the wealth of her investors yet still earned almost $100 million’:

But Fiorina better be careful because her biggest business achievement, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, is widely regarded as a disaster.

She has been frequently called out as one of the “worst” CEOs.

In an article about worst CEOs in USA Today in 2005, Yale business Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld said that Fiorina was “the worst because of her ruthless attack on the essence of this great company. … She destroyed half the wealth of her investors and yet still earned almost $100 million in total payments for this destructive reign of terror.”

An excellent choice!

* * *

PayPal: Donate in USD
PayPal: Donate in EUR
PayPal: Donate in GBP

‘ISIS Has Terror Cells In England’ – US Intelligence Chief

by

– ‘ISIS Has Terror Cells In England’ – US Intelligence Chief:

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) has actively “plotting” terror cells in England and other European nations, according to US director of Intelligence James Clapper.

Clapper told the audience at a Christian Science Monitor event in Washington DC on Monday that their presence “was a concern of obviously ours and our European allies.”

“We continue to see evidence of plotting on the part of ISIL in the countries you name.” Italy, Germany and the UK had been mentioned.

…

* * *

PayPal: Donate in USD
PayPal: Donate in EUR
PayPal: Donate in GBP

CIA-Backed Artificial Intelligence Firm To Spy on Wall Street Traders

by

– CIA-Backed Artificial Intelligence Firm To Spy on Wall Street Traders:

Swiss multinational bank, Credit Suisse, will collaborate with data analysis firm, Palantir, to launch a trader surveillance program. According to Bloomberg’s Jeffrey Voegeli, the joint venture, called Signac, aims to catch rogue Wall Streeters engaged in illegal trading. It comes in the wake of a number of trading scandals in recent years that have cost banks billions of dollars.

Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel and seed-funded by the CIA. The company was funded in part by In-Q-Tel Inc., the venture capital investment arm of the CIA that has a long, symbiotic history with startups, the NSA, the FBI, and DARPA. In fact, In-Q-Tel specifically funds tech start-ups “to advance ‘priority’ technologies of value” in the intelligence community. The group has ties to Donald Rumsfeld’s Total Information Awareness initiative and is believed by some to have worked closely with Google in its earliest years.

Read moreCIA-Backed Artificial Intelligence Firm To Spy on Wall Street Traders

Apple Suicide: Man With Head Wound Found Dead At Apple Headquarters Conference Room; Gun Found Nearby

by

– Apple Suicide: Man With Head Wound Found Dead At Apple Headquarters Conference Room; Gun Found Nearby:

Update: according to ABC’s Matt Keller, the dead person found in a conference room at Apple Headquarters was a man. A gun was found nearby.

Reuters adds that according to the East Bay Times newspaper reported that an emergency call was made at 8:35 a.m. from Apple’s campus in Cupertino and that the victim, who had suffered a head wound, was pronounced dead at the scene.  Local television station KTVU said investigators from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office were en route to the scene.

Read moreApple Suicide: Man With Head Wound Found Dead At Apple Headquarters Conference Room; Gun Found Nearby