Saturday, January 9, 2010

Egyptian Police Attack Nonviolent Gaza Freedom Marchers

Egyptian Police Attack Nonviolent Gaza Freedom Marchers

I had the great honor of being a part of the Gaza Freedom March; over 1,200 men and women from at least 42 varied nations around the world standing together against Israeli apartheid. Our mission was to stand by our Palestinian brethren in solidarity on the one year anniversary of Operation Cast Lead,which claimed 1,400 innocent lives in Gaza.

Though we were barred from entering Gaza by the complicit Egyptian government this did not stop us from holding our own solidarity march on the streets of Cairo in front of the Museum.

I marched alongside hundreds upon hundreds of men and women and faced abuse by Egyptian riot police while showing not a single iota of violence towards the officials. We were all there to be nonviolent and even as we faced bruising blows to our faces,arms,backs etc we did not falter and remained nonviolent.

I was personally slapped across the face and shoved onto my back then dragged by my hair across the street – I did nothing to deserve the abuse but would face this event again with a smile on my face simply because of the cause I had marched for: Palestine.

The following is exclusive footage taken while at the march – more will follow as time permits. If you wish to repost any video I have uploaded I would appreciate a formal request which would include the site it will be posted on and credit back to PoliticalTheatrics.

  • Share/Bookmark

Why is WBZ Covering Up Critical 9-11 Evidence?

Why is WBZ covering up critical 9-11 evidence?

Updated 8/29/09

PTech investigation proves too hot to handle, for some at WBZ

Former I-Team reporter Joe Bergantino was set in 2002 to expose a major 9-11 bomb shell, until WBZ management got a call from the government
August 23, 2009

by Rich Aucoin

In early 2002, Manhattan risk architect Indira Singh was innocently helping JP Morgan Chase find a reputable software company that could help them update their security needs for a post-911 world, when she accidentally discovered that an alleged Saudi terrorist named Yassin Al-Kadi was running a tiny software company out of Quincy, MA, called PTech.

The most shocking part of Singh's discovery was PTech's unbelievable client roster, which included:
The FAA, the USAF, the CIA, FBI, DoJ, Dept of Energy, Customs, Enron, NATO, the Secret Service, and even the White House.

Singh immediately phoned the Boston office of the FBI to notify them that an accused terrorist had gained backdoor access to the highest levels of the U.S. government, but month after month passed by with no apparent action being taken against PTech, until Singh was finally forced to question whether PTech was being protected.

Growing increasingly nervous, Singh began notifying every local, state and federal authority she could think of. But not only did her screaming from the rooftops accomplish almost nothing, she even lost her job at JP Morgan after her bosses there (who evidently enjoyed a considerable Saudi client base) told her to drop the issue, or else.

It quickly became apparent to Singh that she'd stumbled upon a key element of the 9-11 story that was aggressively being covered up by the government, for if the story of PTech's software were to get out, then many, many dots would start being connected regarding how 19 cave dwellers armed only with box cutters had somehow outfoxed the most sophisticated and impenetrable defense systems in the world.

Feeling abandoned and terrified, Singh went to legendary WBZ I-Team reporter Joe Bergantino in May of '02, primarily to ensure that her story would at least be made public, in case something happened to her. Bergantino took her allegations seriously and commissioned a four-month investigation in Washington, DC to verify her story. Not only did Bergantino's team verify Singh's story, they told her afterward that PTech's terrorism connections ran far deeper than even she knew.

Bergantino planned to run his bombshell story on 9/11/02, but the station reportedly was "asked" by "authorities" to hold off, for "national security reasons." (Singh claims to possess proof that WBZ was ordered by the Bush/Cheney White House to drop the investigation).

On December 6th, 2002, PTech's Quincy office was finally raided by the FBI -- but only after the company had had months of warnings that a raid might be coming -- and the White House immediately issued a statement saying the FBI had goofed, that Al Qadi was a swell guy.

Fast forward six years to 2008: Bergantino leaves WBZ while still waiting for FBI's final conclusions about PTech

Bergantino left WBZ in 2008 to take a job at Boston University, where he continued to sit on his PTech evidence, pending the outcome of the FBI's own investigation. His long wait finally ended in July, 2009, when the PTech indictments finally came down.

After all its years of investigating, the FBI had managed to charge PTech's terror suspect merely with loan fraud. That's it! Loan fraud!!! Not a word about how a tiny software startup somehow amassed such incredibly intimate, under-the-hood access to our national security systems! Not a single question about whether Ptech's magical software had played a role in the unprecedented and inexplicable failures of 9-11. Poor Joe Bergantino; after waiting nearly seven years to see the fruits of the FBI's investigation -- which had been the government's justification for "asking" him to sit on his own evidence -- and all he gets is loan fraud??!!!

It appears that Joe Bergantino has been robbed of a once-in-a-lifetime bombshell Exclusive that could have been his Pentagon-Papers career moment. He could have been THE guy to blow the lid off the 9-11 coverup, and early on, too, before its foul-tasting "Patriot" Act could be jammed down our throats and before the Bush cabal could sell its bogus Iraq war in 2003. Bergantino's story could have ended the Afghanistan war before it killed large numbers of US soldiers needlessly. But it wasn't to be. The government's sheer determination to protect PTech, as confirmed now by these sham indictments, stole it all away from Bergantino -- and us.

Indira's Burden

Indira Singh was lucky, in retrospect. She'd had the luxury of unloading her terrible Ptech burden on Joe Bergantino back in 2002. His courage and willingness to investigate her explosive claims may well have saved her life, as he managed at least to expose the Ptech controversy.

But now that her burden has been transferred to Bergantino's shoulders, where can he turn? Who will take his story seriously? Who will stand by him?

Evidently not his former bosses at WBZ

All the available evidence shows that WBZ knows at least as much about PTech as Bergantino knows. So it is now their turn to step up to the plate for Bergantino, the way he did for Indira Singh in her hour of need. But, so far, WBZ is staying eerily silent about PTech, leaving poor Joe hanging out to dry.

Write or call WBZ and ask them to release ALL the details of their I-Team investigation from June to September of 2002. Ask them to stand behind the best investigative reporter in WBZ's history. Call channel 5 and channel 7. Tell them that their CBS rival is covering up a major element of 9-11. Give them the PTech scoop.

Indira Singh's PTech discovery has been dubbed: "the one golden thread you pull on and the whole 9-11 story unravels." That is precisely why Bergantino's old-school journalism had to be muzzled by his corporate bosses at WBZ.

WBZ management must do the right thing by Joe Bergantino, and by America.. They must tell ALL they know about PTech. Now.

Watch Indira Singh's PTech testimony at 2004's 9/11 Citizens' Commission here.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4861158466699324733&hl=en#

For a more in-depth look at Singh's amazing story, download the MP3 audio interview here.
http://corbettreport.com/index.php?i=Documentation&ii=88

Employment Drops by 85,000

Many were expecting December to show a mild payroll decrease, or perhaps an increase in jobs. Not so.

Nonfarm payroll employment fell by 85,000 in December, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 10.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment fell in construction, manufacturing, and wholesale trade, while temporary help services and health care added jobs.

Unemployment rates for the major worker groups--adult men (10.2 percent),adult women (8.2 percent), teenagers (27.1 percent), whites (9.0 percent), blacks (16.2 percent), and Hispanics (12.9 percent)--showed little change inDecember. The unemployment rate for Asians was 8.4 percent, not seasonally
adjusted.

Among the unemployed, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) continued to trend up, reaching 6.1 million. In December, 4 in 10 unemployed workers were jobless for 27 weeks or longer.

The civilian labor force participation rate fell to 64.6 percent in December. The employment-population ratio declined to 58.2 percent.

Vancouver confronts homeless problem in run-up to Winter Games

VANCOUVER, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vancouver stepped up its efforts to confront its homeless problem on Tuesday when it opened the second of four temporary shelters scheduled to be operational before the city hosts the Winter Olympics next month.

With the re-opening of a 40-bed shelter under a downtown bridge in downtown Vancouver, a site closed last summer after complaints of drug abuse, fighting and noise, the West Coast city is planning to add an additional 160 beds in all.

The move is part of Vancouver's "Winter Response Plan" that will see the four "Homeless Emergency Action Team" shelters, supplementing three existing HEAT shelters that have been open since December 2008.

The additional beds, which will raise the total number available to 1,250 when all seven shelters are operational, will be opened through a 500,000 Canadian dollar contribution from the city and 1.2 million dollars from the province of British Columbia.

While the shelters will only remain open through April, Mayor Gregor Robertson told the media that "we have a national homeless crisis."

With Vancouver's reasonably temperate winter climate compared to other parts of Canada, Robertson said the city suffered "from a steady flow of people from colder climates."

Even with the addition, the number was still short of the beds required. According to the city, in the last official count taken in March 2008, at least 1,600 people slept outside or stayed in shelters on any given night.

The real number of homeless, however, was likely higher according to different groups. At an extreme high, an October 2007report released by health professors at three Canadian universities estimated there could be more than 15,000 homeless adults in British Columbia suffering from either severe addictions or mental illness.

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, the poorest area in Canada, a conservative estimate would be between 3,000 and 4,000 homeless. Other areas of the city, such as Mount Pleasant and the Downtown Peninsula, West End, were also popular haunts of the homeless.

To its credit, the city has set a goal of eradicating homelessness by 2015. With the province as its partner, Vancouver has identified 14 sites within the city to create permanent housing for the homeless. Under the plan the city would provide the land, while the province would provide capital and operating funds. A non-profit service provider would operate the housing.

Currently, 600 units are under construction at six sites, while800 units at eight other sites were waiting for funding. Last year,480 units at permanent housing projects were opened in the city.

Robertson said the city would not seek to extend the life of the "emergency" shelters, adding that "our focus beyond April will be on creating interim housing."

美國‧1000萬年內發生‧“超新星”大爆炸世界末日

(美國‧華盛頓)末日主義者與2012年地球毀滅論者,注意了!

天文學家在本週美國天文學協會的會議上宣佈,發現一個距離太陽系相當近的巨大白矮星,如果這顆白矮星最後“大爆炸”,在熱核爆炸中散發的能量,將足以摧毀地球上的生命,這可不是開玩笑的。

這個“末日劇本”是由美國費城維拉諾瓦大學的天文學家提出的。

最新一次爆炸未發生

他們說,這項致命威脅來自“羅盤座T新星”(TPyxidis),它跟地球的距離並非原所計算的6000光年,而是3260光年,以宇宙的觀點來看,這個距離其實是很短的。

天文學家說,“羅盤座T新星”屬於“復發性新星”,大約每隔20年就有一次小爆炸,直到最後“大爆炸”時變成“超新星”。

之前紀錄的“小爆發”,時間分別是1890、1902、1920與1944年,但之後的最新一次迄今卻遲遲未發生。

英國“大眾天文學會”副主席史卡傑說:“羅盤座T新星絕對可能會變成超新星,但時間還需要很久,所以大家不必擔心到晚上睡不著。”

據瞭解,這顆“超新星”會在1000萬年內爆炸。

美國‧北極鋒橫掃美中部‧氣溫降至零下45度

(美國‧芝加哥)冷冽的北極鋒週四(1月7日)橫掃美國中部,使氣溫低至攝氏零下45.5度,包括向來溫暖舒服的佛羅里達州,當局也發出嚴寒天氣警告。

國家氣象廳表示,從南方的得克薩斯州及路易斯安那州,到美國北方邊境,都會因為這波冬季寒流下雪或下冰雹。

在北達科他州,由於強風料將使氣溫低至零下45.5度,當局已經發出安全警告。

得州州長佩里調度州內資源,包括指示軍人協助人民度過這波冷鋒。

佛州氣溫創新低

佛羅里達州的氣溫也創新低,居民與遊客紛紛換下沙灘裝,穿上外套及戴上帽子禦寒;農民也忙著拯救一些熱帶農作物。

種植柑橘的農民擔心,年收93億美元的柑橘業將會遭到重創。

佛州另一個收入來源,旅遊業也蒙受打擊。向來擠滿遊客的邁阿密海灘週四冷冷清清。

與此同時,民航官員披露,芝加哥的機場取消了逾500趟航班。

美國‧虎女郎爆料‧渥斯雙性戀

(美國‧華盛頓)打高爾夫球時,老虎渥斯用的是右手,但性愛方面,根據至少一名自稱渥斯情婦者表示,伍茲可是左右開弓,男女通吃。

著名網站“雷達線上”(RadarOnline.com)報導,意大利模特兒費瑞歐羅宣稱,她曾目睹渥斯涉身多次男男性愛。費瑞歐羅自稱與渥斯幽會多次,目前打算出書,把箇中內容和盤托出。

費瑞歐羅表示,渥斯“性愛胃口極佳”,召妓、三人行、鄰家女孩、女女性愛,他都“性致”勃勃;凡此種種,她打算在新書中細細描述,同時回答有關渥斯性趣的一應傳言。

費瑞歐羅的經紀人證實,她正與好幾家出版公司洽淡合約,把她所知道的渥斯色情內容完全披露。

上一次費瑞歐羅把版權叫價100萬美元(約馬幣338萬令吉),結果無人問津,據說她希望這次標售結局能有所改善。

中國‧北京市民新年出手闊綽‧吃喝購物3天擲10億

北京市民出手有多闊綽?在元旦小長假,北京市民3天就豪擲21.03億元人民幣(約10.5億馬幣)用於購物、餐飲等各類消費,比去年同期增長了25.8%。

北京商業委員會的數據顯示,北京市民在新年期間主要以購物消費為樂。

報告指出,北京市127家企業、3000多間商店在元旦前夕的銷售額高達7億4000萬元(人民幣,約3億6870萬令吉),比2008年同時期增長42%。

據報,百貨商場和電器專賣店的銷售數字高居榜首。

一些著名的百貨公司,包括雙安、崇光和菜百在佳節期間的收入是平時的兩倍。坐落於北京西單商業街的中友百貨公司,據稱在元旦當天的銷售額,是每小時100萬元(人民幣,下同)。

同一時間大量購衣

當地媒體報導,許多顧客在同一時間大量購入衣服,是因為許多知名品牌如颯拉(Zara)和H&M都進行大減價,一些零售商甚至降價高達70%。

蘇寧電器店的銷售員楊娜說:“我們舉行大型促銷活動,提供大減價和隨購物送禮品等優惠。”

“平常我們每天只有1萬元的銷售額。在新年假日期間,我們一天內可以賣出四五萬元的貨品。”楊娜的同事張率則表示,顧客至少增加了30%。

零售業者表示,今年異常優厚的大減價是北京掀起購物熱的主要原因。(亞洲新聞網‧中國《中國日報》)

新加坡‧情海翻波黑人殺女友‧公園女屍真相大白

(新加坡)華裔女郎愛上黑人,不料情海翻波,女郎慘遭活活打死,當場被剝光衣服,棄屍荒野。死者黑人男友今日(週六,1月9日)早上被控謀殺罪。

武吉班讓公園女屍的身份終於查明,原來死者並非失蹤多日的中國女歌星韓岩飛,而是25歲的華族女郎劉淑慧。

死者生前就住在武吉班讓萬吉路第270座組屋,在住家附近第256座組屋的1間超市工作。

據瞭解,死者跟26歲的黑人男友熱戀,可是兩人在去年8月份手後,前男友卻繼續糾纏她。

12月22日,前男友約她到公園見面,兩人發生激烈爭吵,她過後慘遭殺害,屍體在29日被發現時,已經高度腐爛,身上只穿著底褲。

警方是在1月5日通過DNA檢驗,證實女屍的身份後,立即展開追查,週四(1月7日)晚上在文禮組屋逮捕死者的前男友。

據悉,死者的前男友來自非洲尼日利亞,他是在2007年底持“S”準證來新,在2008年2月準證到期後,一直逾期逗留新加坡至今。

控謀殺被告神情鎮定

黑人男友週六早上面控,神情鎮定。

蓄著一頭粗卷短發的尼日利亞籍被告阿曼楚酋‧楚酋瑪(26歲,Amanchukwu Chukwuma),週六早上穿著謀殺案重犯穿的紅色上衣和深色短褲,於9時左右被庭警押上初級法庭。

被告身高約1.7米,身材頗壯碩。他在等待面控時,神情鎮定,直視前方,沒有東張西望。

控狀指出,被告在去年12月22日到29日之間,在靠近柏提路第201座組屋的武吉班讓N2公園叢林內,導致25歲的劉淑慧死亡,觸犯了刑事法典的謀殺罪,一旦罪名成立,被告將被判處死刑。

據悉,被告是在現任30逾歲馬來籍女友的住家被捕。

女死者犯失信罪曾坐牢

女死者劉淑慧曾經坐過牢。

據瞭解,劉淑慧是在2003年10月份,犯下失信罪而被警方逮捕。她在2005年8月被法庭判處坐牢9個月。

據悉,女死者與黑人男友分手,曾經離家出走鬧失蹤1個月。女死者和黑人男友是在去年8月份手,她在9月時突然離家出走。家人在她失蹤後,在10月報警,不過她過後主動回家。

由於死者曾經離家出走長達1個月,因此當她12月底遇害後沒有回家,家人也沒有起疑,直到警方查獲公園女屍的身份,家人才驚悉她遇害了。

Vancouver confronts homeless problem in run-up to Winter Games

VANCOUVER, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vancouver stepped up its efforts to confront its homeless problem on Tuesday when it opened the second of four temporary shelters scheduled to be operational before the city hosts the Winter Olympics next month.

With the re-opening of a 40-bed shelter under a downtown bridge in downtown Vancouver, a site closed last summer after complaints of drug abuse, fighting and noise, the West Coast city is planning to add an additional 160 beds in all.

The move is part of Vancouver's "Winter Response Plan" that will see the four "Homeless Emergency Action Team" shelters, supplementing three existing HEAT shelters that have been open since December 2008.

The additional beds, which will raise the total number available to 1,250 when all seven shelters are operational, will be opened through a 500,000 Canadian dollar contribution from the city and 1.2 million dollars from the province of British Columbia.

While the shelters will only remain open through April, Mayor Gregor Robertson told the media that "we have a national homeless crisis."

With Vancouver's reasonably temperate winter climate compared to other parts of Canada, Robertson said the city suffered "from a steady flow of people from colder climates."

Even with the addition, the number was still short of the beds required. According to the city, in the last official count taken in March 2008, at least 1,600 people slept outside or stayed in shelters on any given night.

The real number of homeless, however, was likely higher according to different groups. At an extreme high, an October 2007report released by health professors at three Canadian universities estimated there could be more than 15,000 homeless adults in British Columbia suffering from either severe addictions or mental illness.

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, the poorest area in Canada, a conservative estimate would be between 3,000 and 4,000 homeless. Other areas of the city, such as Mount Pleasant and the Downtown Peninsula, West End, were also popular haunts of the homeless.

To its credit, the city has set a goal of eradicating homelessness by 2015. With the province as its partner, Vancouver has identified 14 sites within the city to create permanent housing for the homeless. Under the plan the city would provide the land, while the province would provide capital and operating funds. A non-profit service provider would operate the housing.

Currently, 600 units are under construction at six sites, while800 units at eight other sites were waiting for funding. Last year,480 units at permanent housing projects were opened in the city.

Robertson said the city would not seek to extend the life of the "emergency" shelters, adding that "our focus beyond April will be on creating interim housing."

More than 106,000 officials punished in first 11 months of 2009: official

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 106,626 officials across China were penalized for disciplinary violations from January to November last year, an official with the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said Thursday.

Gan Yisheng, vice secretary of the CCDI, said about 80 percent of them received punishments handed down by the CPC, accounting for 0.11 percent of all Party members, and the rest were penalized by the government.

They included Party members, government workers or leaders, and leaders of state-owned enterprises.

About 2.6 percent of those punished by the CPC were expelled from the Party and referred for prosecution for embezzlement or bribery, Gan said.

Of the almost 14,000 commercial corruption cases investigated and handled by disciplinary and supervisory organs, about 21 percent involved civil servants.

A total of 3,743 leaders at county level or above had been punished and about 20 percent were referred for prosecution.

Investigations into a series of accidents involving serious consequences led to the identification of 298 corrupt officials.

Gan said discipline inspection bodies received almost 1.32 million petitions and tip-offs in the 11 months, about 11 percent of which had been tentatively verified and 8.75 percent placed on file for investigation and prosecution.

Authorities put priority on cases concerning violations during the implementation of the CPC Central Committee's major decisions, such as the economic stimulus package, protection of cultivated land and conservation of resources, Gan said.

Focuses were also put on violations in key areas such as construction, real estate, land and mineral resource exploitation, state-owned assets and finance.

Party or government bodies and public institutions were also closely checked if they set up or used "private coffers."

Homelessness, utility shutoffs lead to house fires, freezing deaths. US cold snap highlights depth of social crisis

A protracted cold spell eased somewhat Wednesday, but wide areas of the US—from the Northern Plains to the East Coast and stretching to the South—were bracing for more winter weather and freezing temperatures this weekend. The cold snap has spelled misery for many, especially in areas unaccustomed and ill-prepared for the frigid conditions.

The freezing weather has placed in sharp relief the devastating social impact of mass unemployment, growing poverty and the refusal of the Obama administration to provide any serious relief for the victims of the economic crisis.

The arctic blast began last weekend and has been blamed for a least seven confirmed deaths. The number is likely far higher, and confirmed deaths can be expected to climb as packed shelters turn away people seeking refuge and communities struggle to provide a warm place for the growing ranks of the homeless.

Other households may have a roof over their heads, but have had their utilities shut off due to non-payment. The use of space heaters, fires, candles and other unsafe sources of heating and electricity leaves families vulnerable to house fires.

Three people died early Tuesday morning in Detroit when their home caught fire. It is believed the house—without gas or electrical service in below-zero temperatures—was being heated by a space heater. (See “Cut off from heat in freezing temperatures—Three die in Detroit house fire”)

A National Fire Protection Association report showed 73 percent of home heating fire deaths can be attributed to space heaters. These conditions can only be expected to worsen under conditions of bitter cold and increasing utility shutoffs. Over the past week in Georgia, six families have lost their homes to fires, all of them trying to heat their houses with space heaters. The families narrowly escaped death.

The Red Cross reports a 200 percent surge in house fires. The Red Cross’s Ryan Logan attributes this to a combination of the cold weather and the economic situation, commenting, “Some of the most critical cases, I mean, people are actually heating their homes with their stoves and so things like that is really kind of what we’re seeing and I really believe it’s just a result of the economy at this point.”

Logan also says that because many families have consolidated to save money and are now living under one roof, these fires are affecting more people as well.

A broad swath of the nation’s midsection was under winter storm warnings Wednesday as parts of Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois braced for more snow and frigid temperatures. South Dakota was under a blizzard warning until Thursday morning.

In the South, a region unaccustomed to such brutal winter weather, parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana were under a hard freeze warning Wednesday morning. In Florida, Governor Charlie Crist ordered a state of emergency Tuesday as the state’s $9 billion citrus crop was threatened by freezing temperatures overnight.

At least four cold-related deaths were reported in Tennessee. Three people were found dead in Memphis within a 24-hour period. Leroy Jones, 68, was found frozen to death in his home in South Memphis on Sunday. Although his utility bill had been paid, for some reason he hadn’t turned on his heat.

Jones, who lived alone, was paralyzed on one side and had other health conditions. Shelby County Medical Examiner Dr. Karen Chancellor commented to the local media that hypothermia can affect the brain and an individual’s decision-making. “Your sensations may be altered,” she said, “and you may not realize that you’re becoming too cold. Those most at risk include the elderly, chronically ill, people with heart disease and those who abuse drugs and alcohol.”

Two homeless men also succumbed to the cold in the Memphis area. The body of 51-year-old Daniel Foust, from Ohio, was found next to the railroad tracks in Bartlett. Another man, 55, whose identity has yet to be released by authorities, was discovered frozen to death at Memorial Park Cemetery in East Memphis.

In Nashville, Tennessee, John Anderson, was found dead outside his home Monday morning. Anderson, 81, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, wandered outside in his bathrobe overnight, when area temperatures fell to a low of 12 Fahrenheit (-11 Centigrade). His case exposes the plight of millions of elderly Americans across the US living alone with serious medical conditions and with little or no social assistance.

Since the cold snap took hold, several Nashville area shelters have reported turning away up to 75 people a night. USA Today reports that the Nashville Rescue Mission, which has 747 beds, is filled to overcapacity.

State and local authorities wash their hands of the homeless crisis, leaving it mainly to charities and churches to deal with the growing numbers of individuals and families thrown onto the streets by the deepening economic crisis. The Nashville Rescue Mission sends out a “cold patrol” when the temperatures drop below 36 Fahrenheit (2 Centigrade).

In Broward County, Florida, the body of a homeless man was found Monday near Hollywood’s Young Circle, a victim of the unusually cold weather for this region. Investigators were working to identify the 6-foot, 128 pound man who reportedly went by the name “Oklahoma.”

Medical Examiner Dr. Joshua Perper said that the freezing temperatures are likely a contributing factor in other deaths in Broward County, particularly among elderly people who have other underlying conditions. Staying outside in the cold exposes the homeless to hypothermia, pneumonia, bronchitis and frostbite.

With temperatures dipping near the freezing mark, the Broward County Outreach Center in Hollywood, which normally takes in 15 to 20 people, has been averaging 40 people this week and is prepared to serve 70.

In Kansas City, Missouri, police found the frozen body of a homeless person in an underpass. It is likely the man had been there for days. The Salvation Army and other shelters and charities in the area report a desperate need for donations of hats, gloves and socks for the homeless.

In Cook County, Illinois, six people have died from exposure so far this year. The most recent victim was Raymond Baylock, 58, whose body was found partially clothed early morning December 31 in Jackie Robinson Park. The medical examiner’s office determined he died of cold exposure in an accident.

More than four years after Hurricane Katrina, thousands of displaced people are still living in abandoned houses in New Orleans, Louisiana. With overnight temperatures expected to fall into the mid-20s this week, many people living in these homes without heat are at risk.

Martha Kegel of UNITY of Greater New Orleans, a network of agencies aiding the homeless, told USA Today that while a team is out looking for people who need shelter, “There is no way to get to all of them.” She added, “I have a sickening feeling we’re going to lose people to exposure.”

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city where frigid temperatures in winter are not unexpected, the local Salvation Army Harbor Lights shelter has been packed. Workers from the shelter have been combing the downtown area looking for people who need a place to stay. Harbor Lights is funded by contributions from individuals, churches and businesses, and donations are down this year.

While no cold-related deaths have yet been reported in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this year, homeless shelters report increasing numbers seeking refuge. Grace Rescue Mission, which serves up to 120 men, has been full since mid-summer. Scott Allen, the shelter’s director, points to the poor economy and increasing unemployment as contributing factors.

Even before the current extreme weather conditions, Maryland’s state medical commissioner determined that hypothermia was a contributing factor in four deaths in November and December. As a warning of what is to come, last winter as a whole hypothermia contributed to 54 deaths across the state.

As the cold wave ravages the US, snow and winter weather continue to bring dangerous conditions to many areas of Europe. In Britain on Tuesday, up to 8 inches of snow fell in parts of Scotland and Northern England, disrupting travel for millions of people. London’s Gatwick airport was closed Wednesday morning, while Heathrow, Birmingham, Luton and Southampton airports were operating with delays and cancellations.

The severe winter weather is expected to last at least another week. In Sussex, about 5,000 homes are without electricity. Thousands of schools have been closed and about half the UK workforce has reportedly stayed home as authorities have warned people to use their vehicles only in an emergency.

Temperatures plunging to as low as -22 Centigrade (-8 Fahrenheit) have claimed the lives of 122 in Poland this year, mostly the homeless. The main river, the Vistula, has frozen over, raising fears of major flooding.

Congress Tinkers with Withholding Tax Tables for 2010

Recently, retired military have received e-mail messages notifying them of a withholding tax increase. The email states:

NO ANNUAL COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) WILL BE ADDED TO MILITARY RETIRED PAY IN 2010.

DUE TO RECENT LEGISLATION YOUR FEDERAL WITHHOLDING TAX HAS CHANGED.

After much investigating and several discussions with the IRS, it appears the Democrats have played a “cash-flow trick” on working Americans and are taking more out of American’s paychecks across the board–all the while touting the Making Work Pay tax credit.

MPj03168680000[1]

The trick, when looking at the new withholding tax tables for 2010 as compared to post-stimulus 2009, buries an increase in federal withholding taxes–for all income categories–basically giving the government an interest-free loan until current year taxes are filed next year. Some would blame the increase in withholding on the Making Work Pay tax credit being spread out over 12 months as compared to 2009, which was only over 9 months, but this would be impossible as some middle class wage categories carry an increase in the withholding tax of over $200 per pay period.

Unlike the middle class wage earners, who are going to see huge amounts taken out of their paychecks, unless they increase their exemptions on their W4 form, it’s an increase that most wouldn’t even notice–$10 or $20 in some cases. Here are some of the “highlights” of the new 2010 withholding tables:

1.) Congress has lowered the threshold to capture more wages that qualify to owe taxes–across the board. For example, in 2009 the withholding tax threshold began at weekly single wage levels of $138. In 2010, that same wage is lowered to $116. In short, instead of the taxable wage starting at $138, it is now down to $116–which changes the income threshold and taxes even poorer Americans.

For married couples, the change in the weekly base taxable wage changes from $303 in 2009 down to $264 in 2010. These lower wage thresholds can be seen throughout the new withholding charts for weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annual, as well as daily and miscellaneous pay periods.

This across-the-board reduction in the initial wage threshold increases the number of wage earners who would have to pay taxes.

2.) Instead of seven (7) wage categories, there are now nine (9) wage categories. The new structure allows for direct taxation on the middle class with these wages broken out into smaller categories. The direct hit on the middle class withholding taxes can be seen on all of the new tables. Additionally, the IRS could not explain these changes.

Let’s look at the actual numbers for one category and compare them from 2009 to 2010:
2009 Biweekly, Single, Payroll Period, after subtracting withholding allowances

Not over $276: $0 in taxes
Over $276 – $400: 10% payroll tax
Over $400 – $1,392: $12.40 plus 15% of excess over $400
Over $1,392 – $2,559: $161.20 plus 25% of excess over $1,392
Over $2,559 – $6,677: $452.95 plus 28% of excess over $2,559 (Notice the large salary range)
Over $6,677 – $14,423: $1,605.99 plus 33% of excess over $6,677
$14,423: pays $4,162.17 plus 35% of excess over $14,423

Let’s look at the new numbers for 2010 Biweekly, Single, Payroll Period, after subtracting withholding allowances

Not over $233: $0 in taxes
Over $233 – $401: 10% payroll tax
Over $401 – $1,387: $16.80 plus 15% of excess over $401
Over $1,387 – $2,604: $164.70 plus 25% of excess over $1,387
Over $2,604 – $3,248: $468.95 plus 27% of excess over $2,604 (Notice the large salary range is gone)
Over $3,248 – $3,373: $642.83 plus 30% of excess over $3,248 (Notice the substantial increase and 30% tax rate on these wages)
Over $3,373 – $6,688: $680.33 plus 28% of excess over $3,373
$14,450: pays $4,169.99 plus 35% of excess over $14,450

These patterns of additional withholding can be seen throughout the new charts for the 2010 tax year for single and married persons. It appears that everyone earning a paycheck is affected, not just retired military; social security payments will remain the same.

Why would the Democrats tinker with the withholding taxes and, ultimately, cause more stress on Americans and businesses? Why would the Democrats create more wage categories and deliberately target the middle class with a huge withholding increase and 30% tax rate? Are the Democrats trying to backfill the deficits they created in 2009? Because taxpayers will have overpaid the federal government payroll taxes, will they be eligible to get back this additional withholding money in a tax refund when filing in 2011? Do taxpayers in the hardest-hit wage categories even realize that their paychecks are going to be significantly lower, unless they make the necessary changes?

Maybe there is a good explanation for the increase in the withholding taxes from 2009 through 2010, but I remain skeptical, because inherently, Democrats do not have the capacity to reduce taxes and typically make up the revenue somehow.

Get your calculators out and you do the math. Go here for 2009; start on page 4. Go here for 2010; start on page 39.

And you should remember this and the fact that House and Senate Republicans united against the stimulus bill, which may have been the trigger to all of this. And Obama and Congress should remember this from December 21, 2009:

After years of irresponsibility, we are once again taking responsibility for every dollar we spend the same way families do. It’s true that what I’ve described today will not be enough to get us out of our fiscal mess by itself. We face a deficit that will take some tough decisions in the next year’s budget and in years to come to get under control. But these changes will save the American people billions of dollars. And they’ll help to put in place a government that’s more efficient and effective, that wastes less money on no-bid contracts, that’s cutting bureaucracy and harnessing technology, that’s more fiscally responsible and that better serve the American taxpayer.” ~President Obama

Responsibility. Really?

Charles Moore: Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Click this link ...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg

Judge Napolitano: Could Geithner Face Criminal Charges over AIG Coverup?

Click this link ....... http://eclipptv.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9352

Keiser Report №7: Markets! Finance! Scandal!

Click this link ....... http://eclipptv.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9351

Shock study: 12% of kids sexually abused in govt. custody

Some 12 percent of minors held in government custody are sexually abused, and in some facilities the rate reaches a stunning one in three children, says a report released Thursday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The first-ever National Survey of Youth in Custody found that no less than 10 percent of the 26,550 juveniles being held in detention facilities in the US are abused by staff at the facility, while another 2.6 percent report abuse at the hands of other inmates.

Among the facilities studied were six identified to have rates of sexual abuse as high as three in 10. According to the Associated Press, those six facilities are Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility in Indiana; Corsicana Residential Treatment Center in Texas; Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Swanton, Maryland; Samarkand Youth Development Center in Eagle Springs, North Carolina.; Cresson Secure Treatment Unit in Pennsylvania; and the Culpeper Juvenile Correctional Center, Long Term, in Mitchells, Virginia.

"The widespread sexual abuse of children in juvenile facilities shows that public officials either aren't paying attention or can't be bothered to do the right thing," said Jamie Fellner, senior counsel for Human Rights Watch. "The high rates of victimization are powerful testimony to the failure of governments to safeguard the boys and girls in their care."

The study was mandated by a 2003 law, the National Prison Rape Elimination Act, which also created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. Human Rights Watch notes that six months ago the commission set out "comprehensive, effective standards for the prevention, detection, and punishment of prison rape," but the Justice Department has yet to act on those recommendations.

Shock study: 12% of kids sexually abused in govt. custody

By Daniel Tencer
Thursday, January 7th, 2010 -- 8:02 pm
Share on Facebook Stumble This!

sexabuseyouthdetention Shock study: 12% of kids sexually abused in govt. custodySome 12 percent of minors held in government custody are sexually abused, and in some facilities the rate reaches a stunning one in three children, says a report released Thursday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The first-ever National Survey of Youth in Custody found that no less than 10 percent of the 26,550 juveniles being held in detention facilities in the US are abused by staff at the facility, while another 2.6 percent report abuse at the hands of other inmates.

Among the facilities studied were six identified to have rates of sexual abuse as high as three in 10. According to the Associated Press, those six facilities are Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility in Indiana; Corsicana Residential Treatment Center in Texas; Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Swanton, Maryland; Samarkand Youth Development Center in Eagle Springs, North Carolina.; Cresson Secure Treatment Unit in Pennsylvania; and the Culpeper Juvenile Correctional Center, Long Term, in Mitchells, Virginia.

"The widespread sexual abuse of children in juvenile facilities shows that public officials either aren't paying attention or can't be bothered to do the right thing," said Jamie Fellner, senior counsel for Human Rights Watch. "The high rates of victimization are powerful testimony to the failure of governments to safeguard the boys and girls in their care."

The study was mandated by a 2003 law, the National Prison Rape Elimination Act, which also created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. Human Rights Watch notes that six months ago the commission set out "comprehensive, effective standards for the prevention, detection, and punishment of prison rape," but the Justice Department has yet to act on those recommendations.

Story continues below...

"Every day Attorney General Eric Holder fails to promulgate national prison rape elimination standards is another day in which kids and adults are being abused behind bars," Fellner said. "The attorney general already has on his desk proposed standards that reflect the best thinking and effective practices to end this widespread scourge. There is no need to reinvent the wheel or to delay moving forward."

The survey found that gay youth were at higher risk than heterosexual youth, with one in five reporting abuse at the hands of a staffer or fellow inmate. Males were more likely to report being abused than females (10.8 percent to 4.7 percent). And 95 percent of those abused by staff reported that the abuser was female. But that number may be influenced by the fact that 91 percent of youth in custody are male.

The AP reports:

Although advocates said the level of abuse wasn't surprising, the prevalence of sexual abuse by staff, particularly female workers, was shocking, said Linda McFarlane, deputy executive director of Just Detention International, which fights to end sexual abuse of those who are detained.

"Many of these are already the most vulnerable and traumatized youth from all of our communities and they're placed for custody because they're considered to be a danger," she said. "If sexually abused in those very institutions that are supposed to help them prepare for life in the community, then it's just an incredible travesty."

The Associated Press also notes that sex abuse by staffers was higher in state-run facilities than in privately-run or municipal detention centers, and smaller facilities appear to have lower abuse rates than larger ones.

The study investigated a 12-month period, and was carried out from June, 2008, to April, 2009.

Experts: Cold snap doesn't disprove global warming

Beijing had its coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap since 1981. And freezing weather is gripping the Deep South, including Florida's orange groves and beaches.

Whatever happened to global warming?

Such weather doesn't seem to fit with warnings from scientists that the Earth is warming because of greenhouse gases. But experts say the cold snap doesn't disprove global warming at all — it's just a blip in the long-term heating trend.

"It's part of natural variability," said Gerald Meehl, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. With global warming, he said, "we'll still have record cold temperatures. We'll just have fewer of them."

Deke Arndt of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., noted that 2009 will rank among the 10 warmest years for Earth since 1880.

Scientists say man-made climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes, such as heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and even cold spells. But experts interviewed by The Associated Press did not connect the current frigid blast to climate change.

So what is going on?

"We basically have seen just a big outbreak of Arctic air" over populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere, Arndt said. "The Arctic air has really turned itself loose on us."

In the atmosphere, large rivers of air travel roughly west to east around the globe between the Arctic and the tropics. This air flow acts like a fence to keep Arctic air confined.

But recently, this air flow has become bent into a pronounced zigzag pattern, meandering north and south. If you live in a place where it brings air up from the south, you get warm weather. In fact, record highs were reported this week in Washington state and Alaska.

But in the eastern United States, like some other unlucky parts of the globe, Arctic air is swooping down from the north. And that's how you get a temperature of 3 degrees in Beijing, a reading of minus-42 in mainland Norway, and 18 inches of snow in parts of Britain, where a member of Parliament who said the snow "clearly indicates a cooling trend" was jeered by colleagues.

The zigzag pattern arises naturally from time to time, but it is not clear why it's so strong right now, said Michelle L'Heureux, a meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The center says the pattern should begin to weaken in a week or two.

Jeff Masters, director of meteorology for Weather Underground, a forecasting service, said he expects more typical winter weather across North America early next week.

That will be welcome news in the South, where farmers have been trying to salvage millions of dollars' worth of strawberries and other crops.

On Miami Beach, tourists bundled up in woolen winter coats and hooded sweatshirts Wednesday beneath a clear blue sky. Some brazenly let the water wash over their feet and a few even lay out in bikinis and swimming trunks. A brisk wind blew and temperatures hovered in the 50s.

"Last year we were swimming every day," said Olivia Ruedinger of Hamburg, Germany. "I miss that."

__

Raphael Satter in London, Cara Anna in Beijing, and Christine Armario in Miami contributed to this report.

A Million Man Phony Boost to Jobs Numbers

They won't be making droid apps, waiting on you in a restaurant, or providing any useful service. They are going to a bunch of newly indoctrinated government employees that will be snooping into your life.

The result will be that these snoops getting jobs as snoops will be hailed as a turnaround in the economy and will actually be recorded not only as a boost in employment but the snooping will be recorded as an increase in GDP!

The U.S. Census Bureau is about to start hiring as many as 1 million workers at up to $24 an hour as it gears up for the once-a-decade counting of every American this year.

Once the snooping is over, they will be back on the unemployment lines.

THE JEWISH REBELS OF JERUSALEM

“In the end, only kindness matters”

By Mazin Qumsiyeh

I gave a talk at the NATO Defence College in Rome to some 82 officers and
civilians from many NATO countries and affiliated or partner countries
(including Egypt, UAE, Jordan, etc). An Israeli colleague who lives in
London also presented his point of view and read on things and then we took
questions. We also participated in small group meetings and discussions. I
was pleased with the level of sophistication, excellent questions asked, and
hospitality we received. The commanding officers and all others were very
kind to us. We will not forget this visit. While in Rome for three days we
got to visit the Vatican including seeing the magnificent Sistine Chapel
paintings. We got to tour the museums and also visit the Roman Forum and
the Palatine. There, I was interested to see for the first time Titus arch
which was built after the death of this emperor. On one of its panels it
celebrates its victory over the Jewish rebels in Jerusalem.

Most people today identify with the Jewish rebels and not with the Romans.
Even the guidebook to the ruins we were using referred to “destruction of
Jerusalem” (actually careful and unbiased historians disagree with such a
description since the rebellion was rather small and narrow and its was
contained rather quickly with Jerusalem flourishing later except for limited
access by the Jewish community which was then still a minority of the
population of Palestine). Historians also tell us that Jews continued to
live in small communities throughout Palestine (later many of them
converting to Christianity or to Islam). Before this rebellion, Jews in
Palestine had full autonomy with their own King (e.g. King Herod who
condemned Jesus). The Roman administration was until this armed rebellion
rather liberal in its dealings with ethnic and religious minorities. Before
and after the rebellion, Palestine remained a multi-ethnic and
multi-religious community despite many efforts of many rulers who failed to
change it by military force sometimes succeeding for a few decades )one of
the crusader kingdoms lasted 110 years before Palestine was restored to have
Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities living side by side). Let us hope
that this is the last failed attempt to create a homogenous Palestine (aka
Eretz Yisrael). I for one can never understand the desire to live in a
homogenous state since variety is the spice of life.

Like Jesus who identified with and preached to Jew and gentile, I find
myself identifying with both the Romans and the Jews of Palestine of that
first century AD as I identify today with all communities in Palestine.
This is first because they were human beings like all of us caught in a set
of historical structures and machinations that left them in the situation
they faced. I identified especially with the Jews who resisted Roman
occupation non-violently. Jesus was to become the symbol of such power of
such resistance. That the armed resisters ultimately failed (they ere
called saccari because they hid their assassination knives in their cloths)
while eventually the philosophy of Jesus spread like wild fire in the Roman
Empire should be telling to us. It was three plus centuries and hundreds of
thousands of martyrs before finally the Roman Empire decided itself to adopt
Christianity rather than keep fighting it. Yet unfortunately as the Jewish
theologian Marc Ellis articulated effectively, such a Constantinian
(transformation of) Christianity in the form of state power would inevitably
lead to the atrocities of the Crusades and far more (e.g. use of
Christianity to justify colonization). Ellis further argues that the new
Constantinian Judaism in the form of Zionism is equally damaging to
Prophetic Judaism. One day I would like to write more on this but for now,
the sight of ruins of great empires AND visiting with great people
descendent of oppressors and oppressed and getting along in equality always
remind me that we all die someday and that great stone edifices, palaces,
and statues are all equally ephemeral while people remain and in many cases
improve. And as the song goes, “in the end only kindness matters.”

Sure enough, I saw so much kindness, so much human beauty in Italy that
trumps all other beauty. The last 24 hours we spent time in rural Italy
among kind and generous farmers who remind me so much of Palestine (in the
areas of Offida. San Benedetto, Ascoli). I think to myself that the hundreds
of Palestinian villages (including my own of Beit Sahour) would have been
just as nice, just as peaceful and tranquil as those villages if it was not
for that Constantinian form of Judaism that decided to take on the crazy
project of transforming a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society into a
Jewish state (maximum geography and minimum demography). Instead, hundreds
of villages, most dating to millennia (2-4 thousand years old) were
destroyed and those like mine that remained lost so much land and received
so many displaced people that their character is no longer what it used to
be or would have been.

While we were here we followed closely the travails of the Gaza Freedom
March (finally denied entry to Gaza) and the Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza
(finally allowed entry after detours and clashes). It is an honor to call
many of the people in both groups friends. Actually we might miss seeing
some of our Italian friends who are still in Gaza. I spoke tonight at San
Benedetto to 50 people. Tomorrow, I speak in Milano, then in Turino on the
9th, possibly Bologna on the 10th then in Roma again on the 11th. I will
then travel to Amman on the 12th. But as always, you are welcome to visit us
in Palestine-

PS: Just to be clear, thanks to Israeli restrictions, less than 3% of
Palestinians are able to travel like I do and a smaller fraction can
actually do it financially or logistically and the numbers in Gaza are
closer to 0.001%.

US sheds 85,000 jobs in December, dampening optimism

The US economy lost 85,000 jobs in December while the unemployment rate held at 10.0 percent, the government said Friday in a report dashing hopes of a turnaround in the ailing labor market.

The Labor Department report on nonfarm payrolls was a disappointment to those hoping for growth in jobs, which is critical to recovery from recession.

The figure was far worse than the consensus expectation for no change in overall employment levels, and came amid a wide array of predictions ranging from steep losses to modest gains.

The unemployment rate meanwhile was in line with expectations, remaining near its highest level since the 1980s.

In revising data for prior months, the data showed a net gain of 4,000 jobs in November instead of a loss of 11,000 previously reported, the first positive month after 22 months of losses.

But the agency also revised its October estimate to show a loss of 127,000 jobs in October instead of 111,000.

"We're getting a steady but very slow improvement in the job market," said Robert MacIntosh, economist at Eaton Vance.

"We are going to have to get used to a frustratingly high unemployment rate."

Cary Leahey, senior economist at the research firm Decision Economics, called the data "disappointing" and consistent with a still-sluggish economy.

"The labor market is struggling and is stuck in the water," he said.

"You are seeing gains in output and manufacturing because of liquidation of inventories... but we haven't seen a decisive turn in the labor market."

Robert Brusca at FAO Economics said however the market is healing, and that the losses were probably due to bad weather and government cuts.

"Pessimists are out in force, but the good trends remains in place," he said.

"You cannot take each monthly jobs report as though it is an authentic change in trend or speed. In fact most of the good stuff is still underway."

The December report showed the goods-producing sector shed 81,000 jobs including 27,000 in manufacturing and 53,000 in construction.

The services sector lost a modest 4,000 jobs, with a loss of 10,000 in retail offset by gains in education, health care and professional services.

Government sector employment fell by 21,000 in the month.

Average hours worked, sometimes seen as a proxy for economic activity, was unchanged in December. Average hourly earnings meanwhile rose 0.2 percent.

The civilian labor force fell by 661,000 in the month, suggesting that more people are stopping their search for employment.

"The unchanged unemployment rate of 10 percent understates labor market slack, since labor force participation fell sharply," said Sophia Koropeckyj at Moody's Economy.com.

"Accordingly, the broader measure (of unemployment) increased to 17.3 percent," she said.

The Labor Department data showed that for all of 2009, employment dropped by 3.0 percent, the worst since 1949. The economy lost 4.6 million jobs for the year, the most since data collection began in 1939.

Terrorists R US

Click this link ...... http://pulsemedia.org/2010/01/07/terrorists-r-us/

Fed Plan to Stop Buying Mortgages Feeds Recovery Worries

The Federal Reserve's pledge to stop buying mortgages by the end of March is sparking fears among home builders, mortgage investors and even some Fed officials that mortgage rates could rise and knock the fragile housing recovery off course.

Bloomberg News

Home-mortgage rates have risen by about a quarter percentage point over the past month. Here, an unfinished home in Raleigh, N.C., in November.

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgage have risen by a quarter of a percentage point in the past month to around 5.2%, according to HSH Associates, near their highest levels since September as the bond market has pushed up long-term interest rates amid signs of an improving economy.

The recent rise in mortgage rates could be a prelude to even bigger increases in coming months as the Fed steps away from support for the market. That prospect has some in the markets counting on the Fed to change course and keep buying past March, which many officials are reluctant to do.

When such a big investor stops buying, "that could lead to material increases in [interest] rates across the board," said Ronald Temple, portfolio manager at Lazard Asset Management. He sees mortgage rates rising by a percentage point when the Fed stops buying. A withdrawal of government support, combined with high unemployment and rising mortgage foreclosures, could push home prices down 20%, he said.

The Fed now holds $909 billion of mortgage-backed securities. In the past year it has purchased 73% of the mortgages that government-backed Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae have turned into securities. Purchases by the Treasury pushed total government purchases above $1 trillion. The Fed says it plans to top off its purchases at $1.25 trillion by the end of March, but must decide in the months ahead whether the economy is strong enough to stick with that plan.

The urgency of sustaining the housing market has sparked a debate inside the Fed. Many Fed officials don't think ending the purchases will have a large effect.

If mortgage rates shoot up or the economy weakens, some Fed officials argue, the central bank might need to keep buying. But with the economy improving and the mortgage market already heavily dependent on government, other Fed officials are eager to get on with an exit.

"I think the economy is starting its recovery, and there's reason to be optimistic," Thomas Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, said Thursday.

Minutes from the Fed's December meeting, released this week, pointed to the Fed's internal debates.

[Mortgage]

Some Fed officials fretted that "mortgage markets could come under pressure as the Federal Reserve's agency MBS [mortgage-backed securities] purchases wind down." The bottom line, officials say privately, is that it would take a surprisingly sharp upturn in mortgage rates, or a worsening economic outlook, to prompt them to change their plans.

The government has already taken steps to reassure investors. In late December the Treasury Department said it would provide unlimited support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and wouldn't force them to sell securities they hold. That should soften the sting of the Fed's removal from the market.

"Now that the question of [Fannie and Freddie] selling is off the table, the market is less worried about the Fed's exit," said Mahesh Swaminathan, a mortgage strategist at Credit Suisse.

Nevertheless, home builders and others are hoping the Fed will flinch. Some market participants haven't reacted to the Fed's promises to exit, believing the central bank won't have the will to wind down its purchase program.

If the Fed stops buying, "it would be the beginning of a crisis again, and we haven't emerged from the last one," said Larry Sorsby, chief financial officer at home builder Hovnanian Enterprises Inc., which had a $250.8 million loss in its last quarter on a 39% drop in revenue.

Mr. Sorsby figures the Fed's withdrawal will prompt at least a one-percentage-point rise in mortgage rates, which he fears could squash recent glimmers of more demand for homes. He expects the Fed will, in fact, keep buying. "I doubt they'll just pull out," he said.

On a $250,000 conventional 30-year mortgage, a mortgage-rate increase from 5% to 6% would raise monthly payments by about $150 per month to $1,499.

"The Fed wants to keep mortgage rates low," said Mitch Flack, co-head of the mortgage group at TCW Group Inc., a money manager that hasn't been a big seller of mortgage securities. "It's very possible that they'll slow purchases now, but should mortgage rates rise significantly after the end of the program in March, they may decide to extend that purchase program further."

Many Fed insiders expect the end to their mortgage buying to have a mild effect on rates, a half-percentage-point increase or possibly much less. Mortgage rates didn't move up much when the Fed initially signaled in September that it intended to end the $1.25 trillion mortgage program by March.

One theory inside the Fed is that what matters for mortgage rates isn't the central bank's day-to-day purchases, but the magnitude of mortgages that it has taken from the private sector. According to this view, the impact of removing more than a trillion dollars of supply should help to keep rates low even after the Fed stops buying.

Fed officials take comfort that yields on Treasury bonds remained little changed during a stretch between August and November when the Fed was completing its $300 billion of Treasury purchases, meaning the Fed's exit from that program didn't severely disrupt that market.

The Fed's heavy buying last year drove yields on mortgage bonds to within 0.65 percentage point of comparable Treasury bonds, much lower than the traditional spread of 1.15 percentage points. Lower mortgage rates helped sustain the housing market, and housing prices recently appear to have stabilized. But a looming wave of foreclosures, still-high unemployment and other factors are clouding the housing outlook for this year.

Global Warming US Cities Getting Warmer

Click this link ...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_G_-SdAN04

Let the plunder begin: The return of Robert Rubin

“Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.”
–John Maynard Keynes

There’s no denying that the economy is getting better, but will it last? Many economists don’t think so, including experts at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, like Paul Krugman and Martin Feldstein. They think the economy will begin to fizzle sometime in the latter part of 2010 when Obama’s $787 billion fiscal stimulus runs out and consumers are forced to pick up the slack in demand. That’s a safe bet, too, considering that unemployment will still be somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 percent and households will still be digging out from the $13 trillion they lost during the crisis.

And the fact that the Fed is planning to end its quantitative easing (QE) program in early April, doesn’t help either. That will just suck more liquidity out of the system and push long-term interest rates higher. When that happens, housing prices will fall, inventory will rise, and a surge in foreclosures will put more pressure on the banks balance sheets. That’s why the pros are so glum, because they know the economy needs a second dose of stimulus to stay on track, but the politicos are dead-set against it. Congress is afraid of the backlash from voters in the upcoming midterm elections. They’d rather drive the economy back into recession then risk losing their jobs.

Despite the propaganda in the media, stimulus works. In fact, Goldman Sachs attributes all of last quarter’s (positive) growth to Obama’s stimulus. Here’s how Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz sums it up in his China Daily article “Harsh lessons we may need to learn again”: “Keynesian policies do work. Countries, like Australia, that implemented large, well-designed stimulus programs early emerged from the crisis faster. Other countries succumbed to the old orthodoxy pushed by the financial wizards who got us into this mess in the first place.

Whenever an economy goes into recession, deficits appear, as tax revenues fall faster than expenditures. The old orthodoxy held that one had to cut the deficit — raise taxes or cut expenditures — to “restore confidence.” But those policies almost always reduced aggregate demand, pushed the economy into a deeper slump, and further undermined confidence.

When consumers are forced to cut back on spending, because they’re too far in debt or worried about their jobs, the government has to step in and make up the difference or the economy goes into a tailspin. The deficits need be big enough to maintain aggregate demand while the private sector regains its footing. Otherwise, consumer spending declines, which lowers earnings and forces businesses to lay off more workers. It’s a viscous circle. But if the stimulus is distributed wisely, multipliers kick in and help to lift the economy out of the doldrums. Here’s a good breakdown of how it works from an article in the New York Times:

“Every dollar of additional infrastructure spending means $1.57 in economic activity, according to Moody’s, and general aid to states carries a $1.41 “bang” for each federal buck. Even more effective are increases for food stamps ($1.74) and unemployment checks ($1.61), because recipients quickly spend their benefits on goods and services.

“By contrast, most temporary tax cuts cost more than the stimulus they provide, according to research by Moody’s. That is true of two tax breaks in the stimulus law that Congress, pressed by industry lobbyists, recently extended and sweetened — a tax credit for homebuyers (90 cents of stimulus for each dollar of tax subsidy) and extra deductions for businesses’ net operating losses (21 cents).” (“New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package as Worthy Step “ Jackie Calmes and Michael Cooper, New York Times)

So far, the stimulus has done exactly what it was designed to do; give the economy a big enough boost to get through a deflationary rough patch. Unemployment is flattening out, manufacturing is expanding again, the stock market keeps climbing higher, and a recent survey of individual investors shows the highest ratio of bulls-to-bears since 2007. That’s a good start, but the economy is still weak and needs more help. So why are policymakers so eager to take the patient off the ventilator before he can breathe on his own again?

Politics, that’s why.

Congress is worried about voter rage at the ballot box, but that doesn’t explain why Obama has started moaning about slashing deficits in the middle of a severe slump. The administration’s agenda is entirely different than Congress’s. The White House economics team is trying to garner support for policies that will strap the faltering economy into a fiscal straightjacket and pound the green shoots into mush. All the railing against deficits is just empty blather backed by junk economics.

Here’s ex-Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin — one of the chief architects of the global financial crisis — articulating the position of his protégés at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Robert Rubin: “Putting another major stimulus on top of already huge deficits and rising debt-to-GDP ratios would have risks. And further expansion of the Federal Reserve Board’s balance sheet could create significant problems . . . Today’s economic conditions would ordinarily be met with expansionary policy, but our fiscal and monetary conditions are a serious constraint, and waiting too long to address them could cause a new crisis. . . .

“First, there must be sound fiscal and monetary policies. The United States faces projected 10-year federal budget deficits that seriously threaten its bond market, exchange rate, economy, and the economic future of every American worker and family. Those risks are exacerbated by the context of those deficits: a low household-savings rate, even after recent increases; large funding requirements for federal debt maturities every year; heavy overweighting of dollar-denominated assets in foreign portfolios; worsened fiscal prospects in the decades after the current 10-year budget period; and competing claims for capital to fund deficits in other countries.” (“Getting the Economy back on track” Robert Rubin, Newsweek)

Interesting. Rubin admits that the recession “would ordinarily be met with expansionary policy,” but suggests that he has a better remedy than stimulus. Does that make sense? After all, it was Keynes counter-cyclical public spending (stimulus) that just produced positive GDP for the first time in four quarters, whereas, it was Rubin’s deregulation of the financial system that pushed the global economy to the brink of disaster. There’s no question of whose theory is more credible or likely to work. Even so, it’s worth considering what Rubin has to say, because it clarifies the views of Obama’s chief economics advisors, Geithner and Summers. After all, the trio is joined at the hip.

Rubin again: “The American people are growing increasingly concerned about deficits, creating a public environment more conducive to political action. And the Obama administration, in my view, has a deep understanding of the critical importance of addressing this issue. . . .”

Indeed. So, Obama has already joined the ranks of the deficit terrorists.

Rubin again: “As President Obama and the other G20 leaders warned, restrictive trade measures in response to the current crisis could lead to highly destructive trade wars. For the long run, we should continue pursuing the open markets that the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank, estimates have added $1 trillion to America’s current GDP.”

So Rubin is working for Peterson? That explains everything. Here’s an excerpt from a Dean Baker article which appeared in the UK Guardian this week: “Peter Peterson is a Wall Street billionaire and former Nixon administration cabinet member who has been trying to gut Social Security payments and Medicare for at least the last quarter of a century. He has written several books that warn of a demographic disaster when the baby boomers retire. These books often include nonsense arguments to make his case. For example, in one of the books making his pitch for cutting Social Security as matter of generational equity, Peterson proposes reducing the annual cost of living adjustment.” (UK Guardian)

Ah ha! So, the real goal is to slash spending to impose onerous austerity measures that will lay the groundwork for dismantling critical social programs, like Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. That’s why Rubin is working hand-in-hand with his allies in and out of the White House. It has nothing to do with what’s best for the country. It’s another looting operation spearheaded by the same band of Wall Street pirates who just blew up the financial system.

Rubin again: “For American workers, sustained growth is the most powerful force for higher wages and greater personal economic security. . . . The dynamism of American society, its flexible labor and capital markets, its entrepreneurial spirit and the sheer size of its economy, are great strengths for succeeding in a rapidly transforming global economy. . . . Finally, in an increasingly interdependent world, transnational issues key to all of us can only be addressed through effective global governance.”

Yada, yada, yada. More free trade, more outsourcing, more off-shoring, more lost jobs, more structural adjustment (at home, this time) more privatization, more screwball globalist Utopianism. It’s all right out of the neoliberal playbook, corporate America’s sacred text. And it looks as if President Moonbeam is marching in lockstep with the rest of the hucksters.

Face it, the Obama administration is less interested in engineering a strong recovery than they are with micromanaging a protracted downturn. That’s because a long drawn-out mini-Depression puts the Rubin troupe right where they want to be — with one hand choking the life out of the economy while the other steals whatever is left in the national vault.