Yearly Archives: 2013

Newly leaked NSA program sees ‘nearly everything’ you do

"The Guardian, which obtained slides of a NSA employee presentation, claims that the program is the 'widest-reaching' intelligence system. According to Snowden's files on X-Keyscore, NSA employees can, with just a few clicks, obtain everything from phone numbers to e-mail addresses. The agency also can see e-mail content, full Internet activity, browser history, and an IP address. According to the files and Snowden, the NSA can essentially see everything a person is doing on the Internet without the need for a warrant. Debate rages over whether such information is accessible and is being used in any negative ways by the U.S. government." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNewly leaked NSA program sees ‘nearly everything’ you do

Colorado Cops Cleared In Photo Radar Ticket Prank

"Gerlach went to Chafin's home and there was no answer when he knocked. Gerlach peeked in the garage and found Chafin's cars were there. When he ran the plates, he realized Chafin was a Denver officer. He immediately called his sergeant, who arrived at the scene with his captain. This resulted in 'half the department' being dispatched to the home. They were preparing to batter down Chafin's front door when Parker officers checked with a supervisor at the Denver police department, who made a few phone calls and put a stop to what was happening. The Denver police department fired them for lying, but the commission reversed the decision." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingColorado Cops Cleared In Photo Radar Ticket Prank

New EPA chief: Can we stop talking about regulations killing jobs, please?

"'Can we stop talking about environmental regulations killing jobs, please?' McCarthy said in a speech at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Embracing the need to cut carbon emissions should be seen not as a threat but as a 'way to spark business innovation,' she said. At the heart of Obama’s plan will be new EPA regulations that will target carbon emissions from existing power plants, which account for more than one-third of U.S. greenhouse gases and in many cases are fired by coal. McCarthy said the agency will try to replicate the success it had with the U.S. automotive industry." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew EPA chief: Can we stop talking about regulations killing jobs, please?

American Dream Slipping as Homeownership at 18-Year Low

"Housing industry and consumer groups are pressing lawmakers to make the American Dream more inclusive by ensuring new mortgage standards designed to prevent another crash are flexible enough that more families can benefit from the recovery. Regulators are close to proposing a softened version of a rule requiring banks to keep a stake in risky mortgages they securitize. Lawmakers currently shaping housing finance are seeking to reduce the government’s role in keeping rates affordable for riskier borrowers while ensuring homeownership is within reach of minorities and first-time buyers who could be needed to sustain the housing recovery." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerican Dream Slipping as Homeownership at 18-Year Low

Bill Bonner: Price does not tell you all you need to know

"Economists measure quantity. Alas, life is not all quantifiable. What really matters is quality. Right now, the Fed tries to control prices. But prices are only a part of the picture. When it comes to art, architecture, music, puppies and women - it's what strikes the senses that matters...what you see, hear, and feel. But when it comes to your money, what you see is not exactly what you get. Price tells you something. But it doesn't tell you all you need to know. Why? We're so glad you asked..." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: Price does not tell you all you need to know

India’s falling GDP growth, financial inclusion and likely impact on Gold

"Governments have urged public sector banks to take up financial inclusion as a top priority and several initiatives have been taken to take banking to the door steps of the rural households. The lack of a well-developed banking system with sufficient penetration in rural areas could be a major reason for people to invest their savings in gold coins and jewellery. But the introduction of Aadhaar (universal identification system), and linking payment of subsidies through Aadhaar linked bank accounts could in course of time force people to think of alternatives to investing in gold, if they are found to be providing risk free returns." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia’s falling GDP growth, financial inclusion and likely impact on Gold

Eight killed by latest US drone strike in Pakistan

"A US drone attack on a house in the town of Miranshah killed at least 8 people. The 8 were as almost always happens, called terror suspects. The attack happened during the Iftar dinner breaking the Ramadan fast immediately after sunset. The town is in the North Wasiristan tribal region. Two missiles hit the three room structure." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEight killed by latest US drone strike in Pakistan

J’ACCUSE … !

"I address you as 'president' only as a concession to popular convention. In truth, your claimed authority is a fraud, and your actual status is that of defendant in the matter of the persecution of Bradley Manning. It was clear to all who cared to notice that Manning is no criminal but rather the worthy nemesis of a crime syndicate formally headed by yourself. He was wrongfully arrested, illegally detained without charge for a period far in excess of the legally prescribed maximums, and finally and illegally put on trial not for his alleged criminal acts but for exposing your crimes and the crimes of your gang, 'the government of the United States.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJ’ACCUSE … !

Michael Hastings: my friend and his enemies

"When Michael spoke to an annual gathering of military reporters in November 2010, he got few congratulations for writing unquestionably the most consequential piece of war reporting that year, and a lot of hostility instead. Michael could give it right back. His journalist critics were hopelessly compromised Washington pseudo-reporters, he railed, slavishly devoted to the access he considered himself to scorn. It was in this manner that Michael and his critics would forever talk past each other. But Michael didn't start it; they started it. And Michael had thick skin for someone so relentlessly vilified as arrogant." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMichael Hastings: my friend and his enemies