A constitutional amendment that would allow Missouri voters to decide whether or not to nullify the federal prohibition on marijuana has been introduced in the state house. House Joint Resolution 86 (HJR86) would allow Missouri voters to decide whether or not to legalize and regulate marijuana within state limits. It was introduced by Rep. Brandon…
On Jan. 6, SB828 was introduced by Sen. Ted Lieu (D-28) and Sen. Joel Anderson (R-36) to protect Californians from unwarranted NSA surveillance. (learn about it here) It was referred to the Committee on Public Safety where a public hearing has been set for Apr. 29. YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED NOW. It doesn’t matter where…
On Mar. 21, SF2854 was introduced to start the process of protecting Minnesota residents from the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA. (learn more about it here) It was promptly referred to the Judiciary Committee where it will need to pass by a majority vote before the full Senate can consider it. YOUR ACTION IS…
One Tennessee Democrat joined three Republicans to kill a bill that would have prohibited the state from admitting illegally gathered data as evidence in court. As amended, HB1907 would have barred the introduction of data or metadata in state court unless it was gathered under a warrant issued in accordance with state law; an order…
"We have no choice but to go ahead. But to where? And how? Hold on. One question at a time, please. To where? Japan! How? By using the same policy tools the Japanese used. It worked there, didn’t it? The Fed is fully committed to staying the course. If credit deflation returns to the US, it will have to be over Janet Yellen’s dead body. Which is not a bad idea. But Yellen is not likely to let it happen… not if she can prevent it. But there’s the rub. If credit is going to keep expanding, someone has to borrow more – a lot more." Continue reading →
"Japan’s central bank will probably double purchases of exchange-traded funds in a second round of monetary easing under Governor Haruhiko Kuroda anticipated in coming months, a Bloomberg News survey of economists shows. The Bank of Japan, which tomorrow is forecast to leave unchanged a 60 to 70 trillion yen target for yearly expansion of the monetary base, will increase annual ETF buys to 2 trillion yen, according to a survey of 36 analysts. Evidence of budding inflation expectations among Japan’s companies may restrain more ambitious plans, such as open-ended ETF purchases, even as the economy slows because of this month’s sales-tax increase." Continue reading →
"Russia is very, very cheap, and it’s a very neglected stock market with enormous natural resources. I first went to Russia in 1966 and came away negative, and I stayed negative for the next 46 years, so it’s been a long-term bear for me. But in recent months I’ve started changing my views and have started buying shares in Russia. Another one might be Japan. I don’t know if Japan is ignored or not, but it’s down 60-70 percent from its all-time highs, so it’s still neglected to some extent. In 20 years, we’ll look back at Japan, and its death knell will be what Mr. Abe did in 2012-2014. But in the meantime, there are staggering amounts of money and spending, and printing has to go somewhere." Continue reading →
"I personally save a percentage of the profits of all my Bitcoin revenue I receive with no plans to sell. I have been offering every product that my companies offer for Bitcoin for three years now so I have been constantly squirreling away bitcoins. We have sold passports, offshore bank accounts and corporations, newsletter subscriptions to TDV and even condos that I offer through my company in Acapulco, AcaCondos and rentals at my hotel in Acapulco, Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites for bitcoins and as I stated my strategy is to keep a large percentage of my profit on those transactions in Bitcoin." Continue reading →
"Asked what tools the ECB has remaining, Mr. Liikanen, who has headed Finland’s central bank since 2004 and is on the ECB’s 24-member governing council, cited a negative deposit rate as well as additional loans to banks and asset purchases. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann didn’t rule out large-scale asset purchases, known as quantitative easing. Mr. Liikanen also said it was an option for the ECB and wouldn’t run afoul of rules prohibiting the central bank from financing governments. The Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan have aggressively used the policy to keep inflation from falling too low." Continue reading →
"Yellen explained that the Fed helps people secure employment 'by influencing interest rates.' She followed, 'Although we work through financial markets, our goal is to help Main Street, not Wall Street.' Her predecessor used the same rhetoric in 2012. 'This is a Main Street policy. Many people own stocks directly or indirectly. The issue here is whether or not improving asset prices generally will make people more willing to spend.' Oil, unlike the Fed’s fiat dollars, can’t be created out of nothing. And, job or no job, people are driving. Mrs. Yellen tells crowds, Don’t worry be happy, your job will be printed anytime now. Let’s just say, for those with a job to go to, getting there will not be getting easier." Continue reading →