False Sense Of Security

Too Big To Fail Is Now Bigger Than Ever Before

"Ever since the financial crisis of 2008, our politicians have been running around proclaiming that they will not rest until they have fixed 'the too big to fail problem', but instead of fixing it those banks have rapidly gotten even larger. We are witnessing a consolidation of the banking industry that is absolutely stunning. Hundreds of smaller banks have been swallowed up by these behemoths, and millions of Americans are finding that they have to deal with these banking giants whether they like it or not. These banks have been unbelievably reckless, but when they fail, we will all pay the price." Continue reading →

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The co-conspirators in military mass shootings

"Republican Sen. Susan Collins was prompted to 'question the kind of vetting contractors do.' Ask the government you serve, Susan, for it, not the contractors, conducts background checks. 'The government maintains the final approval authority,' Rear Adm. John Kirby told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. And for government officials, no infraction committed by Alexis was too egregious to ignore. Even stranger is the discrepancy between the killer’s performance during his Navy service and the glowing evaluations and awards he received from his superiors. If anything, top brass’s outsized ambition for Alexis incriminates them, not him." Continue reading →

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Grid Down Acapulco: “There’s Nothing to Eat”

“Though the government would like us to believe there is rarely looting or panic in the aftermath of a disaster, the fact of the matter is that within 72 hours of any serious crisis people will lose it.  Case in point: Acapulco, Mexico.  … Continue reading →

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Twelve years after 9/11, we still have no idea how to fight terrorism.

"The seven studies include among them 86 findings about the effectiveness of counterterrorism programs, and those findings are startling. Lum, Kennedy and Sherley report that the average effect of the programs examined was negative. That is, the intervention was found to increase terrorist incidents rather than reduce them. The results varied by the type of intervention, but not in a way that should give us any comfort about our strategy. It's scandalous that we spend billions every year on counterterrorism but barely spend any effort on evaluating whether what we're doing works." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwelve years after 9/11, we still have no idea how to fight terrorism.

You’re Much More Likely to Be Killed By Lightning than by a Terrorist

"The U.S. Department of State reports that only 17 U.S. citizens were killed worldwide as a result of terrorism in 2011. That figure includes deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq and all other theaters of war. Wikipedia notes that obesity is a a contributing factor in 100,000–400,000 deaths in the United States per year. That makes obesity 5,882 to times 23,528 more likely to kill you than a terrorist. The annual number of deaths in the U.S. due to avoidable medical errors is as high as 100,000. The CDC stated in 2011 that – in the majority of states – your prescription meds are more likely to kill you than any other source of injury. So your meds are thousands of times more likely to kill you than Al Qaeda." Continue reading →

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Dementia Drugs Ineffective at Slowing Mental Decline

"Cognitive enhancement drugs only have short-term benefits and can cause significant side-effects for people with mild memory problems, according to researchers. In a new review of existing data, researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada studied eight randomized clinical trials and three companion reports on the efficacy of four drugs in people with mild cognitive impairment. The drugs were donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine (Razadyne), and memantine (Namenda). They found that while the drugs do have short-term benefits, they are lost after a year and a half of treatment." Continue reading →

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Chicago ‘Safe Passage’ Worker Hit Woman, Stole Benefits Card

"A Safe Passage worker for Chicago Public Schools allegedly struck a woman and stole her Link benefits card, authorities say. Lashia Brown, 22, has been charged with misdemeanor battery and felony ID theft. Police confirmed Brown has a prior criminal record that includes possessing a weapon without a Firearm Owners Identification Card, an offense for which she pleaded guilty. Brown allegedly struck the victim in the face and used her Link card to withdraw money. She was arrested Tuesday in the 3200 block of West Madison and ordered held on $10,000 bond. A Link card provides cash and food-buying assistance for families that meet income guidelines." Continue reading →

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Dozens Of TSA Employees Fired, Suspended For Illegal Gambling Ring

"Dozens of local Transportation Security Administration workers have been fired or suspended after they were caught in an illegal gambling ring at Pittsburgh International Airport. Sources confirm TSA employees on the job set up an office betting pool of sorts, employees betting year-round on all of the big sporting events, the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, the World Series, the Stanley Cup and more. Sources confirm the employees recommended for termination did 'make a little money off of the top.' TSA sources confirm none of the betting affected any of the security at the airport." Continue reading →

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Arkansas mayor fires rifle seized by police, shattering city hall window

"An Arkansas mayor admitted this week that he had accidentally fired a rifle inside city hall, shattering a window. Flippin James 'J.J.' Hudson told the Baxter Bulletin that nine days after he fired the rifle that had been seized by police, the incident had been 'all been taken care of; it’s all been cleaned up.' 'I’m not going to have any further comment on it,' he said. But according to the paper, the shards of glass could still be seen over the entrance of city hall and the window had still not been repaired." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingArkansas mayor fires rifle seized by police, shattering city hall window

Arkansas mayor fires rifle seized by police, shattering city hall window

"An Arkansas mayor admitted this week that he had accidentally fired a rifle inside city hall, shattering a window. Flippin James 'J.J.' Hudson told the Baxter Bulletin that nine days after he fired the rifle that had been seized by police, the incident had been 'all been taken care of; it’s all been cleaned up.' 'I’m not going to have any further comment on it,' he said. But according to the paper, the shards of glass could still be seen over the entrance of city hall and the window had still not been repaired." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingArkansas mayor fires rifle seized by police, shattering city hall window