Land Of The Flea

Average Wealth of Members of Congress: House $6.5 Million, Senate $13.9 Million

"By law, members of Congress are only required to report their wealth and liabilities in broad ranges. It's therefore impossible to precisely determine how much value their assets are worth, or have gained or lost. from year to year. The Center for Responsive Politics determines the minimum and maximum possible asset values for each member of Congress to calculate a member's average estimated wealth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAverage Wealth of Members of Congress: House $6.5 Million, Senate $13.9 Million

Mexico: Border schools adjust to influx of English-speaking students

"Thousands of school children have arrived in Mexican schools from the US in the past several years amid a record number of deportations and a foundering US economy. New migration patterns are returning Mexican nationals to their homeland years after they settled in the US, married there, and had children. Teachers read from textbooks that touch on the reasons for the reverse migration currently taking place, and oftentimes, Zatarain told the teachers, parents are deported while their children are in school and the experience can traumatize youngsters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMexico: Border schools adjust to influx of English-speaking students

Congress proposes adding $4.5 billion to historic highs spent on border security

"Federal spending on border security is at an all-time high -- and it would get even higher under the Gang of Eight’s new plan. The Senate immigration proposal, released last week, would allocate $4.5 billion in the next five years to tighten control of U.S. borders. The U.S. spent nearly $18 billion dollars on immigration enforcement agencies last fiscal year, more than all other law enforcement agencies combined. The bill requires buying as many drones as needed to have 24/7 surveillance of the Southwest border. The U.S. has already purchased 10 border drones, which cost $18 million a piece and roughly $3,000 an hour to operate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCongress proposes adding $4.5 billion to historic highs spent on border security

Twelve States ask SCOTUS to challenge EPA on ‘clean air’ CO2 regulation

"Twelve States (Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota) today filed a petition to have the Supreme Court review the D.C. Circuit’s decision not to strike down EPA’s climate regulations. The States argue that the Congress never intended for the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. The Clean Air Act was designed in 1970, in order to fight smog. The law’s tools and mechanisms are totally inappropriate for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, which are much more prevalent than the pollutants that cause smog." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwelve States ask SCOTUS to challenge EPA on ‘clean air’ CO2 regulation

FDA, FBI Raid Tulsa Cancer Clinic

"A U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation shut down a Tulsa cancer clinic Tuesday afternoon. Federal agents showed up at Camelot Cancer Care in south Tulsa around 11 a.m. and served a search warrant. Sam Bass said his father-in-law took $13,000 out of his savings to pay for a 20-day treatment program. But as they left Camelot, FDA and FBI agents showed up. Bass said they asked him to leave his wife's medication behind. Sam said his wife's treatment program did include Laetrile. The chemical, which is found in the pits of some fruits and nuts, is also listed on Camelot's website. But, it's not approved by the FDA." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFDA, FBI Raid Tulsa Cancer Clinic

Google shows requests for censorship have reached new highs

"Google on Thursday released data showing that requests by governments to censor the Internet giant’s content have hit new heights, with Brazil and the United States leading the way. Google received 2,285 government requests to remove content from it properties, including YouTube and search pages, in the second half of last year as compared to 1,811 requests in the first six months, according to its latest Transparency Report. The requests related to 24,179 pieces of content, up from 18,070 items, the California-based Internet giant said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGoogle shows requests for censorship have reached new highs

Michigan House Unanimously Passes NDAA Nullification Bill

"On Thursday, April 18, the Michigan House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill prohibiting state agents and law enforcement from participating with the federal government in the indefinite detention of its citizens. By a vote of 109-0, state representatives joined their colleagues in the state senate in protecting citizens of the Wolverine State from being apprehended and detained in federal prisons without trial. The state senate unanimously approved an identical measure in March." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMichigan House Unanimously Passes NDAA Nullification Bill

The Corruption of Capitalism in America Excerpt: Chapter 17, Serial Bubbles

"Never before in history had the nation's financial system been pummeled by two gigantic bubbles and two devastating crashes in such a brief interval. That Greenspan's heir apparent managed to detect the Great Moderation at the midpoint of this cycle of financial violence was only added testimony to the degree to which monetary policy had become unhinged. It was no longer plausible, therefore, to describe the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and the various venues for equity derivatives as a free market for raising and trading equity capital issues. Instead, they were violently unstable casinos, ineptly stage-managed by a central bank." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Corruption of Capitalism in America Excerpt: Chapter 17, Serial Bubbles

Sen. Rubio ‘open’ to cutting off all Muslim student visas

"Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Wednesday said that he was 'open' to considering the idea of halting all student visas from Muslim countries as a reaction to this month’s Boston Marathon bombings, even though the two men suspected of carrying out the Boston bombings emigrated from Russia as refugees. 'We need to be open to changes that provide more security,' Rubio replied. 'I don’t like profiling anybody or singling or generally leading, on the other hand student visas are something this country does because it’s in our national interest but you don’t have a right to a student visa.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSen. Rubio ‘open’ to cutting off all Muslim student visas