"A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."   Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12  KJV   Word study on this verse

America - A Nation Unprepared! lasttrumpetnewsletter.org 12/31/8 [By Pastor David Meyer "We are a nation totally unprepared for the future..."  Editor: His article mentions similarities in Obama's nomination temple stage design to the Altar of Zeus (aka Seat of Satan). There are also notable design references to the Brandenburg Gate. Use Google Image Search to see the similarities.]
Gulf ministers reach accord on monetary union google.com 12/31/8 ["GCC finance ministers meeting on Tuesday during the summit had drafted the final version of the monetary union accord which is intended to be implemented next year, followed by the launch of a single currency, a GCC official said.  ...did not provide a date for the launch of the single currency which was originally set for 2010"]
China to renew grain exports after record harvest guardian.co.uk 12/31/8 [" The export limits were disappointingly small for a country that once ranked as the world's second-largest supplier of corn, and traders said it was unclear why grains merchants would rush to foreign markets given higher domestic prices already buoyed by Beijing's scheme to build up government stocks."]
Wall St. faces record losses in last week of 2008 apnews.myway.com 12/31/8 ["The ongoing recession and global economic shock pummeled stocks this year, with the Dow Jones industrial average slumping 36.2 percent. That's the biggest drop since 1931 when the Great Depression sent stocks reeling 40.6 percent."]
GMAC Adds Loans as U.S. Injects $6 Billion to Aid GM bloomberg.com 12/31/8 ["The Bush administration has already agreed to loan GM $4 billion this month and $5.4 billion next month. If Congress agrees to approve funding of a second $350 billion for TARP, GM may get another $4 billion in February. "]
Warren's inauguration prayer could draw more ire google.com 12/31/8 ["At George W. Bush's 2001 swearing-in, the Revs. Franklin Graham and Kirbyjon Caldwell were criticized for invoking Christ. The distinctly Christian reference at a national civic event offended some, and even prompted a lawsuit."  Editor: Aside from the who/what/when, this is a sorry state for our nation, when one of the supposed most highest and most solemn ceremonies in our land is criticized for even the possibility that Jesus Christ might be made any reference to. Most of the same critics will scarce complain about the Bible used in the ceremony (as long as it remains shut); but, the mere mention of Jesus Christ having any part of our national scene is offensive to a growing number of people. Welcome to America.]
Monday Is Payday for Chrysler, GM abcnews.go.com 12/31/8 [""The bailout will likely cost $100 billion or more before we're through," University of Maryland economist Peter Morici told ABC News, adding that much of that money, technically loans, might never be paid back."]
UK: Dire warning over 2009 job cuts  bbc.co.uk 12/31/8 [" "The CIPD's annual barometer forecast is that the UK economy will shed at least 600,000 jobs in 2009. "Overall, the 18-month period from the start of the recession in mid-2008 until the end of 2009 will witness the loss of around three quarters of a million jobs, equivalent to the total net rise in employment in the preceding three years." "]
Cash-strapped states weigh selling roads, parks google.com 12/31/8 ["Like families pawning the silver to get through a tight spot, states such as Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts and Illinois are thinking of selling or leasing toll roads, parks, lotteries and other assets to raise desperately needed cash."]
Holiday Sales Drop to Force Bankruptcies, Closings  bloomberg.com 12/31/8 ["Retailers may close 73,000 stores in the first half of 2009, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. Talbots Inc. and Sears Holdings Corp. are among chains shuttering underperforming locations. "]
Layoff Daily layoffdaily.com 12/31/8 [""]
October Home Prices in 20 U.S. Metro Areas Fall 18%  bloomberg.com 12/31/8 ["The S&P/Case-Shiller index declined 18 percent in the 12 months to October, more than forecast, after dropping 17.4 percent in the year through September. The gauge has fallen every month since January 2007. Year-over-year records began in 2001. "  Editor: Most people think a house is an asset, it is (and always has been) a liability (except in an artificial bubble).]
Scientists eye unusual swarm of Yellowstone quakes google.com 12/31/8 ["Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days"  Editor: I am reminded of Romans 8:22 - "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." As the days grow darker, our planet will increasingly groan under the wickedness (Matt. 24).]
 

Global Supply Chains Not Ready for Challenging Times ups.com 12/24/8 ["Nearly half of companies with global supply chains say they fear major disruptions in their ability to source, produce and ship goods around the world. And they're not doing much to prevent it.  ...The survey pointed out some troubling findings, reinforcing the point that rising risks to supply chain resilience are too often ignored in the rush of day-to-day business - and companies know it. For example, insufficient monitoring, risk assessment and contingency planning are leaving companies ill-prepared when crises hit. One of every 10 companies do not monitor suppliers for anything. About half of the remainder look only at immediate suppliers. Furthermore, in almost half the companies surveyed, formal risk assessment takes place only annually."  Editor: The Just-In-Time delivery systems in our nation/world are dominos in the collapsing economy. When the suppliers go, then there is a huge ripple effect.]
Flying J, Oil Refiner, Transporter, Files Bankruptcy  bloomberg.com 12/24/8 ["blaming a cash crisis brought on by declines in oil prices. The Ogden, Utah-based company listed assets of more than $1 billion and debt of $500 million to $1 billion in court documents filed today in Wilmington, Delaware. Flying J expects to recover from “the precipitous drop in the price of oil” by reorganizing under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code"]
UK: Bailiffs get power to use force on debtors timesonline.co.uk 12/24/8 ["The government has been accused of trampling on individual liberties by proposing wide-ranging new powers for bailiffs to break into homes and to use “reasonable force” against householders who try to protect their valuables. "]
Four really, really bad scenarios politico.com 12/24/8 ["Rickards will lay out his worst case scenarios in a lecture sponsored by the Navy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy tonight. And his forecasts aren’t for the faint of heart. Rickards calls it the “A to Z” problem: What are the threats that could make the U.S. economy look less like America and more like Zimbabwe? He sees them everywhere – in the Chinese ownership of vast amounts of American debt, in Russia’s increased centralization of its economy"]
 

Noted Atheist Says if You Believe, You Should Prosetylize - Or do you Hate Enough Not to? lifesitenews.com 12/23/8 ["...if you believed eternal life was at stake, why would you remain silent? In other words, they wondered why Christians are so strangely reluctant to share what they believe is necessary for the eternal salvation of every person."]
Japanese exports suffer record fall ft.com 12/23/8 ["Imports fell 14.4 per cent to Y5,550bn – leaving Japan with a trade deficit for two months running for the first time since 1980. Officials said the November export fall was the steepest since the ministry started keeping electronic records in the late 1970s and that even previously relatively bright spots in the trade data such as exports to the Middle East and eastern Europe had been extinguished by almost universal falls in demand."]
Donors list raises fears over Hillary Clinton role as Secretary of State timesonline.co.uk 12/23/8 ["the list, particularly the foreign governments and the large sums given by Saudi Arabia, will inevitably play a role at her Senate confirmation hearings next year. The list did not give exact donations — only ranges of giving — and ran to nearly 3,000 pages. "]
U.S. manufacturers cut jobs and pay amid downturn uk.reuters.com 12/23/8 ["Caterpillar Inc, the world's largest maker of heavy construction and mining equipment, said Monday it is cutting white-collar pay by up to 50 percent and offering buyouts to as many as 25,000 U.S. employees as it looks to cut costs during what it characterized as "uncertain times.""]
Despite slump, interpreters flourish in U.S. Babel reuters.com 12/23/8 ["The need to be understood is growing in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau some 54.4 million people, or nearly one in five of the total population, spoke a language other than English at home last year, up from 47 million in 2000."]
U.S. developers look for a bailout from government: Journal marketwatch.com 12/23/8 ["The industry is reportedly asking to be included in a new $200 billion loan program initially created by the government to assist the market for student loans, car loans and credit-card debt. The industry is warning that thousands of office complexes, hotels, shopping centers and other commercial buildings are headed for defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcies, owing to some $530 million of commercial mortgages"]
In Budget Crises, States Reluctantly Halt Road Projects  nytimes.com 12/23/8 ["The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has identified 5,000 transportation projects nationwide that lack the dollars to proceed; many of them, like the $730 million project here to add 10 miles of high-occupancy-vehicle lanes to the 405 Freeway — Mr. Schwarzenegger’s backdrop on Monday — have been stopped midstream."]
Bush Administration Finalizes Rule Protecting Medical Professionals on Abortion lifenews.com 12/23/8 ["has finalized the new rules that protect both medical professionals and medical staff who don’t want to be involved in abortions or abortion referrals. The Department of Health and Human Services released the final rule that will go into effect on January 20. The new regulations are intended to clarify and enforce existing federal laws that protect the choices of health care providers who have moral objections to abortion. "]
Russia starts missile delivery to Iran washingtonpost.com 12/23/8 ["The most advanced version of the S-300 system can track targets and fire at aircraft 120 km (75 miles) away. It is known in the West as the SA-20."]
 

World faces "total" financial meltdown: Bank of Spain chief google.com 12/22/8 [""The inter-bank (lending) market is not functioning and this is generating vicious cycles: consumers are not consuming, businessmen are not taking on workers, investors are not investing and the banks are not lending. "There is an almost total paralysis from which no-one is escaping," he said, adding that any recovery -- pencilled in by optimists for the end of 2009 and the start of 2010 -- could be delayed if confidence is not restored."]
AP study finds $1.6B went to bailed-out bank execs google.com 12/22/8 [Editor: I fear articles like these in the news are being used to create a division and resentment among the 'classes' - to keep the people's anger and discontent not directed toward fruitful stewardship and justice, but toward infighting.]
Bernard Madoff: One of world's biggest charity foundations forced to shut telegraph.co.uk 12/22/8 ["Barbara Picower, who along with her husband, Jeffry, established the Picower Foundation to fund pioneering medical research, said in an email to beneficiaries that its grant-making would cease "effective immediately".  ...Set up in 1989, the foundation - which is America's seventh largest - is the biggest in a raft of charities and endowments that have been devastated..."]
Ohio GM plant closing to leave 1,080 workers idle google.com 12/22/8 ["So far this year, GM alone has announced 11,000 U.S. layoffs."]
Argentina cuts wheat forecast further 10pc farmonline.com.au 12/22/8 ["With 53pc of Argentine wheat harvested, the country's Ag Secretariat says yields are extremely low. "  Thanks for the link, Tina.]
 

French politicians fear youth violence along Greek pattern iht.com 12/20/8 [""What we see in Greece is not out of the realm of possibility in France," Fabius said on Europe 1. "When you have such an economic depression, such social despair, all it takes is a match.""]
Supreme Court to talk about Obama 3rd time wnd.com 12/20/8 ["Online schedules posted by the court show the case brought by attorney Philip J. Berg is set for a conference Jan. 9. "]
Grassroots Activists Derail Ohio Con-Con Resolution newswithviews.com 12/20/8 ["An attempt by GOP lawmakers to sneak a resolution through the state legislature last week calling for a constitutional convention – or “con con” -- was halted, at least until next year, by a hastily assembled coalition of grassroots activists who lobbied representatives at the state capitol and testified against the controversial measure during its committee hearing Wednesday. "]
Mall's demise could doom community cnn.com 12/20/8 ["...small towns are dependent upon this money to balance budget deficits, and to fund local services and infrastructure development.  ...malls are being hit hard from all angles. "More than 6,000 (locations of) national chains this year have announced closings, and 50% of those are in malls,""]
IMF warns of economic riots, police ready for civil unrest wnd.com 12/20/8 ["Incidents of economic collapse, terrorism and disruption of legal order could require deployment of forces within the U.S., it said. A "strategic shock" could require the nation to use "military force against hostile groups inside the United States." "]
Shocking study finds most will torture if ordered uk.reuters.com 12/20/8 ["Burger was replicating an experiment published in 1961 by Yale University professor Stanley Milgram, in which volunteers were asked to deliver electric "shocks" to other people if they answered certain questions incorrectly. ...The experiment surprised psychologists and no one has tried to replicate it because of the distress suffered by many of the volunteers who believed they were shocking another person."]
UK: 27,000 Woolies staff face axe guardian.co.uk 12/20/8 ["Woolworths ...A first tranche of 200 stores will close on 27 December followed by further outlets on 30 December and 2 January. The final stores will open their doors to the public for the last time on 5 January, bringing down the curtain on nearly a century's trading."]
Fresh credit strains in Europe as Deutsche Bank shocks markets telegraph.co.uk 12/20/8 ["Standard & Poor's warned that a fifth of all lower-rated companies in Western Europe and the UK are likely to default over the next two years, greatly exceeding the scale of bankruptcies after the dotcom bust. The agency said up to 75 companies that issue debt in the capital markets would fail in 2009 as they struggle to roll over debt. Four have failed this year."]
Share International Reveals Christmas Miracle marketwatch.com 12/20/8 ["Look now for the biggest miracle of all. In the very near future a large, bright star will appear in the sky visible to all throughout the world -- night and day. "  Editor: Note the newspaper carrying this article - Wall Street Journal.]
Maitreya Rising? newswithviews.com 12/20/8 [By Paul Proctor  "What I find fascinating is that this Maitreya fellow seems to have a strangely similar "share and save the world" agenda to that of Purpose Driven Pastor Rick Warren with his Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan and also President-elect Barack Obama with his Global Poverty Act and Universal Service Plan – men who apparently have no aversion to working with any or all of the world religions or non-religions to save the planet – which may explain, at least in part, why Warren is scheduled to lead the invocation at Obama’s upcoming inauguration. "]
AIG Writedowns May Rise $30 Billion on European Swaps bloomberg.com 12/20/8 ["Wider losses may cast new doubt on whether the federal funds will be enough to prop up AIG, the biggest U.S. insurer by assets. The U.S. package almost doubled from the $85 billion approved in September to save the company from bankruptcy."]
 

Barack Obama's team to be briefed on crisis plans telegraph.co.uk 12/19/8 ["The Department of Homeland Security has also given crisis training to nearly 100 officials who might be called on to fill in while Mr Obama's appointees await Senate confirmation."]
Army 'Strategic Shock' Report Says Troops May Be Needed To Quell U.S. Civil Unrest infowars.net 12/19/8 [""Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security," the report, authored by [Ret.] Lt. Col. Nathan Freir, reads. "]
Known Unknowns: Unconventional "Strategic Shocks" in Defense Strategy Development strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil 12/19/8 ["Including the insights of a number of noted scholars on the subjects of “wild cards” and “strategic surprise,” he argues that future disruptive, unconventional shocks are inevitable. Through strategic impact and potential for disruption and violence, such shocks, in spite of their nonmilitary character, will demand the focused attention of defense leadership, as well as the decisive employment of defense capabilities in response."]
Madoff scandal could lead to tax losses nationwide google.com 12/19/8 [" By some estimates, the Internal Revenue Service could be out as much as $17 billion in lost tax revenue.  ...In addition, investors may be counting on a federally mandated insurance fund to bail them out, but that program lacks the money to pay for all the claims that are likely to come."]
Imposter President Obama: Victory Will Be Short Lived newswithviews.com 12/19/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "One member of the House of Representatives and one counterfeit U.S. Senator can raise an objection to the vote of the electoral college on January 20, 2009; this must be done..."]
How We Got Here - Where We Are Going newswithviews.com 12/19/8 [By Alan Stang  "Also Known As has tried to reassure us. He says the present buying frenzy is unneeded, because he does support the Second Amendment. But it was Also Known As who nominated Holder to run the Justice Department and it was Also Known As who, during the campaign, spoke with contempt of the “bitter” Americans between the Hudson River and the California line who “cling” to their guns. Those Americans were suspicious of him then; they don’t believe him now."]
Russia provides 10 MiG fighter jets to Lebanon for free timesonline.co.uk 12/19/8 ["in a deal to boost defence cooperation. The MiG29 Fulcrum fighters would be provided free to Lebanon under an agreement on military-technical assistance, the head of Russia’s defence cooperation service said. Mikhail Dmitryev said that the jets would come from Russia’s existing stock. "]
U.N. divided over gay rights declaration reuters.com 12/19/8 ["Diplomats said a joint statement initiated by France and the Netherlands gathered 66 signatures in the 192-nation assembly after it was read out by Argentina at a plenary session. A rival statement, read out by Syria, gathered some 60."]
Britain Sets May 31 as Iraq Pullout Deadline abcnews.go.com 12/19/8 ["...will leave Iraq by the end of May, a move that will force the U.S. to send troops into the Shiite south to secure supply lines to the much larger American force. Britain, with some 4,000 troops currently in Iraq, is the second-largest contributor to the international military coalition after the United States."]
 

China says lending to US will not go on forever google.com 12/18/8 [""China's increased purchase of US Treasury securities should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the assumption that the US can borrow its way out of the current financial crisis," the China Daily said in an editorial.   ...The China Daily said that, given the global economic crisis , the consequences would be serious if China and other nations stopped channelling money into the US economy."]
Obama's Secretary of Education Pick Proposed Homosexual High School lifesitenews.com 12/18/8 ["Two more Obama Cabinet appointees, one a proponent of homosexual schools and another an open homosexual, serve as further indication that the President-elect will eagerly espouse homosexual-friendly policies."]
Lithuanian Law: Public Agitation for Homosexual Acts is Detrimental to Minors lifesitenews.com 12/18/8 ["The law is set to be approved by a parliamentary committee and take effect next year."]
Obama taps evangelical for inauguration boston.com 12/18/8 ["President-elect Barack Obama (right) has tapped Rick Warren (left), the most prominent evangelical preacher of the post-Billy Graham generation, to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. The decision was announced today by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies."]
Uncle Sam Will Pay $450 Billion This Year Just to Cover Interest on National Debt  cnsnews.com 12/18/8 ["making it the fourth largest expense in the federal budget behind Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense spending. "]
Federal spending soars 25% before bailout washingtontimes.com 12/18/8 ["putting taxpayers more than $1 trillion in the hole even before the astronomical costs of the economic bailout were taken into account, according to an annual report released Monday by the White House. "]
[Flashback - Aug 2007] Our Land - Collateral For The National Debt newswithviews.com 12/18/8 ["This isn’t some scheme conjured up during the Bushes’ and Clinton administrations. The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development was created in 1982."]
Chrysler, Ford to halt production over holidays ctv.ca 12/18/8 ["Chrysler said Wednesday it will halt production at 30 plants across North America, including one in Windsor, Ont., while Ford announced plans to extend the closure of 10 plants over the holidays. The Chrysler closures are set to begin this Friday."]
OPEC makes deepest oil cut ever to rescue prices reuters.com 12/18/8 ["cutting 2.2 million barrels per day from oil markets in a race to balance supply with rapidly crumbling demand for fuel."]
GM to temporarily idle three Mexico assembly plants reuters.com 12/18/8 ["...announced on Friday it would slash first quarter production in North America by 60 percent. As part of its plan to idle some 30 percent of its assembly plant volume in the region..."]
California panel halts $3.8 bln infrastructure loans reuters.com 12/18/8 [" The decision will impact almost 2,000 projects including highways, schools, levees, housing and parks, he said. The funds that the PMIA usually lends to infrastructure projects is replenished via state bond sales. But the credit crunch and the state's budget problems have effectively closed the bond market to California, said Lockyer."]
Virginia Will Cut at Least 2,600 Jobs, Slash Spending washingtonpost.com 12/18/8 ["The state will lay off about 1,100 workers from agencies across the state, primarily in health and public safety. In addition, the Department of Transportation will reduce its workforce by 1,500 to 1,700 employees through attrition and possible layoffs. "]
N.Y. Transit Agency Passes Budget With 23% Fare Boost  bloomberg.com 12/18/8 ["Fares and tolls for most of New York City’s bridges, buses, trains and tunnels will increase by an average of 23 percent next year under the budget approved today by the transit authority. The new fares will go into effect in June unless the Legislature approves an alternative plan."]
Russian treason bill could target Kremlin critics google.com 12/18/8 ["The legislation, outspoken government critic and rights activist Lev Ponomaryov charged Wednesday, creates "a base for a totalitarian state." Government supporters and Kremlin-allied lawmakers said the bill — submitted to the Kremlin-friendly parliament last week — will tighten up current law. Supporters say prosecutors often have trouble gaining convictions because of ambiguities in the definition of state treason."]
Greek activists call for Europe-wide protests on Thursday google.com 12/18/8 ["Meanwhile, separate syndicate action is adding to the government's headaches. Several thousand activists from the Communist PAME trade union marched in Athens in the evening behind a banner reading: "The plutocracy must pay for the crisis!""]
Morgan Stanley posts big loss; market hopes worst over reuters.com 12/18/8 ["...reported a much wider-than-expected $2.2 billion quarterly loss on Wednesday on plummeting markets and poor trading moves, while banking and brokerage fees sank. It was the bank's second loss in the last five quarters, and six times deeper than expected"]
 

Downturn spurs "survival panic" for some reuters.com 12/17/8 ["In the coming months, mental health experts expect a rise in theft, depression, drug use, anxiety and even violence as consumers confront a harsh new reality and must live within diminished means."]
Best Buy 3Q profit sinks, company offers buyouts forbes.com 12/17/8 ["...offered voluntary severance packages to virtually all its 4,000 corporate employees Tuesday as the nation's largest consumer electronics chain announced its third-quarter profit skidded 77 percent."]
[CHART] Government bailout hits $8.5 trillion sfgate.com 12/17/8 [""]
Quantitative easing: A 'nuclear option' publicradio.org 12/17/8 ["Lowering short-term interest rates is usually the way to increase money supply. But when central banks can't cut rates any further, they can turn to Quantitative Easing. They can print a lot more money, and spend billions buying long-term government bonds. That floods the economy with extra cash."]
Dollar Staggers as U.S. Unleashes Cash Flood, Deficit  bloomberg.com 12/17/8 ["U.S. policy makers are flooding the world with an extra $8.5 trillion through 23 different plans designed to bail out the financial system and pump up the economy. The decline shows that the increased supply of money may be overwhelming investors just as the government steps up debt sales, the trade and budget deficits grow and de-leveraging by investors slows. "]
[PDF] A Health Profile of Massachusetts Adults by Sexual Orientation Identity: Results from the 2001-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Surveys mass.gov 12/17/8 ["A growing body of research indicates that health disparities exist between gay/lesbian/bisexuals and heterosexuals."]
Ecuador default: Fears grow that others will follow telegraph.co.uk 12/17/8 ["There are fears that Venezuela, Bolivia, and Argentina may be tempted to follow suit, setting off the sort of stampede seen across the region in the early 1930s. Ecuador's firebrand president, Rafael Correa, said his country had disavowed $3.9bn (£2.6bn) of "illegal" debts contracted by earlier regimes. "]
Fed gives boost to world stock markets iht.com 12/17/8 ["The Fed said it reduced the target for the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, to a range of zero to 0.25 percent."]
Gross Domestic Product: 40 Percent of the United States GDP comes from 5 States; California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois. mybudget360.com 12/17/8 [""]
UN gives OK to land, air attacks on Somali pirates google.com 12/17/8 ["...U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases on the coast of the Horn of Africa country."]
‘Already Bankrupt’ GM Won’t Be Rescued by U.S. Loan bloomberg.com 12/17/8 ["GMAC may now have to file for Chapter 11 protection, with or without a loan, joining GM’s biggest parts supplier, Delphi Corp., which is already in bankruptcy. The Detroit-based automaker, leaking $67 million a day -- enough to buy a fleet of 1,800 Cadillac CTS coupes -- may soon be sucked into the vortex. "]
The mysteries that linger over Lehman's bankruptcy iht.com 12/17/8 ["In the early hours of Sept. 15, after the U.S. government refused to rescue a foundering Lehman Brothers, something odd happened. The Federal Reserve lent tens of billions of dollars to a subsidiary of the newly bankrupt bank. In other words, government officials who had refused to risk taxpayers' money on Lehman before it collapsed did just that after it collapsed. In the ensuing days, the Fed's initial $55 billion loan ballooned to $138 billion."]
Greek youths take over TV, radio stations google.com 12/17/8 ["Greek protesters pushed their way into television and radio studios Tuesday, forcing broadcasters to put out anti-government messages in a change of tactics after days of violent street protests."]
Act Now To Reject Con Con newswithviews.com 12/17/8 [By Chuck Baldwin  "Lest anyone take this lightly or think that a Constitutional Convention is no big deal, DeWeese properly warned, "In truth no restrictive language from any state can legally limit the scope or outcome of a [Constitutional] Convention! Once a Convention is called Congress determines how the delegates to the Convention are chosen. Once chosen, those Convention delegates possess more power than the U.S. Congress itself.""]
 

It's official: Barack Obama elected 44th president google.com 12/16/8 ["In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the 538 electors performed a constitutional process to legally elect Democrat Barack Obama the 44th president."]
Justices won't review Obama's eligibility to serve google.com 12/16/8 ["The appeal by Cort Wrotnowski of Greenwich, Conn., was denied Monday without comment. ...At least two other appeals over Obama's citizenship remain at the court. Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii"]
It's Time to Junk the Electoral College wsj.com 12/16/8 ["The National Popular Vote compact has already been enacted by four trailblazing states -- Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois and Hawaii -- and has been introduced in 41 others. It's time that the rest of them got on board."]
UK: Supermarkets' emergency plans to keep shelves full guardian.co.uk 12/16/8 ["Fears that scores of supermarket suppliers will go bust next year have led the country's major chains to draw up emergency plans to replace them..."]
Biblical Billboards Near Strip Clubs, Abortuaries, Throw down the Gauntlet to Culture of Death lifesitenews.com 12/16/8 ["Billboards proclaiming Bible verses against pornography, abortion, and homosexuality have popped up around the city of Kalamazoo, and their placement next door to offending establishments is sending the message with sniper precision."]
Bankruptcies up, Tennessee tops personal filings reuters.com 12/16/8 ["Some 11,504 businesses filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors in the three months ended September 30. That is up 61 percent from the year-ago period"]
Toyota delays Mississippi assembly plant google.com 12/16/8 ["is shelving its plans to build the popular Prius hybrid in Mississippi as the slump in the auto industry continues to hobble the Japanese carmaker"]
Tax holiday bill picks up steam worldnetdaily.com 12/16/8 [""If Congress wants to jumpstart this economy, they need to do something to help small business owners gain confidence that now is a good time to grow their businesses and create new jobs," said Dan Danner, executive vice president of the NFIB. "Passing a six-month payroll tax holiday would do just that by putting more money in the hands of small business owners to invest in their business and by giving employees more of their own money to spend wherever they see fit.""]
 

Eleventh-hour deals mark EU summit bbc.co.uk 12/15/8 ["Key deals were struck on the EU's wide-ranging climate package and the controversial Lisbon Treaty. ...On Lisbon the deal is that the Republic of Ireland will strive to get the treaty ratified by next October, when the term of the current Commission - the EU's executive arm - runs out. That means holding a second referendum, under the Irish constitution."]
European banks trembling at scale of Madoff scandal abs-cbnnews.com 12/15/8 ["Private European banks and investors specialized in the placement of high-risk hedge funds could have exposure of up to several billion dollars in the scandal."]
Fed Refuses to Disclose Recipients of $2 Trillion bloomberg.com 12/15/8 ["Bloomberg filed suit Nov. 7 under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act requesting details about the terms of 11 Fed lending programs, most created during the deepest financial crisis since the Great Depression. The Fed responded Dec. 8, saying it’s allowed to withhold internal memos as well as information about trade secrets and commercial information. The institution confirmed that a records search found 231 pages of documents pertaining to some of the requests."]
Fed to press rates toward zero reuters.com 12/15/8 ["A half-point cut would take the bellwether federal funds rate to just 0.5 percent, the lowest on records dating to July 1954, as the central bank battles a recession many think will stretch well into next year."]
Automakers Don't Need Loans - They Need Customers newswithviews.com 12/15/8 [By Paul Proctor  "The bad news is: A lot of people are going broke. The good news is: They know it now."]
Japan considers $139 billion in stimulus upi.com 12/15/8 ["Japan's Parliament is to convene Jan. 5 -- earlier than usual -- to consider the stimulus package and to pass an extra budget for the remainder of fiscal year 2008..."]
Asian giants vow unity straitstimes.com 12/15/8 ["...leaders of Japan, China and South Korea said yesterday that Asia must be the engine of growth to counter global financial turmoil, and pledged to bolster cooperation to ride out the crisis. ...Until 2006, China and South Korea had refused high-level meetings with Japan due to disputes related to Tokyo's wartime aggression in Asia."]
The Greater Good Is Military Mandatory newswithviews.com 12/15/8 [By Nancy Levant  "Behind the greater good lies a very powerful incentive called Martial Law, which our elected have been preparing for US for at least six decades. Martial Law is military control at its finest and worst. Martial Law is declared under a state of emergency. The United States is in a declared state of emergency. Martial Law becomes military reality when a president says it’s a reality."]
Banks gas-bombed in Athens google.com 12/15/8 ["In Greece hundreds of banks, stores and public buildings have been destroyed, badly damaged by fire or looted in a week of violence mainly involving youths. Statistics show one in four aged 15-24 are officially unemployed."]
Army Brigades Train For Homeland Response Mission newswithviews.com 12/15/8 [By Jim Kouri   "I cannot understand why the federal government is so intent on using such military force within our borders. It reminds me of the Branch Davidian massacre in Waco, Texas when the feds used excessive deadly force against men, women and children."]
 

Bernie Madoff arrested over alleged $50 billion fraud telegraph.co.uk 12/13/8 ["...estimated that the scheme had lost investors $50bn over many years – which would make the hedge fund one of the biggest frauds in history. "]
Madoff's alleged $50 billion fraud hits other investors reuters.com 12/13/8 ["Hundreds of people, investing with him through the firm's clients, entrusted Madoff with billions of dollars, industry experts said. "Madoff's investors included captains of industry, corporations -- some of which are publicly traded -- that used Madoff almost as a high-yielding cash management account, endowments, universities, foundations and, importantly, many high-profile funds of funds..."]
Newsweek Gay Marriage 'Case' Full of Holes cbn.com 12/13/8 ["Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, called the story "yet another attack on orthodox Christianity." "I hardly think that Newsweek is a credible venue for theological discussion," he said. "I thought it was just full of holes." ..."There is a difference between how the Bible defines marriage and how it depicts it in all it's sin-corrupted reality. It is defined in the creation," they wrote, using Genesis 2:22,24 as a reference."]
Pro-Abortion Groups Issue 55-Page Marching Orders for Barack Obama Admin lifenews.com 12/13/8 ["and the web site for the Barack Obama transition team posted it online. The new memo from groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL gives Obama his marching orders for the next four years. The memo sets forth the kind of decisions Obama should make when it comes to topics like abortion, abortion funding and abstinence education."]
Listen And Learn: Your Survival Depends On It newswithviews.com 12/13/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "Since that update, Phil Berg's injunction to stay the electoral college votes was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. The column is here and part of Phil's argument is contained in Dr. Edwin Vieira's last column here. Today is the day Cort Wrotnowski's case is being heard in private by all nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices."]
Work-At-Home Moms wahm.com 12/13/8 ["WAHM.com is your source for work at home jobs and all the support and advice a work at home mom (or dad, or anyone) could ask for. We cover everything from childcare and parenting to home business information."]
Japan launches £169bn stimulus package timesonline.co.uk 12/13/8 ["The announcement is in addition to Y27 trillion in measures unveiled in October, which included more credits for small businesses and a cash payout to every household to spur spending."]
New unemployment claims reach 26-year high usatoday.com 12/13/8 ["The Labor Department said Thursday that initial applications for jobless benefits in the week ended Dec. 6 rose to a seasonally adjusted 573,000 from an upwardly revised figure of 515,000 the previous week. That was far more than the 525,000 claims economists expected."]
Storm cuts power to more than 1M in New England breitbart.com 12/13/8 ["The outages there far surpassed the infamous ice storm of 1998, when some residents spent more than a week in the dark. In Hampstead, N.H., Mark Cegelis, 36, said things were hectic at his neighborhood gas station, which was jammed with people trying to get gas for home generators. "It's kind of lawless out there right now. There's a lot of people very frustrated, stacking up at the gas stations. It's pretty ugly." "]
Amerika Emerges From The Ashes Of The Former Republic newswithviews.com 12/13/8 [By Greg Evensen  "This may very well be your absolute last opportunity to prepare and face this situation with the tools to see you through some very difficult days. Only you can judge your level of preparedness for what is coming."]
German Family Freed from Criminal Charges for Homeschooling lifesitenews.com 12/13/8 [""We are pleased that the court and the prosecuting counsel asked whether the process can be ended," said Joel Thornton, President and General Counsel for the IHRG. The decision came after the court received a detailed psychiatric assessment proving that no psychological harm was done to the children from homeschooling. The two eldest children also proved their scholastic aptitude by successfully completing public school exams."]
Pelosi Says U.S. House Stimulus Measure May Reach $600 Billion  bloomberg.com 12/13/8 ["She said the legislation will be geared toward some broader Democratic priorities -- such as boosting broadband Internet technology and making environmentally friendly improvements to the nation’s electric-power grid -- in addition to more-traditional road-and-bridge projects. Some of the spending will extend beyond 2009, she said. "]
High Court Spits In Your Face newswithviews.com 12/13/8 [by Alan Stang  "Hussein said recently that Americans should stop their present frenzied purchase of guns. Hussein said they have nothing to fear because he is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. Of course his record from the beginning gives him the lie. His appointment of Eric Holder as Attorney General confirms that he will do everything he can to confiscate your guns."]
In China, anger rises as economy falls latimes.com 12/13/8 ["As China's economy hits the skids, such protests have been sporadic and usually involved fewer than 100 people. But in recent weeks, they have cropped up across the country like brush fires."]
GM to temporarily close 20 plants to slash output google.com 12/13/8 ["GM said it will cut 250,000 vehicles from its production schedule for the first quarter of 2009, which includes a cut of 60,000 vehicles announced last week. Normal production would be around 750,000 cars and trucks for the quarter, spokesman Tony Sapienza said. Many plants will be shut down for the whole month of January, he said, and all told, the factories will be closed for 30 percent of the quarter."]
Chrysler Suppliers Call for Cash on Bankruptcy Risk bloomberg.com 12/13/8 ["Chrysler rejected one partsmaker and is negotiating with others, said two people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because negotiations are private. A number of “rogue suppliers” sought to get cash upfront from Chrysler, Chief Financial Officer Ron Kolka said yesterday in an interview. “We have had a lot of suppliers come in and threaten us for advanced payment, but we can’t,” he said. "]
Housing foreclosures draw protesters to Bank of America freep.com 12/13/8 ["Protesters also carried signs indicating support for Republic Windows & Doors workers, who have staged a sit-in at their Chicago factory to protest the plant's closing. Republic Windows workers have occupied the plant since Friday and blamed Bank of America Corp. for forcing the closure by canceling the manufacturer's credit lines."]
 

$14 billion auto bailout dies in Senate google.com 12/12/8 ["The collapse came after bipartisan talks on the auto rescue broke down over GOP demands that the United Auto Workers union agree to steep wage cuts by 2009 to bring their pay into line with Japanese carmakers."]
Jim Rogers calls most big U.S. banks "bankrupt" reuters.com 12/12/8 ["Jim Rogers, one of the world's most prominent international investors, on Thursday called most of the largest U.S. banks "totally bankrupt," and said government efforts to fix the sector are wrongheaded."]
Obama taps Daschle to lead ambitious health care drive google.com 12/12/8 ["In the 61-year-old Daschle, Obama brings a trusted and moderate ally to a goal that has eluded the Democrats for years in a country long suspicious of European-style "socialized" medicine. But the president-elect could face anxiety about the costs of his health plan at a time of economic recession and heavy government commitments to the financial and perhaps auto industries."]
Senate approves bear-market pension relief reuters.com 12/12/8 ["Large companies with pension plans have seen the value of their plan assets plummet, confronting the companies with heavy funding obligations for 2009 under existing pension law."]
US asks UN to allow pirate hunters into Somalia guardian.co.uk 12/12/8 ["A draft resolution that would permit states fighting piracy to "take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia, including in its airspace" has been circulated to members of the UN security council. Prior consent for raids would be required from Somalia's fractured government. The resolution, to be discussed at a security council meeting on Tuesday, highlights concerns that naval patrols alone will not deter gangs from terrorising the busy shipping route."]
Freight Haulers Slam on the Brakes  wsj.com 12/12/8 ["Next year "is going to be the worst year for transportation demand in 30 years," FTR economist Noel Perry said in an industry conference call last month. The drop comes as weak consumer spending has prompted retailers and other businesses to delay or reduce orders. As the carriers have responded, their retrenchment already has reverberated across various industries that heavily rely on haulers to transport supplies and raw materials, including U.S. auto makers and home builders teetering on the brink of collapse."]
Greek-inspired protests spread across Europe google.com 12/12/8 ["As Europe plunges into recession, unemployment is rising, particularly among the young. Even before the crisis, European youths complained about difficulty finding well-paid jobs — even with a college degree — and many said they felt left out as the continent grew in prosperity."  Editor: Expect to see similar 'protests' in the US in early 2009.]
Economy puts emergency readiness in peril usatoday.com 12/12/8 ["Federal and state governments are cutting programs that help communities respond to disease outbreaks, natural disasters and bioterrorism incidents, and that "could lead to a disaster for the nation's disaster preparedness," a report released Tuesday warns."]
Foreclosure Storm Will Hit U.S. in ‘09 Amid Job Loss bloomberg.com 12/12/8 ["Rising unemployment, expiring foreclosure moratoriums and state efforts that “run out of steam” will push monthly filings toward the record of more than 303,000 set in August  ...Initial jobless claims increased to 573,000 in the week ended Dec. 6, the highest level since November 1982, while the number of workers staying on benefit rolls reached 4.429 million, also the most since 1982, the Labor Department said today. U.S. companies slashed payrolls by 533,000 last month, the fastest pace in 34 years, for a total of 1.9 million job cuts so far this year. "]
Bank of America to cut up to 35,000 jobs reuters.com 12/12/8 ["...over three years, reflecting its pending purchase of Merrill Lynch & Co and weaker business activity stemming from the economic recession."]
China's Exports Unexpectedly Fall time.com 12/12/8 ["Factory closures in the manufacturing regions of southern China are now a daily event, and local governments have stepped in to pay the wages of some workers left jobless after bosses have fled. Courts in the Guangdong province toy hub of Dongguan are reportedly working without days off to handle the crush of bankruptcies and unpaid wage cases. Demonstrations by terminated workers have spread fears of economic related social unrest, a key concern for the central government. "]
Singapore: Couple go on sedition trial straitstimes.com 12/12/8 ["A Christian couple are on trial for sedition, facing charges of distributing publications that are seditious and objectionable to three Muslims."]
Obama's atomic umbrella: U.S. nuclear strike if Iran nukes Israel haaretz.com 12/12/8 ["U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's administration will offer Israel a "nuclear umbrella" against the threat of a nuclear attack by Iran, a well-placed American source said earlier this week. The source, who is close to the new administration, said the U.S. will declare that an attack on Israel by Tehran would result in a devastating U.S. nuclear response against Iran. "]
 

Bush Says Creation 'Not Incompatible' With Evolution foxnews.com 12/11/8 ["Interviewer Cynthia McFadden asked Bush if the Bible was literally true. "You know. Probably not. ... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament for example is ... has got ... You know, the important lesson is 'God sent a son,"' Bush said. "It is hard for me to justify or prove the mystery of the Almighty in my life," he said. ...The president also said that he prays to the same God as those with different religious beliefs."]
Hewlett Foundation Giving Millions to Planned Parenthood - Don't buy Their Ink Cartridges Says Pro-life Leader lifesitenews.com 12/11/8 ["The Hewlett Foundation has announced $125.1 million in new grants to 214 organizations. First and foremost among the beneficiaries is International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF), for whom Hewlett cut the largest check by far, granting $8.3 million to support worldwide abortion."  Editor: or buy generic ink refill kits. Check for compatibility, do some research, etc.]
Ex UK PM Blair Organizing Religions of the World to Stomp for Abortion Via UN Millenium Develepment Goals lifesitenews.com 12/11/8 ["Critics of Blair’s Faith Foundation have observed, however, that during Blair’s tenure as Prime Minister, his government interpreted the Millennium Development Goals as including a universal right to abortion. While the MDG’s, as stated, make no mention of abortion, pro-abortion forces have repeatedly and insistently interpreted goal #3 (“promote gender equality and empower women”) as implicitly including the universal right to abortion."]
Amending The Constitution By Eraser newswithviews.com 12/11/8 [By Jon Christian Ryter  "Until 20th century politicians discovered the "commerce clause" in the Preamble of the Constitution and construed it to be an "implied power" of the federal government, politicians knew that the spending power of the central government of the United States was specifically limited to: paying for the construction and maintenance of Post Offices and postal roads, and promoting the progress of science and the arts by creating a patent office and maintaining patents on inventions and copyrights on books and other forms of art."]
Maersk Line warns shipping industry needs a lifebelt timesonline.co.uk 12/11/8 ["Maersk, the world's leading container shipping line, has slashed the rates it charges for transporting containers on its Asia-America routes and last week the Danish company said that it was laying up eight vessels amid worsening market conditions. The eight ships, each with a capacity for 6,500 containers, will remain at anchor, probably in the Far East, until next summer. ...Maersk has cut its container freight rates from Asia to the American West Coast by nearly a quarter..."]
Bernanke ‘War Powers’ Undermine Fed Bank Presidents bloomberg.tv 12/11/8 ["The district chiefs’ authority over borrowing costs has been marginalized in the past two months as Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and the Fed Board of Governors in Washington made their own decisions on emergency measures to flood the economy with cash. "]
Rio Tinto to Slash 14,000 Jobs, Spending wsj.com 12/11/8 [""Given the difficult and uncertain economic conditions, and the unprecedented rate of deterioration of our markets, our imperative is to maximize cash generation and pay down debt," Chief Executive Tom Albanese said in the company's statement.  ...Rio Tinto, the world's third largest mining company by production, and other mining companies have slashed production in recent months when demand from steelmakers and other industrial producers began evaporating."]
Office Depot to Close 112 Stores, Cut 2,200 Jobs  bloomberg.com 12/11/8 ["Office Depot posted losses or profit declines for the past six quarters as businesses stopped buying desk chairs and computers."]
Chill out, parents: Time online teaches kids important skills, study finds mercurynews.com 12/11/8 ["Yes, researchers noted, they suspended value judgments in their study. "]
 

British Authorities Prohibit Newspaper Ad Condemning Homosexual Behavior lifesitenews.com 12/10/8 ["Dr. Ian Paisley, recently-resigned First Minister of Northern Ireland and one of the founders of the church, said that the church would not comply with the order, even if it members are jailed. "We believe the Bible is the written word of God – the infallible word of God, and it has to be obeyed, so we will obey God rather than men, and if it means there has to be court proceedings, if it means even that we are going to be jailed for holding on to this, then that's a price we have to pay, and we are prepared to pay it," he said to the press."]
And now for a world government ft.com 12/10/8 ["But some European thinkers think that they recognise what is going on. Jacques Attali, an adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, argues that: "Global governance is just a euphemism for global government." As far as he is concerned, some form of global government cannot come too soon. Mr Attali believes that the "core of the international financial crisis is that we have global financial markets and no global rule of law"."]
S. Calif. residents trade guns for groceries msnbc.msn.com 12/10/8 ["In a program similar to ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores. Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount.  ...This year, most asked for the supermarket cards..."]
Gates: Review military's role in homeland defense wtopnews.com 12/10/8 ["Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday ordered his top department leaders to conduct a broad review to determine whether the military, National Guard and Reserve can adequately deal with domestic disasters and whether they have the training and equipment to defend the homeland. ...Gates said that indeed the Guard and Reserves are an integral part of the force and have assumed a greater role in military operations. And he pressed his top leaders to review the training that active duty and reserve troops receive for homeland defense and civil support missions, as opposed to the warfighting now consuming them."]
Zurich Restricts Homeschooling to State-Licensed Teachers lifesitenews.com 12/10/8 ["A 2002 motion to require Zurich homeschoolers and private schools to teach “the same world view” as public schools, be staffed by certified teachers, and be evaluated by the Canton’s education board, failed. Homeschoolers in Europe are in many cases up against increasingly hostile political forces. This holds true especially of Germany, where numerous homeschooling families have been persecuted in recent years, with children being removed from their homes in some cases."]
Obama meets Gore, talks energy, economy google.com 12/10/8 ["The president-elect's comments closely resembled Gore's plan for an environmental economy, outlined in a speech in July, and he echoed the title of Gore's effort, Repower America."]
Sony axes 16,000 jobs and shuts down plants timesonline.co.uk 12/10/8 ["The Sony layoff scheme, which despite its suddenness and severity was attacked by some analysts as “too little, too late”, will see the 5 per cent reductions in permanent staff completed by 2010. ...The job cuts will hit throughout Sony’s worldwide electronics empire and are part of a bid by the company’s president, Sir Howard Stringer, to save around Y100 billion by the end of the next financial year."]
UK: Pension schemes face £155bn shortfall telegraph.co.uk 12/10/8 ["The Pension Protection Fund (PPF), the pensions lifeboat fund, said yesterday that 6,690 pension schemes had a deficit at the end of last month, compared with 6,468 in October. The schemes in deficit at the end of last month face a collective funding shortfall of £155bn. Just one year ago, this figure was £58.3bn. "]
 

Selective Constitutionalism newswithviews.com 12/9/8 [By Chuck Baldwin  "Like liberals, most conservatives are afflicted with a very debilitating disease that I call Selective Constitutionalism. They only want to apply constitutional government when it helps Republicans or hurts Democrats. Most of them really could not care less about adherence to the Constitution. If they did, they would have been up in arms for the last eight years as President George W. Bush repeatedly ignored--and even trampled--the U.S. Constitution."]
Court won't review Obama's eligibility to serve baltimoresun.com 12/9/8 ["At least one other appeal over Obama's citizenship remains at the court. Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as Obama says and the Hawaii secretary of state has confirmed. Berg says Obama also may be a citizen of Indonesia, where he lived as a boy."]
Montana third state to legalize assisted suicide msnbc.msn.com 12/9/8 [""]
Pension Funds Beg Congress to Suspend Billions in Contributions bloomberg.com 12/9/8 ["Instead of money, they want legislation to suspend a federal law that would make them pump billions of dollars into retirement plans to offset stock-market losses as many struggle to find enough cash just to stay in business. They’re pressing Congress to consider the issue this week before this year’s session adjourns. "]
Food pantry stacked with patrons bostonherald.com 12/9/8 ["Schnellmann said she’s getting more calls from people who recently lost a job that paid middle-class wages. “It’s a sense of a shock,” said Schnellmann. “If you’ve ever seen someone after they had a car accident, even if they weren’t hurt, it’s that shock. ‘How did I get into this position?’ And, ‘I’ve done everything right? I’ve gotten a job. I’ve been working my whole life and suddenly here I am unemployed at a food pantry.’ ”"]
CA: State budget crisis: many schools, roads may not be built sfgate.com 12/9/8 ["In as early as nine days, nearly $5 billion worth of public works projects in California, including schools, roads and bridges, could be halted or indefinitely delayed - leading to the loss of thousands of jobs - unless lawmakers fix the state's massive budget mess, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer warned today."]
Tribune files for bankruptcy protection reuters.com 12/9/8 ["The publisher of the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times declared bankruptcy on Monday as the U.S. newspaper industry's unrelenting loss of readers and advertisers claimed its biggest victim yet."]
Dow Chemical to Slash 5,000 Jobs, Shut 20 plants kcbs.com 12/9/8 ["about 11 percent of its total work force—close 20 plants and sell several businesses to rein in costs amid the economic recession. The company, one of the largest chemical makers in the world, expects the plan to save about $700 million per year by 2010. Dow also will temporarily idle 180 plants and prune 6,000 contractors from its payroll."]
3M slashes 1,800 jobs reuters.com 12/9/8 [""]
Attorney Who Aided Terri Schiavo’s Husband Now Advising Barack Obama lifenews.com 12/9/8 ["is helping advise Obama on putting together a Justice Department team."]
Wyndham to cut 4,000 jobs as it shrinks timeshare reuters.com 12/9/8 [""For the last couple of decades we have taken the receivables generated when we sell timeshare ... to the market and we borrow money against them," said Holmes. "Now, in this current credit environment, that market has dried up.""]
British Government Criticized for Keeping Abortions on Disabled Babies a Secret lifenews.com 12/9/8 ["The abortions include those done on babies who would have been born with only a club foot or cleft palate."]
 

US ready to offer Detroit a $15bn bail-out guardian.co.uk 12/8/8 ["General Motors and Chrysler were close to securing a $15bn (£10bn) bail-out from Washington last night as the White House and Congressional leaders prepared to appoint a "car tsar"."]
Recycling goes from boom to bust as economy stalls google.com 12/8/8 ["Just months after riding an incredible high, the recycling market has tanked almost in lockstep with the global economic meltdown. As consumer demand for autos, appliances and new homes dropped, so did the steel and pulp mills' demand for scrap, paper and other recyclables."]
Bailed-out AIG offers Islamic insurance to U.S. worldnetdaily.com 12/8/8 ["the company is stepping up its dealings with Islamic finance by offering Shariah-compliant homeowners insurance to the U.S. – outraging critics over AIG's support of a "discriminatory ideology, that is against equality, and that is against liberty.""]
3 million Muslims in Mecca for pilgrimage jpost.com 12/8/8 ["Just 50 years ago, the pilgrimage attracted only about 10,000 people. This year, Saudi embassies world over have issued nearly 2 million visas. Just under a million pilgrims also come to the hajj from Saudi Arabia. Many others are believed to come without proper documents. "]
Fears of a million layoffs a month in corporate America guardian.co.uk 12/8/8 ["the rising cost of corporate debt is now flashing a red warning signal that far worse is to come over the next few months and job losses are heading for levels last seen in the 1930s Great Depression."]
 

No decision on Obama citizenship case upi.com 12/6/8 ["A full list of the justices' orders, including which cases it will and won't hear, is expected to be released Monday."]
Going hungry in the 21st century smh.com.au 12/6/8 ["Unlike recent food shortages, it is not confined to sub-Saharan Africa and is not temporary. Food supplies are declining in Africa, south Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Food riots brought down the Haiti Government this year. Over the past 12 months China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt and others have temporarily banned rice exports to preserve local supply."]
AU: 'Most stop-start grain harvest on record' farmonline.com.au 12/6/8 ["Many growers with F2 or lower graded barley have said that the prices being offered do not cover the cost of production, given this year’s high fertiliser prices, and have said they will hang onto their grain."]
US sheds 533,000 jobs, in sign of deep recession google.com 12/6/8 [""In the past six months the US has lost 1.55 million jobs, almost as many as were lost in the whole 2001 recession, which included 9/11 and the two months after," he said. "The pace of job losses is accelerating alarmingly.""]
Mexico wants to shrink coins to save a few cents google.com 12/6/8 ["The Mexican Senate on Thursday approved President Felipe Calderon's bill to modify the country's coinage. The plan awaits approval from the lower house of Congress, which will vote in February."]
US late mortgage payments, foreclosures hit record reuters.com 12/6/8 ["The number of loans entering the foreclosure process would have been even higher without various programs halting them in favor of loan modifications."]
It must be '1984': 'Big Brother' snoops and Britons don't mind mcclatchydc.com 12/6/8 ["Cameras, however, are just the beginning of the surveillance drive. Having begun to issue national identity cards, the Labor government has also proposed a new law giving police the power to arrest anyone who can't produce identity papers on demand."]
Swat Team conducts food raid in rural Ohio crossroad.to 12/6/8 ["On Monday, December 1, a SWAT team with semi-automatic rifles entered the private home of the Stowers family in LaGrange, Ohio, herded the family onto the couches in the living room, and kept guns trained on parents, children, infants and toddlers, from approximately 11 AM to 8 PM.  ...The Stowers family has run a very large, well-known food cooperative called Manna Storehouse on the western side of the greater Cleveland area for many years."]
Investment banks set to cut 30,000 jobs telegraph.co.uk 12/6/8 ["Up to 20,000 jobs look set to be lost as a result of the imminent merger of Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, as a further 10,000 job losses were announced across the investment banking fraternity. "]
UN Gives Awards to Promoters of Abortion and Homosexual Agenda lifesitenews.com 12/6/8 ["Under her leadership, the UN committees responsible for monitoring state compliance with international treaty obligations have become increasingly vocal over national abortion laws – even though no human rights treaty mentions abortion. During Arbor’s four year term, over 60 countries have been pressured to legalize or liberalize abortion access."]
 

The Most Important Issue of This Hour worldchallenge.org 12/5/8 [by David Wilkerson (Written in June, 2008) "I believe the most important issue of this hour has to do with what is called “enduring faith.” Simply put, will the faith of God’s people endure the terrible shaking of all things, the intense trials and testings to come, which no previous generation has faced?"  ...Ten years ago, I wrote a book entitled, America’s Last Call: On the Brink of a Financial Holocaust. In that book, I warned of the following events...]
Sitting Ducks newswithviews.com 12/5/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "I look at what is going on in America and I feel like a seismologist in Thailand. “What is wrong with those people? Don’t they have any common sense? Can’t they see what is coming down the pike?” America is bankrupt. I can’t believe people can’t see it."]
Weighed And Found Wanting newswithviews.com 12/5/8 [By Sheriff Jim R. Schwiesow, Ret.  "Following is the prophesy of Nahum given unto Nineveh of Assyria prior to the complete destruction of that great city by the Eternal Most High God. Think not that such Biblical prophesy is confined strictly to whom it was originally addressed, in this case the Assyrian residents of the capitol city Nineveh. It instead identifies God’s wrath upon a people of depraved hearts and minds, worshippers of the lusts of the flesh rather than worshippers of GOD, and our people fit the bill of particulars perfectly in this regard."]
Calls for $1 Trillion Stimulus Package Grow as Economy Tumbles bloomberg.com 12/5/8 ["Obama, who has said that enacting a stimulus plan will be his top priority once he takes office on Jan. 20, has himself been steadily increasing the amount he thinks is needed. Earlier in the presidential campaign, he proposed a package worth $50 billion, then raised that to $175 billion as the election approached. Advisers have since said the program may total as much as $700 billion, although that number, too, may rise. "]
Employers announce a combined 20,000 jobs cuts google.com 12/5/8 ["Thursday's announced job cuts spanned an array of economic sectors, hitting telecom workers, bankers, salespeople and chemical manufacturers. The breadth of the layoffs suggests the pain of the recession will be felt broadly and well into 2009."]
Group Calls for Hollywood to Apologize for ‘Prop 8: The Musical’ cnsnews.com 12/5/8 ["A Christian group is calling for an apology from Hollywood celebrities who starred in a musical that it says mocks Christians, defames Christ, and distorts the teaching of the Bible."]
New JK Rowling book goes on sale around the world google.com 12/5/8 [""We expect it to come straight in at No. 1 and is very likely to be our No. 1 book this Christmas," said Jon Howells of Britain's Waterstone's book store chain. "It's in with a fighting chance of being the best-selling book of the year, even though there are only a few weeks to go."]
Gay rights leaders plan $1-million war chest to defend judges who back same-sex marriage latimes.com 12/5/8 ["Gay rights leaders hope to build a $1-million war chest to defend any judge threatened with recall for ruling in favor of gay marriage, leaders announced during a conference call with supporters Tuesday night."]
C.Suisse to cut 5,300 jobs after $2.5 billion loss reuters.com 12/5/8 ["said on Thursday it was cutting 11 percent of its workforce, or 5,300 jobs, as it revealed it made a net loss of about 3 billion Swiss francs ($2.5 billion) in October and November."]
Retailers see sales drop in dreary November google.com 12/5/8 ["...many retailers — with Wal-Mart the notable exception — reported November sales so dismal it was the industry's worst month since at least 1969."]
US factory orders fall sharply for third month reuters.com 12/5/8 ["Overall factory orders plunged 5.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted $407 billion, according to a Commerce Department report. That was the biggest drop since July 2000 and more than the 4.0 percent decline that Wall Street economists had forecast."]
What's Really Going On With Gold And Silver? rense.com 12/5/8 ["With everything that has taken place, many "main-stream" TV commentators believe or want us to believe, that the U.S. dollar is now the currency of choice; a safe haven or flight to quality. Nothing can be further from the truth. "]
Obama's New World Order time.com 12/5/8 [Editor: The article content is trivial, but the title says a lot.]
 

Mississippi Memorial Uses 50 Million Pennies to Mark 50 Million Abortion Deaths lifenews.com 12/3/8 ["Fifty million missing children represented by these pennies must be cause for us to stop, pray, consider what we are doing as a nation, ask God to forgive us, seek ways to help those who are struggling with the decision, and look to the Lord to restore each of us.""]
Why Would God Judge America? informedchristians.com 12/3/8 [By Daniel Valles  "In II Kings. 21:16, God mentions that Manasseh shed innocent blood “very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another…” God pronounced judgment on Judah as a whole for this wickedness..."]
Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security washingtonpost.com 12/3/8 ["The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.  ...The first 4,700-person unit, built around an active-duty combat brigade based at Fort Stewart, Ga., was available as of Oct. 1, said Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the U.S. Northern Command."]
Evangelist seeks national prayer day for economy worldnetdaily.com 12/3/8 ["A long historical precedent exists for presidents calling the nation to prayer and fasting. On March 23, 1798, President John Adams issued a proclamation recommending May 9 of that year as a "day of solemn humiliation, fasting and prayer.""]
Atheists want God out of Ky. homeland security google.com 12/3/8 ["American Atheists Inc. sued in state court over a 2002 law that stresses God's role in Kentucky's homeland security alongside the military, police agencies and health departments. Of particular concern is a 2006 clause requiring the Office of Homeland Security to post a plaque that says the safety and security of the state "cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon almighty God" and to stress that fact through training and educational materials."]
Obama to appoint czar to stop nuclear and biological attacks boston.com 12/3/8 ["President-elect Barack Obama plans to appoint a new White House official to coordinate efforts to prevent terrorists from obtaining nuclear or biological weapons, advisers say, giving the highest priority to thwarting a catastrophic attack that a bipartisan panel warns could come in the next five years."]
US soldiers re-enlisting because of poor economy google.com 12/3/8 ["While several factors might explain the rise in re-enlistments, including a decline in violence in Iraq, Pentagon officials acknowledge that bad news for the economy is usually good news for the military. In fact, the Pentagon just completed its strongest recruiting year in four years."]
Europe hopes havens will give bees a break csmonitor.com 12/3/8 ["Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union, already has a law setting mandatory quotas of "environmental compensation zones," ranging from 1 to 2 percent of cultivated areas, says Theo Nicollerat, president of a Swiss beekeeping association. "Rather than for recovering insects, they are mostly intended as a tool to preserve farming land." Now, the European Parliament is pushing for the creation of similar quotas across the 27 member states of the European Union.  ...about three-quarters of all food grown in Europe is somehow dependent on bees"]
A last electoral hurdle for Obama csmonitor.com 12/3/8 ["The Electoral College – that curious body created by the Founders to put one extra check on the popular vote – meets Dec. 15 to elect the president.  ...Two pending lawsuits could yet get an audience before the Supreme Court prior to Dec. 15, and a movement is also afoot to sue secretaries of state over the certification issue. Some say the Founders intended the Electoral College to serve as the final certification board for candidates. The US has no other independent certification process, relying instead on vetting by courts, voters, and the press during the campaign."]
GM, Ford, Chrysler UAW Leaders Call Emergency Meeting bloomberg.com 12/3/8 ["GM, at risk of running out of operating cash this year, wants to stop paying union workers when plants are closed and there is no other work, people familiar with the company’s plans said. Ford and Chrysler likely will ask for similar concessions to help them get government aid, two union officials said today."]
 

Citigroup says gold could rise above $2,000 next year as world unravels telegraph.co.uk 12/2/8 ["...as central banks flood the world's monetary system with liquidity  ...This gamble was likely to end in one of two extreme ways: with either a resurgence of inflation; or a downward spiral into depression, civil disorder, and possibly wars. Both outcomes will cause a rush for gold."  ...Gold has tripled in value over the last seven years]
House to seek about $500 billion economic stimulus reuters.com 12/2/8 ["The aide said the package would include the cost of a middle-class tax cut that President-elect Barack Obama wants, billions of dollars for road, bridge and mass transit construction, aid to states and investments in renewable energy development."]
Credit-card industry may cut $2 trillion lines: analyst reuters.com 12/2/8 ["The U.S. credit-card industry may pull back well over $2 trillion of lines over the next 18 months due to risk aversion and regulatory changes, leading to sharp declines in consumer spending, prominent banking analyst Meredith Whitney said."]
Down we go again: Fourth-worst drop ever for Dow forbes.com 12/2/8 ["ts worst days since the financial meltdown Monday, slicing 680 points off the Dow Jones industrial average... Not only did stocks end their five-day winning streak, they erased more than half the gains. The Standard & Poor's 500 stock index, one of the broadest market gauges, lost nearly 9 percent."]
Churches Stand to Lose Several Billion Dollars in Lost Donations Due to Economic Downturn barna.org 12/2/8 ["Two out of every three families - 68% - have been noticeably affected by the financial setbacks in America. Nearly one out of every four (22%) said they have been impacted in a "major way," almost four out of ten have been affected "only somewhat" and about one out of every twelve (8%) say they have not been affected too much."]
Russia test-fires ballistic missile from submarine jpost.com 12/2/8 ["The Bulava reportedly is designed to have a maximum range of about 10,000 kilometers and to carry six individually targeted nuclear warheads."]
California's new 'fiscal emergency' latimes.com 12/2/8 ["The state projects a $28-billion deficit by mid-2010, but at the current rate is on track to run out of cash by February or March."]
Rick Warren, Readers Digest Join Forces for New Publication crossroad.to 12/2/8 ["...the new Purpose Driven Connection "will service the general public." This service will come in the form of a quarterly magazine, The Purpose Driven Connection, but will also include several other formats such as multi-media materials for small groups and a "social networking" service."]
Get ready for a rough ride from world recession, Chinese President tells party timesonline.co.uk 12/2/8 ["The speech is the most authoritative warning yet of the blow dealt to the world's fourth-largest economy by the international financial crisis. Tens of thousands of migrant workers at failed factories are already heading back to their farms, and economists say that the real drop in export orders may not be felt until early next year."]
Mob runs riot as Zimbabwe runs out of water timesonline.co.uk 12/2/8 ["Zimbabwe cut water supplies to residents in Harare today as the cholera epidemic tightened its grip and the city witnessed its worst unrest for a decade. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority turned off the pumps in the capital after it ran out of chemicals needed to to purify supplies."]
Pilgrim’s Pride Seeks Bankruptcy on High Grain Costs bloomberg.com 12/2/8 ["the largest U.S. chicken producer, sought bankruptcy protection along with five affiliates after rising grain costs and a poultry surplus led to four consecutive quarterly losses. ...Corn prices soared 66 percent in the first half of the year, partly on demand for food, livestock feed and ethanol. "]
JPMorgan will cut 9,200 jobs at Washington Mutual usatoday.com 12/2/8 ["Of the 9,200 jobs being eliminated as JPMorgan integrates Washington Mutual, 4,000 will be cut by the end of January, a JPMorgan spokesman said. The remaining 5,200 employees will remain with JPMorgan through a transition period, but will lose their jobs by the end of 2009."]
Heavy rain threatens Australia's wheat crop quality alibaba.com 12/2/8 ["The crop had been set to be Australia's best for three years after the previous two harvests were decimated by the country's worst drought in 100 years. Koch said rain would see a large quantity of wheat in northern New South Wales downgraded from high quality milling wheat because of sprouting."]
 

Lie, cheat and steal: high school ethics surveyed google.com 12/1/8 ["In the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a new, large-scale survey suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethical standards."  Editor: Scripture warns us: "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents..."]
Stimulus all the rage, bar Germany iht.com 12/1/8 ["Bank of America economists highlighted in a research note that employment as measured by the monthly non-farm payrolls data fell 77,000 a month on average in the first half of 2008, but by three to four times that amount in September and October. For the November data due on Friday, the prediction is that the fall will be 316,000, according to a poll conducted by Reuters, after a drop of 240,000 in October."]
Local pillars, U.S. auto dealerships teeter iht.com 12/1/8 ["The economic toll of a mass failure of dealerships around the country has already begun to harm the broader economy. In October alone, 20,000 employees of auto dealerships lost their jobs nationwide, more than half of those who were newly unemployed in the retail trade, according to the Labor Department."]
Death at Wal-Mart: A sign of the times iht.com 12/1/8 ["Live within our means and save: This new commandment has entered the U.S. conversation, colliding with the deeply embedded imperative to spend. And yet much of the distress is less the product of extravagance than the result of the fact that in many households the means are nowhere near enough for traditional middle-class lives."  Editor: Short and to the point.  Scripture also reminds us: "...covetous, ...Without natural affection"]
Autoworker chief pleads for government aid google.com 12/1/8 ["The head of the United Auto Workers made a public plea Sunday for government help for U.S. carmakers as the Big Three put the final touches on stabilization plans to submit to Congress."]
Britain is in no position to laugh at Iceland’s problems timesonline.co.uk 12/1/8 ["The scale of our problems has still not been understood. In essence the domestic banks are largely bust. The Government’s £500 billion bailout plan is primarily designed not to keep banks lending to small firms and to homebuyers but to prevent an unimaginable financial calamity."]