"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

Romans 13 Revisited newswithviews.com 2/28/9 [By Chuck Baldwin  "So, there are limits to authority. A father has authority in his home, but does this give him power to abuse his wife and children? Of course not. An employer has authority on the job, but does this give him power to control the private lives of his employees? No. A pastor has overseer authority in the church, but does this give him power to tell employers in his church how to run their businesses? Of course not. All human authority is limited in nature. No man has unlimited authority over the lives of other men. Lordship and Sovereignty is the exclusive domain of Jesus Christ."]
GM posts $9.6-billion quarterly loss latimes.com 2/28/9 ["The underlying message, industry experts say, is that GM's predicament is everyone's, or at least every U.S. taxpayer's. If the administration fails to support the automaker, it could quickly collapse, and with it millions of direct and indirect jobs. But if the government elects to keep dispensing cash, there may be no end to the funding needs."]
President Takes Aim at Foreign Profits  wsj.com 2/28/9 ["The budget plan would also impose a $31.5 billion tax increase, over a 10-year period, on oil companies, by repealing various tax breaks now enjoyed by the sector. In addition to that, Mr. Obama would reinstate Superfund taxes, raising $17.2 billion over 10 years, much of which is accounted for by excise taxes on oil."]
President Obama Starts Process of Removing Doctors' Protections on Abortions lifenews.com 2/28/9 ["Obama officials told the Chicago Tribune that they are opening up a 30-day public comment period, after which they will roll back the protections for medical personnel and facilities."]
Sen. Boxer tries to hurry children's 'rights' treaty worldnetdaily.com 2/28/9 ["Boxer wants quick action on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, a proposal on which for 20 years Congress has refused to act because of concerns and questions. The instrument was signed by President Clinton in 1995, but opposition and critics' concerns that it would override centuries of practice, policy and law regarding children have left it unadopted. "]
Atheist Ads for London, Ontario Buses Refused By Ad Agency lifesitenews.com 2/28/9 ["Lamar Advertising of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refused the request for the London bus ads, made by the Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign. Steve Copeland, head of Eastern Canadian Operations for Lamar, said London Transit's contract with his company gives him the authority to decide what ads are acceptable. The contract prohibits ads that offend community standards, demean or degrade individuals or groups or violate laws."]
 

A Nation Transformed by Fear! lasttrumpetnewsletter.org 2/27/9 [By Pastor David Meyer  "The question that arises is one of control. How does this spiritual oligarchy (rule by a few) control so many people? What force would it take to do that job efficiently? That force is fear, and the Bible makes that exceedingly clear in the verses above. When conditions are manufactured that make life so uncertain financially and in every other way, peace and tranquility disappear. When we are constantly put on guard against the threat of terror and terrorist attacks and when we see morality, character, and reference points of stability crumbling all around us, then the dynamic of fear sets in. When they have made cowards of us all through debt, worry, and uncertainty, the powers of darkness then control the masses of humanity."]
Polluters pay in Obama's 'green' budget google.com 2/27/9 ["...Obama is banking on a landmark carbon gas cap-and-trade system to both fight climate change and pump 80 billion dollars into the Treasury purse to fund renewable energy programs."]
Democrats urge green overhaul of Capitol Power Plant  nytimes.com 2/27/9 [""The Capitol Power Plant continues to be the number one source of air pollution and carbon emissions in the District of Columbia and the focal point for criticism from local community and national environmental and public health groups," the Democrats said in a letter (pdf) to acting Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers."]
How Can the U.S. Economy Recover Without Manufacturing Capacity? marketoracle.co.uk 2/27/9 ["Barack Obama has put a huge emphasis on building a green economy. However, according to the New York Times , most of the sources of solar panels and wind turbines are located in Europe and Asia. There can be no green economy without a mass transit makeover of the United States, but the U.S. hasn't made subway and light rail cars in many years. They'd have to be imported."]
Stimulus Equals War newswithviews.com 2/27/9 [By Nancy Levant  "Keep your eyes wide open. The results of ignorance and apathy have arrived at our doorsteps. Our global job is not to manufacture automobiles. Trust me on this one. Watch for the “retooling” to unfold. Perhaps, the saving grace of the auto industry will suddenly become tanks and helicopters."]
Obama budget has new $750B bank rescue contingency google.com 2/27/9 ["The White House's 2010 budget released Thursday includes a $250 billion contingency fund for 2009, the projected cost to the government of purchasing $750 billion in assets from banks in need of capital infusions. In essence, taxpayers would foot the entire $750 billion up front."]
Obama to Seek New Assault Weapons Ban abcnews.go.com 2/27/9 [""As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder told reporters. "]
Defense Department Establishes Civilian Expeditionary Workforce defenselink.mil 2/27/9 ["The Defense Department is forming a civilian expeditionary workforce that will be trained and equipped to deploy overseas in support of military missions worldwide, according to department officials. The intent of the program “is to maximize the use of the civilian workforce to allow military personnel to be fully utilized for operational requirements,” according to a Defense Department statement. "]
The Pornification of a Culture -- What's Going on in the Office Next Door? lifesitenews.com 2/27/9 [by Dr. Albert Mohler  "Seventy percent of all pornography is viewed during prime working hours -- which means in the workplace. ...Sen. Grassley has demanded that the National Science Foundation, an agency funded by the U.S. government, explain why its own report indicates that the use of government computers within the agency to view pornography is now a "systematic problem.""]
House OKs Spending Bill With UNFPA-Forced Abortion Funds, Abstinence Cuts lifenews.com 2/27/9 ["The House of Representatives wasted little time in approving the Omnibus Appropriations Bill to fund government operations for the rest of the 2009 fiscal year. The bill contains language restoring taxpayer funding of the United Nations Population Fund, which supports China's forced abortion program."]
JPMorgan Chase expect 12,000 job cuts google.com 2/27/9 ["as part of its takeover of the failed Washington Mutual retail bank."]
US feedyards suffer as hamburgers replace steaks reuters.com 2/27/9 [" The United States is somewhat unique amid global beef producers in that most of its cattle are fattened in feedyards on grain and other nutrients, as opposed to grazing on lush pastures."]
Gold coin shortage as demand soars ft.com 2/27/9 ["The scarcity is lifting coin premiums to as much as 5 per cent above the spot gold price, a level reached briefly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers last September, when coin shortages also surfaced."]
 

Stores looted, cars burned on island of Martinique google.com 2/26/9 ["French police officers patrolled Martinique's capital late Wednesday after vandals burned cars and looted stores overnight as protests over high prices, low pay and alleged neglect by officials in Paris spread to a second Caribbean island."]
"Brain Death" Test Causes Brain Necrosis and Kills Patients: Neurologist to Rome Conference lifesitenews.com 2/26/9 ["The test is applied in emergency rooms or ICUs, often with an "organ procurement agent" standing by to ask relatives for approval for organ retrieval. A patient who needs assistance breathing is removed from the ventilator for up to ten minutes, cutting off oxygen to the brain and slowing the heart rate. If the patient fails to begin breathing without assistance after this time, he is declared "brain dead" and his organs may be legally removed. "]
Toyota Charters Boat to Store Unsold Cars newsmax.com 2/26/9 ["The Japanese auto giant told Lloyd’s List that it has chartered a 2,500-car capacity ship that will simply sit at a dock in Malmo, Sweden. "]
ASEAN financial gloom to trump rights issues google.com 2/26/9 ["It is the first time leaders will meet since the group signed a landmark charter in December. The document made ASEAN a legal entity and moves it a step closer toward the goal of establishing a single market by 2015 and becoming a European Union-like community."]
2nd U.S. soldier in Iraq challenges eligibility worldnetdaily.com 2/26/9 ["He continued, "When I enlisted last year I had to show my birth certificate, as well as my driver's license, high school diploma, college transcripts, social security card; I also filled out loads of paperwork to include listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of my family members and had to answer any questions regarding foreign travel. "]
Japan's exports nearly halve in one year telegraph.co.uk 2/26/9 ["Japanese car exports fell by two-thirds from a year earlier, accelerating from a 45 per cent annual decline seen in December, as the value of overall exports hit a 10-year low."]
Japanese carmakers slash production by up to 50% guardian.co.uk 2/26/9 [""]
Lost Your Health Insurance? Consider Planned Parenthood Clinics usnews.com 2/26/9 ["Many of those left without insurance have been swarming into Planned Parenthood clinics to get free or subsidized contraception. In fact, a spokesperson from the Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania tells me it has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of women coming into its local centers in the past three months, many of whom are recently unemployed."]
President Obama quietly signs Pro-Union Executive Order thesteadyconservative.com 2/26/9 ["It is nothing less than a payoff to the unions who supported his campaign with both money and troops."]
 

Bailouts, Stimulus Packages or Redistribution of Assets? newswithviews.com 2/25/9 [By Deanna Spingola   "The stability and responsibility of the government that issues a currency is the primary reason people accept that currency. Obviously, the collapse of that government would render the currency worthless."]
Economy takes toll on U.S. retailers iht.com 2/25/9 ["Weak sales and deep discounts during the holiday shopping season sent profit down nearly 59 percent at Macy's, a department store chain, and 41 percent at Target, an upscale discount retailer, compared with a year earlier. Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, reported a loss."]
Pro-Abortion Group Falsely Claims Family Planning Programs Reduce Abortions lifenews.com 2/25/9 ["Last year, officials in Sweden reported that the number of abortions increased 17 percent in Sweden from 2000 to 2007 despite sales of the morning after pill increasing during the same time period. The morning after pill became a drug that could be sold over the counter in Sweden in 2001 and abortion advocates touted non-prescription sales in the United States as a panacea for reducing abortions."]
Why States Are Shunning AKA's "Stimulus" Money newswithviews.com 2/25/9 [By Lynn Stuter  "What recipients of these grants have learned is that the federal grant money amounts to pennies on the dollar of the total cost of the grant project or program; that the grants really only represent “seed money”. At the same time, federal terms and conditions, as set down in the RFP, governs the entire project, including continued funding of the project."]
U.S. pressed to add billions to bailouts iht.com 2/25/9 ["The government's boldest rescue to date, its $150 billion commitment for the insurance giant American International Group, is foundering. AIG indicated Monday it was negotiating for tens of billions of dollars in additional assistance as losses mounted. Separately, the Obama administration confirmed it was in discussions to aid Citigroup, the recipient of $45 billion so far, that could raise the government's stake in the banking company to as much as 40 percent."]
Obama Sells U.S. To China Inc. newswithviews.com 2/25/9 [By Cliff Kincaid  "Clinton was shown saying, “We are relying on the Chinese government to continue to buy our debt.” The almighty dollar takes precedence over everything else, even as it falls in value and the dangers of hyperinflation and national bankruptcy loom. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that pandering to the Chinese will not solve anything."]
Some Swiss want guns out of home, into armory iht.com 2/25/9 ["But campaigners said Monday they have collected about 120,000 signatures to force a nationwide referendum on whether to confine army weapons to military compounds. They say the proliferation of firearms has led to suicides and homicides throughout the nation, and they want tighter firearms controls."]
 

Ten Square Miles Of Criminal Enterprise newswithviews.com 2/24/9 [By Devvy Kidd  "Last year 2.8 million homes went into foreclosure. If the numbers (7-9 million) are accurate, the situation is even more dire than we thought. Comrade Obama is talking $75 BILLION to bail out homeowners by stealing the fruits of your labor with money that does not exist. "]
China's buying spree in global fire sale csmonitor.com 2/24/9 ["Squeezed between falling profits and the credit crunch, a growing number of troubled corporations and countries are turning to cash-rich China for a bailout. And with foreign assets cheaper than they have been for years, Beijing is on an international spending spree."]
California: Ammiano wants to make marijuana legal in state sfgate.com 2/24/9 ["The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which is barred by federal law."]
AIG in talks with U.S. government, sees $60 billion loss: source reuters.com 2/24/9 ["The loss would be among the largest in corporate history, exceeding Time Warner's $54 billion loss in 2002 and dwarfing the $24.5 billion loss AIG posted in the third quarter"]
Britain faces summer of rage - police guardian.co.uk 2/24/9 ["Britain's most senior police officer with responsibility for public order raised the spectre of a return of the riots of the 1980s, with people who have lost their jobs, homes or savings becoming "footsoldiers" in a wave of potentially violent mass protests."]
Bunking In with Mom and Dad time.com 2/24/9 ["Since the recession began in December 2007, the U.S. has lost 3.6 million jobs. An AARP survey released in May found that more than a third of retirees have had to help a child pay bills in the past year. And the number of multigenerational households has increased from 5 million in 2000 to 6.2 million in 2008, according to AARP."]
Oscar Winners Use Awards Event to Slam Same-Sex "Marriage" Opponents, Promote Homosexualist Agenda lifesitenews.com 2/24/9 ["Jubilation swelled high in San Francisco's heavily homosexual Castro district at the awards "Milk" received."]
Online layoff tracker captures economy's carnage google.com 2/24/9 ["In a sour economy like this, entrepreneurs inevitably dream up new ways to turn lemons into lemonade."  Editor: pretty soon they will be running out of sugar...]
Miles of Idled Boxcars Leave Towns Singing the Freight-Train Blues  wsj.com 2/24/9 ["Railroads, which have seen shipping volumes drop by double-digit percentages in recent months, face a particularly vexing problem. The nation's five largest railroads have put more than 30% of their boxcars -- 206,000 in all -- into storage, according to the Association of American Railroads."]
 

EU leaders back sweeping financial regulations google.com 2/23/9 ["Heads of government and finance ministers from Europe's largest economies joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin to lay the groundwork for a common European position on economic reforms before an April 2 summit of the Group of 20 nations in London.  ...analysts say other G-20 members, including the U.S., China, Japan and developing nations like India and Brazil, might not share Europe's zeal for blanket global regulations."]
100,000 protest in Dublin over impact of recession google.com 2/23/9 ["...the plan — which effectively docks 7 percent from the paychecks of 350,000 Irish workers — comes amid revelations of shady dealings and irresponsible lending at the banks now getting the taxpayers' help."]
U.S. Lawmaker to Push Repeal of E-Gambling Ban pcmag.com 2/23/9 ["Supporters of the ban argued offshore Internet gambling websites take billions of dollars out the U.S. economy, damage families and serve as vehicles for money laundering. The law cost Europe's online gambling companies billions in lost market value as they were forced to retreat from one of their most lucrative markets."]
Will the Recession Doom the Last Sunday Blue Laws? time.com 2/23/9 ["A handful of state legislatures have declared it's closing time for Sunday alcohol sales restrictions, saying an extra day of sales could give their foundering budgets a much-needed shot of revenue."]
Saab files for bankruptcy protection iht.com 2/23/9 ["the Swedish automaker owned by General Motors, filed for bankruptcy on Friday and said it would use aid from the Swedish government to re-establish the independence that it lost nearly 20 years ago."]
Proposed law might make Wi-Fi users help cops networkworld.com 2/23/9 ["Along with sections stipulating stiffer penalties for activities related to accessing child pornography on the Internet, the law would require Internet and e-mail service providers to retain "all records or other information" about anyone using a network address temporarily assigned by the service."]
Jefferson County, Alabama unable to make $636 million sewer debt payment due Friday al.com 2/23/9 [" The money due Friday is in addition to the $3.2 billion sewer debt and a result of accelerated principal and interest payments due to banks because of downgrades to the county's bond ratings. "]
Drought to cut off federal water to Calif. farms apnews.myway.com 2/23/9 ["to thousands of California farms as a result of the deepening drought gripping the state. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said parched reservoirs and patchy rainfall this year were forcing them to completely stop surface water deliveries for at least a two-week period beginning March 1."]
TREASURIES-Prices fall as Treasury set to issue $94 bln reuters.com 2/23/9 ["The Treasury said it would sell $40 billion in two-year notes on Tuesday and $32 billion in five-year notes on Wednesday. Also, $22 billion in seven-year notes would be up for grabs on Thursday..."]
 

BoJ to buy Y1,000bn of corporate bonds ft.com 2/21/9 ["The Bank of Japan on Thursday stepped up measures to help embattled companies suffering in the credit crisis, with plans to buy up to Y1,000bn ($10.6bn) in corporate bonds and extend its emergency purchases of other assets from financial institutions."]
Volcker sees crisis leading to global regulation google.com 2/21/9 ["In fact, the 81-year-old former chairman of the Federal Reserve said, "I don't remember any time, maybe even the Great Depression, when things went down quite so fast.""]
Hawaii Legislature Won't Debate Assisted Suicide Bill, Committee Chair Says lifenews.com 2/21/9 ["Karamatsu says he is open to holding a hearing on the bill in the future but that the euthanasia proponents who support the bill don't have enough backing."]
Florida can't keep up with concealed weapon permit requests miamiherald.com 2/21/9 ["The state greenlighted funds to hire 61 workers to tackle a backlog of concealed-weapons permit applications."]
California Man Wakes Up From Coma Right Before Disconnecting Life Support lifenews.com 2/21/9 ["The story gives more credence to the notion that families should avoid making premature decisions to take the life of a loved one, because of the possibility of recovery."]
UK: Secret police target government critics worldnetdaily.com 2/21/9 ["Jacqui Smith, the United Kingdom's home secretary who already is embattled over claims she has "misappropriated" housing allowances, now has approved a new and ultra-secret intelligence unit to spy on groups opposed to government policies..."]
Gold demand surges by a third to $100bn telegraph.co.uk 2/21/9 ["The investment demand for gold, which includes gold exchange traded funds (ETFs), gold bars and gold coins, was 64pc higher in 2008 than 2007. Demand for bars and coins rose by 87pc over 2008. "]
Swiss Re and BNP become latest European giants to report severe losses guardian.co.uk 2/21/9 ["Yesterday, Swiss Re, the world's biggest reinsurer, suffered a ratings downgrade from S&P, which said the company required extra funds of $1.5bn. It is already seeking an extra Sfr2bn in a rights issue on top of Buffett's investment of Sfr3bn. The company dismissed its chief executive last week."]
 

Brazil: Embraer to Cut Workforce by 20%, Deliver Fewer Planes bloomberg.com 2/20/9 ["the world’s fourth-largest aircraft maker, will cut its workforce by about 20 percent and deliver fewer planes than previously forecast this year because of the global recession. "]
Dow ends at lowest close in more than 6 years google.com 2/20/9 ["The Dow's finish below the Nov. 20 mark leaves the index its lowest level since Oct. 9, 2002. Worries about the economy and, on Thursday, the strength of the technology industry, weighed on stocks."]
Wisconsin Governor Doyle Proposes Domestic Partnership Protections In State Budget huffingtonpost.com 2/20/9 ["In his biennial budget proposal Tuesday, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle announced the first Domestic Partnership protections proposed by any Midwestern U.S. state. The basic protections include hospital visitation rights and Family Medical Leave rights for same-sex domestic partners in committed relationships."]
U.S. Economy: Factory Output, Housing Starts Plunge bloomberg.com 2/20/9 ["Treasury securities dropped on speculation the government would sell record amounts of debt next week."]
U.S. Doubles Fannie, Freddie Backing to $400 Billion washingtonpost.com 2/20/9 ["The federal government yesterday doubled its commitment to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, promising to reimburse the companies for up to $400 billion in losses on their investments in mortgage loans. "]
New Gulf currency 'Khaleeji' poised to be Gold backed to remove 'Riba'  marketoracle.co.uk 2/20/9 []
Global financial architecture needs overhaul radioaustralia.net.au 2/20/9 ["Speaker: Jomo Kwame Sundaram, the UN Assistant-Secretary General on Economic Development"]
Abortions Need More Funding Than Medical Surgeries Oregon Health Plan Says lifenews.com 2/20/9 ["A new analysis finds that the Oregon Health Plan is perhaps the first government-run health care plan in the world to draw up official procedures for rationing. The plan ranks various surgeries and diseases and conditions in order of importance and places abortion high on the list."]
Newly poor swell lines at U.S. food banks  iht.com 2/20/9 ["The number of food-stamp recipients was up by 17 percent across New York State, and 12 percent in New Jersey, in November from a year before."]
Nearly 5 million Americans drawing jobless benefits reuters.com 2/20/9 ["The number of unemployed still on the benefits rolls after drawing an initial week of aid surged 170,000 to 4.99 million in the week ended February 7, the Labor Department said."  Editor: Of course, not including the unemployed no longer on the list..."]
More Than 13 Million Abortions a Year in China, 55 Percent of Women Have One lifenews.com 2/20/9 ["The new figures come on the heels of a Family Planning Commission survey showing 70 percent of the women questioned want to be allowed to have two or more children."]
Asian box ports see alarming drop in throughput lloydslist.com 2/20/9 ["Box throughput at Singapore, the world’s largest container port took a 19% dive in January...  The picture for world’s third busiest boxport, Hong Kong was even bleaker.  Hong Kong, saw January throughput plunge 23% in January to 1.6m teu. Its flagship Kwai Tsing Terminals moved 1.2m teu, down 19% from the same month last year.  "]
 

Obama unveils 275 billion dollar housing plan google.com 2/19/9 ["The strategy includes 75 billion dollars designed as an incentive for lenders to reduce interest rates to prevent at-risk mortgage debtors joining the millions who have already fallen victim to foreclosures. The government will also put up an additional 200 billion dollars to bolster confidence in efforts by federal lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae..."]
Hawaii Bill for Assisted Suicide Fast-Tracked, Gets House Panel Hearing in Days lifenews.com 2/19/9 ["Although the Hawaii legislature has defeated past attempts to turn physicians into what opponents call "merchants of death," the moving of the bill to a different committee could make it more difficult for the groups fighting it."]
Seven States Have Launched Efforts for Personhood Rights for Pre-born - More Expected lifesitenews.com 2/19/9 ["Five States have now introduced bills affirming the personhood rights of pre-born humans from the moment of fertilization, including..."]
Layoff Lawyer Sees Ominous Signs wsj.com 2/19/9 ["Applying his admittedly unscientific methodology, Mr. Mathiason estimates the U.S. could lose around three million jobs from January through March, or one million a month. That’s equivalent to all the job losses in 2008. The government estimates that 600,000 jobs were lost in January."]
Obama promises Palestinians he'll protect 'biblical heartland' worldnetdaily.com 2/19/9 ["The Obama administration has pledged to the Palestinian Authority it will closely monitor Jewish construction in the West Bank and will protest any new housing developments in the biblical territory, a top PA negotiator told WND. "]
Stanford depositors swarm banks reuters.com 2/19/9 ["Hundreds of people lined up to withdraw money from banks in Antigua and Caracas affiliated with Texas billionaire Allen Stanford, a day after the tycoon was charged with an $8 billion fraud."]
Tax troubles for president's chief of staff worldnetdaily.com 2/19/9 ["There could be tax troubles on the horizon for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who reportedly has lived rent-free in Washington for five years but hasn't paid taxes on the imputed income, according to reports. "]
France sends troops to Guadeloupe bbc.co.uk 2/19/9 ["France is sending four military police units to Guadeloupe after one person was killed during month-long riots and strikes on the French Caribbean island. "]
British Government Considers Labeling As Extremists Muslims Who Think Homosexuality Is Sinful lifesitenews.com 2/19/9 ["The UK Guardian reports that a document known as Contest 2 reveals plans to widen the definition of "extremist" as part of the antiterrorism effort to those who hold views that clash with what the government defines as shared British values. Under the plan Muslims who believe homosexuality is sinful could be considered as "extremist," by that fact alone."]
EU considers possibility of a small-country bailout iht.com 2/19/9 ["European Union rules were specifically designed so that one country could not be held liable for the debts of another cash-strapped member. And the European Central Bank is prevented from paying the debts for laggard states. But now even the German finance minister is raising the prospect of a rescue becoming necessary."]
Smithfield Foods to cut 1,800 jobs, close 6 plants ap.org 2/19/9 ["the nation's largest pork producer was switching its focus from buying up its hard-pressed competitors to operating more efficiently.  ...The company plans to combine seven of its independent operating companies into three main units and close plants in six cities"]
Report Details How Use of Fetal Stem Cells in Treatment Caused Brain Tumors lifenews.com 2/19/9 ["A new report in a medical journal details how the use of fetal stem cells in the treatment of a boy from Israel caused brain tumors. The report highlights the problems of using cells obtained from destroying unborn children, such as embryonic stem cells, and the problems they create for patients."]
Sales Tax Time Bomb Explodes as Consumption in Freefall marketoracle.co.uk 2/19/9 ["The actual result for the fourth quarter of 2008 was -6.3%, a little worse than the previous two quarters, which came in at -5.9%. That -6% neighborhood for late 2008 is the worst in the history of the series; its closest rival is the -5.1% hit during the sharp 1980 consumer recession, when Jimmy Carter got on TV and told people that it was their patriotic duty to stop using their credit cards"]
Oil slips below $35 as global markets tumble breitbart.com 2/19/9 [" Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit fell 7.4 percent. While results adjusted to account for a labor settlement beat Wall Street forecasts, the world's largest retailer said it might fall short of expectations for the first quarter of this year. And new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed weakening manufacturing in the state. "]
Brzezinski: U.S. Recession Could Lead to Riots usnews.com 2/19/9 ["Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser to Jimmy Carter, thinks America's rich people should get together and create a fund to give money to America's non-rich people. Pay it forward -- or else."  Editor: more stirring the pot and fear-mongering.]
 

GM seeks up to $30B in aid, will cut 47,000 jobs google.com 2/18/9 ["The job cuts, which would take place by the end of this year, include 10,000 salaried and 37,000 blue-collar positions, amounting to 19 percent of the company's current global work force."]
Clinton calls for coordinated economic action swissinfo.ch 2/18/9 ["Speaking at a news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, Clinton said the two discussed "the economic challenges facing our two countries and the world as a whole, which demand a coordinated global response." "As the first- and second-largest economies in the world, we understand those responsibilities," she said."]
Elderly New Yorkers angry as crisis hits poorest reuters.com 2/18/9 ["City figures show that in 2006, one-fifth of New Yorkers age 65 and older lived in poverty, twice the national average. Advocacy groups say by now it is closer to one-third, and New York is second only to Detroit among major U.S. cities in its rate of poverty among the elderly."]
Gold hits record against euro on fear of Zimbabwean-style response to bank crisis telegraph.co.uk 2/18/9 ["Gold has surged to an all-time high against the euro, sterling, and a string of Asian currencies on mounting concerns that global authorities are embarking on a "Zimbabwe-style" debasement of the international monetary system. ...Jewellery demand – usually the mainstay of the industry – has almost entirely dried up and the price is now being driven by investors. They range from the billionaires stashing boxes of krugerrands under the floors of their Swiss chalets (as an emergency fund for total disorder) to the small savers buying the exchange traded funds (ETFs)."]
Kansas tax refunds, state paychecks in limbo over budget dispute kansascity.com 2/18/9 ["Kansas tax refunds, employee paychecks and money for schools are all on hold after a showdown erupted Monday between Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius."]
Calamities And The Poor informedchristians.com 2/18/9 [By Daniel Valles, Editor  "Psalm 72:12-13 says, "For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.""]
More companies, such as Acco Brands, turning to pay cuts to avoid more layoffs chicagotribune.com 2/18/9 ["The company, which supplies office products to such retailers as Office Depot Inc., told its U.S. employees Monday that it would impose a 47 percent pay cut for six weeks, beginning Feb. 23."]
Male Homosexual Sex Fuelling Spread of HIV in Asia, Warns World Health Organization lifesitenews.com 2/18/9 ["The release cites a 2007 report showing an increase in AIDS infections across Asia, and mentions China in particular, where the risk of infection by active homosexual men is 45 times higher than for men in general. The WHO noted that Asia is thought to have the world's largest number of actively homosexual men, estimated at 10 million. "]
Prosperous Spanish city falls victim to hard times guardian.co.uk 2/18/9 ["In a country destroying jobs at a breathtaking rhythm, once flourishing Zaragoza and the region around it is declining even faster than the national average - with unemployment up 75% in a year. The shock has already sent protesters on to the city's streets in their tens of thousands. "If this isn't fixed: Strike! Strike! Strike!", they chanted at a recent rally."]
IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn warns second wave of countries will require bail-out  telegraph.co.uk 2/18/9 ["The IMF managing director also said the rich world was now in the midst of a "deep recession". It came as the G7 pledged to avoid slipping into protectionism and repeating the same political and economic mistakes as were made in the 1930s. Ministers also pledged to do more to support their banking systems, sparking speculation that a number of countries, including Germany and France, will unveil new bail-outs and possibly set up "bad banks" as they scramble to fight the crisis. "]
The Peron pattern washingtontimes.com 2/18/9 [By Jeffrey T. Kuhner  "Mr. Obama is taking the first dangerous steps toward an American version of Peronism. His followers see him as a political messiah, a revolutionary change agent who will foster national cohesion and unity. He and the Democrats are plundering the state, using it as a vehicle to reward supporters (and punish foes). He is our Dear Leader, whose image is everywhere from magazine covers to T-shirts to baseball caps. His wife, Michelle, is the Eva Peron of our time - glamorous, chic, a fashion trend-setter who is beloved by the media. "]
For many Idahoans, better a trailer home than no home idahostatesman.com 2/18/9 ["Like many of the RV campgrounds, Mountain View is required to keep a percentage of its 63 spaces available for daily and weekly Good Sam and AAA campers. The remaining spaces, which are available for monthly rentals, are full."  Editor: About a year after I graduated from college, I bought and lived in a trailer for over a year as a way to save a lot of money and avoid accumulating a bunch of useless junk. I financially did not have to, but it made more financial sense to.]
Failure to save East Europe will lead to worldwide meltdown telegraph.co.uk 2/18/9 ["Austria's finance minister Josef Pröll made frantic efforts last week to put together a €150bn rescue for the ex-Soviet bloc. Well he might. His banks have lent €230bn to the region, equal to 70pc of Austria's GDP. "A failure rate of 10pc would lead to the collapse of the Austrian financial sector," reported Der Standard in Vienna. Unfortunately, that is about to happen. "]
Little-known agency that insures pensions of 44 million workers braces for recession fallout kfsm.com 2/18/9 ["The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. already has an $11 billion deficit that seems sure to grow larger as Corporate America suffers through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. With companies reporting shortfalls in their pension funds, it's all but certain that the PBGC will be forced to take over the pension plans of a rising number of bankrupt businesses."]
A map of the world, in four billion pockets iht.com 2/18/9 [""Everyone is watching Google, and this will open a floodgate of location-oriented applications and services," said Greg Skibiski, the chief executive of Sense Networks, a New York company that mines the millions of digital trails left by cellphone users for marketing purposes."]
Irish government faces growing fears of debt default guardian.co.uk 2/18/9 ["Fears are growing that Ireland could default on its national debt after the cost to insure against possible losses on loans to the country rose to record highs at the end of last week."]
GM to get $4 billion aid tranche Tuesday-official reuters.com 2/17/9 ["The U.S. government will release $4 billion in additional aid to General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday as planned, a White House aide said on Monday, ahead of the deadline for the automaker to submit a new survival plan. The aide said GM's smaller rival Chrysler LLC's request for additional aid would be treated as a new request and dealt with separately."]
NY governor proposes Internet tax on downloads google.com 2/17/9 ["The governor has floated the idea as a way of closing the state's 15 billion dollar budget deficit, but critics say the proposal would likely apply to the hugely lucrative Internet pornography industry and could even drive business away from the state."]
UK: RBS Plans Up to 20,000 Job Cuts, Sales on 30 Billion-Pound Loss  bloomberg.com 2/17/9 [""]
Dairy cows head for slaughter as milk prices sour google.com 2/17/9 ["Prices for milk now are about half what it costs farmers to produce the staple, and consumer prices are falling. Unless the market can be bolstered, industry officials project that more than 1.5 million of the nation's 9.3 million milking cows could be slaughtered this year as dairy operators look to cut costs and generate cash."  Editor: Supply and Demand. You will see clearing of overhead and overproduction in a variety of industries.]
 

Are We Ready For The One World Order? newswithviews.com 2/16/9 [By Attorney Constance Cumbey  "Jesus warned that no man knoweth the day nor the hour. However, he did expect us to heed the "signs of the times" and the seasons." It appears abundantly clear that such a season may be well upon us. If God is ready, are we? Maybe it is time we "foolish virgins" went oil shopping.""]
Nationalization: Is It the Only Answer to Save Banks? abcnews.go.com 2/16/9 ["A year ago, it would have been unthinkable: Sen. Lindsey Graham advocating a government takeover of private banks -- but that is exactly what he suggested today. "]
State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama worldnetdaily.com 2/16/9 ["A new lawsuit is being prepared by a California attorney who already has four cases pending over the issue of President Obama's eligibility to occupy to Oval Office, and this one will include a demand from state lawmakers who forward state funds to Washington for documentation of his qualifications. "]
The Federal Land Lording Agenda newswithviews.com 2/16/9 [By Nancy Levant  "The cancer that infected our economy was and remains the intention of politicians and their financial and career string pullers to eliminate private property rights. If you choose to call that “housing”, so be it. But masking this truth by manipulating the American people with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG failures, etcetera, etcetera, ain’t gonna fly."]
Economic And Financial Systems Deliberately Destabilized theinternationalforecaster.com 2/16/9 ["The powers that be are not trying to save the economy. They are extending the timeline, so that total collapse will come when they want it to come. Do not underestimate what is going on. This could well he the worst financial and economic collapse of all time. This is the creation of synchronized stimulus, deficits and reflationary policy making. "]
Federal obligations exceed world GDP worldnetdaily.com 2/16/9 ["The total U.S. obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits to be paid in the future, effectively have placed the U.S. government in bankruptcy, even before new continuing social welfare obligation embedded in the massive spending plan are taken into account.  The real 2008 federal budget deficit was $5.1 trillion, not the $455 billion previously reported by the Congressional Budget Office, according to the "2008 Financial Report of the United States Government" as released by the U.S. Department of Treasury."]
Just How Much Is $1 Trillion Dollars? crossroad.to 2/16/9 [""...this plan will cost taxpayers the equivalent of a million dollars a day for the next 3,000 years to fund a long wish list of items that won’t create jobs." (U. S. Congressman Michael McCaul)"]
Rogers Renews Bets U.S. Stocks Will Slump on Rescue bloomberg.com 2/16/9 ["Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. sank more than 15 percent yesterday after Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he’s still “exploring a range of different structures” to bail out lenders. Geithner pledged up to $2 trillion in government financing for programs aimed at spurring new lending and addressing banks’ toxic assets. The proposals, which he said will “take time” to bear fruit, includes limits on bank dividends and acquisitions. "]
The Stimulus is a Step Towards a Soviet America alliancesteeltrading.com 2/16/9 [By Senator Tom Coburn "I would be remiss if I didn’t remind everybody that next week we are going to hear from the Obama administration wanting another $500 billion. Outside of this ["stimulus" bill], they are going to want another $500 billion to handle the banking system."]
FDIC shutters four banks in one day marketwatch.com 2/16/9 ["Oregon, Nebraska, Florida, Illinois bank failures bring year's total to 13"  Editor: 13 banks for 2009 on the 13th, hmmm...]
UK: Bank chief warns economy could shrink by 6%... just three months after Alistair Darling predicted a fall of 1.25% dailymail.co.uk 2/16/9 ["Such a slide would slash Government tax revenues, ruin thousands more businesses and add up to a million more to the almost two million jobless now."]
U.S. military to recruit temporary visa holders with offer of citizenship iht.com 2/16/9 ["Stretched thin in Afghanistan and Iraq, the American military will begin recruiting skilled immigrants who are living in the United States with temporary visas, offering them the chance to become U.S. citizens in as little as six months."]
China to build oil inventory with more Saudi supplies dawn.com 2/16/9 ["It has been reported that China recently completed construction of four oil reserve bases, together representing the first phase of its strategic oil-reserve plan, with a capacity to hold 102 million barrels of crude oil."]
 

Large U.S. banks on brink of insolvency, experts say iht.com 2/14/9 ["A sober assessment of the growing mountain of losses from bad bets, measured in today's marketplace, would overwhelm the value of the banks' assets, they say. The banks, in their view, are insolvent."]
Major banks suspend home foreclosures bizjournals.com 2/14/9 ["Several large U.S. blanks — including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. — said Friday they will halt home foreclosures while the federal government works out a plan to stabilize the nation’s banking industry."]
Fourth down: A brutal end to '08 for S&P companies google.com 2/14/9 ["The companies that make up the Standard & Poor's 500 are on track to post a collective quarterly loss for the first time — a sign corporate America was battered even harder than expected by the economy."]
Treasuries Drop as Dealers Digest $67 Billion in Notes, Bonds  bloomberg.com 2/14/9 ["The Treasury auctioned $32 billion of three-, $21 billion of 10- and $14 billion of 30-year debt this week. Thirty-year bonds yielded 3.54 percent at yesterday’s sale, the lowest on record, yet higher than the 3.514 percent yield traders anticipated in a Bloomberg News survey before the auction. "]
Australian Senate Passes Rudd’s A$42 Billion Stimulus bloomberg.com 2/14/9 ["The plan includes A$12.7 billion in payments to low and middle income earners and A$28.8 billion for schools, bicycle paths and environmental projects. The package is equivalent to 1.3 percent of gross domestic product this fiscal year and 2 percent next, according to Treasury forecasts released last week. "]
Sherman County Bank of Nebraska fails - U.S. FDIC reuters.com 2/14/9 ["the 10th U.S. bank to fail this year as the struggling economy and falling home prices take their toll on financial institutions."]
 

Who Is Pulling Geitner's Strings? newswithviews.com 2/13/9 [By Cliff Kincaid  "Geithner is valuable because he is a major player in the global financial community, a prominent figure in the “Group of Thirty” organization of central bankers and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a former employee of Kissinger Associates and lived in China and speaks Chinese.  ...One key global player is China. “Geithner spoke late on Sunday evening with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan,” Reuters reported. Hence, Geithner was talking to a Chinese official even before he outlined his “plan” to the American people and the Senate. This was the second such conversation in a week. "]
China to stick with U.S. bonds- FT reuters.com 2/13/9 ["China will continue to buy U.S. Treasury bonds even though it knows the dollar will depreciate, because such investments remain its "only option" in a perilous world, the Financial Times cited a senior Chinese banking regulator as saying."]
Gay couples press for marriage rights usatoday.com 2/13/9 ["Marriage license providers across the USA turned away hundreds of same-sex couples seeking the right to wed Thursday as part of the 12th annual Freedom to Marry Week."]
Laid-off foreigners flee as Dubai declines iht.com 2/13/9 ["A new draft media law would make it a crime to damage the country's reputation or economy, punishable by fines of up to 1 million dirhams (about $272,000). Some say it is already having a chilling effect on reporting about the crisis. Last month, local newspapers reported that Dubai was canceling 1,500 work visas every day..."]
Newsstand sales of US magazines drop 11 pct forbes.com 2/13/9 ["Although overall circulation was stable, the drop in single-copy sales translates to less revenue because publishers typically make more from newsstand sales than from subscriptions, which are sold at a discount but help publishers boost circulation totals to lure advertisers."]
Yamaha profit plunges 97 per cent as motorcycle sales screech to a halt theaustralian.news.com.au 2/13/9 ["Yamaha said fewer people were expected to buy motorcycles this year, even in once resilient markets in Asia and Latin America. At the same time the yen's strength is eating into overseas earnings."]
Congress $hopping Carts nypost.com 2/13/9 ["The $838 billion economic stimulus bill that passed the Senate yesterday contains $300 million for the government to purchase a fleet of "green" cars. "]
As US economy tanks, no limits to make ends meet google.com 2/13/9 ["Websites offering advice on selling plasma, sperm, or locks of hair have seen huge upticks in traffic, as have the individuals and businesses that will buy the highly personal items which are now being used by desperate Americans for their own personal bail-out."]
Farmers Face Empty-Nest Syndrome Amid Chicken Housing Crisis wsj.com 2/13/9 ["A chicken housing crisis has cropped up in the U.S., and it's producing some of the same bleak results as the human one -- foreclosures, lawsuits and devastated homeowners. In the wake of last year's bankruptcy filing by poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride Corp., hundreds of farmers suddenly find themselves unable to make mortgage payments on their pricey chicken coops."]
 

China Needs U.S. Guarantees for Treasuries, Yu Says  bloomberg.com 2/12/9 ["China should seek guarantees that its $682 billion holdings of U.S. government debt won’t be eroded by “reckless policies,” said Yu Yongding, a former adviser to the central bank. The U.S. “should make the Chinese feel confident that the value of the assets at least will not be eroded in a significant way,”"]
Record 19 Million U.S. Homes Stood Vacant in 2008 bloomberg.com 2/12/9 ["The number of vacant homes climbed 6.7 percent in the fourth quarter from the same period a year ago"]
Obama team too busy at home to spur G7? reuters.com 2/12/9 ["Finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of Seven industrialized economic powers meet in Rome this week to kick off a run of high-profile meetings among international leaders wrestling to get recession-hit economies back on their feet. Ministers from the wider G20 group will then meet in March and U.S. President Barack Obama is set to go to London in April to meet his counterparts from not just Europe but India, China and other BIG developing nations for a crisis summit."]
Senator Boxer Asks State Department to Expedite the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child parentalrights.org 2/12/9 ["The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which opponents say could destroy American sovereignty by imposing international rulings on American law, could reach the Senate within 60 days. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) says she wants a 60-day timeframe for the State Department to complete its review so the Senate can move toward ratification of the UNCRC."]
Port Container Traffic Fell 8 Percent trafficworld.com 2/12/9 ["Volume was down 7.9 percent with the lowest total since 2004, when 14 million TEU moved through the ports. And even harder times are coming in the first half of 2009, said Port Tracker. In the first six months of 2008, ports handled 7.5 million TEU. The survey forecasts traffic will decline 11.8 percent to 6.6 million TEU."]
Shortage of Critical Commodities Seen Already safehaven.com 2/12/9 ["There is also a worldwide shortage of acetonitrile, a critical chemical ingredient used in the purification of pharmaceutical compounds. Acetonitrile is a by-product of the automotive industry and is in short supply due to the worldwide slowdown in that industry, which, in turn, has caused chemical production facilities around the world to close."]

Drug Making’s Move Abroad Stirs Concerns nytimes.com 2/12/9 ["In 2004, when Bristol-Myers Squibb said it would close its factory in East Syracuse, N.Y. — the last plant in the United States to manufacture the key ingredients for crucial antibiotics like penicillin — few people worried about the consequences for national security. "]
60 popular medicines in short supply  abcactionnews.com 2/12/9 ["If you take a generic beta blocker for high blood pressure or one of 60 other generic drugs, chances are your medicine is in short supply. Jim Martinez runs the Fletcher Medical Center Pharmacy near USF. He says, “We can see in their distribution center what they have available and you'll see most products are unavailable.""]
National Pain Killer Shortage Affects Oregon kptv.com 2/12/9 ["Some local pharmacies said that a national shortage of certain pain killers has been adversely affecting customers who need the medication."]

Obama may become a disaster americanthinker.com 2/12/9 ["There is a reason why Israel s voters are suddenly turning to the center-Right Netanyahu and Likud. They fear that for the first time since Harry Truman, an American administration is turning against the Jewish State. Obama s first phone call after the election was made to Mahmoud Abbas. His first television interview was with Al Arabiya. The appointments of Samantha Power and Susan Rice bode ill for the entire Middle East."]
Ireland makes 7.0-bln-euro banks injection: govt google.com 2/12/9 ["The proposed cash injection is a significant increase on the terms of the bank recapitalisation plan announced in December, when Lenihan said both AIB and BofI would receive two billion each of taxpayers' money."]

Pastor's abortion dream inflames bushfire tragedy smh.com.au 2/11/9 ["The Catch the Fire Ministries has tried to blame the bushfires disaster on laws decriminalising abortion in Victoria.  ...Asked if he believed in a God who would take vengeance by killing so many people indiscriminately - even those who opposed abortion, Mr Nalliah referred to 2 Chronicles 7:14 to vouch for his assertion that God could withdraw his protection from a nation."  Editor: Thanks for the link, Tina!]
Why Would God Judge America? informedchristians.com 2/11/9 [By Daniel Valles, Editor  ""]
Shares of several grocers fall following downgrade cnbc.com 2/11/9 ["Citi Investment Research analyst Deborah L. Weinswig said on Tuesday the heightened competition among grocers has prompted some regional grocers to cut prices, while other retailers are offering more promotions to gain market share. That competition to draw cash-strapped consumers is likely to continue, driving down prices and revenue"]
Global Television For Our Future Global Leader newswithviews.com 2/11/9 [By Cliff Kincaid  "The media proposal, which was included in “The Global Agenda 2009” report, is to create “a new global network” with “the capacity to connect the world, bridging cultures and peoples, and telling us who we are and what we mean to each other.” Several prominent U.S. media figures signed on to the alarming and controversial proposal. "]
$3 trillion! _ Senate, Fed, Treasury attack crisis google.com 2/11/9 ["On a single day filled with staggering sums, the Obama administration, Federal Reserve and Senate attacked the deepening economic crisis Tuesday with actions that could throw as much as $3 trillion more in government and private funds into the fight against frozen credit markets and rising joblessness."]
Bullion sales hit record in rush to safety ft.com 2/11/9 ["The US Mint sold 92,000 ounces of its popular American Eagle coin last month, almost four times that which it sold a year ago and more than it shipped during all of the first half of 2007."]
Spain withdraws cervical cancer shot after illnesses google.com 2/11/9 ["Gardasil"]
Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan: Betsy McCaughey bloomberg.com 2/11/9 ["But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.” "]
GM cuts 10,000 salaried jobs, trims employees' pay google.com 2/11/9 ["The Detroit-based automaker said Tuesday it will reduce its total number of white-collar workers by 14 percent to 63,000. About 3,400, or 12 percent, of GM's 29,500 salaried U.S. jobs will be eliminated. Most of the company's remaining salaried employees will have their wages cut."]
California budget crisis may force massive layoffs reuters.com 2/11/9 ["California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will notify up to 20,000 state employees on Friday their jobs will be eliminated if lawmakers fail by then to balance the budget by closing a shortfall of more than $40 billion, a spokesman said on Tuesday."]
U.S. judges seek massive California prisoner release reuters.com 2/11/9 ["Federal judges on Monday tentatively ordered California to release tens of thousands of inmates, up to a third of all prisoners, in the next three years to stop dangerous overcrowding."]
RBS to axe up to 2,300 jobs google.com 2/11/9 ["The bank, now 68%-owned by the Government, said the cuts represent around 2% of the group's workforce of 106,000."]
 

Tony Blair Being Plugged by Nicolas Sarkozy for President of Europe lifesitenews.com 2/10/9 ["Tony Blair, the former U.K. prime minister, is well known to pro-life and pro-family activists as one of the most anti-life and anti-family political leaders in the world.  ...Should the Lisbon treaty pass, the EU president will be a full-time official, serving a two-and-half-year term, in contrast to the current practice of six month rotation of presidents."]
Washington's Trillion-Dollar Week forbes.com 2/10/9 ["this could be one of the most expensive weeks in U.S. history. "]
U.S. Taxpayers Risk $9.7 Trillion on Bailout Programs bloomberg.com 2/10/9 ["The Federal Reserve, Treasury Department and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have lent or spent almost $3 trillion over the past two years and pledged up to $5.7 trillion more. The Senate is to vote this week on an economic-stimulus measure of at least $780 billion. It would need to be reconciled with an $819 billion plan the House approved last month. ...$8 trillion is in lending programs and guarantees, almost all under the Fed and FDIC. Recipients’ names have not been disclosed. "]
Cuts loom as GM, Chrysler finish viability plans google.com 2/10/9 ["as the companies approach a Feb. 17 deadline to show the government they can be viable. Both companies' plans are presumed to include concessions from bondholders and the United Auto Workers. GM's plan will include shuttering additional factories as well as salaried pay and job cuts, according to people familiar with the plans."]
Nissan to Cut 20,000 Jobs nytimes.com 2/10/9 ["Over the last two weeks, sharp earnings revisions and job cuts have been announced by nearly all of Japan’s best-known companies, including Toyota, Sony, Hitachi, NEC, Hitachi and Panasonic. Toyota Motor, the world’s largest car manufacturer, on Friday forecast a net loss of 350 billion yen, or $3.8 billion, for the year, its first since 1950."]
Italy's "Terri Schiavo" Dies Suddenly lifesitenews.com 2/10/9 ["Although euthanasia is illegal in Italy and Englaro's body functions were not dependent on machines, her father received a decision from Italy's final appeals court in 2008 allowing him to remove hydration and nutrition in order to kill her. The ruling was based on the notion that food and water constitute “medical treatment,” which can be withheld at the patient's discretion."]
Study Finds Abortion Not Needed When Pregnant Women Face Cancer Treatment lifenews.com 2/10/9 [""But it would also be good to keep this in mind whenever the 'life of the mother exception' comes up. Not only does this claim represent a very small fraction of abortion decisions, but it's generally a bogus claim anyway," Brind explained. "Abortion terminates lives; it doesn't save them.""]
It’s The Economy And Immigration: Stupid! newswithviews.com 2/10/9 [By Frosty Wooldridge  "But what did Obama sign a week ago? He signed an Executive Order on February 4, 2009 published in the Federal Register where he directed $20.3 million for refugee and migration assistance to Gaza. He used money we don’t have to bring hundreds of thousands to the U.S. a country ill prepared to accept them in our current state of bankruptcy. In addition, Congress never weighed in on this – another end run around the Constitution via Executive Order. This refugee bill stands apart from the 19,000 Iraqi refugees arriving into the U.S. from Bush’s bill last year=1,500 a month."]
Atom-smasher relaunch delayed to September: official google.com 2/10/9 ["...CERN management decided to aim for a September restart to reinforce protection systems. ...It aims to resolve some of the greatest questions surrounding fundamental matter, such as how particles acquire mass and how they were forged some 13.7 billion years ago."  Editor: Awww, too bad.]
Mexico to fingerprint phone users in crime fight reuters.com 2/10/9 ["Mexico will start a national register of mobile phone users that will include fingerprinting all customers in an effort to catch criminals who use the devices to extort money and negotiate kidnapping ransoms. Under a new law published on Monday and due to be in force in April, mobile phone companies will have a year to build up a database of their clients, complete with fingerprints. The idea would be to match calls and messages to the phones' owners."]
 

Stimulus Is A Bad Idea newswithviews.com 2/9/9 [By Jack H. Swift, Esq.  "Likewise it is urged that something needs to be done and the usual solution is to throw massive amounts of money at the problem. This is again a smoke screen which will do us far more long term harm than we can afford. Besides borrowing, the plan is to give borrowed money to the public by way of government jobs, either directly by expansion of the civil service, or indirectly by way of government contracted work."]
It's not quite yet time to head for the hills, but start preparing for it right now boston.com 2/9/9 ["Train yourself in self-reliance. Most Americans would be endangered if they lost their income for a month, their electricity for a week, or their access to a supermarket or gas station for a few days. We rediscover this in every major snowstorm or hurricane. We simply don't think about being able to sustain ourselves in our homes in the event of utility failures or worse."  Editor: It's starting to become a little bit more obvious to the mainstream where this country is heading...]
Swiss banks to announce massive losses: report google.com 2/9/9 ["The massive spread of so-called "toxic" assets -- mainly linked to financial instruments now worth very little because of the US home-loan crisis -- throughout the global banking system is at the core of the crisis. Sonntag also reported that UBS would announce "5,000 to 8,000 new job cuts" adding to an earlier decision to cut 9,000 positions."]
As economy sinks, bartering returns in Russia iht.com 2/9/9 ["All this evokes a bit of déjà vu. In the mid-1990s, barter transactions in Russia accounted for an astonishing 50 percent of sales for midsize enterprises and 75 percent for large ones."]
 

US unemployment expected to rocket telegraph.co.uk 2/7/9 ["It will mean that US employers have made more than 1.5m people redundant in the last three months alone. "]
Resistance To Socialism Is Building newswithviews.com 2/7/9 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "It is obvious that Pastors are either too cowardly or two worldly to do their duty. Stop waiting on them. One day they will give account for their cowardice. Our elected officials have sworn an oath to protect us from enemies “foreign and domestic” yet they are ignoring their duty, thereby empowering our domestic enemies. Our republican form of government was created to operate within the restraints of a Constitution, but the judges regularly ignore or re-interpret it. We change Presidents but the ruling oligarchy only switch seats."]
Italy government battles over right-to-die case google.com 2/7/9 ["Italy's government issued an emergency decree Friday to prevent a woman who has been in a vegetative state for 17 years from having her feeding tubes disconnected, but the president said he wouldn't sign it."]
UK company collapses up 124% in three months timesonline.co.uk 2/7/9 ["The number of companies filing for administration jumped by nearly 125 per cent in the final three months of last year as the financial crisis and the sharp economic downturn took its toll. "]
Obama stuns pro-lifers with prayer breakfast speech worldnetdaily.com 2/7/9 ["At the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton Hotel this morning, President Obama caught pro-life advocates off guard when he said God wouldn't condone taking the life of an innocent human being. ...His record shows that he considers "innocent human life" to be limited to those who survive birth"]
Emerson to cut up to 14,000 jobs reuters.com 2/7/9 ["Industrial conglomerate Emerson Electric Co (EMR.N) could cut its workforce by up to 14,000 from current levels by the end of the fiscal year that ends in October"]
Calif. employees forced to take off without pay google.com 2/7/9 ["Schwarzenegger ordered employees to take two unpaid days off a month, hoping to save the state $1.3 billion through June 2010, when the mass furloughs are expected to end."]
U.S. Auto Suppliers’ Industry Aid Request May Reach $25 Billion  bloomberg.com 2/7/9 ["“When one aspect of the automotive market fails, especially with its just-in-time structure, it ripples across the industry rapidly..."]
American adds customer-recognition technology google.com 2/7/9 ["American Airlines says customers who call for flight information will get it faster because of speech-recognition technology that it is adding to its service for frequent travelers."]
 

Japan: Toyota shuts down all but one assembly line cnn.com 2/6/9 ["Toyota, now the world's largest automaker, plans 10 more days like this, spread out over the next two months. Toyota's incoming president, Akio Toyoda, called the current economy "unprecedented, the likes of which haven't been seen in 100 years.""]
In stimulus bill, US funds for schools double csmonitor.com 2/6/9 ["The economic stimulus bills before Congress contain a $140 billion boost for education – and most of it would be used to more than double federal spending on America's public schools over the next two years. The legislation is part short-term stimulus, intended to create jobs via school renovation projects and to prevent massive teacher layoffs in the face of state and local budget deficits."]
Home-buyers tax cut raises cost of stimulus bill excite.com 2/6/9 ["the addition of a new tax break for homebuyers sent the price tag well past $900 billion."]
Supplier woes may mean fewer choices for shoppers msnbc.msn.com 2/6/9 ["Companies concerned about the future are cutting back their shipments, which is having a big impact on the supply chain, he said, leaving stores struggling to figure out which vendors are stable and which are not."  Editor: This same effect is/will affect food stores. Stores will carry less food on hand in inventory to minimize outlay while the economy is uncertain. Shortages of certain items will increase, more dramatically at crisis times such as ice storms, disasters, etc. ]
Will Ukraine follow Iceland into defaulting on foreign debt? mcclatchydc.com 2/6/9 ["The global collapse of steel sales, which make up 40 percent of Ukraine's exports, is just one of the punches that the country has taken lately, and there are fears that the economy could completely implode."]
U.S. pump prices on the rise as refiners cut back reuters.com 2/6/9 ["At least seven U.S. refiners have announced fuel production cuts as a result of weak profits stemming from softening demand"  Editor: Gas prices will be around $4 again this summer. Have at least a tank's worth of gas SAFELY stored on hand for emergencies.]
China ups drought emergency alarm to top level iht.com 2/6/9 ["China has declared a top-level emergency for the country's worst drought in five decades that has hit eight wheat-growing northern provinces and left more than 4 million people without proper drinking water."]
Obama Outlines Priorities and Changes for New Faith-Based White House Office usnews.com 2/6/9 ["President Obama has signed an executive order establishing a new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  ...The plan for the office to partner with the National Security Council to foster interfaith dialogue around the world represents an important new expansion of the office's duties from the Bush years"]
AIG Falls Below $1, Losing Half of Value Since Rescue bloomberg.com 2/6/9 ["crossing the threshold at which shares may be delisted by the New York Stock Exchange if they fail to recover. "]
 

Obama: It's Not About Change, It's About Personal Survival newswithviews.com 2/5/9 [By Greg Evensen  "The world elites are awaiting the final act or series of closely related acts that require a massive response from the security and military apparatus in Washington to keep a smoldering American population from sinking into outright armed rebellion. "]
Obama Picks Porn Lawyer for #2 at Justice lifesitenews.com 2/5/9 [""Ogden's record is nothing short of obscene. He has represented Playboy Enterprises in multiple cases, Penthouse Magazine, the ACLU, and the largest distributor of hard-core pornography videos. He has opposed filters on library computers protecting children from Internet smut, and successfully defended the right of pornographers to produce material with underage children.""]
Farm protests grip Europe as prices slump google.com 2/5/9 ["After peaking at the end of 2007 on the back of a global commodities boom, wholesale milk prices dropped by 50 percent on average last year as demand collapsed in the face of global recession."]
The Whole World Is Rioting as the Economic Crisis Worsens -- Why Aren't We? alternet.org 2/5/9 ["For the most part, those living in wealthier countries took little notice. But now, with the global economy crashing down around us, people in even the wealthiest nations are mad as hell and reacting violently to what they view as an inadequate response to their tumbling economies."  Editor: You will probably see more articles like this coming out which will actually be subtly encouraging unrest. Unrest gives precedent. Civil unrest in the US is inevitable, but it certainly does not need encouragement or suggestion.]
Layoffs spike as recession rips through US breitbart.com 2/5/9 [" All told, economists, on average, estimate that at least 524,000 more jobs vanished in January alone, and some think the figure will total around 600,000. The unemployment rate—now at 7.2 percent—is expected to jump to 7.5 percent, a 17-year peak, in January when the government releases new figures Friday. "]
Google launches software to track mobile users reuters.com 2/5/9 ["Users in 27 countries will be able to broadcast their location to others constantly, using Google Latitude. Controls allow users to select who receives the information or to go offline at any time, Google said on its Web site."]
US auto sales in reverse, plunge to 26-year low google.com 2/5/9 ["Chrysler's domestic sales for January were less than half what they were a year earlier. Sales fell 49 percent at General Motors and 40 percent at Ford. Toyota and Nissan's sales each fell at least 30 percent."]
Obama economic plan now tops $900 billion excite.com 2/5/9 ["The cost of President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan is now above $900 billion after the Senate added money for medical research and tax breaks for car purchases. It could go higher Wednesday if a tax break for homebuyers is made more generous, even as centrists in both parties promise to clear away spending items that won't jump-start the economy right away."]
Panasonic cutting jobs as it slips into red google.com 2/5/9 [" it is reducing 15,000 jobs worldwide, about 5 percent of its work force, by the end of March 2010. Half of those will be overseas, while the other half will be in Japan... It is also shuttering 14 overseas plants and 13 plants in Japan to adjust production and cut costs."]
Kyrgyzstan starts moves to close U.S. airbase reuters.com 2/5/9 ["The Manas base is an important staging post for the U.S.-led military campaign against the Taliban and becomes more so as Washington seeks to reinforce supply routes that bypass Pakistan, where supply convoys face security risks."]
 

Christians Use Prophecy To Excuse Laziness newswithviews.com 2/4/9 [By Pastor Chuck Baldwin  "It is extremely difficult for me to reconcile the apathy and slave-like mentality that seems to permeate modern Christendom (in America) with both our own heritage and the very Word of God. For example, the Apostle Paul is very clear when he writes that a Christian must never "do evil, that good may come" (Romans 3:8). Yet, that is exactly what many, if not most, Christians are doing today."]
Lesbian Couple Who Forced Homosexual "Marriage" On Massachusetts Have Filed For Divorce lifesitenews.com 2/4/9 ["The two lesbians, who share custody of their 12-year-old daughter Annie, "married" on May 17, 2004, the first day same-sex “marriages” became legal under a Massachusetts court ruling."]
Was this economic crisis planned? wnd.com 2/4/9 [By Joseph Farah  "Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who works so well with Republicans and Democrats alike, worked with Goldman Sachs for more than two decades before ascending to his government position – and taking a huge pay cut in the process. If anyone was in a position to be one of the architects of this disaster, it was he. "]
California court to hear gay marriage case in March reuters.com 2/4/9 ["California's Supreme Court early next month will hear arguments over whether to allow a ban on same-sex marriage that has become a national rallying point for gays and their supporters. California voters on November 4 approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. A ruling by the same state top court which is now considering the ban had opened the way to same-sex marriage in May of last year, ushering in a summer of gay nuptials ended by the vote."]
Chrysler sales plunge 55 pct; GM, Toyota also down google.com 2/4/9 ["Chrysler's U.S. vehicle sales plunged 55 percent in January, while General Motors' tumbled 49 percent and Ford's dropped 40 percent, starting 2009 at an abysmal pace for the whole auto industry as lower sales to fleet buyers like rental car companies weighed down the results."]
Iran's small satellite raises alarms google.com 2/4/9 ["Iran's successful launch of its first satellite into orbit suggests a strong desire to become both a space and nuclear power — and growing technological prowess toward that goal."]
Mexico’s Peso Stuns UBS With Biggest Drop Since 1995 bloomberg.com 2/4/9 ["is being driven by the U.S. recession and falling oil prices, which are cutting Mexican exports and government revenue. "]
Are The States Really Broke Or Hiding Assets? newswithviews.com 2/4/9 [By Devvy Kidd  ""Each year all State and local governments prepare a financial report on assets, liabilities, revenues and expenditures in more or less a standardized format that must conform to the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) accounting and financial reporting standards. This financial report is called the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR, pronounced "cay-fer"). Most people have heard of the budget, which is the document that plans and authorizes the spending of money. The CAFR describes what actually was spent and the status of assets and liabilities at the end of the fiscal year.""]
Brazil Economy Comes to Standstill as Output Plunges  bloomberg.com 2/4/9 ["Record job losses, factory cutbacks and the biggest drop in exports since 1991 signal expansion in the fourth quarter of 2008 probably stalled."]
 

Obama Chief of Staff Emanuel Holds Daily Private Conferences with ABC's Stephanopoulos, Dem Pundits lifesitenews.com 2/3/9 ["A recent Politico column has revealed a potentially scandalous influence of the White House on the media, in the form of a series of informal conversations between White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and ABC's Chief Washington Correspondent George Stephanopoulos."]
State Budge Troubles Worsen cbpp.org 2/3/9 ["At least 46 states faced or are facing shortfalls in their budgets for this and/or next year, and severe fiscal problems are highly likely to continue into the following year as well. Combined budget gaps for the remainder of this fiscal year and state fiscal years 2010 and 2011 are estimated to total more than $350 billion."]
20 million migrant workers in China can't find jobs iht.com 2/3/9 ["The Chinese government offered a telling indicator Monday of the slowdown in its once galloping economy, announcing that more than one in seven rural migrant workers had been laid off or were unable to find work, twice as many as estimated just five weeks ago. ...The specter of millions more unemployed clearly has the Chinese government worried. The government has not released annual figures on social unrest - what it terms "mass incidents" - for several years, but foreign media reports suggest that protests are growing as unemployment spreads."]
Australia warns of A$115bn shortfall ft.com 2/3/9 ["Australia's prime minister said the global recession and slackening Chinese growth would result in a A$115bn ($73bn) tax shortfall over the next four years"]
Allstate’s Catastrophe Bonds Face ‘Imminent’ Default  bloomberg.com 2/3/9 ["following the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Standard & Poor’s said. It would be only the second such security to fail in a decade. New York-based S&P downgraded $250 million of debt..."]
GM, Chrysler offer new retirement, buyout packages google.com  2/3/9 ["Both GM and Chrysler have seen sales decline with the overall U.S. auto market and have been forced to take government loans in order to survive. According to the memo from UAW Vice President General Holiefield to local presidents and other officials, the union negotiated for another round of offers at Chrysler because of conditions the federal government imposed on the company in exchange for granting the loans."]
Macy's to cut 7,000 jobs, slash dividend marketwatch.com 2/3/9 [" Macy's said about 7,000 jobs -- about 4% of its total employee base -- would be eliminated as part of an effort to save $250 million this year and $400 million annually starting in 2010. The Macy's board also approved a 62% reduction in its quarterly dividend..."]
 

Street braces for rush of corporate, economic data google.com 2/2/9 ["set to report quarterly results, while a steady stream of economic readings is also due."]
Japan's markets prepare for horror week theaustralian.news.com.au 2/2/9 ["Japan's industrial production index dropped a record 9.6 per cent, month-on-month, solidifying fears the world's second-largest national economy is shrinking at a double-digit rate. Many economists expect preliminary GDP figures to be released in a fortnight will show the Japanese economy shrank at an annualised 10 per cent or more in the fourth quarter of last year. "]
UK: More strikes loom in row over hiring foreign workers at low wages timesonline.co.uk 2/2/9 ["Unions want a new EU directive to overturn a ruling by the European Court of Justice in 2007 that made it easier for companies to circumvent pay deals by hiring foreigners on lower wages."]
US: AP Investigation: Banks sought foreign workers kswt.com 2/2/9 ["banks collecting billions of dollars in federal bailout money asked for permission to bring thousands of foreign workers to the U.S. for high-paying jobs. The dozen banks have received the biggest rescue packages, worth more than $150 billion. They tried to bring in almost 21,800 foreign workers over the past six years to fill openings that paid an average salary of nearly $91,000."]
GlaxoSmithkline to cut 6,000 jobs: report reuters.com 2/2/9 ["The cuts by Glaxo, the world's second largest drugs company after U.S. group Pfizer..."]
Congress sued to remove prez from White House worldnetdaily.com 2/2/9 ["A new lawsuit is challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to be president, and this one targets Congress as a defendant for its "failure" to uphold the constitutional demand to make sure Obama qualified before approving the Electoral College vote that actually designated him as the occupant of the Oval Office. "]
Obama pokes fun at Emanuel at Alfalfa Club dinner google.com 2/2/9 ["it was actually Rahm's idea to do the swearing-in ceremony again," Obama said. "Of course, for Rahm, every day is a swearing-in ceremony. "Every week the guy takes a little time away to give back to the community. Just last week he was at a local school, teaching profanity to poor children," according to Obama. Excerpts of Obama's remarks were released by the White House."  Editor: FYI - Rahm is the White House Chief of Staff, and no, he's not just joking..]
Steep Slide in Economy as Unsold Goods Pile Up nytimes.com 2/2/9 ["The actual decline in the gross domestic product — at a 3.8 percent annual rate — fell short of the 5 to 6 percent that most economists had expected for the fourth quarter. But that was because consumption collapsed so quickly that goods piled up in inventory, unsold but counted as part of the nation’s output."]
AU: Humans 'will be implanted with microchips' ninemsn.com.au 2/2/9 ["Michael G Michael from the University of Wollongong's School of Information Systems and Technology, has coined the term "uberveillance" to describe the emerging trend of all-encompassing surveillance."]