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FEBRUARY 2011

Today In History - Monday - February 28, 2011
1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first railroad incorporated for commercial transportation of people and freight.
1849 - Regular steamboat service to California via Cape Horn arrived in San Francisco for the first time. The SS California had left New York Harbor on October 6, 1848. The trip took 4 months and 21 days.
1854 - The Republican Party was organized in Ripon, WI. About 50 slavery opponents began the new political group.
1861 - The U.S. territory of Colorado was organized.
1883 - The first vaudeville theater opened.
1885 - AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph) was incorporated. The company was capitalized on only $100,000 and provided long distance service for American Bell.
1940 - The first televised basketball game was shown. The game featured Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh from Madison Square Gardens in New York.
1951 - A Senate committee issued a report that stated that there were at least two major crime syndicates in the U.S.
1956 - A patent was issued to Forrester for a computer memory core.
1974 - The U.S. and Egypt re-established diplomatic relations after a break of seven years.
1983 - "M*A*S*H" became the most watched television program in history when the final episode aired.
1986 - Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in Stockholm.
1993 - U.S. Federal agents raided the compound of an armed religious cult in Waco, TX. The ATF had planned to arrest the leader of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh, on federal firearms charges. Four agents and six Davidians were killed and a 51-day standoff followed.
1994 - NATO made its first military strike when U.S. F-16 fighters shot down four Bosnian Serb warplanes in violation of a no-fly zone over central Bosnia.
1998 - Serbian police began a campaign to wipe out "terrorist gangs" in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo.

Large Crack Opens Up In the Earth in Southern Peru
The sudden appearance early in the morning of an enormous crack, measuring 100 meters wide and three kilometers long, caused confusion among residents of the Huacullani district in the Chucuito province, department of Puno.

DNA "Genetic Patdowns' Introduced to Airports by DHS
A new level of invasive screening is scheduled for airports this summer: a portable DNA scanner to conduct on-site, real-time genetic testing.

Sony Turns to Finger Veins For Mobile Security
The compact, camera-based system, called Mofiria, uses a CMOS sensor to capture light scattered diagonally through finger veins.

Manchester Airport Hires 'Holograms'
Visitors to Manchester Airport may be a little startled when they meet customer service reps John and Julie – these newest additions to the staff are ‘holograms’. Created by UK based Musion, the EyeSay displays use powerful projectors to create a lifelike image on a transparent surface.

Swiss Freeze Qaddafi Assets: How Dictators Stash Their Cash 101
Switzerland on Thursday announced it was freezing any assets in its banks belonging to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, yet another blow to the embattled strongman who faces increasing pressure to step down.

Air Travelers May Have Been Exposed to Measles
Public health officials are warning travelers and workers present at four U.S. airports on two recent days that they may have been exposed to measles from a traveler arriving from London.

'Mike Tawse Original' Thought For The Day
To Solve A problem, Take Responsibility - Other people will challenge every one of us and some of them will consider each of us to be the challenge, but the first step of any solution is to accept responsibility for it. You will never find the solution to your problem, if you believe that someone else is responsible for it.

FDIC: Failed Bank List

“A PATRIOT’S FIELD OF DREAMS-2011”
To be held in JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 8-10, 2011 - For more information, please check out the above link.

Embattled Wisconsin governor shows no sign of conceding
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday that government workers’ collective bargaining rights have caused unsustainable costs and stuck to his demand that bargaining rights be curtailed for most public workers. “If we do not get these changes, and the Senate Democrats don’t come back, we’re going to be forced to make up the savings in layoffs and that to me is just unacceptable,” he said.

High pump prices rattle drivers and businesses
High fuel prices are putting the squeeze on drivers' wallets just as they are starting to feel better about the economy. They're also forcing tough choices on small-business owners who are loathe to charge more for fear of losing cost-conscious customers. Gasoline prices rose 4 percent last week to a national average of $3.29 per gallon. That's the highest level ever for this time of year, when prices are typically low.

Australia Proposes Ban on 1000s of Plants Including National Flower
Legislation being proposed in Australia would criminalize most permaculturists, farmers, gardeners, nurseries and bush regenerators by banning any plant that contains DMT – a naturally-occurring hallucinogen.

Analysis of the Global Insurrection Against Neo-Liberal Economic Domination and the Coming American Rebellion
In previous Revolution Roundups, before we were knocked offline, we featured mass protests by the people of Ireland, Italy, Britain, Austria, Greece, France and Portugal, as the Global Insurrection contagion spread throughout Europe.

Libyan Noose Tightens
I am writing this Friday morning on the Pacific Coast as we continue to get snippets of news out of Libya.

USDA Approved Monsanto Alfalfa Despite Warnings of New Pathogen
Just two weeks before the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) fully deregulated Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa, a senior soil scientist alerted the department about a newly discovered, microscopic pathogen found in high concentrations of Roundup Ready corn and soy that researchers believe could be causing infertility in livestock and diseases in crops that could threaten the entire domestic food supply.

Small Nuclear War Could Reverse Global Warming
Earth is currently in a long-term warming trend. After a regional nuclear war, though, average global temperatures would drop by 2.25 degrees F (1.25 degrees C) for two to three years afterward, the models suggest.

Row Over Russia Winter Olympics Mascots
Allegations of plagiarism, high-level political meddling and sheer poor taste on Sunday marred Russia's choice of three furry mascots to represent the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

North Korea Threatens to Attack South Korea
North Korea threatened Sunday to attack South Korea and the United States, as the allies prepared to start annual joint military drills—maneuvers Pyongyang says are a rehearsal for an invasion.

Raunchy Nintendo Wii Game for Kids As Young As 12
The video trailer promoting We Dare features two couples following on-screen instructions from the console.

Signs of Serous Trouble At Iran's Nuclear Reactor
I was shown around the Bushehr reactor on Iran's Gulf coast four years ago, as part of a magical mystery tour of nuclear sites laid on by Tehran for a small group of western journalists.

Quake Death Toll Climbs to 147
The death toll from Tuesday's devastating Christchurch earthquake will be more than 200, police say.

Volcano Eruptions Cause Food Prices to Rise
If you want to know where the especially harsh winter weather came from, look no further than Russia - and prepare to pay more for your flour and coal this year.

Obama's Mystery Links to Gadhafi Uncovered
As pressure mounts on the White House to intervene to stop Moammar Gadhafi's bloody crackdown in Libya, many commentators have been wondering why Barack Obama has been cautious in his criticism of the dictator after the U.S. president so fervently supported the removal from office of U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

Undercover Agent Slips Through TSA Naked Body Scanner Multiple Times With Handgun
The "enhanced" screening procedures now used by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the nation's airports has once again been demonstrated as a total failure, this time at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

Cloned Milk, Meat May Soon Hit UK Stores
Recent statements made by U.K. Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Jim Paice seem to suggest that Britons may soon be eating cloned milk and meat -- and they most likely will not even be aware of it. If Paice's suggestion that "there should be no restrictions on the use of offspring of cloned animals (for food)" is any indicator of U.K. food policy direction, cloned animal products could soon show up unlabeled on grocery store shelves.

Respen-A and Autism - An Important Treatment to Consider For Anyone On the Autism-Spectrum
An exciting new therapy called Respen-A is showing great benefit for individuals on the autism spectrum with respects to some of their core issue such as language delay, socialization, self-stimulatory behavior and cognitive dysfunction.

Heartburn and the Heart
A friend (I'll call her Sandy) just emailed that she spent 10 hours in the Emergency Department yesterday with chest pain. Her chest felt totally constricted and she couldn't breathe. It began, she said, after a siege of heartburn in the morning and she said she hadn't lifted anything that morning.

Local and Organic Food, Farming: Here's the Gold Standard
More and more consumers and corporations are touting the benefits of "local" foods, often described as "sustainable," "healthy," or "natural."

Conventional Agriculture Using Up Global Supply of Phosphorus, Causing Widespread Pollution
Modern agriculture is heavily reliant on the use of phosphorus, a mineral necessary for proper plant and crop growth.

Low Vitamin D Linked to Allergies in Children
A new paper published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has found a link between low vitamin D levels and the onset of allergies in children.

Red Meat Linked to Stomach, Esophageal Cancers
Red meat consumption increases the risk of both stomach and esophageal cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from the nonprofits World Cancer Research Fund and Cancer Research, and published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

New Study Proves That Drinking Soda Causes Gout
Regular soda consumption significantly increases women's risk of gout, according to a study conducted by researchers from Boston University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Common Weed Helps Treat Herpes, Study Finds
Tansy, a flowering plant that has long been used as a folk remedy to treat fevers, rheumatism, and other conditions, may now have another known health benefit.

Planet 'X' Revealed by Cornell University
We present an updated dynamical and statistical analysis of outer Oort cloud cometary evidence suggesting the sun has a wide-binary Jovian mass companion.
 

Today In History - Friday - February 25, 2011
1793 - The department heads of the U.S. government met with U.S. President Washington for the first Cabinet meeting on U.S. record.
1836 - Samuel Colt received a patent for a "revolving gun".
1901 - The United States Steel Corp. was incorporated by J.P. Morgan.
1913 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It authorized a graduated income tax.
1919 - The state of Oregon became the first state to place a tax on gasoline. The tax was 1 cent per gallon.
1928 - The Federal Radio Commission issued the first U.S. television license to Charles Jenkins Laboratories in Washington, DC.
1930 - The bank check photographing device was patented.
1933 - The first aircraft carrier, Ranger, was launched.
1940 - The New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens played in the first hockey game to be televised in the U.S. The game was aired on W2WBS in New York with one camera in a fixed position. The Rangers beat the Canadiens 6-2.
1948 - Communists seized power in Czechoslovakia.
1956 - Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev criticized the late Josef Stalin in a speech before a Communist Party congress in Moscow.
1972 - Germany gave a $5 million ransom to Arab terrorist who had hijacked a jumbo jet.
1986 - Filippino President Ferdinand E. Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule after a tainted election.
1999 - In Moscow, China's Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and Russia's President Boris Yeltsin discussed trade and other issues.
2005 - Dennis Rader was arrested for the BTK serial killings in Wichita, KS. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 life prison terms.

Alzheimer's breakthrough: scientists discover omega-3s override the bad gene causing Alzheimer's
A diet high in omega-3s, the fatty acids found in fatty fish like salmon as well as walnuts, appears to significant block the negative effects of the APOE4 gene -- the "bad" APOE gene found in 50% of all Alzheimer's patients and in about 15% of the population. Having the APOE4 gene greatly ups your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, a dreaded and deadly form of dementia affecting about five million Americans.

Study: Combining broccoli with broccoli sprouts doubles anti-cancer effect
A new study out of the University of Illinois (U of I) says that combining broccoli with broccoli sprouts nearly doubles the cruciferous vegetable's anti-cancer effects.

Hundreds of medical professionals arrested for scamming millions from Medicare
Representing the largest medical fraud case in history, federal authorities have arrested more than 100 doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other medical professionals for allegedly swindling hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal Medicare program. The violators, who were busted in nine different U.S. cities, are said to have fraudulently billed Medicare for sometimes millions of dollars for simple procedures, and even for procedures they never even performed.

Lavender oil is a powerful antifungal that fights skin conditions, Candida
New research out of Portugal has found that lavender oil is a powerful antifungal agent that fights and prevents skin and nail infections, including Candida albicans. Published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, the study found that lavender essential oil exhibits amazing protection against a wide range of pathogenic fungi -- and it works better than all known antifungal drugs at doing so.
*Related TPH Product: Young Living Lavender Oil

Why organic, raw butter will benefit your health
Butter is a lot better for us than margarine because it contains the following ingredients that are needed by our bodies in order to help us function optimally. It contains vitamins A, D, E and K in their natural forms. It contains a category of fatty acids known as glycospingolipids, which help to prevent gastrointestinal infections, especially in children and the elderly. This is why it is important for children to only consume organic, raw full-cream dairy products. Butter also contains selenium as well as iodine which is utilized by the thyroid.

Natural solutions help prostate problems
An anti-inflammatory diet rich in phytonutrients from fresh fruit and vegetables is critical. Eliminating all processed grains, meats, & dairy products is essential. Load the diet up with good fat sources such as avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, & seeds. Grass-fed and free-range meat products are an option. Use natural anti-inflammatory based herbs such as cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, ginger, garlic, & rosemary.

Foreclosure outlook grim
Lisa Goodner, Florida courts administrator, says residential mortgage foreclosures in Florida will double to roughly 365,000 in state fiscal year 2011-12, which begins July 1. Another expert predicts “a tsunami” of commercial foreclosures. The residential mortgage numbers are expected to fall to 170,000 this year, as lenders have put a hold on many foreclosure holdings, what Goodner says amounts to a moratorium on filings.

Another 'Runaway General'? Military Reportedly Employed 'Psyops' Against US Senators
The reporter whose story for Rolling Stone forced the resignation of former Gen. Stanley McChrystal has a new story out, this time focusing on what he calls "psyops" employed against elected officials by yet another "runaway general."

DEA to Legislate Marijuana Only for 'Big Pharma' NORML Claims
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposal to reclassify the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana as a Schedule III substance would allow pharmaceutical companies to market the drug while still penalizing common recreational use, according to marijuana law reform advocates.

Seattle Restaurant Puts TSA Workers On No-Eat List
A restaurant near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is so tired of the way the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been treating their customers that they've actually banned agents from eating at the establishment.

Kathleen Sebelius Issues ObamaCare Waivers to Health Insurance Companies!!
Is there something inherently ironic about this scenario?

Stagflation 2011: Why It Is Here and Why It Is Going To Be Very Painful
Are you ready for an economy that has high inflation and high unemployment at the same time? Well, welcome to "Stagflation 2011".

Obama Requests $1.3 Billion In Military Aid to Post-Mubarck Egypt
The United States has approved the launch of its first military project in Egypt in wake of the ouster of Hosni Mubarak.

Geithner Butt of Jokes No More as Obama's Money Man Now on Top of Economy
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the U.S. economy is in a “much stronger position” than it was two years ago.

Oil Price - The $220 a Barrel Oil Call and the Risk Trade
Oil could hit $220 a barrel if "Libya and Algeria were to halt oil production together," analysts at Nomura investment bank predicted.

SunTrust Chief Executive Well's Pay Rises 34% As Pensions Valuation Climbs
SunTrust Banks Inc., the Georgia lender that has yet to repay $4.85 billion in taxpayer bailout funds, reported a 34 percent increase in Chief Executive Officer James Wells’s 2010 compensation.

Oil Prices: Oil Settles Near $97 on Rumors Gaddafi Shot
Oil sank from 2-1/2-year highs near $120 a barrel Thursday in a late-day rout, dragged down by an unsubstantiated rumor Muammar Gaddafi had been shot and Saudi Arabia's assurances it can counter Libyan supply disruptions.

Christchurch Earthquake Rescue Operation
The death toll from the Christchurch earthquake is now 98 with police holding grave concerns for a further 226 people.

Seismologists Blame Christchurch Disaster on New Fault
The earthquake that devastated Christchurch is the product of a newly discovered fault line in the Earth's crust.

First Snow in 35 Years For San Francisco This Week
It's been more than three decades since snow has fallen in downtown San Francisco, and there is a possibility that this long streak will be broken by the end of this week.

Obama Still 'Grappling' With Gay Marriage
The White House says President Barack Obama is "grappling" with his personal views on gay marriage even as he's ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of a law that bans it.

Anti-Government Extremist Groups on Rise in US
Membership in anti-government extremist groups continues to explode in the United States amid frustration over the lagging economy and the "mainstreaming of conspiracy theories," a study released Wednesday found.

4 Nuclear Sites Found in Syria
Syria established four additional nuclear facilities aside from the one bombed by Israel in 2007, the US Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) reported late Wednesday.

Hundreds of Medical Professional Arrested for Scamming Millions From Medicare
Representing the largest medical fraud case in history, federal authorities have arrested more than 100 doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other medical professionals for allegedly swindling hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal Medicare program.

Genetic Testing Proves Antioxidants Prevent, Treat Cancer
The role of antioxidants in improving health has been a popular topic of study in recent years, as researchers continue to learn how the scavenging of free radicals and reduction in oxidative stress brought about by antioxidants helps prevent a variety of diseases.

Experimental Cancer Drugs Killing Far More People Than They Help
Experimental cancer drugs harm far more people than they help, according to a study conducted by researchers from Duke University Medical Center and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Supreme Court Immunizes Vaccine Makers Against Lawsuits
In a 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court voted to protect pharmaceutical companies from liability when their vaccines cause debilitating injuries and death.

Aquifers Poisoned With Drugs, Chemicals and Pesticides Threaten Mexico's Riviera Maya
Mexico's Riviera Maya is an area of spectacular natural beauty along the Yucatan Peninsula and includes the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (also known as the Belize Barrier Reef) which starts near Cancun and continues along the whole length of the Riviera Maya, southward to Guatemala.

Lack of Sunlight Exposure Causing Rickets Epidemic
Vitamin D deficiency has become a widespread problem, as false media and government reports over the years have scared the public into thinking that the sun will kill them and that they have to lather up in sunscreen and wear several layers of clothing just to stay healthy.

History: Vaccine Related Nerve Damage
No vaccine is perfectly safe. As with any medication, serious side effects are possible.
 

Today In History - Thursday - February 24, 2011
1803 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled itself to be the final interpreter of all constitutional issues.
1839 - Mr. William S. Otis received a patent for the steam shovel.
1848 - The Communist Manifesto was published.
1857 - The first shipment of perforated postage stamps was received by the U.S. Government.
1863 - Arizona was organized as a territory.
1866 - In Washington, DC, an American flag made entirely of American bunting was displayed for the first time.
1868 - The first parade to use floats occurred in New Orleans at Mardi Gras.
1868 - The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson due to his attempt to dismiss Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. The U.S. Senate later acquitted Johnson.
1900 - New York City Mayor Van Wyck signed the contract to begin work on New York's first rapid transit tunnel. The tunnel would link Manhattan and Brooklyn. The ground breaking ceremony was on March 24, 1900.
1903 - In Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an area was leased to the U.S. for a naval base.
1938 - The first nylon bristle toothbrush was made. It was the first time that nylon yarn had been used commercially.
1942 - The U.S. Government stopped shipments of all 12-gauge shotguns for sporting use for the wartime effort.
1945 - During World War II, the Philippine capital of Manilla, was liberated by U.S. soldiers.
1946 - Juan Peron was elected president of Argentina.
1956 - The city of Cleveland invoked a 1931 law that barred people under the age of 18 from dancing in public without an adult guardian.
1997 - The U.S. The Food and Drug Administration named six brands of birth control as safe and effective "morning-after" pills for preventing pregnancy.
2007 - The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution expressing "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
2008 - Cuba's parliament named Raul Castro president. His brother Fidel had ruled for nearly 50 years.

Vaccine lawsuits rejected by top U.S. court
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a federal law bars lawsuits against drug makers over serious side effects from childhood vaccines.
By a 6-2 vote Tuesday, the court ruled against the parents of a child who sued the drug maker Wyeth in Pennsylvania state court for the health problems they say their daughter, now 19, suffered from a vaccine she received in infancy.

Self Test/Track Sodium Fluoride In Your Water
Here is a simple method you can use to test for, or track the amount of, Sodium Fluoride in the water.

Geithner Says Not To Worry About Surging Oil Prices: 'Central Banks Have A Lot Of Experience In Managing These Things
You really can't make this shit up: "The economy is in a much stronger position to handle” rising oil prices, Tim Geithner said today during a Bloomberg Breakfast in Washington.

How To Use Gold And Silver To Get Rich On Inflation
The truth is, we are about to see the same fate befall many so called democratic countries as well, including the United States. In fact, it is already happening. Even in "inflation central", the standard of living is collapsing. States and municipalities are bankrupt now. They are cutting subsidies. Laying off the people that supply essential services. For example, at the same time that they reduce police budgets and staff, they are letting felons out of prison because they can't afford to hold them.

Iranian Warships Reach Mediterranean, Now What?
After announcing that it was, then it wasn’t, then it was sending two warships through the Suez Canal, Iran finally sent them through. The Kharg a supply vessel, and Alvand, an aging destroyer, made it through the canal yesterday (February 22).

Dollar Plummets As Expectations of Q3 Spread
While it is not surprising that the Swiss Franc is surging almost as much as silver in today's flight to safety episode, and even "value investor" Whitney Tilson is rumored to be shorting Netflix again after topticking his cover with immaculate perfection, what is a little disturbing is that the dollar has plunged to the lowest levels since February 3.

IEA Chief: $100 Oil 'Very, Very Bad' For Economy
With oil prices rising sharply on the back of the crisis in Libya, the head of the International Energy Agency has warned crude prices hitting $100 a barrel could be bad news for economic growth.

All Libyan Ports Closed
That's according to Al-Arabiya, which cites a shipping group.

5 Dollar Gas? Get Ready To Pay An Arm and a Leg For Gasoline
One of the quickest ways to bring down the U.S. economy would be to dramatically increase the price of oil. Oil is the lifeblood of our economic system.

Grad Rockets Fired At Be'er Sheva For First Time Since Gaza War
Grad rockets were fired at the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva on Wednesday, several hours after the Israel Defense Forces fired at a group of militants on the Gaza border, wounding 11.

Milk From Cloned Cows Given Green Light by Defra
The comments are the clearest sign that the Government will give the official green light to farmers and food companies who want to supply butchers and supermarkets with the controversial products.

Malta Turns Back 'Gaddafi Kin Jet'
A Libyan plane reportedly carrying the daughter of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's leader, has been turned back from Malta after it was denied permission to land.

Rahm Emanuel Wins Chicago Mayor Race
Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday by building a coalition so broad-based, he says it empowers him to confront Chicago’s daunting problems.

Official Death Toll at 75, International Rescue Teams Arriving
9.35am: Names of people killed in Tuesday's Christchurch earthquake are likely to start being released soon, Prime Minister John Key says.

Indiana Experts Wary of Earthquake Swarm
Indiana scientists are keeping a wary eye on a series of earthquakes that has been rattling Arkansas for days.

Entire State Under Flash Flood Watch - Hawaii News
The National Weather Service extended a flash flood watch to include all the Hawaiian Islands as moist and unstable weather spreads over the entire state.

Obama Calls For Illegal Alien Collective Bargaining Rights
Putting America on the fast track to globalization is a snap when its leaders ignore sovereign boundaries and -- using collected tax dollars -- sue their loyal subjects into oblivion. But why stop there when Obama can eradicate ‘the playing field‘ on behalf of illegal aliens and the drug cartel in order to secure millions, I repeat, millions of undocumented Democrat voters?

Mexico Crops Remain Hit By Extreme Cold Conditions
Extreme cold conditions continued to hit Mexico’s crops as major crops such as corn, sorghum and vegetables are the most hit.

Fear, Celebrations Rip Libya As Gaddafi Clings to Power
Thousands of Libyans celebrated the liberation of the eastern city of Benghazi from the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, who was reported to have sent a plane to bomb them on Wednesday as he clung to power.

Gaddafi's Next Move: Sabotage Libya's Oil and Sow Chaos?
There's been virtually no reliable information coming out of Tripoli, but a source close to the Gaddafi regime I did manage to get hold of told me the already terrible situation in Libya will get much worse.

Canada, US Agree to Use Each Other's Troops In Civil Emergencies
Canada and the U.S. have signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other’s borders during an emergency, but some are questioning why the Harper government has kept silent on the deal.

Roundup, GMO's Linked to Emergence of Deadly New Pathogen Causing Spontaneous Abortions Among Animals
In a shocking warning letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, a highly experienced, ex-military pathogen researcher warns that the use of Roundup via GMO crops is resulting in the emergence of a deadly new pathogen -- previously unknown to science -- that's causing widespread spontaneous abortions among cattle.

FDA Uses Flawed Analysis To Target Raw Milk Cheese
A recent raw cheese study put out by product liability firm Marler Clark has generated a stir in the mainstream media.

DPT Vaccine Causes Permanent Brain Damage, 150 Seizures a Day in Young Girl
The father of a 29-year-old woman who was permanently injured as a young child by the DPT vaccine, a combination vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus, says if he had to do it all over again, he would still get his daughter vaccinated.

Omega-3s: More Evidence They Prevent Several Forms of Blindness
A study by a research team at Children's Hospital Boston, which was just published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, shows omega-3s help to prevent retinopathy -- an eye disease caused by out-of-control growth of tortuous, leaky blood vessels in the retina.

How Sweet It Isn't! Cutting Through the Hype and Deception of Sugar
Corn sugar? It's high-fructose corn syrup by any other name, and it's dangerous. What sweeteners are safe? What's not? You may be surprised at the latest research.


Today In History - Wednesday - February 23, 2011
1792 - The Humane Society of Massachusetts was incorporated.
1813 - The first U.S. raw cotton-to-cloth mill was founded in Waltham, MA.
1822 - Boston was incorporated as a city.
1836 - In San Antonio, TX, the siege of the Alamo began.
1839 - In Boston, MA, William F. Harnden organized the first express service between Boston and New York City. It was the first express service in the U.S.
1847 - Santa Anna was defeated at the Battle of Buena Vista in Mexico by U.S. troops under Gen. Zachary.
1861 - U.S. President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived secretly in Washington to take his office after an assassination attempt in Baltimore.
1861 - Texas became the 7th state to secede from the Union.
1870 - The state of Mississippi was readmitted to the Union.
1883 - Alabama became the first U.S. state to enact an antitrust law.
1886 - Charles M. Hall completed his invention of aluminum.
1896 - The Tootsie Roll was introduced by Leo Hirshfield.
1904 - The U.S. acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million.
1905 - The Rotary Club was founded in Chicago, IL, by Attorney Paul Harris and three others.
1915 - Nevada began enforcing convenient divorce law.
1916 - The U.S. Congress authorizes the McKinley Memorial $1 gold coin.
1919 - The Fascist Party was formed in Italy by Benito Mussolini.
1932 - Robert Short became the first American to die in an aerial battle with the Japanese. (more info)
1945 - The 28th Regiment of the Fifth Marine Division of the U.S. Marines reached the top of Mount Surabachi. A photograph of these Marines raising the American flag was taken.
1954 - The first mass vaccination of children against polio began in Pittsburgh, PA.
1963 - The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It prohibited poll taxes in federal elections.
1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demanded $4 million more for the release of Patty Hearst. Hearst had been kidnapped on February 4th.
1980 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared that Iran's new parliament would have to decide the fate of the hostages taken on November 4, 1979, at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
1991 - During the Persian Gulf War, ground forces crossed the border of Saudi Arabia into the country of Iraq. Less than four days later the war was over due to the surrender or withdraw of Iraqi forces.
1999 - White supremacist John William King was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering James Byrd Jr. Byrd was dragged behind a truck for two miles on a country road in Texas.
2005 - The New York, NY, city medical examiner's office announced that it had exhausted all efforts to identify the remains of the people killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, due to the limits of DNA technology. About 1,600 people had been identified leaving more than 1,100 unidentified.

Troopers Would 'Absolutely' Use Force on Wisconsin Protesters If Ordered
Amid the largest protests Madison, Wisconsin has seen in decades, newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker last week issued a stark message to public labor unions occupying the capitol building: we have options, and using the National Guard against protesters is among them.

Top Muslim Cleric Calls On Soldiers to Kill Gaddafi
Prominent Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi called on Libyan soldiers to shoot leader Muammar Gaddafi dead, issuing a fatwa saying any soldier with the ability should step up "to rid Libya of" the 41-year leader.

Libyan Turmoil Weighs on Stocks As Oil Surges
Mounting concerns over Libya's violent crisis weighed on stocks Tuesday and sent oil prices surging, while the earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch pushed the country's currency sharply lower.

Dozens Trapped by New Zealand Quake That Killed 65
No one knows how many people are trapped in the rubble left by a powerful earthquake that struck one of New Zealand's largest cities, but rescuers know they are there.

Pirates Kill Four US Hostages Near Somalia
Pirates shot dead four U.S. hostages on a private yacht on Tuesday, the deadliest incident involving Americans kidnapped for ransom in the increasingly dangerous waters off Somalia.

Arvada Police Arrest 11-Year-Old Over 'Inappropriate' Stick Figure Drawing
An 11-year-old Arvada boy was arrested and hauled away in handcuffs for drawing stick figures in school, something his therapist told him to do.

A Guide to Understanding UID Number
Urbanization comes with its share of problems. Your new job lands you in a new city and you need necessities such as a mobile connection, a broadband connection or a bank account transfer as soon as possible.

Connecting the Dots to Anarchy
Not from lack of trying. But after having the "winter of no winter" (very little snow), we also had the "summer of no summer." Well into the third week of June, the cold and rainy conditions made it nearly impossible for vegetables to grow.

Rosie On Why Coming Monetary and Fiscal Contraction Means 'Selling In May' May Be Too Late
We have long claimed that in advance of the great "to be or not to be QE3" decision in June, there will likely be a major market swoon in March/April.

Shares of Wal-Mart Slide After Revenue Miss, Weak Outlook, and Negative Same Store Sales Growth
While the company managed to surpass expectations on the earnings line, revenue of $166 billion was $1 billion shy of expectations.

Oil Price Shock: Pandora's Box Is Opened
The last time the oil price lost all sense of gravity, as it threatens to again with the price of Brent crude now well north of $100 a barrel, it helped tip the world economy into the deepest recession since the 1930s.

Indiana Democrats Trigger Statehouse Showdown Over Anti-Union Legislation
Seats on one side of the Indiana House were nearly empty today as House Democrats departed the the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation.

Libyan Turmoil Weighs On Stocks As Oil Surges
Mounting concerns over Libya's violent crisis weighed on stocks Tuesday and sent oil prices surging, while the earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch pushed the country's currency sharply lower.

Defiant Gaddafi Vows to Die As Maryr
Muammar Gaddafi vowed to die in Libya as a martyr in an angry television address on Tuesday, as rebel troops said eastern regions had broken free from his rule in a burgeoning revolt.

Cables Show China Used Debt Holdings to Press US
Leaked diplomatic cables vividly show China's willingness to translate its massive holdings of US debt into political influence on issues ranging from Taiwan's sovereignty to Washington's financial policy.

NZ Earthquake Causes Ice Break Off Glacier
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) -- The earthquake that struck Christchurch has caused some 30 million tons of ice to break off from New Zealand's biggest glacier.

New Zealand Earthquake: Race to Pull Bodies From Rubble in Christchurch
A victim of the Christchurch earthquake is frantically phoning rescuers from beneath the rubble, as morning broke across the New Zealand city that has been devastated by an earthquake.

UA Climate Research: Big Stretch of US Coast At Risk Of Rising Seas
If global temperatures continue to rise and polar ice continues to melt, 9 percent of the land in our coastal cities and towns will be beneath sea level by the end of the century, University of Arizona researchers say.

Monsanto Shifts All Liability to Farmers
Farmers like genetically modified (GM) crops because they can plant them, spray them with herbicide and then there is very little maintenance until harvest.

US Supreme Court Denies Parents of Vaccine Damaged Children Their Right to Seek Justice
In 6-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has handed down a decision that bars parents of vaccine-damaged children from seeking justice against vaccine manufacturers.

Supreme Court and Pharmaceutical Terrorism
The Supreme Court showed the world today that there is nothing supreme or noble about it and that it is as corrupt and cruel as most other governmental institutions.

Proposed New Limits On Vaccine Exemptions: Are They Constitutional?
Health authorities around the country are set on further restricting vaccine exemption rights, probably due to the growing awareness of vaccine problems and increase in exemptions around the country.

Turning Cervical Cancer Into An Infectious Disease
In February of 2010, an article appeared in J Epidemiol Community Health titled: "Assessing the effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to prevent cervical cancer: perspectives from Germany" blatantly refers to converting cervical cancer from a oncological disease into an infectious disease.

Ecuador Orders Chevron to Apologize, Pay $8.6 Billion to Clean Up Pollution
In what is believed to be the "largest-ever judgment in an environmental case," according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, an Ecuadorian judge has ruled that Chevron Corp. must pay $8.6 billion to clean up oil pollution that occurred in the nation's rainforests between 1965 and 1992.

Popular Painkiller Could Cause Patients to Commit Suicide
A popular and powerful prescription painkiller may be causing people to kill themselves, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Pain Clinic Bergmannsheil at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and published in the journal Pain.


Today In History - Tuesday - February 22, 2011
1784 - "Empress of China", a U.S. merchant ship, left New York City for the Far East.
1819 - Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
1855 - The U.S. Congress voted to appropriate $200,000 for continuance of the work on the Washington Monument. The next morning the resolution was tabled and it would be 21 years before the Congress would vote on funds again. Work was continued by the Know-Nothing Party in charge of the project.
1859 - U.S. President Buchanan approved the Act of February 22, 1859, which incorporated the Washington National Monument Society "for the purpose of completing the erection now in progress of a great National Monument to the memory of Washington at the seat of the Federal Government."
1860 - Organized baseball’s first game was played in San Francisco, CA.
1865 - In the U.S., Tennessee adopted a new constitution that abolished slavery.
1879 - In Utica, NY, Frank W. Woolworth opened his first 5 and 10-cent store.
1885 - The Washington Monument was officially dedicated in Washington, DC. It opened to the public in 1889.
1920 - The first dog race track to use an imitation rabbit opened in Emeryville, CA.
1923 - The first successful chinchilla farm opened in Los Angeles, CA. It was the first farm of its kind in the U.S.
1924 - U.S. President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House.
1973 - The U.S. and Communist China agreed to establish liaison offices.
1984 - The U.S. Census Bureau statistics showed that the state of Alaska was the fastest growing state of the decade with an increase in population of 19.2 percent.
1994 - The U.S. Justice Department charged Aldrich Ames and his wife with selling national secrets to the Soviet Union. Ames was later convicted to life in prison. Ames' wife received a 5-year prison term.
1997 - Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut and colleagues announced that an adult sheep had been successfully cloned. Dolly was actually born on July 5, 1996. Dolly was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell.

TSA Source: Armed Agent Slips Past DFW Body Scanner
An undercover TSA agent was able to get through security at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with a handgun during testing of the enhanced-imaging body scanners, according to a high-ranking, inside source at the Transportation Security Administration.

Proposed new limits on vaccine exemptions: Are they constitutional?
Currently, proposed laws in Washington State and New Jersey would limit the ability of residents in those states to refuse vaccines. If not stopped, those new restrictions will soon become law and pave the way for further restrictions across the country.
**Related Article: The age-old struggle against vaccination: A rebuttal by Jennifer Craig, PhD; Suzanne Humphries, MD; and Sherri Tenpenny, DO

60 Lab Studies Confirm Cancer Link to Polio Vaccine
A peer-reviewed, published study claimed that SV40, a cancer-causing monkey virus had contaminated the vaccine as long ago as 1953.

47 Economic Stress Points That Set The Stage For Global Meltdown In 2012
One of 48 pages (Just keep hitting the arrow).

'New Zealand's darkest day': Quake kills dozens
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch Tuesday, killing dozens, collapsing buildings and cracking streets.

Roundup or Roundup-Ready Crops May Be Causing Animal Miscarriages and Infertility
One of the nation’s senior soil scientists alerted the federal government to a newly discovered organism that may have the potential to cause infertility and spontaneous abortion in farm animals, raising significant concerns about human health.

State orders Detroit to close half its schools
State education officials have ordered the emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools to immediately implement a plan that balances the district's books by closing half its schools. The Detroit News says the financial restructuring plan will increase high school class sizes to 60 students and consolidate operations.

Illinois slashes ALL state funding for drug and alcohol abuse treatment in massive cuts programme
Tens of thousands of Illinois residents are expected to be affected when drug and alcohol treatment and prevention centers across the state have their budgets cut from March 15. The harsh budget cuts, proposed by Illinois governor Pat Quinn, who is a Democrat, will mean that from next month, all state funding will be cut.

Libya Protests: Gaddafi Flees Tripoli As Parliament Building Set Alight
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has fled Libya and may be heading for Venezuela, William Hague said today.

The Hidden Weakness of Natural Health Laws in America
The ignorance of the vast majority of Americans toward Codex Alimentarius, unfortunately including most natural health advocates, is one reason Codex is not currently a major source of popular concern.

Meat-Lovers Get Food For Thought in Futuristic Labs
CHARLESTON (South Carolina) - A 21ST CENTURY American cowboy will resemble a worker in a hi-tech plant creating artificial meat in a petri dish, a far cry from cattle ranches, says biologist Vladimir Mironov.

TSA Bars AlasKa State Rep. Sharon Cissna from flying
“The TSA threat of “Do you want to fly?” means something very different to Alaskans. Flying in Alaska is not a choice, but a necessity. The freedom to travel should never come at the price of basic human dignity and pride.”

Farmers Can't Meet Demand as Corn Stocks Drop to 1974 Low
The smallest corn inventories in 37 years are a sign farmers around the globe are failing to produce enough grain to meet rising consumption, even as planting expands and food prices surge.

USDA Tells Farmers To Plant Genetically Modified Crops
In January, the USDA announced they would deregulate genetically modified alfalfa, allowing it to be planted without restriction. Just one week later, genetically modified sugar beets were deregulated as well.

Roundup Ready Genetically Modified Sugar Beets Labeled Safe By USDA
On Friday, the USDA made a decision to allow the commercial use of “Roundup Ready” genetically modified sugar beets.

Pentagon Aide 'Was Killed by Hitman' Claims Distraught Widow
Prominent Washington aide John Wheeler was assassinated by a hitman in a targeted killing, his widow has claimed.

Hay Now - It's Boycott Time: Land O'Lakes, This Means You!
By now you’ve heard how President Obama and his Monsanto Administration have plowed through approvals of three more genetically engineered products, including GE alfalfa.

'Massive Collapse' For Angela Merkel Following Today's Hamburg Election As Germans 'Just Say No' To More European Bail Outs
As the results of the first of seven German regional elections hits the wire, the German people are heard loud and clear: "no more bail outs."

Does A Surging Gold Price Mean the Fed Will Be Forced to Sell Treasury's?
As part of GATA's ongoing crusade against the Fed's gold price manipulation efforts, the organization recently succeeded in extracting some novel clues on how and why the Fed views its sworn duty as keeping the price of gold low.

Prepare to Give Up All Private Data For Any Gold Purchase Over $100
A week ago, when we reported on a move by the Dutch central bank that ordered a pension fund to forcibly reduce its gold holdings, we speculated that "this latest gold confiscation equivalent event is most certainly coming to a banana republic near you."

Koch Brothers Behind Wisconsin Effort to Kill Public Unions
As the nation focuses on the efforts of Governor Scott Walker to take away collective bargaining rights from public employees in Wisconsin, new information is coming to light that reveals what is truly going on here.

Libya: Libya Fighter Jets Attack Protesters
Libyan military aircraft fired live ammunition at crowds of anti-government protesters in Tripoli, Al-Jazeera television reported Monday.

Libya Unrest Stops Some Oil Output, Firms Move Staff
Spreading unrest in Libya shut down 6 percent of oil output in Africa's No.3 producer and prompted a number of energy firms to pull out international staff, sending oil prices above $105 a barrel.

Oil Prices Jump on Tensions in the Arab World
Oil prices surged more than 6% Monday as antigovernment protests in the Middle East and Africa intensified, raising worries about possible supply disruptions.

Compass Shift Means Changes for Pilots, Boaters, Campers
Magnetic north, the point at the top of the Earth that determines compass headings, is shifting its position at a rate of about 40 miles per year. In geologic terms, it's racing from the Arctic Ocean near Canada toward Russia.

US Warships Box in Iranian Flotilla, Delay Suez Passage
The repeated delays and contradictory statements about the two Iranian warships' transit of the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean is accounted for by a standoff between the Iranian flotilla and five US warships deployed in recent days at the waterway's southern entrance and along its course, debkafile's sources disclose.

Gov't Shutdown Threat Looms Over US Budget Fight
Senior U.S. Senate Democrats slammed Republicans on Sunday for a "reckless" threat to shut down the government amid deepening political posturing on both sides over federal spending and the budget deficit.

Why Wisconsin's Economic Protests Will Only spread As Health Care Costs Bankrupt the States
What we're really seeing today with the union worker protests in Madison, Wisconsin is the collision of money desires with fiscal reality.

NY Times Asks: Why Aren't GMO Food Labeled?
It is a question that more people should be asking, and one that even some in the mainstream media have begun to entertain: why are genetically-modified (GM) foods, which are patently (no pun intended) different from conventional and organic foods, not required to be properly labeled on food packaging?

HPV and Natural Alternatives to the HPV Vaccined
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a relatively common sexually transmitted disease passed on through genital contact, usually by sexual intercourse.

Gardasil Approval: FDA Apparently Does Not Follow Its Own Rules
According to FDA rules, in order to obtain 'fast-track' approval a new drug or medical treatment, two criteria must be satisfied.


Today In History - Monday - February 21, 2011
1804 - The first self-propelled locomotive on rails was demonstrated in Wales.
1842 - John J. Greenough patented the sewing machine.
1858 - The first electric burglar alarm was installed in Boston, MA.
1878 - The first telephone directories issued in the U.S. were distributed to residents in New Haven, CT. It was a single page of only fifty names.
1916 - During World War I, the Battle of Verdun began in France. The battle ended on December 18, 1916 with a French victory over Germany.
1925 - The first issue of "The New Yorker" was published.
1932 - William N. Goodwin patented the camera exposure meter.
1947 - Edwin Land demonstrated the Polaroid Land Camera to the Optical Society of America in New York City. It was the first camera to take, develop and print a picture on photo paper all in about 60 seconds. The photos were black and white. The camera went on sale the following year.
1965 - Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City at the age of 39 by assassins identified as Black Muslims.
1975 - Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up.
1989 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush called Ayatollah Khomeini's death warrant against "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie "deeply offensive to the norms of civilized behavior."
1999 - India's Prime Minister Atal Bihair Vajpayee concluded two days of meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Mohammad Nowaz Sharif.

Wisconsin budget repair bill is 'monumental change' for labor
For decades, state law allowed public employees to play a role in the way contracts and other factors related to the workplace were determined. Unions touted Wisconsin's collective bargaining laws as some of the strongest in the country. Under Walker's bill, unions would only be able to negotiate total base wages that would be tied closely to the Consumer Price Index.

Libya Protests Death Toll Close to 300
Latest figures show the death toll from clashes in Libya’s massive popular uprising against long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi is nearing 300.

Analysis of the Global Insurrection Against Neo-Liberal Economic Domination and the Coming American Rebellion
In previous Revolution Roundups, before we were knocked offline, we featured mass protests by the people of Ireland, Italy, Britain, Austria, Greece, France and Portugal, as the Global Insurrection contagion spread throughout Europe.

Obama and Geithner's Insidious Plan to Hand the Entire Housing Industry Over to the Bankers
A most dastardly deed occurred last Friday when the Obama administration issued a 29-page policy statement totally abandoning the federal government’s time-honored role in helping Americans achieve the goal of homeownership. Instead of punishing the banks that sabotaged the American ideal of a nation of stakeholders by “securitizing” our homesteads into poker chips to be gambled away in the Wall Street casino, Barack Obama now proposes to turn over the entire mortgage industry to those same banks.

The Muni Market Will Crash, House Prices Will Fall 10-15%, and the S&P Is Going to 500
For folks tired of milquetoast consensus predictions, there's a ton of red meat in this weeken's Barron's interview with star DoubleLine bond manager Jeff Gundlach.

It's Certain: A Government Shut Down Is Coming In Just Two Weeks
Barring some sort of deus ex machina, it seems certain that a government shutdown is coming in just two weeks (March 4, when the existing temporary funding bill runs out).

G20 Meeting in Paris Ends With a Statement
The topic ... is the global economy going up down or sideways, can 20 nations with conflicting agendas agree to anything and is the G20 a help or hindrance?

Lessons From Wisconsin: Big Government Handouts Promote Big Dependence
As school teachers and other publically employed members of unions in Wisconsin continue their march on that state’s capital, protesters frequently compare Republican Governor Scott Walker to Hitler or some other megalomaniac bent on destroying the hopes and dreams of the middle class. Some Wisconsin politicians, like state senator Fred Risser (D-Madison), paint the governor a despot by claiming that “[Walker] comes across more like a dictator and less like a leader.”

Bernanke Blames the Global Financial Crisis on China
They must put something in the water at the Fed, certainly the Board of Governors and the New York Fed.

Mubarack Toppled by CIA Because He Opposed US Plans for War With Iran
There never was an “Egyptian revolution,” but rather a behind-the-scenes military putsch by a junta of CIA puppet generals who evidently could not succeed in their goal of ousting Hosni Mubarak without the help of a heavy-duty ultimatum from Washington in the night between Thursday, February 10 and Friday, February 11, 2011.

NSTIC Program Director Says Public/Private Collaboration Is Key to the Strategy's Success
The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks, and its success will depend on the collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, information security officials said Feb. 15 at the RSA Security Conference.

Libya, Bahrain, Iran, Yemen and Other Arab Governments Killing Protesters
It is not solely the Middle East that is destined to experience episodes of violent upheaval.

Ohio's Turn to Revolt: Thousands Flooding Statehouse Over Anti-Union Bill
The massive, government-crippling protests in Madison, Wisconsin have now spilled over into Ohio, where over 5,000 rallied Thursday in opposition to a bill that would eliminate collective bargaining rights for state workers.

Egypt Gets Suez Canal Request From Iran Warships
Egypt said on Friday it had received a request for Iranian naval vessels to pass through the Suez Canal, a move Israel's right-wing foreign minister has described as "provocative".

Arrests After 'Jasmine Revolution' Call in China
BEIJING - Several top Chinese rights activists have disappeared into police custody as a web campaign urged angry citizens to mark the Middle East's "Jasmine Revolution" with protests, campaigners said Sunday.

House Blocks Funding for Health Care Law
The GOP-led House voted today to block funding to implement the nation's health care law.

House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood
The House just approved Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, checking off a hot-button social issue even as it set up a bigger showdown over defunding the health care law.

Gulf Scientists Still Finds Gulf Bottom Still Oily, Dead
Oil from the BP spill remains stuck on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, according to a top scientist's video and slides that she says demonstrate the oil isn't degrading as hoped and has decimated life on parts of the sea floor.

Rash of Arkansas Earthquakes Occur Near Tip of Western KY
HOPKINS COUNTY, KY—In an Arkansas town around 300 miles from the tip of Western Kentucky, a rash of approximately 50 or more earthquakes have occurred since last Sunday, February 13th, with one measuring in at a whopping 4.1 on the Richter scale.

Dwindling Supplies, Strong Demand: Higher Grain Prices
Burgeoning demand, coupled with last year’s Russian grain crisis, floods in China and Pakistan, dry weather in Argentina, and other crop adversities have sharply reduced supplies of major agricultural commodities, pointing to “a need for more planted acres in 2011,” says Steve Freed.

National Christmas Tree Toppled Behind the White House
The nation's most energy-efficient National Christmas Tree doesn't appear to be the nation's most energy-resistant one. The 42-foot tall Colorado blue spruce snapped at its base during high winds Saturday morning in Washington.

Obama Accused of 'Double Standards' as Family Holiday After Telling Americans Not To
President Obama has been accused of having double standards after appealing for Americans to sacrifice their holidays just days before his wife and children went on a costly skiing trip.

South Korea Holds A Massive Meeting, As the US Navy Warns of a Growing Threat In the North
Tensions are building on the Korean Peninsula again. In the months since the North's last attack, peace talks have collapsed, missile sites were discovered along with preparations for a nuclear test, and more signs of economic stress were revealed in the rogue nation.

Libya Cuts Off Internet Service
Internet service has been cut off in Libya as protesters step up demonstrations against longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, according to a U.S. company that monitors Internet traffic.

5 Million Aquatic Animals Die At Mara River in Kenya
The National Environmental Management Authority (Nema), Public Health Ministry and Kenya Wildlife Service are investigating the deaths of fish in Mara River

Doctors Engaged In Widespread Medical Fraud At Madison Protests With Fake Doctors Notes
If you're an eighth grader and you show up to school with a fake doctor's note excusing your suspicious absence the day before, you would probably face detention or some other punishment, including a possible investigation for truancy.

Tart Cherries Help Speed Muscle Recovery
A new study published in the American College of Sports Medicine journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests that eating a small amount of tart cherries helps improve muscle recovery in athletes after an intense workout.

New USDA Guidelines Fail to Capture the Whole Truth About Proper Nutrition
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released its updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a policy manual that includes dietary recommendations for helping people to better maintain proper weight and improve nutrient intake.

Superbug Named New Delhi to Make Westerners Afraid of Offshore Medical Tourism
The industry of western medicine is steeped in corruption, dishonesty and dirty tricks.

Scientists Admit Dementia Not a Normal Part of Aging, Refuse to Acknowledge Known Causes
Contrary to popular belief, dementia is not a normal part of the aging process.

Diet Coke Sponsors 'Heart Health' Initiative As If Aspartame Were Good For You
The Coca Cola Company recently announced the launch of its fourth annual Diet Coke "Women's Heart Health" campaign to "raise awareness and funds for women's heart health education and research."

Global Food Price Inflation Leads to World Food Crises
The cost of staples from grains to meat to sugar continues to rise, raising fears of a global food crisis and ensuing political instability.

Lyme Disease, a Severe Epidemic Condition the Medical Establishment Refuses to Acknowledge
It is a condition that afflicts more people every year than AIDS, West Nile Virus, and Avian Flu combined, but that receives little attention from the mainstream medical establishment or media.


Today In History - Friday - February 18, 2011
1735 - The first opera performed in America. The work was "Flora" (or "Hob in the Well") was presented in Charleston, SC.
1841 - The first continuous filibuster in the U.S. Senate began. It lasted until March 11th.
1861 - In Montgomery, AL, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the President of the Confederate States.
1885 - Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. for the first time.
1930 - Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to fly in an airplane.
1930 - The planet Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh. The discovery was made as a result of photographs taken in January 1930.
1952 - Greece and Turkey became members of NATO.
1953 - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz signed a contract worth $8,000,000 to continue the "I Love Lucy" TV show through 1955.
1964 - "Any Wednesday" opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. The play established Gene Hackman as an actor.
1970 - The Chicago Seven defendants were found innocent of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention.
1972 - The California Supreme Court struck down the state's death penalty.
1977 - The space shuttle Enterprise went on its maiden "flight" sitting on top of a Boeing 747.
1987 - The executives of the Girl Scout movement decided to change the color of the scout uniform from the traditional Girl Scout green to the newer Girl Scout blue.
1998 - In Russia, money shortages resulted in the shutting down of three plants that produced nuclear weapons.
1998 - In Nevada, two white separatists were arrested and accused of plotting a bacterial attack on subways in New York City.
2001 - NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr., was killed in a crash during the Daytona 500 race.
2001 - FBI agent Robert Philip Hanssen was arrested and accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
2003 - In South Korea, at least 120 people were killed when a man lit a fire on a subway train.
2006 - American Shani Davis won the men's 1,000-meter speed skating in Turin. He was the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history.

Security Remains Shaky in Egypt After Revolt
CAIRO – Families in quiet Cairo suburbs are investing heavily in locks and steel doors. Fake checkpoints set up by hardened criminals who escaped prisons terrorize travelers on highways. Thousands of looted firearms have flooded the black market.

California hospital shuts down transplant program after kidney given to wrong person
USC University Hospital halted transplants on January 29 after a "process error" was discovered, but no definitive reason was given at the time, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Downgrades Loom for US States
Cash-strapped US states and cities face the prospect of downgrades after Fitch Ratings changed the way it analyses their burgeoning pension bills.

Two TSA Agents Busted At JFK Airport For Stealing $160,000 From Checking Bags
Two TSA agents were busted today at Kennedy Airport for stealing $160,000 in cash from bags, authorities said.

Diabetes Linked to Magnesium Lack
Low blood magnesium levels linked to diabetes risk and complications. Epidemiological studies suggest that adequate magnesium intake reduces the risk of developing diabetes
significantly.

George W. Bush cancels visit to Swiss charity gala over fears he could be arrested on torture charges
Former U.S. President George W. Bush has cancelled a visit to Switzerland over fears he could have been arrested on torture charges.
Mr Bush was due to be the keynote speaker at a Jewish charity gala in Geneva on February 12.

In Sharp Reversal, US Agrees To Rebuke Israel In Security Council
The U.S. informed Arab governments Tuesday that it will support a U.N. Security Council statement reaffirming that the 15-nation body "does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity," a move aimed at avoiding the prospect of having to veto a stronger Palestinian resolution calling the settlements illegal.

VIDEO: The Dollar's Successor

It's Happening in America Too
If this legislation is passed, it would jeopardize the privacy of millions of Americans who use the Internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) notes, “A legal obligation to log users’ Internet use… would dangerously expand the government’s ability to surveil its citizens, damage privacy, and chill freedom of expression.” Once again, congressional Republicans are more than happy to cooperate in passing such a law – anything to go after those awful terrorists… even if it shreds the U.S. Constitution.

Your $5,555 Defense Bill Chokes on Waste
In addition, the degree of poorly allocated spending and outright fraud that historically attends to Pentagon contracting and spending is well-known. A March 2010 Government Accountability Office report compiled an impressive list of serious financial-management problems at the Defense Department, including misreporting of contracts, assets and properties.

'Day of Rage' Kicks Off Libya
Protesters in Libya have defied a security crackdown and taken to the streets in four cities for a "day of rage," inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, reports say.

Huge Solar Flare Jams Radio, Satellite Signals: NASA
A powerful solar eruption that has already disturbed radio communications in China could disrupt electrical power grids and satellites used on Earth in the next days, NASA said.

Baghdad Wants US, To Pay $1 Billion For Damage To City
Iraq's capital wants the United States to apologize and pay $1 billion for the damage done to the city not by bombs but by blast walls and Humvees since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

MERS Caves In
MERS is providing the following guidance to all Members to strengthen business practices, and minimize reputation, legal and compliance risk to MERS and its Members.

Fitch: Downgrades Loom For US Cities and States
Cash-strapped US states and cities face the prospect of downgrades after Fitch Ratings changed the way it analyses their burgeoning pension bills to slightly more realistic assumptions, reports FT.

Astrophysicists: Strong Evidence Gigantic Planet X Does Exist
What's up to four times as big as Jupiter, is so distant that astronomers haven't been able to find it in more than 80 years, and is the stuff of legends and conspiracy theories?

Zero Tolerance Policies: Are The School Becoming Police States?
What we are witnessing, thanks in large part to zero tolerance policies that were intended to make schools safer by discouraging the use of actual drugs and weapons by students, is the inhumane treatment of young people and the criminalization of childish behavior.

ABC Journalist Beaten, And At Least One Is Killed As Protests In Bahrain Turn Violent
According to ABC, one of its reporters, Miguel Marquez, has been brutally beaten with billy clubs during a protest.

Wis. Lawmakers Flee State To Block Anti-Union Bill
MADISON, Wis. – A group of Democratic Wisconsin lawmakers blocked passage of a sweeping anti-union bill Thursday, refusing to show up for a vote and then abruptly leaving the state in an effort to force Republicans to the negotiating table.

Democrats Who Left State Are Located
MADISON - Democratic State Senators who protested the budget repair bill by leaving the state have been found.

US Consumer Prices, Jobless Claims Exceed Forecasts
Rising global demand for food and fuel pushed up the U.S. cost of living more than forecast in January, a sign the risk of a damaging drop in prices is ebbing.

Ark. Cities Feel Unexplained Surge In Earthquakes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Jim Sutterfield was briefly puzzled by a thumping sound that seemed to slam the back of his office chair. But when the small-town Arkansas fire chief turned and saw no one was around, he quickly realized it was just an earthquake — again.

New York City For MAJOR Earthquake...'Expect It Any Minute'
Jeez, it’s been a rough month as far as these types of stories go. First there was that Betelgeuse supernova deal, then a killer asteroid hitting us in 2036 and the discovery of a hidden planet in our solar sytem which could be the infamous ‘Planet X’. I tell you…I need a valium the size of a hockey puck!

What's That Smell in Little River? Thousands of Dead Fish Blanket Water
There's an increasingly smelly fish and duck soup at the mouth of Little River as thousands of dead shad and several dozen dead ducks blanket the water's surface, causing some alarm among residents.

Hawaii Legislature OK's Same-Sex Civil Unions
Hawaii lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, marking an end to what the governor called an "emotional process" for a longtime battleground in the gay rights movement.

Gov Christie: We Are Teetering On The Edge Of Disaster
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks at the American Enterprise Institute on Wednesday, February 16. Watch the full speech here.

Freeze In Produce States Gives Food Industry A Chill
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Consumers are just starting to feel the effect a cold snap is having on produce from the Southwest, California, and Mexico.

Facebook & Google Are CIA Fronts
As a youngster, I was awed by people who ''made it to the top'' by creating and innovating corporations, technologies, or simply establishing themselves through sports, music, entertainment, etc. thus becoming millionaires.

China's Wheat Crop At Risk, World Wary
NEW DELHI: There is bad news on the global food front. In an alert issued this week, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned that more than two-thirds of China's gigantic wheat crop may be under risk "because of substantially below-normal rainfall" this winter.

Two Iranian Warships Transit Suez for Syria, Tighten Siege on Israel
Twenty-four hours after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the Egyptian upheaval had no military connotations for Israel, the Iranian frigate Alvand and cruiser Kharg transited the Suez Canal on their way to Syria Wednesday night, Feb. 16.

Cancer Causing Chemicals Found In Cola Coloring Ingredient
The "caramel coloring" used to color all the top cola brands isn't natural caramel coloring at all. Instead, it's made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites at high temperatures.

German TV Exposes The Horrors Of Toxic GM Soy
Widespread environmental pollution; poisoning and contamination of agriculture; countless injuries, deformities, and deaths in humans -- these and many other horrific events are a result of cultivating genetically-modified (GM) crops, and GM soy in particular.

Zinc Lozenges Effectively Prevent, Reduce Duration of Common
A comprehensive review of more than a dozen studies has shown that common zinc lozenges and supplements are effective at reducing the duration of the common cold, particularly when taken within the first 24 hours of visible symptoms.

Internet 'Kill Switch' Bill Threatens Your Access to Health Information
Some members of the 112th U.S. Congress are seething with anticipation over a new billed they have crafted that would give the government the power to shut down the internet in the event of a "cyberterrorist" event. Created by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tom Carper (D-Del.), the "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset" bill threatens not only free speech and the free flow of information and communication, but also access to independent health news sources like NaturalNews.

After Surviving War in Iraq, US Troops Now Being Killed By Big Pharma
They survived live fire, explosive devices, terror attacks and grueling desert conditions.

Exposed: Fake Chinese Organics Try To Slip Into US Market
There seems to be no shortage of fraud coming out of China these days, with a recent report issued by the non-profit Cornucopia Institute (CI) stating that a certain Chinese agricultural supplier has attempted to export fake organic products into the U.S.

Berry Compounds Lower Risk of Parkison's Disease
An enormous study spanning several decades has shown that people who eat berries regularly have a much lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease than othose who do not.

GM Alfalfa Cannot Be Contained, Will Spread Everywhere, Say Experts
Ever since Obama-appointed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) head Tom Vilsack deregulated Monsanto's genetically-modified (GM) alfalfa, there has been a firestorm of controversy over the long-term negative consequences of this thoughtless decision.

Want to Have a Stroke? Keep Drinking Diet Sodas
According to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011 recently held in Los Angeles, drinking diet sodas could dramatically raise your risk of having a vascular event, mainly a stroke.

Climate Change Scientists Call for Food Rationing to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Leading scientists have called for World War II-style rationing in First World countries to avert catastrophic global warming, in a series of papers published by the United Kingdom's Royal Society.

99 Strains of HPV on the Wall - One More Girl on the Wall
Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer, Take one down, pass it around, Ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall.

Lack of Sleep Greatly Raises the Risk for Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the third leading cause of death in the US. But this potentially deadly disease doesn't just strike out of the blue -- for the most part, it can be prevented in the first place with healthy lifestyle choices.


Today In History - Thursday - February 17, 2011
1801 - The U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson was elected president and Burr became vice president.
1817 - The first gas lit streetlights appeared on the streets of Baltimore, MD.
1865 - Columbia, SC, burned. The Confederates were evacuating and the Union Forces were moving in.
1878 - In San Francisco, CA, the first large city telephone exchange opened. It had only 18 phones.
1933 - "Newsweek" was first published.
1934 - The first high school automobile driver’s education course was introduced in State College, PA.
1944 - During World War II, the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll began. U.S. forces won the battle on February 22, 1944.
1947 - The Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet Union.
1964 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that congressional districts within each state had to be approximately equal in population. (Westberry v. Sanders)
1985 - U.S. Postage stamp prices were raised from 20 cents to 22 cents for first class mail.
1992 - In Milwaukee, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to life in prison. In November of 1994, he was beaten to death in prison.
1997 - Pepperdine University announced that Kenneth Starr was leaving the Whitewater probe to take a full-time job at the school. Starr reversed the announcement four days later.
2005 - U.S. President George W. Bush named John Negroponte as the first national intelligence director.

Judge Finds MERS Has No Right To Transfer Mortgages, Finds Entire MERS Process Illegal
with MERS now found to be a fraud, we expect MERS Commercial authority to be likewise eliminated. Which means that the entire US mortgage market, both residential and commercial, is a lie, and built on fraudulent foundations, and that every single MERS-mediated transaction will likely have to be unwound. In reality what will happen, is that the Banker lobby will have to purchase a few more Appelate Judges, and in the worst case, a SCOTUS dude here and there, appeal the ruling to death, and end up victorious. After all, it is only taxpayer money.

Chinese Buy As Much Gold in January As They Did In Half of 2010
Demand for physical and non-physical gold in China is soaring.

China Inflation: Getting Worse and Coming To A Wal-Mart Near You
On Tuesday Feb. 15, China reported its consumer prices (CPI) rose 4.9% year-over-year (yoy) in January, which came in less than expected. Economists were expecting 5.4% inflation, based on a Bloomberg survey. However, after digesting the data, Asian markets closed mixed on that news, with China’s Shanghai Composite staying flat after a choppy trading session.

HHS and EPA announce new scientific assessments and actions on fluoride
Agencies working together to maintain benefits of preventing tooth decay while preventing excessive exposure. “EPA’s new analysis will help us make sure that people benefit from tooth decay prevention while at the same time avoiding the unwanted health effects from too much fluoride.”

Another Look At Inflation: Cotton Up 44% YTD - One Percent Per Day
Earlier, we got the January PPI number telling us that things are still somewhat under control on the inflationary front.

Mexican Freeze Out
It is a measure of how cold the northern Hemisphere was this winter when Mexico is knocked out. Cheap produce will disappear for a couple of months and we will see expensive produce flown in from Africa and the southern hemisphere.

European Sovereign Debt Crisis Deepening - Risk of Contagion and Bond Market Crash, and Why Rising Rates Mean Gold Strength
There is a real sense of the “calm before the storm” in markets globally.

Mortgage Applications Plunge
The patently obvious deterioration in housing just took one big step for the worse, after the Mortgage Banker Association reported that the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 9.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Collective Financial Insanity - FDIC Backing $5.4 Trillion in Total Deposits on Pure Faith
People psychologically are programmed to believe in financial realities that benefit their own cause even if they have no merit in empirical data.

Worth Repeating: Army Admits Gulf War Medical Records Destroyed
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A letter from the Department of the Army telling units to destroy their records after the end of Operation Desert Storm has made it more difficult for injured veterans to get the medical benefits they need.

Is Murbarack a Mason?
Has the course of History been directed by a small group of people with common interests?

Senate Votes for Short-Term Extension of PATRIOT ACT Provisions
The US Senate voted Tuesday to extend three controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act until May 27.

Egypt's Health Ministry Says 365 Killed in Unrest
CAIRO – Egypt's Health Ministry says at least 365 people were killed during the 18-day anti-government uprising that began on Jan. 25.

Anti-Government Protesters Spread to Libya
Hundreds of Libyans calling for the government's ouster clashed with security forces early Wednesday in the country's second-largest city as Egypt-inspired unrest spread to the country long ruled by Moammar Gadhafi.

Islam's Spiritual 'Dear Abby': The Voice of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
This man is a word machine, a one-man talk show that leaves no subject unexamined. Youssef al-Qaradawi has to talk: about former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, about mothers' milk banks, and about the right of Palestinian women to blow themselves up.

'Kill switch' Internet Bill Alarms Privacy Experts
A raging debate over new legislation, and its impact on the Internet, has tongues wagging and fingers pointing from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C.

Healthcare Reform Law Requires New IRS Army of 1,054
The Internal Revenue Service says it will need an battalion of 1,054 new auditors and staffers and new facilities at a cost to taxpayers of more than $359 million in fiscal 2012 just to watch over the initial implementation of President Obama's healthcare reforms.

Rare Daytime Fireball Lights Up Sky Over Eastern US
A rare daytime fireball lit up the sky over much of the eastern United States yesterday (Feb. 14), causing necks to crane and jaws to drop from Maryland to Massachusetts.

Food/Financial Crisis of 2011
World food inflation is smashing down on the world’s populations as prices rise precipitously in the face of increasing shortages and absurd monetary policies. Prices are rising everywhere.

USDA Deregualtes GMO Corn Engineered to Produce Fuel, Not Food
Right on the heels of the USDA's decision to deregulate GM alfalfa (http://www.naturalnews.com/031196_G...), the U.S. Department of Agriculture has now decided to completely deregulate genetically engineered corn used for ethanol production.

Got the Blues? Feeling S.A.D.? Here Are Some Tips
t has been a brutal winter here in the Northeast, and I seem to have seen more patients this year suffering with a touch of the winter blues, also known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).


Today In History - Wednesday - February 16, 2011
1804 - A raid was led by Lt. Stephen Decatur to burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia. The ship had been taken by pirates.
1857 - The National Deaf Mute College was incorporated in Washington, DC. It was the first school in the world for advanced education of the deaf. The school was later renamed Gallaudet College.
1862 - During the U.S. Civil War, about 14,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Fort Donelson, TN.
1883 - "Ladies Home Journal" began publication.
1914 - The first airplane flight between Los Angeles and San Francisco took place.
1918 - Lithuania proclaimed its independence.
1932 - The first fruit tree patent was issued to James E. Markham for a peach tree which ripens later than other varieties.
1937 - Wallace H. Carothers received a patent for nylon. Carothers was a research chemist for Du Pont.
1945 - During World War II, U.S. troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines.
1946 - The first commercially designed helicopter was tested in Connecticut.
1959 - Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba after the overthrow of President Fulgencio Batista.
1960 - The U.S.S. Triton began the first circumnavigation of the globe under water. The trip ended on May 10.
1962 - Jimmy Bostwick defeated his brother, Pete, to win the U.S. Open Court-Tennis championships for the third time.
1968 - In the U.S., the first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated in Haleyville, AL.
1987 - John Demjanjuk went on trial in Jerusalem. He was accused of being "Ivan the Terrible", a guard at the Treblinka concentration camp. He was convicted, but the Israeli Supreme Court overturned the ruling.
1989 - Investigators in Lockerbie, Scotland, announced that a bomb hidden inside a radio-cassette player was the reason that Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down the previous December. All 259 people aboard and 11 on the ground were killed.
1999 - A bomb exploded at the government headquarters in Uzbekistan. Gunfire followed the incident. The event apparently was an attempt on the life of President Islam Karimov.
1999 - Kurds seized embassies and held hostages across Europe following Turkey's arrest of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
1999 - Testimony began in the Jasper, TX, trial of John William King. He was charged with murder in the gruesome dragging death of James Byrd Jr. King was later convicted and sentenced to death.
2002 - The operator of a crematory in Noble, GA, was arrested after dozens of corpses were found stacked in storage sheds and scattered around in the surrounding woods.
2005 - The Kyoto global warming pact went into effect in 140 nations.
2005 - The NHL announced the cancellation of the 2004-2005 season due to a labor dispute. It was the first time a major sports league in North America lost an entire season to a labor dispute.

VIDEO: FOX News -- Ron Paul Deception...Dirtiest Trick Yet

Obama Pencils in $37 Billion Budget Increase For DHS, Naked Body Scanners
The Obama administration is to propose a $37 billion increase in federal spending for the Department of Homeland Security, earmarking funds for more radiation firing naked body scanners in airports around the country.

Wisconsin National Guard Preps For Worker Unrest After Governor Unveils Emergency Budget
Unions erupted in outrage as Gov. Walker unveiled an emergency budget proposal Friday to deal with the state's growing budget woes. The Governor told Milwaukee Public Radio that he has briefed the Wisconsin National Guard to prepare them for any worker unrest today.

South Carolina lawmaker wants separate currency for state
A South Carolina state politician wants the state to develop its own gold and silver-based currency in case the Federal Reserve collapses and hyper-inflation ensues. "If folks lose faith in the dollar, we need to have some kind of backup," State Sen. Lee Bright told the Spartanburg Herald Journal's Stephen Largen. His bill asks a committee to look into the development of a state currency, citing the Constitution and Supreme Court precedents to prove the bill's legality.

FDA Approves New Mammogram with 100% Radiation Increase, Only 7% Detection Improvement!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, the FDA has a new present for America's women: a 3-D mammogram, produced by the Selenia Dimensions System machine made by Hologic, Inc. It provides double the dose of radiation for a gain of 7% in ability to distinguish between cancerous and noncancerous breast tumors.

Housing Crash Is Hitting Cities Thought to Be Stable
In September 2006, after prices started falling in many parts of the country but were still increasing here, The Seattle Times noted that the last time prices in the city dropped on a quarterly basis was during the severe recession of 1982. Two local economists were quoted all but guaranteeing that Seattle was immune “if history is any indication.” A risk index from PMI Mortgage Insurance gave the odds of Seattle prices dropping at a negligible 11 percent. These days, the mood here is chastened when not downright fatalistic. If a recovery depends on a belief in better times, that seems a long way off.

Lessons From Egypt For The American People
As a result, the government’s promise that it can prevent future crises actually has the opposite effect. This promise, backed up by thousands of pages of regulations, undermines the natural risk aversion and skepticism of market participants by creating the illusion of a risk-free future.

Defector admits to WMD lies that triggered Iraq war
The defector who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons programme has admitted for the first time that he lied about his story, then watched in shock as it was used to justify the war. Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, codenamed Curveball by German and American intelligence officials who dealt with his claims, has told the Guardian that he fabricated tales of mobile bioweapons trucks and clandestine factories in an attempt to bring down the Saddam Hussein regime, from which he had fled in 1995. "Maybe I was right, maybe I was not right," he said. "They gave me this chance. I had the chance to fabricate something to topple the regime. I and my sons are proud of that and we are proud that we were the reason to give Iraq the margin of democracy."

The US Corporation and the Maritime Flag
Besides the banality of this meaningless exchange and the usual attempts to polarize viewers and pretend they have some significance in the grand scheme of things, I was more taken by the fringed Maritime flag featured behind Obama during the interview.

Bill Gross Cuts Government Bond Holdings Again
The Pimco Total Return Fund is the world’s largest bond fund, so Bill Gross’ market moves and musings can carry a lot of weight in the markets.

Retail Sales: A Whiff
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $381.6 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent (±0.5%)* from the previous month, and 7.8 percent (±0.7%) above January 2010.

Wisconsin DATCP: A Rogue Agency Continues Its Assault On Milk Producers
Yup! DATCP won again! As Mark and Jane Brothen pled no contest to charges of failure to register a premises.

Cocoa Shortage Crisis Looms
This is an industry with a long history of lousy husbandry. It needs to come under a proper system of supply management owned and controlled by the growers that regulates market access and arranges marketing.

Revolution In Egypt and Where To Be When Black Swans Appear
Not much action in the stock market on Friday. Gold didn’t do much either.

Strong Identity Management Face a Challenge: 'There is No Demand'
The administration is putting the final touches on its National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), which is intended to lay the foundation for a digital ecosystem to better manage online identities, but it could face an uphill battle in public adoption.

Judge: MERS Invalid
“MERS and its partners made the decision to create and operate under a business model that was designed in large part to avoid the requirements of the traditional mortgage-recording process.

House Extends Key Provisions of Patriot Act
The House on Monday agreed to a 10-month extension of three key law enforcement powers in the fight against terrorism that some privacy advocates from both the right and left regard as infringements on civil liberties.

VIDEO: USA Admits Adding Fluoride to Water is Damaging Teeth and Has Been a Big Experiment

FBI: 100 Percent Change of WMD Attack
The probability that the U.S. will be hit with a weapons of mass destruction attack at some point is 100 percent, Dr. Vahid Majidi, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, tells Newsmax.

Possible Mexican Military Incursion On US Soil
MISSION - CHANNEL 5 NEWS is exposing what appears to be a Mexican military incursion into the United States.

World Bank: Food Prices at 'Dangerous Levels'
World Bank President Robert Zoellick says global food prices have hit "dangerous levels" that could contribute to political instability, push millions of people into poverty and raise the cost of groceries.

Still Waiting for Jay
Today is Jay Carney’s second day on the job, and for the second day he is not scheduled to brief.

Chances Up For Federal Shutdown
With less than three weeks to strike a deal before government funding for the year is scheduled to expire, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are moving in opposite directions.

Mubarack Falls Into Coma After Final Speech
Egypt's deposed president, Hosni Mubarak, went into a full coma on Saturday night at his residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, an Egyptian newspaper reported on Monday, quoting well-informed sources.

Parents Blame Toddler's Death on Tainted Wipes
The parents of a 2-year-old Houston boy who died from a rare infection are suing makers of recalled alcohol prep products, claiming contaminated wipes and swabs transmitted bacteria that caused his fatal case of meningitis.

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake Near Mount St. Helens is Biggest in 30 Years
The second largest earthquake since Mount St. Helens erupted -- a magnitude 4.3 shaker -- rocked a fault line six miles north of the volcano Monday morning.

TSA Comes Under Fire Again As Employees Admit to Repeatedly Stealing Money From Passengers
A TSA supervisor stole money from passengers who went through his security checkpoint and accepted bribes and kickbacks from a colleague.

A Tipping Point Is Nearing
We are facing a tipping point. There will soon be a crisis affecting US citizens beyond any experienced since the Great Depression.

Your Hometown & the United Nations' Agenda 21
In March 2010, Nor-Cal Produce, a family-owned produce business in West Sacramento, was fined $32,500 by the California Air Resources Board (ARB, or CARB).

Violent Clashes Break Out In Saudi Neighbor Bahrain, Home to US Navy's
Following Algeria over the weekend, the latest country to see an escalation in rioting following the revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt, is the tiny island of Bahrain, situated just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, which just happens to be home to the US Navy's 5th fleet.

Wife of Jailed Herbalist Greg Caton to File Criminal Charges Against FDA for Violating Federal Law
This is Mike Adams writing this, and I have some concerns that this story needs more supporting evidence because it makes some strong allegations about the behavior of a certain FDA agent and other individuals who allegedly conspired to have Greg Caton kidnapped and put behind bars.

Milkweed Sap Cures Common Skin Cancers
If you talk about herbs, plants and other totally natural substances having the potential to actually cure cancer, odds are you'll be greeted with eye-rolling and disbelief -- especially from the mainstream medical establishment.

Pain-for-Profit Industry Booming
Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA) released their comprehensive global report on Pain Management markets in January 2011.

S.A.N.E. Vax, Inc. Asks FDA to Rescind Approval of Gardasil
In a letter addressed to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the FDA commissioner, Ms. Norma Erickson, president of S.A.N.E. Vax, Inc. stated her research team has revealed that in November 2001 the VRBPAC (Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee) mistakenly allowed the vaccine manufacturer to use "CIN 2/3, AIS, or cervical cancer; i.e. CIN 2/3 or worse by histology - with virology to determine the associated HPV type - as the primary endpoint in the evaluation of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer."


Today In History - Tuesday - February 15, 2011
1758 - Mustard was advertised for the first time in America.
1764 - The city of St. Louis was established.
1799 - Printed ballots were authorized for use in elections in the state of Pennsylvania.
1842 - Adhesive postage stamps were used for the first time by the City Dispatch Post (Office) in New York City.
1879 - U.S. President Hayes signed a bill that allowed female attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
1898 - The USS Maine sank when it exploded in Havana Harbor for unknown reasons. More than 260 crew members were killed.
1903 - Morris and Rose Michtom, Russian immigrants, introduced the first teddy bear in America.
1932 - George Burns and Gracie Allen debuted as regulars on "The Guy Lombardo Show" on CBS radio.
1933 - U.S. President-elect Franklin Roosevelt escaped an assignation attempt in Miami. Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak was killed in the attack.
1942 - During World War II, Singapore surrendered to the Japanese.
1953 - The first American to win the women’s world figure skating championship was 17-year-old Tenley Albright.
1961 - A Boeing 707 crashed in Belgium killing 73 people.
1965 - Canada displayed its new red and white maple leaf flag. The flag was to replace the old Red Ensign standard.
1982 - During a storm, the Ocean Ranger, a drilling rig, sank off the coast of Newfoundland. 84 men were killed.
1985 - The Center for Disease Control reported that more than half of all nine-year-olds in the U.S. showed no sign of tooth decay.
1989 - After nine years of intervention, the Soviet Union announced that the remainder of its troops had left Afghanistan.
1991 - The leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland signed the Visegard agreement, in which they pledged to cooperate in transforming their counties to free-market economies.
1995 - The FBI arrested Kevin Mitnick and charged him with cracking security in some of the nation's most protected computers. He served five years in jail. 2002 - U.S. President George W. Bush approved Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a site for long-term disposal of radioactive nuclear waste.

2011 Senate Bill 5005 (Certification of exemption from immunization)
If this bill becomes law, it will put doctors, nurses and other medical personnel in the legal position of acting as inquisitors of religious beliefs
held by fellow citizens, which is an invasion of privacy and a de facto violation of First Amendment rights. NVIC Advocacy Website:
If you are not already registered for NVIC free Advocacy Portal at http://NVICAdvocacy.org, sign up today so you can receive timely important email updates of our efforts to expand and protect vaccine exemptions in your state and to be automatically linked to your personal legislators and their contact information.

Why Did 26 Republicans Vote Against Extending the Patriot Act?
House Republican leaders expecting an easy two-thirds vote to extend key provisions of the Patriot Act were handed a rude surprise when 26 of their own opted to side with Nancy Pelosi and the American Civil Liberties Union instead of them.
** Related Article: FINAL VOTE RESULTS

Worth Repeating: Army told units to trash Gulf War docs
A letter from the Army Department telling units to destroy their records after the end of Operation Desert Storm has made it more difficult for injured veterans to get the medical benefits they need. The letter, never made public before now, says units were told to destroy their records because officials had no room to ship the paperwork back to the United States. The letter goes on to say it was in direct contradiction to existing Army regulations.

Million Veteran Program
The Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Research and Development is launching the Million Veteran Program (MVP), an important partnership between VA and Veterans. The goal of MVP is to better understand how genes affect health and illness in order to improve health care for Veterans.
** Related Article: OBAMA'S NEW GENETICS EXPERIMENTS WITH VETERANS RAISING QUESTIONS
The good doctors are gathering genetic information from one million former U.S. service vets -- soldiers, sailors, and airmen. They are pressuring the veterans who use the VHA health services – at about 500 hospitals across the U.S.. – to give blood samples.

INFLATION ALERT: Now Consumers Are Being Warned Of A Massive Hike In Clothing Prices
It's obvious that with input costs rising there was an increase in clothing prices coming. The big story here to watch is whether or not clothing retailers, that have seen consumer demand rebound, will be able to pass on these higher prices to consumers without seeing a loss in sales.

Wisconsin National Guard Preps For Worker Unrest After Governor Unveils Emergency Budget
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, unveiled an emergency budget proposal Friday to deal with the state's growing budget woes. Wisconsin has a $137 million deficit this year, and faces a projected $2.9 billion budget shortfall for 2012 and 2013

Grapes of Wrath - 2011
The America of 1930 was different in many aspects from the America of 2011.

21 Signs That The Once Great U.S. Economy Is Being Gutted, Neutered, Defanged, Declawed And Deindustrialized
Meanwhile, wave after wave of shiny new factories is going up in nations such as China, India and Brazil. This is great for those countries, but for the millions of American workers that desperately needed the jobs that have been sent overseas it is not so great. This is the legacy of globalism. Multinational corporations now have the choice whether to hire U.S. workers or to hire workers in countries where it is legal to pay slave labor wages.

Pot Use May Mellow Out Men's Sexual Function
Marijuana users sometimes report that pot enhances their desire for sex. But a new review of research on marijuana and sexual health suggests that male smokers could be courting sexual dysfunction.

Egyptian's and Tunisians Collaborated to Shake Arab History
CAIRO — As protesters in Tahrir Square faced off against pro-government forces, they drew a lesson from their counterparts in Tunisia: “Advice to the youth of Egypt: Put vinegar or onion under your scarf for tear gas.”

FY 2011 Budget Deficit: $1.6 Trillion
So the Obama administration is submitting its fiscal year 2012 budget today—and along the way, the administration revises its FY 2011 budget deficit.

Mexicans Take to Streets Over Drug-Violence Surge
"No more violence, no more lack of safety, no more corrupt politicians, let's move ahead with citizen candidates," marchers on the touristy Paseo de la Reforma shouted after at least 45 people died in Monterrey and Guadalajara, and the northern state of Chihuahua.

Engineered Economic Collapse Approaching: Budget Cuts Will Only Accelerate the Inevitable
Ron Paul constantly reminds us that money is created out of thin air, which is to say it's an illusion.

Young Protesters Revolt in Sana, Yemen's Capital
SANA, Yemen — Young protesters in Yemen squared off against security forces on Sunday, and some marched on the presidential palace here, witnesses said, as a third day of demonstrations sought to emulate the revolution in Egypt.

Debt Now Equals Total US Economy
President Obama projects that the gross federal debt will top $15 trillion this year, officially equalling the size of the entire U.S. economy, and will jump to nearly $21 trillion in five years’ time.

Gaddafi Tells Palestinians: Revolt Against Israel
Palestinian refugees should capitalise on the wave of popular revolts in the Middle East by massing peacefully on the borders of Israel until it gives in to their demands, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Sunday.

France Wants New Global Finance System
France, as current head of the Group of 20 countries, will help the transition to a global financial system based on 'several international currencies', French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said today.

Obama's New Genetics Experiments With Veterans Raising Questions
Dr. Josef Mengele was known as "der Weiss angel," or the white angel, at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland during World War II.

Sysco Declares Force Majeure, Raises Grocery Prices
Food inflation driven by freezing weather in Florida during December and in Mexico during February, is hitting the US supermarkets in the coming day’s.

Roubini's Next Crisis Is Scary Food for Thought
Forget Egypt for a moment. Skip the water crisis in China. Look past angst on the streets of Bangladesh. If you want to see how extreme the effects of surging food prices are becoming, look to wealthy Japan.

'Get Ready For Margin Collapse' Goes Mainstream
First it was "Get Ready For Higher Food Prices" going mainstream... Now, logically following, it is "Get Ready For Margin Collapse."

San Diego Port Officer Says Nukes Have Been Found In An American Port
Al Hallor, the assistant port director and an officer with Customs and Border Protection has openly admitted that an unnamed government agency has found a nuclear weapon or weapon of mass effect at a U.S. port in the last year!

Pediatricians Warn About Seizures From Energy Drinks, But Not Vaccines
It's big news today: A new report released by conventional pediatricians in the U.S. warns that energy drinks may cause seizures, kidney damage and even death in children. "

Major Victory: Calgary City Council Votes to Remove Fluoride From Water Supply
Calgary, Canada, with a metropolitan population of well over one million, will no longer lace its water supply with toxic fluoride.

China Stockpiles Tens of Thousands of Tons of Rare Earth Minerals
Touch-screen smart phones, laptop computers, flat screen televisions, hybrid car batteries, vehicle parts, wind turbines -- these and many other high tech products require certain rare earth minerals in order to function.

Fresh Produce Prices to Double or Triple Following Freak Freezes - Is Earth in a Magnetic Pole Shift?
In an article posted on January 3 of this year, I predicted a rise in food prices resulting from freak weather events (http://www.naturalnews.com/030903_p...). Here's what I said in that article:

Was Judge John Roll the Actual Target of the Gifford's Shooting?
While most of the country has been focused on the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), the murder of Judge John McCarthy Roll, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, remains largely and strangely missing from most of the mainstream press coverage of this event.

A Glass of Wine a Day Helps Prevent Diabetes
A single glass of red wine may be as effective at controlling blood sugar as standard diabetes drugs, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria.

Flu Vaccines and Neurological Problems
Neurological problems due to nerve damage after vaccination are a fairly common adverse event with flu vaccines. In 1976, there were more cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome reported after vaccination than there were confirmed cases of Swine flu.


Today In History - Monday - February 14, 2011 - HAPPY  VALENTINE'S  DAY  TO  ALL
1778 - The Stars and Stripes was carried to a foreign port, in France, for the first time. It was aboard the American ship Ranger.
1849 - The first photograph of a U.S. President, while in office, was taken by Matthew Brady in NYC. President James Polk was the subject of the picture.
1859 - Oregon became the 33rd member of the Union.
1876 - Alexander Graham Bell filed an application for a patent for the telephone. It was officially issued on March 7, 1876.
1889 - In Los Angeles, CA, oranges began their first trip to the east.
1899 - The U.S. Congress approved voting machines for use in federal elections.
1900 - In South Africa, British Gen. Roberts invaded Orange Free State with 20,000 troops.
1903 - The U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor was established.
1912 - The first diesel engine submarine was commissioned in Groton, CT.
1912 - Arizona was admitted as the 48th U.S. state.
1920 - The League of Women Voters was founded in Chicago. The first president of the organization was Maude Wood Park.
1929 - The "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in Chicago, IL. Seven gangsters who were rivals of Al Capone were killed.
1932 - The U.S. won the first bobsled competition at the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, NY.
1945 - Peru, Paraguay, Chile and Ecuador joined the United Nations.
1954 - The TV show "Letter to Loretta" changed its name to "The Loretta Young Show." The show premiered on September 20, 1953.
1962 - U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy gave a tour of the White House on television.
1968 - The fourth Madison Square Gardens opened.
1983 - A 6-year-old boy became the first person to receive a heart and liver transplants in the same operation.
1985 - Cable News Network (CNN) reporter Jeremy Levin was freed. He had been being held in Lebanon by extremists.
1989 - The first satellite of the Global Positioning System was placed into orbit around Earth.
1989 - Union Carbide agreed to pay $470 million to the government of India. The court-ordered settlement was a result of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster.
1997 - Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery began a series of spacewalks that were required to overhaul the Hubble Space Telescope.
1998 - U.S. authorities officially announced that Eric Rudolph was a suspect in a bombing of an abortion clinic in Alabama.
2002 - The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Shays-Meehan bill. The bill, if passed by the U.S. Senate, would ban millions of unregulated money that goes to the national political parties.
2002 - Sylvester Stallone filed a lawsuit against Kenneth Starr. The suit alleged that Starr had given bad advice about selling Planet Hollywood stock.
2003 - In Madrid, Spain, a ceramic plate with a bullfighting motif painted by Pablo Picasso in 1949 was stolen from an art show. The plate was on sale for $12,400.

Army told units to trash Gulf War docs
A letter from the Army Department telling units to destroy their records after the end of Operation Desert Storm has made it more difficult for injured veterans to get the medical benefits they need. The letter, never made public before now, says units were told to destroy their records because officials had no room to ship the paperwork back to the United States. The letter goes on to say it was in direct contradiction to existing Army regulations.

TSA Mulls 'Trusted Traveler' Program
Transportation Security Administration head John S. Pistole is considering the concept of a "trusted traveler" program that would speed passengers willing to provide detailed advance personal information through airport security checkpoints.

21 Signs That The Once Great U.S. Economy Is Being Gutted, Neutered, Defanged, Declawed And Deindustrialized
Meanwhile, wave after wave of shiny new factories is going up in nations such as China, India and Brazil. This is great for those countries, but for the millions of American workers that desperately needed the jobs that have been sent overseas it is not so great. This is the legacy of globalism. Multinational corporations now have the choice whether to hire U.S. workers or to hire workers in countries where it is legal to pay slave labor wages.

Gold Prices Settle Flat, Putting Silver in Focus
Silver has yet to reach its past high of $50 an ounce, leaving a lot more space for the metal to move. The gold/silver ratio at 45 is also slightly lower than the 46 at the start of the week -- typically, the lower the ratio, the higher the silver price and vice versa. If silver is going to outpace gold and head higher "it would have to happen in the next couple of weeks," says Morgan. "If it doesn't make a new high in that time frame, I would expect it to have a high level consolidation ... in the $27 to $30 or maybe even $25 to $30 range.

Albert Edwards (And Goldman Sachs) On 'The Biggest Scandal of the Last Decade's': Plunging Labor Force Participation
Fast forward to today, when we now read that the topic of labor force participation, and specifically the massive plunge therein, is now seen by one of the brightest strategist minds, that of SocGen's Albert Edwards, as "one of the scandals of the last decade."

If Japan Lost Two Decades From Its Bubble Popping, How Many Decades Should the US Expect to Lose?
The Harlem Community Development Corporation and AAREPNY hosted a breakfast symposium on real estate last Thursday in which I was the keynote speaker.

Better Not Be a FAT Kid in Pima County, Az
Well, while we’ve been sitting here, writing story after story warning you of our dictatorial government’s plans to intrude into every aspect of our lives and the threats to our freedoms; our government, run so ably and completely by Obama and his team of czars have actually quietly been IMPLEMENTING some of the very issues we’ve been warning you about!

21 Signs That The Once Great US Economy Is Being Gutted, Neutered, Defanged, Declawed and Deindustrialized
Once upon a time, the United States was the greatest industrial powerhouse that the world has ever seen.

3 Fannie and Freddie Restructuring Options, None of Them Right; Cheering the Demise of 30-Year Mortgages
Obama want to reform Fannie and Freddie. There are a few options on the table, but Little Red Riding Hood does not think the porridge in any of the bowls is quite right.

US & Canada Agree to Common 'Perimeter'
The move toward a North American Union received another big boost last week as President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met in Washington, D.C. to hammer out a deal on creating a common “perimeter” around the two countries while diminishing the role of the nations’ shared border and developing a biometric system to track North Americans.

Engineered Economic Collapse Approaching; Budget Cuts Will Only Accelerate the Inevitable
Ron Paul constantly reminds us that money is created out of thin air, which is to say it's an illusion.

Fannie, Freddie Reform Won't Halt More Huge Taxpayer Losses
When the dust settles, the federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be the most expensive government rescue of the financial crisis -- it already stands at $153 billion and counting.

Algeria Shuts Down Internet and Facebook as Protests Mount
Internet providers were shut down and Facebook accounts deleted across Algeria on Saturday as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators were arrested in violent street demonstrations.

Military Coup Was Behind Mubarack's Exit
It was the people who forced President Hosni Mubarak from power, but it is the generals who are in charge now. Egypt's 18-day uprising produced a military coup that crept into being over many days - its seeds planted early in the crisis by Mubarak himself.

McConnell Says Obama Agenda is 'Over'
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared Saturday that President Barack Obama's legislative agenda is "over," but said GOP lawmakers are willing to work with the White House to do what they "think is right for America."

Egypt's Military Dissolves Parliament, Suspends Constitution
Egypt's military dissolved the country's Parliament and suspended its Constitution Sunday following the ouster of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, telling Egyptians it would be in charge for six months or until elections can be held.

Obama Budget to Cut Deficit by $1.1 Trillion
President Barack Obama's 2012 budget plan would slash the U.S. deficit by $1.1 trillion over 10 years, officials said on Sunday, but Republicans were unimpressed and vowed to push for deeper cuts in spending.

Gallup Daily: US Employment
Gallup's U.S. employment measures report the percentage of U.S. adults in the workforce, ages 18 and older, who are underemployed and unemployed, without seasonal adjustment.

Susan Rice Kicks Off UN Series
The address is the first in a series of speeches — to continue this spring — making the case to the American people for why the U.N. matters to national security, and detailing how it is being improved. The ambassador will be speaking to the World Affairs Council of Oregon in Portland.

Stay Classy, TSA
Ever since the TSA started putting back-scatter devices into use at selected airports last fall, I've been waiting to have the chance to opt out and register a one-woman protest against the machines. (Jeff Goldberg doesn't get to have all the fun.)

IMF Discusses Plan to Replace Dollar as Reserve Currency
The International Monetary Fund issued a report Thursday on a possible replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

Will the Earth's Wandering Magnetic Poles Cause Deadly Superstorms?
And that when the field shifts, the story goes, anything can happen. All hell will break loose, they say, arguing that the shift has a greater effect on the world's weather than even the carbon-based influences scientists have been carefully monitoring.

Chile: Fifth Earthquake In Three Days
A MAGNITUDE 5.6 earthquake struck Chile - the third to hit within hours and the fifth tremor in three days.

The Supply of Corn Keeps Getting Smaller
675 million bushels of corn may seem like a lot, but that is only an 18 day supply for the US grain market, and that is the reason corn prices pushed above $7 Wednesday on the CME.

Yemeni Police Crack Down On Anti-Government Crowds
Yemeni police armed with sticks and daggers on Sunday beat back thousands of protesters marching through the capital in a third straight day of demonstrations calling for political reforms and the resignation of the country's U.S.-allied president.

Stuxnet Virus Was Supposed To Infect 5 Iranian Nuke Sites
The Stuxnet software worm which infiltrated the Iranian nuclear program systems was introduced into the system in order to infect five industrial facilities in Iran between June 2009 and May 2010, the New York Times reported Sunday.

The Country We Die For? Afghan Convert to Christianity to be Executed Within Days
An Afghan aid worker is facing execution within three days for converting to Christianity.

Temple Institute Reveals First Blueprints for Portion of the Third Temple
In his recent USA speaking engagement tour, (January 2011), Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute revealed to the public for the very first time detailed construction plans for the Chamber of Hewn Stone: the seat of the Great Sanhedrin which is a central component of the Holy Temple complex on the Temple Mount.

FDIC Failed Banks

Swine Flu Vaccine linked to 900 Percent Increased Risk of Developing Narcolepsy
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently investigating reports from 12 different countries claiming that the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination is responsible for causing narcolepsy, a disorder involving extreme chronic fatigue and the tendency to fall asleep suddenly and without warning.

Sunscreen Causes Rickets - New Wave of Cases in England
Overprotective parents who cover their children with sunscreen even in far northern latitudes have helped bring the disease rickets back from the grave across the United Kingdom, orthopedic surgeon Nicholas Clark has warned.

Breastfeeding Prevents Seizures, Study Finds
The longer a mother breastfeeds her baby, the less likely the child is to have seizures later in life, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Vitamin D Helps Prevent Multiple Sclerosis
For the first time, researchers have observed that having high vitamin D levels is clearly linked to warding off multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Abortion Stillbirth Events From Gardasil Far Exceed All Other Vaccines
According to a National Vaccine Information Center ( http://www.nvic.org ) MedAlerts blog entry written in November 2010, the incidents of abortion and stillbirth events from the HPV4 vaccine Gardasil supersedes the same event from all other vaccinations.

Organic Giants Whole Foods, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Accused of Compromising on GMO's
Some of the nation's largest and most widely known producers and retailers of natural and organic products have decided to push for a compromise with the Monsanto-influenced U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the issue of genetically-modified organisms (GMO).

Probiotics Improve Health of Children, But AAP Plays It Down With Skepticism
In a new report summarizing the findings of several studies into the health benefits of probiotics for children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) acknowledges evidence of benefits but attempts to play it down by emphasizing that the science is not yet strong enough to recommend many uses.

Roasting Coffee Beans a Dark Brown Creates Powerful Antioxidants
Drink too much coffee and you can suffer from anxiety, heart palpitations and insomnia.


Today In History - Friday - February 11, 2011
1752 - The Pennsylvania Hospital opened as the very first hospital in America.
1808 - Judge Jesse Fell experimented by burning anthracite coal to keep his house warm. He successfully showed how clean the coal burned and how cheaply it could be used as a heating fuel.
1812 - The term "gerrymandering" had its beginning when the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, signed a redistricting law that favored his party.
1929 - The Lateran Treaty was signed. Italy now recognized the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City.
1937 - General Motors agreed to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union, which ended the current sit-down strike against them.
1943 - General Dwight David Eisenhower was selected to command the allied armies in Europe. (Today in World War II History)
1945 - During World War II, the Yalta Agreement was signed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin. (Today in World War II History)
1968 - The new 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden officially opened in New York. This was the fourth Garden.
1975 - Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to head a major party in Britain when she was elected leader of the Conservative Party.
1979 - Nine days after the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran (after 15 years in exile) power was seized by his followers.
1982 - ABC-TV’s presentation of "The Winds of War" concluded. The 18-hour miniseries cost $40 million to produce and was the most-watched television program in history at the time.
1982 - France nationalized five groups of major industries and 39 banks.
1984 - The tenth Space Shuttle mission returned to Earth safely.
1989 - Rev. Barbara C. Harris became the first woman to be consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church.
1990 - Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.
1993 - Janet Reno was appointed to the position of attorney general by U.S. President Clinton. She was the first female to hold the position.
2000 - The space shuttle Endeavor took off. The mission was to gather information for the most detailed map of the earth ever made.
2006 - In Texas, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a quail hunt.
2009 - John Dingell of Michigan became the longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He had more than 53 years of service.

BREAKING NEWS: Egypt's Mubarak resigns as leader
Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as president of Egypt, after weeks of protest in Cairo and other cities. The news was greeted with a huge outburst of joy and celebration by thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the heart of the demonstrations. Mr Mubarak ruled for 30 years, suppressing dissent and protest, and jailing opponents. Announcing the resignation, Vice-President Omar Suleiman said the president had handed power to the army.

YouTube: We The People

Saudi Ministry Profusely Denies Report of King Abdullah's Death
Saudi Arabian officials were on a PR offensive Thursday following a report that claimed King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, 86, had suffered a heart attack after speaking to US President Barack Obama about the protests in Egypt.

NORAD Rd. closed; explosives team on the way
The road to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station is closed temporarily after a detection system tested positive on a vehicle at the gate near the installation visitors' center.

Mexico's Big Freeze
THE DEVASTATING FREEZE IN MEXICO IS WORST FREEZE IN OVER 50 YEARS

Ontario Woman Sues Over Strip-Search At Ambassador Bridge
Van Beek says she was detained for two hours, then sent to a windowless cell and ordered to strip because she neglected to disclose she had raspberries in her vehicle.

Supermarket chicken harbours superbugs
Chicken bought at major supermarkets across Canada is frequently contaminated with superbugs — bacteria that many antibiotics cannot kill — an investigation by CBC TV's Marketplace has found. What was surprising was that all of the bacteria uncovered during the Marketplace sampling were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Some of the bacteria found were resistant to six, seven or even eight different types of antibiotics.

Military veterans more likely to be homeless
The urgency of the problem is growing as more people return from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study found 11,300 younger veterans, 18 to 30, were in shelters at some point during 2009. Virtually all served in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Mark Johnston, deputy assistant secretary for special needs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Related Article: Veterans 50 Percent More Likely To Be Homeless, Study Shows

More Veterans May Have Been Exposed to HIV After VA Hospital Error (worth repeating from yesterday's news)
Medical record errors are being blamed for 12 Florida veterans not being notified that they may have been exposed to HIV after getting colonoscopies at the Miami VA hospital, the Miami Herald reported. The Veterans Administration said the vets are at risk because the procedures – dating as far back as 2004 – were done with improperly cleaned equipment. The error, which officials say is due to the way the VA hospital keeps its medical records, was discovered when the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office asked the hospital to recheck its records, according to the report.

Here Comes Executive Order 6102 for the QE Generation: Dutch Central Bank Orders Pension Fund to Sell Its Gold
Perhaps the most stunning example of what may be in store for asset managers and pension funds (and possibly retail holders) who dare to challenge central bank monetary authority comes from the Netherlands, where we have just witnessed the 21st century equivalent of Executive Order 6102.

'Get Ready For Higher Food Prices ' Goes Mainstream
While nothing new to Zero Hedge readers, the realization that everyone's purchasing power is about to be yanked from underneath them has gone mainstream. Omaha.com has just come out with a headline that leaves little to the imagination: "Get ready for higher food prices."

US Home Foreclosures Rise in January, More Seen
U.S. home foreclosures jumped 12 percent last month, but the sharp divide between states suggests the industry remains backlogged by investigations into the foreclosure process.

Suez Canal Strike May Ignite Protests, Oil Price
Giving more momentum to anti Mubarak protests in Egypt, thousands of Suez Canal service workers began an indefinite strike threatening crude oil supply disruptions.

Egypt Army Takes Charge, Mubarack to Address Nation
CAIRO – Egypt's military announced on national television it had stepped in to secure the country and promised protesters calling for President Hosni Mubarak's ouster that all their demands would soon be met. Mubarak planned a speech to the nation Thursday night, raising expectations he would step down or transfer his powers.

Mubarack to Announce Handover in Speech
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak looked likely to step aside on Thursday after the military high command took control of the nation in what some called a military coup after two weeks of unprecedented protests.

Snowstorm Breaks Records From Oklahoma to Mississippi
Before creating travel hazards across the Southeast, a winter storm dumped feet of snow over parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas and set several snowfall records across the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.

Extreme Weather Pushes Food Prices Higher
Among the economic havoc brought by this winter’s extreme weather, none has been more severe than the impact on the global food supply chain.

What could Possibly Go Wrong: Immortal Micro-Organisms
But the self-destruct function, which should destroy the cells at a predetermined time or when they left their intended environment, has rarely been tested outside of a lab.

Egypt's Economy Close to Meltdown. Military Coup Near
The biggest Arab country with a population of 82 million is on the verge of breakdown as large sections of is economic machinery are shut down by spreading strikes and workers' revolts against managements appointed by the Mubarak regime and Vice President Omar's Suleiman's leadership.

Why is China Building Eerie 'Ghost Cities?'
Images of these "ghost cities" – after countless billions of dollars have been spent on the towns' design and construction – reveal nobody lives in them.

Giant Locusts Threaten NSW Crops
A RARE, giant breed of locusts has the potential to destroy crops in NSW overnight, the State Government says.

Hackers Breech Systems of 5 Multinational Oil Companies
At least five multinational oil and gas companies suffered computer network intrusions from a persistent group of computer hackers based in China, according to a report released Wednesday night by a Silicon Valley computer security firm.

Pesticides Inhibit Proper Childhood Development
Mothers exposed to high levels of pesticides bear children with lower intelligence levels than children born to mothers not exposed, says a new study published online in the journal Pediatrics.

Mainstream Media Websites Promoting Acai Berry Diet Weight Loss Scam With 'Weird Belly Fat Tips' Ads
Over the last several months, the LA Times website and other mainstream media outlets have been running ads featuring text with messages like, "1 Trick of a Tiny Belly: Cut down a bit of your belly every day using this 1 weird old tip."

CF Light Bulbs a Serious Health Hazard to Women and Children Due to Mercy Content
If broken indoors, compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs release 20 times the maximum acceptable mercury concentration into the air, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Fraunhofer Wilhelm Klauditz Institute for German's Federal Environment Agency.

Formula-Fed Babies 600 Percent More Likely To Be Obese
Introducing babies to solid food too soon significantly raises their chances of becoming obese, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers from various hospitals in and around Boston, Mass., concluded that formula-fed babies who begin eating solid foods before four months are 600 percent more likely to become obese by age three than children who begin eating solid foods later.

Discover the Cancer-Fighting Power of Raspberries
A preliminary study out of Clemson University (CU) in South Carolina has found that raspberries are a powerful weapon against cancer.

Rage in Egypt As Mubarack Stops Of Resigning
President Hosni Mubarak provoked rage on Egypt's streets on Thursday when he said he would hand powers to his deputy but disappointed protesters who had been expecting him to step down altogether after two weeks of unrest.

London Museum Goes Wild Animal Sex Show
A museum in London is throwing caution to the wind for an exhibition on sex in the animal kingdom complete with copulating chimps and randy rabbits -- just in time for Valentine's Day.

Soaring Debt Pushes Portugal Towards Bailout
Portugal’s cost of borrowing hit a euro-era high on Wednesday amid growing concerns that Lisbon will have to turn to bail-out funds to revive its stagnating economy.

USPS Warns of Default As Losses Mount
The U.S. Postal Service warned Wednesday that it may default on some of its financial obligations later this year after reporting yet another quarterly loss.


Today In History - Thursday - February 10, 2011
1763 - The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. In the treaty France ceded Canada to England.
1846 - Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began their exodus to the west from Illinois.
1863 - The fire extinguisher was patented by Alanson Crane.
1870 - The city of Anaheim was incorporated for the first time.
1870 - The YWCA was founded in New York City.
1879 - The electric arc light was used for the first time.
1897 - "The New York Times" began printing "All the news that's fit to print" on their front page.
1925 - The first waterless gas storage tank was placed in service in Michigan City, IN.
1933 - The singing telegram was introduced by the Postal Telegraph Company of New York City.
1933 - Primo Carnera knocked out Ernie Schaaf in round 13 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Schaaf died as a result of the knockout punch.
1934 - The first imperforated, ungummed sheets of postage stamps were issued by the U.S. Postal Service in New York City.
1935 - The Pennsylvania Railroad began passenger service with its electric locomotive. The engine was 79-1/2 feet long and weighed 230 tons.
1962 - The Soviet Union exchanged capture American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for the Soviet spy Rudolph Ivanovich Abel being held by the U.S.
1967 - The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The amendment required the appointment of a vice-president when that office became vacant and instituted new measures in the event of presidential disability.
1990 - South African President F.W. de Klerk announced that black activist Nelson Mandela would be released the next day after 27 years in captivity.
1992 - Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, Miss Black American contestant.
1997 - The U.S. Army suspended its top-ranking enlisted soldier, Army Sgt. Major Gene McKinney following allegations of sexual misconduct. McKinney was convicted of obstruction of justice and acquitted of 18 counts alleging sexual harassment of six military women.
1998 - A man became the first to be convicted of committing a hate crime in cyberspace. The college dropout had e-mailed threats to Asian students.
1998 - Voters in Maine repealed a 1997 gay rights law. Maine was the first state to abandon such legislation.
1999 - Avalanches killed at least 10 people when they roared down the French Alps 30 miles from Geneva.
2005 - North Korea publicly announced for the first time that it had nuclear arms. The country also rejected attempts to restart disarmament talks in the near future saying that it needed the weapons as protection against an increasingly hostile United States.
2009 - A Russian and an American satellite collide over Siberia.

More Veterans May Have Been Exposed to HIV After VA Hospital Error
Medical record errors are being blamed for 12 Florida veterans not being notified that they may have been exposed to HIV after getting colonoscopies at the Miami VA hospital, the Miami Herald reported. The Veterans Administration said the vets are at risk because the procedures – dating as far back as 2004 – were done with improperly cleaned equipment. The error, which officials say is due to the way the VA hospital keeps its medical records, was discovered when the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office asked the hospital to recheck its records, according to the report.

UK News: Navy forced to drop warship patrols in Caribbean through lack of funds
Britain is to abandon its warship patrols of the Caribbean for the first time since the second world war because of the navy's funding crisis, the Guardian has learned.

FDIC: Failed Bank List
There's been 14 bank failures already in 2011. Seems it's not mainstream news anymore.

Egypt Protests Mount As US Presses Mubarak
CAIRO – Galvanised by the biggest day of protest since their campaign to oust Hosni Mubarak's regime began, Egyptian pro-democracy campaigners attempted to blockade parliament Wednesday.

Mexico violence not an 'emergency,' White House says
While drug violence continues to spread in Mexico, White House officials have decided the situation doesn't rank as an "emergency" under federal rules, officials tell NBC News. The decision scuttles - at least for now - a controversial proposal requiring gun stores in four Southwest border states to report multiple sales of semiautomatic assault rifles and other long guns to authorities.

Second Blizzard Howls Through Weary Okla. Ark
OKLAHOMA CITY – Another powerful blizzard howled through the nation's midsection Wednesday, piling up to 2 feet of new snow on parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas still struggling to clean up from last week's epic storm.

How turmeric can spice up stroke treatment by protecting and regenerating brain cells
A compound found in turmeric, a staple ingredient in curries, has been found to help protect and regenerate brain cells after a stroke.
Scientists created a new molecule from curcumin, the crucial chemical in the spice, and used it in laboratory experiments, though it is yet to be tested on humans. They found it could repair damage at a molecular level and is linked to the survival of the brain cells' neurons.

Copper Thieves Target Oakland County Homes
The Oakland County Sheriff says residents should be on the lookout for copper thieves. It’s been a growing problem in recent months, with dozens of reported incidents of copper being stripped from vacant and foreclosed homes.
Comment: According to Peter Schiff, pre-1982 pennies are worth 3 cents, due to the amount of copper in them. It's getting tougher to find them, so be certain to check penny dates when you get them in change.
Related Article: U.S. Base Metal Coin Melt Value Calculator - It won't be long until we're all melting down pennies for the copper content.

Diet Soda Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
New research that links diet soda consumption with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke has doctors urging caution about the controversial and preliminary results. According to a study of more than 2,500 people presented today as a poster at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles, people who drank diet soda daily had a 61 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who drank no soda, even when accounting for smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and calories consumed per day.

Since D.C.'s handgun ban ended, well-heeled residents have become well armed
In the 2½ years since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the District's handgun ban, hundreds of residents in Washington's safest, most well-to-do neighborhoods have armed themselves, registering far more guns than people in poorer, crime-plagued areas of the city, according to D.C. police data.

Man Says Ex-Cia Agent Posada Gave Him Explosives for Hotel Bombing
In an exclusive interview Tuesday, a Salvadoran man told The Associated Press that a former CIA operative gave him powerful explosives and cash to carry out a 1997 hotel bombing in Cuba.

Americans Hoarding Light Bulbs Ahead Of "Outrageous" Government Ban
Americans have begun hoarding incandescent light bulbs ahead of a government ban next year that has been labeled "outrageous" by one pressure group as Ron Paul leads a charge in Congress to repeal the draconian state phaseout of Thomas Edison's iconic invention.

Senior US Marine Says 'Multiple Platoons' Are Headed to Egypt
A senior member of the US Marine corps is telling people "multiple platoons" are deploying to Egypt, a source tells us.

VIDEO: CPS In Camera and Phones Creates Privacy Issue

Stiglitz Expects 2 Million Foreclosures This Year
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said another 2 million foreclosures are expected in the U.S. this year, adding to the 7 million that have occurred since the economic crisis of 2008.

Federal Government Report On E-Verify Shows Need For Biometrics, SIA Says
A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) demonstrates that the federal E-Verify program needs a biometric component, according to the Security Industry Association (SIA).

China Creates Rare Earth Strategic Reserves
BEIJING — China is building up strategic reserves of rare earth metals in a move that could give it better control over the resource so indispensable to high tech products, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Shocking Video of Howard Dean Declaring That It Is the Job of the Government To Redistribute Our Wealth
In the shocking video you are about to watch, Howard Dean declares that it is the job of the government to redistribute our wealth.

China's Wheat Basket Faces Its Worst Drought In 200 Years
China's wheat basket, Shangdong Province, is stuck in the worst drought in 60 years. If weather forecasts hold true, this will be the worst drought in 200 years, according to Xinhua.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Phase-Out Plan Due From Obama
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The Obama administration will issue a proposal later this week recommending the gradual elimination of government-sponsored mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a White House official said Wednesday.

Which Currency Will Crash First?
2010 was an exciting year for currencies. The dollar, euro, the yen, and the yuan all went under the spotlight.

Obama Wants To Raise the Tax on Jobs
Unemployment too high? Increase the cost of employees. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Wheat Surges to Highest Since 2008 on China Drought, Middle Eastern Buying
Wheat climbed to the highest level since August 2008 as drought threatened to damage crops in China, curbing global supplies, and Middle Eastern and African nations boosted purchases to tackle food inflation. Corn and soybeans also advanced.

Icelandic Volcano 'Set to Erupt'
Geologists detected the high risk of a new eruption after evaluating an increased swarm of earthquakes around the island's second largest volcano.

House GOP Targets Dozens of Government Programs With Spending Cut Plan
House Republicans have proposed cutting or eliminating dozens of government programs as part of a plan they say will save up to $74 billion, kicking off what is sure to be a vigorous debate on Capitol Hill over what to keep and what to slash.

GOP Critic Calls Joe Biden's $53Bn High Speed Rail Plan 'Insanity'
Los Angeles – Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday proposed that the US government infuse $53 billion into a national high-speed rail network.

Can Excessive Use of Popular Denture Cream Cause Nerve Damage?
Mark Jacoby had no idea why his body was failing. Symptoms appeared gradually, said the 41-year-old former construction worker from York, Pa.

25 Percent of Antidepressants Prescribed for No Legitimate Reason
Researchers from the University of Manitoba (UM) in Canada recently found that more than a quarter of people who take antidepressant drugs like Prozac and Zoloft do not even have any of the conditions for which the drugs were approved.

GM Cotton Has Not Improved Yields, But It Has Ruined Sustainable Agriculture
Remember the promises made by Monsanto that genetically-modified (GM) crops would bring higher yields and a better quality of life to the world?

Science Journal Admits That Vaccinating Adults Against Whooping Cough May Be A Total Waste of Money
Widespread vaccination of adults against whooping cough (pertussis) would do almost nothing to reduce infection rates among unvaccinated children, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan and published in the journal Science.

Monsanto Nation: Exposing Monsanto's Minions
My expose last week, The Organic Elite Surrenders to Monsanto: What Now? has ignited a long-overdue debate on how to stop Monsanto's earth killing, market-monopolizing, climate-destabilizing rampage.

Probiotic Could Treat Crohn's, Colitis and Colon Cancer
Some of the most miserable and painful chronic diseases known to humankind involve inflammation in the bowel. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two of these relapsing conditions.

New Chemical Pesticides Now Being Used On Fish Farms
New pesticides are increasingly being introduced into Atlantic salmon farms, causing outrage among environmentalists and lobster fishers.

Sec Clinton Admits Fraudulent Drug War Is All About Money
In what is now being dubbed one of the most incoherent and nonsensical statements to be made by a politician in recent days concerning the "drug war", U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently told Mexican reporters that drugs like marijuana can never be legalized because "there is just too much money in it."


Today In History - Wednesday February 9, 2011
1825 - The U.S. House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president. No candidate had received a majority of electoral votes.
1861 - The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis as its president.
1870 - The United States Weather Bureau was authorized by Congress. The bureau is officially known as the National Weather Service (NWS).
1884 - Thomas Edison and Patrick Kenny executed a patent application for a chemical recording stock quotation telegraph (U.S. Pat. 314,115).
1885 - The first Japanese arrived in Hawaii.
1895 - Volley Ball was invented by W.G. Morgan.
1895 - The first college basketball game was played as Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated the Porkers of Hamline College, 9-3.
1900 - Dwight F. Davis put up a new tennis trophy to go to the winner in matches against England. The trophy was a silver cup that weighed 36 pounds.
1942 - The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II.
1942 - Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the U.S.
1943 - During World War II, the battle of Guadalcanal ended with an American victory over Japanese forces.
1950 - U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that the State Department was riddled with Communists. This was the beginning of "McCarthyism."
1953 - The movie "Superman" premiered.
1960 - The first star was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star was for Joanne Woodward.
1969 - The Boeing 747 flew its inaugural flight.
1971 - The San Fernando Valley experienced the Sylmar earthquake that registered 6.4 on the Richter Scale.
1971 - The Apollo 14 spacecraft returned to Earth after mankind's third landing on the moon.
1975 - The Russian Soyuz 17 returned to Earth.
1984 - NBC Entertainment president, Brandon Tartikoff, gave an interviewer the "10 Commandments for TV Programmers."
1989 - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co. completed the $25 billion purchase of RJR Nabisco, Inc.
1997 - "The Simpsons" became the longest-running prime-time animated series. "The Flintstones" held the record previously.

The Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Celexa, Effexor, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, Restoril, Xanax, Adderall, Ritalin, Haldol, Risperdal, Seroquel, Ambien, Lunesta, Elavil, Trazodone War
As it approaches its tenth year, our nation’s longest war is showing signs of waning. Meanwhile, our soldiers are falling apart.
** Related Article: Army's mental health programs swamped, understaffed

Check out the North American Pride Keds Tennis Shoes

PATRIOT Act extension fails procedural vote, expected to return
The House voted 277 to 148 for the PATRIOT Act extension -- 23 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass it under a procedure that allows bills that aren't controversial to pass quickly. But it appears the bill was controversial enough to convince some two dozen tea party-backed Republican freshmen to join a majority of Democrats in voting against it, The Hill reported.

U.S. military purchases Gulf of Mexico seafood, boosting an industry battered by oil spill
Sales of Gulf of Mexico seafood are getting a boost from the military after being hammered by last year's BP oil spill, which left consumers fearing that the water's bounty had been tainted. Ten products, including fish, shrimp, oysters, crab cakes, and packaged Cajun dishes such as jambalaya and shrimp etouffee are being promoted at 72 base commissaries along the East Coast, said Milt Ackerman, president of Military Solutions Inc., which is supplying seafood to the businesses.

Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming to Mansfield
Some Students at Mansfield ISD schools could soon be learning Arabic as a required language. The school district wants students at select schools to take Arabic language and culture classes as part of a federally funded grant.

Air Force Legal Office: All Of Our Members' Families Can Be Prosecuted For Reading WikiLeaks
Almost anyone in the United States, and especially soldiers or the families of US Air Force members, could be under the threat of prosecution by the military, according to a recent "guidance" document issued by the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) public affairs office.

Woman who tried to airmail a dog across America loses her bid to get it back... and then asks post office for refund
A mother who sealed a puppy in a cardboard box to airmail it to her son for his 11th birthday has been told she cannot have the dog back. And according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Champion even went back into the post office to ask for a refund of the $22 she paid to send the puppy.

The Seedier Side of Alfalfa Contamination
Phil Geertson is a conventional alfalfa seed grower who has been involved in efforts to stop GE (genetically engineered) alfalfa since 2003 resulting in a Supreme Court decision in 2010 on Forage Genetics/Monsanto’s GE alfalfa.

Why Small Business Isn't Hiring and Won't Be Hiring
Pundits and politicos promote a magical myth: a coming small business hiring boom. That fantasy is completely disconnected from the harsh realities of private enterprise.

Marine gets six years in prison for skimming $1.69 million from Iraqi aid
A Marine captain was sentenced Monday to six years in federal prison for skimming $1.69 million from government contracts meant to assist the economic development of Iraq.

Senior US Marine Says "Multiple Platoons" Are Headed To Egypt
A senior member of the US Marine corps is telling people "multiple platoons" are deploying to Egypt, a source tells us.
* Related Article: 'US sends warships, troops to Egypt'

Expect Massive Chinese Gold Buying Using GLD
“The Asians, particularly the Chinese, want physical gold and they want it tomorrow. So the Chinese have a new method.

The Frighteningly Obvious Truth That Most Deny - US Housing Continues Freefall & Is Nowhere Near the Bottom
The residential real estate situation is still looking quite bleak. The downturn (actually, the continuation of the earlier downturn – they were not two separate events) that I forecast last year has come, and come with a vengeance.

Egyptian Central Bank Confirms Currency Intervention
Egypt’s central bank Tuesday said it intervened to support the pound after recent political unrest sent the currency to its lowest level in six years against the dollar.

Which Month Doesn't Fit?
The bad news is that if this trend continues we're going to blow the $1.7 trillion numbers from last calendar year with some authority.

Obama Proudly Displays His Socialist Tendencies to Chamber of Commerce
The man never fails to amaze me. And disturb me deeply. We have been saying for 2 years that Obama is a Socialist.

Silver Breaks Its Golden Shackles
The stunning revelation from the data analysis was that if on any day I knew what the price of gold was I would be able to calculate the silver price from the equation of the relationship!

Bill Wants US to Withdraw From UN
A bill that calls on Montana to ask Congress to withdraw the United States from being a part of the United Nations is heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning.

Michigan Prepares For A Tsunami Of Muni Financial Crises
Dozens of Michigan's municipalities and school districts could soon face major financial problems and an unnamed handful are on the brink of becoming insolvent, warns State Treasurer Andy Dillon.

Big Win For Biotech: USDA Deregulates Monsanto Alfalfa
After nearly five years of legal and regulatory battles, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has fully deregulated Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa that is genetically modified (GM) to be resistant to Roundup herbicide.

China's Poor Treated To Fake Rice Made From Plastic
China's history with food safety is a rocky one, but even in the annals of robbery and abuse, this will go down in infamy.

House To Vote Next Week To Block Health Funds
The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on whether to block funding for President Barack Obama's signature healthcare overhaul when it takes up a budget plan next week, House Republican Leader Eric Cantor said on Tuesday.

Job Openings Fall For Second Straight Month
Employers posted fewer job openings in December, the second straight month of declines. That's a sign hiring is still weak even as the economy is gaining strength.

Junk Food Diet Linked To Lower IQ
Toddlers who have a diet high in processed foods may have a slightly lower IQ in later life, according to a British study described as the biggest research of its kind.

Emergency Alert System, Direct From President
The familiar emergency alert system, the one where we in the U.S. occasionally hear a radio or television broadcast interruption that reassuringly reminds us that ‘this is only a test’… well, it has just been upgraded to enable emergency alert messaging direct from the President, or FEMA, and is ready to be tested soon in the U.S. The timing for the test is now being worked out.

Sun Exposure and Vitamin D May Prevent Multiple Sclerosis
For decades, scientists have noticed something odd about the condition known as multiple sclerosis (MS).

Iron, Folic Acid Supplements During Pregnancy Make Kids Smarter
Giving pregnant women folic acid and iron supplements may increase the intelligence of their children later in life, according to a study conduced by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

Famous Brazilian Supermodel Condemns Conventional Sunscreen, Calls It 'Poison'
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen recently made the bold move of publicly denouncing conventional sunscreens.

Obesity Has Nearly Doubled Worldwide Since 1980
New research published in the journal The Lancet has revealed that global obesity rates have doubled since 1980.


Today In History Tuesday February 8, 2011
1861 - The Confederate States of America was formed.
1861 - A Cheyenne delegation and some Arapaho leaders accepted a new settlement (Treaty of Fort Wise) with the U.S. Federal government. The deal ceded most of their land but secured a 600-square mile reservation and annuity payments.
1896 - The Western Conference was formed by representatives of Midwestern universities. The group changed its name to the Big 10 Conference.
1900 - In South Africa, British troops under Gen. Buller were beaten at Ladysmith. The British fled over the Tugela River.
1904 - The Russo-Japanese War began with Japan attacking Russian forces in Manchuria.
1910 - William D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America.
1918 - "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper was published for the first time.
1922 - The White House began using radio after U.S. President Harding had it installed.
1924 - The first U.S. execution to make use of gas took place in Nevada State Prison.
1952 - Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the British throne. Her father, George VI, had died on February 6.
1963 - The Kennedy administration prohibited travel to Cuba and made financial and commercial transactions with Cuba illegal for U.S. citizens.
1971 - The Nasdaq stock-market index debuted.
1973 - U.S. Senate leaders named seven members of a select committee to investigate the Watergate scandal.
1974 - The three-man crew of the Skylab space station returned to Earth after 84 days.
1978 - The U.S. Senate deliberations were broadcast on radio for the first time. The subject was the Panama Canal treaties.
1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced a plan to re-introduce draft registration.
1993 - General Motors sued NBC, alleging that "Dateline NBC" had rigged two car-truck crashes to show that some GM pickups were prone to fires after certain types of crashes. The suit was settled the following day by NBC.
1999 - In Sri Lanka, 23 rebels were killed in fighting with Sri Lankan forces.
2002 - The exhibit "Places of Their Own" opened at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The works displayed were by Geogia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo and Emily Carr.

'US unable to account for Iraq funds'
The US Defense Department cannot account for how it spent funds that belonged to the reconstruction of war-torn Iraq due to poor record keeping, a report says.
*Related Article: Audit: U.S. Can't Account for 95% of Iraqi Funds

China raises interest rates for third time in four months
The latest interest rate rise was widely expected. Chinese policymakers have tightened policy around the Chinese New Year holiday five times in the last six years, either by hiking the reserve ratio requirements of banks or by raising interest rates.

AOL to Buy Huffington Post News Site for $315M, Arianna Huffington to Head AOL Content
Online company AOL Inc. is buying online news hub Huffington Post in a $315 million deal that represents a bold bet on the future of online news.

Corn Prices to Soar As Chinese Imports to Increase Ninefold Compared to Official Projections
Cotton, wheat, rice, and now corn. If revised Chinese import estimates by the US Grain Council are even remotely correct, look for corn prices of $6.80 a bushel at last check to jump by at least 15% in a very short amount of time.

Conspiracy Charges Filed Against Muslim Students
A group of Muslim students accused of disrupting a speech by Israeli ambassador Michael Oren at the University of California, Irvine, were charged Friday with misdemeanor conspiracy counts, ending speculation about what would come from their actions nearly a year ago.

Bloomberg Spends $245,000 Employing THREE Cooks at Gracie Mansion
When Mayor Bloomberg came into office there was just one executive cook at Gracie Mansion to make the VIP feasts.

US Military Purchases Gulf of Mexico Seafood, Boosting an Industry Battered by Oil Spill
Sales of Gulf of Mexico seafood are getting a boost from the military after being hammered by last year's BP oil spill, which left consumers fearing that the water's bounty had been tainted.

IRS not Ready to Process Many Returns Until Mid-February
In the final days of 2010, the IRS announced that, because of last-minute maneuvering on Capitol Hill, the agency won't be ready to process more than 50 million returns until mid- to late-February. Since most returns demand refunds from the IRS, the delay means millions of taxpayers will have to wait to get their money back.

Sugar Shortage Looms as Storm Ruins Australian Crop
World sugar output will probably fall short of demand, said Rabobank, after a cyclone with winds stronger than Hurricane Katrina destroyed homes and smashed crops in Australia, driving prices to 30-year highs.

Israel Jittery About Gas Supply From Egypt
An explosion at an Egyptian gas terminal that disrupted the supply of fuel to Israel had Israeli officials pressing Sunday to speed development of a natural gas deposit that they say can make Israel energy independent.

Flu Breakthrough Promises a Vaccine to Kill All Strains
Scientists at Oxford University have successfully tested a universal flu vaccine that could work against all known strains of the illness, taking a significant step in the fight against a disease that affects billions of people each year.

Tide Turns in Favour of Egypt's Brotherhood in Revolt
The first time Essam el-Erian, went to jail, he was 27. Last Sunday, he left prison for the eighth time at the age of 57.

Northern Mexico Cold Snap Paralyzes Ciudad Juarez
Freezing weather and snow paralyzed the border city of Ciudad Juarez on Friday, knocking out electricity and water in thousands of homes and closing roads and factories.

35 Zoo Animals Freeze to Death in Northern Mexico
Thirty-five animals at a zoo in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua have frozen to death during the region's coldest weather in six decades.

Water Shortage Grips City: Schools, Businesses Forced to Close Again
A water crisis in El Paso continues today, causing schools to close, car washes and other businesses to shut down and authorities mandating that residents curb water use for a third day.

Exchanges on High Alert After Hacker Attacks
Nasdaq OMX, the global exchange operator, said it had been targeted by hackers who breached its system but did not compromise its trading operations.

Thousands Protest Against Berlusconi
Thousands of protesters converged on Milan over the weekend to call for Silvio Berlusconi to resign as prime minister in the face of an escalating corruption and sex scandal.

Magnetic Polar Shifts Causing Massive Superstorms
NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples…

First Ever STEREO Images of the Entire Sun
Seeing the whole sun front and back simultaneously will enable significant advances in space weather forecasting for Earth, and improve planning for future robotic or crewed spacecraft missions throughout the solar system.

Farmers Watch Harsh Winter Crush Their Livelihoods
For Northeastern farmers long used to coping with all sorts of cold-weather problems, this winter presents a new one: snow and ice that's bringing down outbuildings, requiring costly repairs, killing livestock and destroying supplies.

WikiLeaks Cable: MI6 Warns of New Suicide Bomb Wave
MI6 has warned that Britain faces a “unique” threat from a generation of home-grown terrorists who are not on the intelligence services’ “radar”, secret documents have disclosed.

Mystery as Dead Birds Pile Up On City Street
What killed hundreds of dead birds found on a Rotorua central city street? Nobody seems to know.

Tony Blair Call for World Church
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday that leaders in an interdependent world must work to end religious conflict or face "catastrophe" as he introduced a new foundation dedicated to interfaith understanding.

All Banks Notified by DHS of Unannounced Warrantless Looting of Anyone's Personal Bank Accounts or Safe Deposit Boxes!
According to in-house memos now circulating, the DHS has issued orders to banks across America which announce to them that "under the Patriot Act" the DHS has the absolute right to seize, without any warrant whatsoever, any and all customer bank accounts, to make "periodic and unannounced" visits to any bank to open and inspect the contents of "selected safe deposit boxes."

20,000 Servicemembers, Vet Lost Homes in 2010
More than 20,000 veterans, active-duty troops and reservists who took out special government-backed mortgages lost their homes last year — the highest number since 2003.

Dogs Can Sniff Out Cancer in People, But Doctors Are Waiting For A Machine To Do It
The mainstream media is suddenly reporting on the idea that dogs can sniff out cancer in human beings.

Government Offers Cash Prizes to Doctors Who Recruit New Mental Illness Patients
The U.K. National Health Service (NHS) has decided to turn its health care system into a giant game where doctors who recruit the most new mental patients win cash prizes.

Feds Blame US Health Care System, Not Poor Diet and Lack of Exercise, for Widespread Heart Disease
Political agendas often make the government say some pretty strange and illogical statements at times, including a recent announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the U.S. health care system, not a poor diet and lack of exercise, is responsible for causing heart disease.

Drug Companies Panic as Thirteen 'Blockbuster' Drugs About to Loose Patent Protection
Reports indicate that the drug industry is in a panic over the patent losses of 13 big-money drugs, and many others, within the next few years.

Mainstream Media Admits Diabetes Can Be Reversed Through Major Diet, Lifestyle Changes
The mainstream media is just now catching on to what NaturalNews and other natural health advocates have been saying for years: type 2 diabetes can be reversed through dietary and lifestyle changes, and without the need for lifelong drug interventions.

Infant Death Rate Falls After Drug Companies Stop Selling Cough Medicines for Children Under Two
The number of infants and toddlers sent to emergency rooms (ERs) by cold and cough drugs fell dramatically after manufacturers stopped marketing those products to children under the age of two, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the journal Pediatrics.

Mindfulness Mediation Benefits and Changes Brain Structures in 8 Weeks
Meditation is just a way to relax and maybe calm you down for the moment, right?


Today In History Monday February 7, 2011
1795 - The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
1882 - The last bare knuckle fight for the heavyweight boxing championship took place in Mississippi City.
1893 - Elisha Gray patented a machine called the telautograph. It automatically signed autographs to documents.
1922 - DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace offered 5,000 copies of "Reader's Digest" magazine for the first time.
1936 - The U.S. Vice President’s flag was established by executive order.
1943 - The U.S. government announced that shoe rationing would go into effect in two days.
1944 - During World War II, the Germans launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy.
1962 - The U.S. government banned all Cuban imports and re-export of U.S. products to Cuba from other countries.
1974 - The nation of Grenada gained independence from Britain.
1977 - Russia launched Soyuz 24.
1984 - Space shuttle astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart made the first untethered space walk.
1985 - "Sports Illustrated" released its annual swimsuit edition. It was the largest regular edition in the magazine’s history at 218 pages.
1985 - "New York, New York" became the official anthem of the Big Apple.
1986 - Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country. 28 years of family rule ended.
1991 - The Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti's first democratically elected president.
1999 - King Hussein of Jordan died. His son was sworn in as king four hours after the announcement that his father had died.
2000 - California's legislature declared that February 13 would be "Charels M. Schulz Day."
2001 - Robert Pickett, 47, fired several shots at the White House near the South Lawn. He was subdued after being shot in the knee. No one else was hurt.
2003 - Nootka Sound, Sandra Bohn was cited for petting a killer whale under the federal Fisheries Act. She was later fined $74.

George Bush calls off trip to Switzerland
George W Bush has had to call off a trip to Switzerland next weekend amid planned protests by human rights groups over the treatment of detainees at Guantánamo Bay and the threat of a warrant for his arrest.

But But But ... It Wasn't Going to Happen
In a recent report, the credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, said that 30% of commercial mortgage-backed securities loans set to mature in 2011 do not pass their refinance test.

Midwest Unrest Complaints US Fight Against Terror
The unrest engulfing Arab streets and threatening authoritarian governments in the Mideast is complicating U.S. counterterrorism efforts, scrambling the volatile battleground against al-Qaida in Yemen and raising concerns about the durability of Egypt's stance against militants.

West Backs Gradual Egyptian Transition
The United States and leading European nations on Saturday threw their weight behind Egypt’s vice president, Omar Suleiman, backing his attempt to defuse a popular uprising without immediately removing President Hosni Mubarak from power.

Hedge Fund Manager Bill Fleckenstein: Fed Money Printing to Cover Bank Theft is Leading to Food Inflation Worldwide
Dylan Ratigan says that the Fed is printing money to cover enormous theft by the big banks, and that money printing is leading to food inflation worldwide. (Bad weather and speculation on commodities are obviously also contributing to rising food prices).

Unemployment Rate Down to 9% With Only 36,000 New Jobs Created?
.4% drop in the headline unemployment rate to 9%, yet only 36,000 non-farm payroll jobs were created?

Egypt's Military-Industrial Complex
In early January 2010, Bob Livingston, a former chairman of the appropriations committee in the US House of Representatives, flew to Cairo accompanied by William Miner, one of his staff.

US Agrees to Tell Russia Britain's Nuclear Secrets
The US secretly agreed to give the Russians sensitive information on Britain’s nuclear deterrent to persuade them to sign a key treaty, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Threat of Counterfeit Coins From China
Beth Deisher is editor of Coin World newspaper and Steve Roach is associate editor. Together they have addressed the problem of counterfeit coins coming out of China. Recognizing these numismatic forgeries is becoming more difficult as the level of sophistication of the counterfeiters becomes advanced.

Federal Officials Trying to Identify Hackers Who Penetrated Nasdaq Computer Network
The computer network that runs the Nasdaq Stock Market has been penetrated by hackers multiple times during the past year, according to a newspaper report.

Move Over GMO Alfalfa, Here Come the Beets
I didn’t want to be right on this. I was hoping that I was wrong, but it looks like it is playing out just as I thought it would. Here come genetically modified (GM) sugar beets right on the heels of GM alfalfa.

Bush's Swiss Visit Off After Complaints on Torture
Former President George W. Bush has canceled a visit to Switzerland, where he was to address a Jewish charity gala, due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged torture, rights groups said on Saturday.

Senior US Marine Says 'Multiple Platoons' Are Headed to Egypt
A senior member of the US Marine corps is telling people "multiple platoons" are deploying to Egypt, a source tells us.

Routine Items Not Allowed at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday
As part of the increased security surrounding the Super Bowl, NFL and federal authorities are limiting what fans can bring to Cowboys Stadium.

Palin Says Obama's Policies Have US on Road to Ruin
Republican Sarah Palin said on Friday an explosion of government spending and debt under President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats had put the United States on "the road to ruin."

Dallas-Fort Worth Enjoys Thaw, But More Snow Possible
Even as the Dallas-Fort Worth area began to thaw from its deep freeze, the region faced the ominous prospect of a wintry mix on Super Bowl Sunday.

Saboteurs Attack Egypt Gas Pipeline to Jordan
Unknown saboteurs attacked an Egyptian pipeline supplying gas to Jordan, forcing authorities to switch off gas supply from a twin pipeline to Israel, an official told AFP.

Labor Force Participation Plunges to Fresh 26 Year Low
At 64.2%, the labor force participation rate (as a percentage of the total civilian noninstitutional population) is now at a fresh 26 year low, the lowest since March 1984, and is the only reason why the unemployment rate dropped to 9% (labor force declined from 153,690 to 153,186).

Magnetic Pole Shifts Causing Massive Global Superstorms
NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples…

Farmers Watch Harsh Winter Crush Their Livelihoods
For Northeastern farmers long used to coping with all sorts of cold-weather problems, this winter presents a new one: snow and ice that's bringing down outbuildings, requiring costly repairs, killing livestock and destroying supplies.

Do Not Use Safety Deposit Boxes
U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS TOLD BANKS - IN WRITING - IT MAY INSPECT SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES WITHOUT WARRANT AND SIEZE ANY GOLD, SILVER, GUNS OR OTHER VALUABLES IT FINDS
INSIDE THOSE BOXES!

Congress Prepares to Renew the USA Patriot Act, Corporate Media Silent
Almost 10 years and no terrorist attack of any significance have occurred on American soil.

Bernake Warns of Catastrophe If Debt Limit Not Read
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday issued a stern warning to Republican lawmakers that delays in raising the United States' $14.3 trillion debt limit could have "catastrophic" consequences.

General Mills Imitation Blueberries Story Keeps Spreading; Total Cereal Exposed As Deceptive
It's the story that just keeps going viral. We broke it here on NaturalNews with the release of The Blueberry Deception, a mini documentary that exposed the truth about many name-brand food products that fake their blueberries.

EU Commission Tries to Destroy Zero Tolerance Policy for GMO Food Contamination
The European Union (E.U.) Commission, at the behest of lobbyists from the biotechnology, food, and animal feed industries, is proposing to undo a long-held "zero-tolerance" policy that protects the European food supply from contamination by unapproved genetically-modified organisms (GMO).

Popular Cancer Drugs Increase Risk of Death, Study Finds
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has revealed that the popular cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) raises patients' risk of death by up to 350 percent when combined with chemotherapy.

Wyoming, Maine Introduce Food Freedom Legislation to Combat S 510
On December 19, 2010, the U.S. Senate voted 73 - 25 to pass the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, also known as S. 510.

Newsweek Goes Insane, Says Antioxidants Bad for Health
Just when you think you've heard it all, a major mainstream media source goes off the deep end and says that natural antioxidants can kill you.

The Smell of Pumpkin is a Real Turn-On for Men
The smell of pumpkin may produce sexual arousal in men, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of Chicago.

Popular Infant Juices Loaded With Toxic Fluoride
A study to be presented at the March 17, 2011, annual meeting of the International Association for Dental Research in San Diego reveals that infant fruit juices of all types contain toxic fluoride, and many contain levels that far exceed federal guidelines.

Menopause Hot Flashes Dramatically Lower Breast Cancer Risk
When women hit menopause, many have hot flashes, (also called hot flushes) and mainstream medicine is quick to prescribe treatments for this "ailment", including antidepressants and hormones.


Today In History Friday February 4, 2011
1783 - Britain declared a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, the United States of America.
1789 - Electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.
1824 - J.W. Goodrich introduced rubber galoshes to the public.
1847 - In Maryland, the first U.S. Telegraph Company was established.
1861 - Delegates from six southern states met in Montgomery, AL, to form the Confederate States of America.
1895 - The Van Buren Street Bridge opened in Chicago, IL.
1932 - The first Winter Olympics were held in the United States at Lake Placid, NY.
1941 - The United Service Organizations (USO) was created.
1945 - During World War II, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a conference at Yalta to outline plans for Germany's defeat.
1948 - Ceylon gained independence within the British Commonwealth. The country later became known as Sri Lanka.
1957 - Smith-Corona Manufacturing Inc., of New York, began selling portable electric typewriters. The first machine weighed 19 pounds.
1968 - The world's largest hovercraft was launched at Cowes, Isle of Wight.
1974 - Patricia (Patty) Hearst was kidnapped in Berkeley, CA, by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
1976 - An earthquake in Guatemala and Honduras killed more than 22,000 people.
1985 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan's defense budget called for a tripling of the expenditure on the "Star Wars" research program.
1997 - A civil jury in California found O.J. Simpson liable in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman's parents were awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages.
2000 - Austrian President Thomas Klestil swore in a coalition government that included Joerg Haider's far-right Freedom Party. European Union sanctions were a result of the action.
2003 - Yugoslavia was formally dissolved by lawmakers. The country was replaced with a loose union of its remaining two republics, Serbia and Montenegro.

Female Vets Much More Likely to Commit Suicide, Study Finds
The suicide rate among young female U.S. military veterans is nearly three times higher than among civilian women, a new study has found. Researchers analyzed data on 5,948 female suicides in 16 states between 2004 and 2007. In the 18-to-34 age group, there were 56 suicides among 418,132 veterans and 1,461 suicides among 33,257,362 nonveterans.

20,000 military members, vets faced foreclosure in 2010
More than 20,000 veterans, active-duty troops and reservists who took out special government-backed mortgages lost their homes last year — the highest number since 2003.

Son of Jeffrey Skilling found dead
The 20-year-old son of former Enron President Jeffrey Skilling has been found dead of unknown causes at his apartment in Southern California, police said on Thursday. John Tyler Skilling, a student at Chapman College, was found dead on Tuesday night by paramedics who broke into his apartment after friends became concerned, Santa Ana Police Corporal Anthony Bertagna said.

Deer prions could jump, says study
New laboratory research suggests that prions from chronic wasting disease in deer could infect people and create an entirely new kind of brain disorder.
The research is not proof that chronic wasting disease can infect people, but advances what science knows about that fear. The researchers cautioned that the ability of chronic wasting disease prions to infect human brain tissue and cause disease could take years or decades of the disease first passing between deer in the wild, and might not occur at all.

PressTV - Afghan prisoner dies in Guantanamo
Gul's death occurred after prisoners held a series of protests to mark the ninth anniversary of the prison's existence. A total of 173 men are still housed at the prison, which US President Barack Obama has vowed to close. With most of the detainees held indefinitely without trial, human rights groups and foreign governments have condemned the prison.

Homemade Emergency Cat Shelters for Outside

** Cat Shelter One  -  Cat Shelter Two

Us Mint Sales Absolute Record 6.4 Million Ounces of Silver In January, 50% More Than Previous Highest Month
As the topic of US Mint silver sales is not new to our readers, after we first brought attention to the record January sales by the Mint, we will not dwell much on it, suffice to say that the final January tally is in.

Cops Charge 7-Year Old for Bringing Toy Gun to Class
A 7-year-old child allegedly shot a Nerf-style toy gun in his Hammonton, N.J., school Jan. 18. No one was hurt, but the pint-size softshooter now faces misdemeanor criminal charges.

How Many Folks Have “Lost Their Homes” to Foreclosure/Short Sales/DILs Over the Past Few Years?
While these numbers are disturbingly high, they are not nearly as large as one would have expected given the surge in seriously delinquent loans and loans in the process of foreclosure.

Bloomberg Unveils His Plans to Slash Benefits, and Raise the Retirement Age
New York City's pension was on track to run out of money in ten years. Thus no one is surprised that Bloomberg has proposed for major reform.

Global Food Prices Just Hit Their Highest Level Ever
The UN Food Price Index set another record in January. Along with December, this data is more extreme than during the food crisis of July 2008.

Democrats Defeat Attempt to Repeal Health Care Law
Senate Democrats on Wednesday defeated a bid by Republicans to repeal last year’s sweeping health care overhaul, as they successfully mounted a party-line defense of President Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement.

Cairo Square Chaos Intensifies, Violence Spreads
Protesters and regime supporters fought in a second day of rock-throwing battles at a central Cairo square while new lawlessness spread around the city.

US Judge: Spill Claims Czar Not Independent of BP; Must Tell Claimants He Works for Oil Giant
The administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund for Gulf oil spill victims is not independent from BP and must stop telling potential claimants that he is, a federal judge said in a ruling Wednesday that may spur more people to sue rather than settle.

Food Costs At Record High as UN Warns of Volatile Era
World food prices hit a record in January, the U.N. said, while its hunger arm warned bad weather meant a looming era of food volatility, an issue that has already helped spark protests across the Middle East.

Storm Batters Australia Coast Towns; No Deaths
One of the most powerful storms ever recorded in Australia pulled houses apart and snapped power poles as it ripped across already flood-sodden Queensland state Thursday, leaving authorities relieved that no one was killed.

Egyptian Government Web Site Shut Down by Hackers
The online group Anonymous said Wednesday that it had paralyzed the Egyptian government’s Web sites in support of the antigovernment protests.

Pat-Downs and Other Measures Planned for Super Bowl
At this year's Super Bowl, even people stuck outside the stadium will get a pat-down from a security guard.

Oil Breaks Through $103 on Egyptian Crisis
World oil prices extended their gains in Asian trade Thursday after the political crisis in Egypt erupted into violence.

Credit Card Interest Rates Near 60% as Banks Return to Risky Borrowers
The latest news from the credit card industry: interest rates are soaring. Wait — didn’t the CARD act put a stop to all that abusive behavior? Turns out they’ve found some ways to bend the rules.

Shippers Concerned Over Possible Suez Canal Disruptions
As violence has broken out in Egypt, concern has turned to the risk of the blocking of the Suez Canal or nearby pipelines, which could pose a threat to world energy supplies.

UN to Evacuate Staff From Egypt
The United Nations moved Thursday to evacuate much of its staff in Egypt, while about 5,000 passengers besieged Cairo airport a day after the protests that have gripped the Egyptian capital degenerated into a bloody street brawl.

Obama Issues Global Warming Rules in January, Gives GE Exemption in February
Last month, the Obama EPA began enforcing new rules regulating the greenhouse gas emissions from any new or expanded power plants.

Mexico Supplies Electricity to Wintry Texas
MEXICO CITY (AFP) – Mexico's state electricity company on Wednesday started supplying electricity to the US state of Texas, where demand shot up amid unusually cold temperatures and caused power outages.

Oysters Disappearing Worldwide: Study
A survey of oyster habitats around the world has found that the succulent mollusks are disappearing fast and 85 percent of their reefs have been lost due to disease and over-harvesting.

Banana Crops Suffer Total Devastation
TONY JONES, PRESENTER: As we've just seen in the Tully area, sugar cane and bananas have been flattened by the cyclone and growers may take years to recover the losses.

Coup Possible in Morocco, Saudia Arabia Too
The first signs for the governmental instability in Egypt were detected as early as two years ago, according to a new study conducted by political scientists from Hebrew University.

Communicate If Your Government Shut Off Your Internet
Scenario: Your government is displeased with the communication going on in your location and pulls the plug on your internet access, most likely by telling the major ISPs to turn off service.

Egypt Now Fears Obama a 'Manchurian President'
Top members of the Egyptian government say they feel betrayed by President Obama, charging that he is acting against American interests.

Even Donald Trump Is Warning That An Economic Collapse Is Coming
In a shocking new interview, Donald Trump has gone farther than he ever has before in discussing a potential economic collapse in America.

Sick Brains in Teens - Is There a Root Cause?
It's been nearly a month since the nation's attention was focused on Tucson, where five were killed and 13 injured , including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, several other shootings missed the mainstream news.

Fight Back Against Obama's Deregulation of GM Alfalfa
On January 27, 2011, the Obama Administration caved to Monsanto and decided to fully deregulate its genetically-modified (GM) alfalfa, a horrendous move that threatens to destroy not only the entire organic industry, but also the integrity of the whole of agriculture.

Arizona City to Fingerprint Pharmacy Customers
Some residents of Peoria, Ariz., may soon have to get fingerprinted before picking up their medications at the pharmacy.

Vitamin D Fights Urinary Tract Infections
Besides protecting from cancer, obesity, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular problems, vitamin D helps build strong bones.

Chemicals in Soap Can Harm Children
The active ingredient in antibacterial soap may produce allergies in children, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan and published in the journal "Environmental Health Perspectives."


Today In History Thursday February 3, 2011
1690 - The first paper money in America was issued by the Massachusetts colony. The currency was used to pay soldiers that were fighting in the war against Quebec.
1783 - Spain recognized the independence of the United States.
1809 - The territory of Illinois was created.
1815 - The world's first commercial cheese factory was established in Switzerland.
1862 - Thomas Edison printed the "Weekly Herald" and distributed it to train passengers traveling between Port Huron and Detroit, MI. It was the first time a newspaper had been printed on a train.
1869 - Edwin Booth opened his new theatre in New York City. The first production was "Romeo and Juliet".
1913 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It authorized the power to impose and collect income tax.
1916 - In Ottawa, Canada's original parliament buildings burned down.
1917 - The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1918 - The Twin Peaks Tunnel began service. It is the longest streetcar tunnel in the world at 11,920 feet.
1927 - The Federal Radio Commission was created when U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill.
1941 - In Vichy, France, the Nazis used force to restore Pierre Laval to office.
1945 - Russia agreed to enter World War II against Japan.
1966 - The first rocket-assisted controlled landing on the Moon was made by the Soviet space vehicle Luna IX.
1969 - At the Palestinian National Congress in Cairo, Yasser Arafat was appointed leader of the PLO.
1984 - Challenger 4 was launched as the tenth space shuttle mission.
1988 - The U.S. House of Representatives handed rejected U.S. President Reagan's request for at least $36.25 million in aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.
1989 - South African politician P.W. Botha unwillingly resigned both party leadership and the presidency after suffering a stroke.
1998 - Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman executed in the U.S. since 1984.
1998 - In Italy, a U.S. Military plane hit a cable causing the death of 20 skiers on a lift.
2009 - Eric Holder was sworn in as attorney general. He was the first African-American to hold the post.
2010 - The Alberto Giacometti sculpture L'Homme qui marche sold for $103.7 million.

Planned outages won't affect site of Super Bowl
One of the state's largest utility providers says rolling statewide electrical outages will not affect Cowboys Stadium, the site of Sunday's Super Bowl. Comment: What about the folks with medical issues??
** Related Article: Texas: Statewide rolling power outages ordered to conserve energy

Egypt Restores Internet Access
The Internet seems to be available again in Egypt after the country cut access to the Web and cellphone networks for a week amid mass unrest.

Leaked Cable Tells of 3 Previously Undiscovered Members of 9/11 Plot
A newly released U.S. diplomatic cable discloses the existence of previously undisclosed participants in the Sept. 11, 2001, plot: a group of Qatari men who conducted surveillance of targets in New York and the Washington area before leaving the United States on the eve of the attacks.

Mubarak: I'll Leave in Sept; Egyptians: No, Get Out Now
In a high profile public address, Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak made an offer that no Western analyst that had grudgingly come to grips with the notion of a free Egypt could refuse – he promised to step down in September.

This makes the "Oh so stupid" list: Woman Tries To Mail Puppy In Box
Postal workers didn’t know right away about the puppy inside, until the box fell off the counter. The lady did want the puppy to get there quickly because she mailed him 2-day priority. Officials say she was mailing the puppy as a present for a relative. The puppy is doing fine.

$170 million mock city rises at Marine base
A mock city roughly the size of downtown San Diego has risen in a remote Southern California desert to train military forces to fight in urban environments.

NEWS VIDEO: Be Careful with Those Cell Phone Pictures
GPS in cameras and phones creates privacy issue.

TSA Invades Roads & Highways With VIPR Checkpoints
The TSA has announced its intention to expand the VIPR program to include roadside inspections of commercial vehicles, setting up a network of internal checkpoints and rolling out security procedures already active in airports, bus terminals and subway stations to roads and highways across the United States.

This Is Your Massive Snowstorm, America
This January may have been the snowiest month on record here in New York, but it looks like the winter isn't anywhere near ready to stop vomiting snow all over the country.

Q4 Investment: Office, Mall, Lodging and Residential Components
The advance Q4 GDP report released last Friday showed a small annualized real increase of 0.8% for investment in non-residential structures.

Here Comes Q3: Hoenug Says 'More Quantitative Easing May Be Discussed'
We thought Jon Hilsenrath would break the news of QE3. To our shock, it comes from the only sensible man at the Fed, Kansas Fed's Tom Hoenig.

The Coming Collapse of Commercial Real Estate Is Already Here
The U.S. consumer may be on the mend as we head further into 2011, but the same story of resurgence does not apply to many of the U.S. big-box retailers.

Fed Passes China in Treasury Holdings (Soon Fed Will Hold More Than China and Japan Combined)
No wonder Geithner called in all the Treasury secretaries for a dinner meeting this past Sunday.

Feds Seize Sports Websites Before Super Bowl
The federal government has seized the Web addresses of 10 websites that allegedly live stream sporting and pay-per-view events online, shutting them down just days before one of the biggest televised sporting events of the year: the Super Bowl.

Senate Republicans Forcing a Vote on Health Law
On a day rich in political theater, Senate Republicans pushed for repeal of the year-old health care law on Wednesday, certain of defeat yet eager to force rank-and-file Democrats to take a stand on an issue steeped in controversy.

WHCA Complains: Press Shot Out at White House
After being shut out of the President’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) is appealing to the White House to give the press corps access to an event that’s been called one of the President’s most important foreign policy priorities for almost a year – the signing of the START Treaty.

Gibbs: Some Things 'Have To Be Done Away From TV Camera'
"Finally, we have not had a chance to ask President Obama any questions since this crisis began. There have been at least a couple of occasions that could have been open to the press that weren't. Can you explain why we haven't been able to talk to him?"

Cyclone Yasi Crosses Coast in North's Darkest Hour
Tens of thousands of people were cowering in blacked-out homes and emergency shelters early today as the most savage cyclone to strike northern Australia in nearly a century unleashed 285km/h winds, ocean surges and destruction.

Flight Cancellations Top 5,000 for 2nd Day
Flight cancellations topped 5,000 for the second day Wednesday as ice and snow continue to bring airport operations to a crawl across much of the U.S.

Hillary Clinton Calls Historic Meeting of Ambassadors
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called top envoys from U.S. embassies to gather in Washington on Monday for a wide-ranging foreign policy meeting.

Cyclone Yasi Strikes Queensland
QUEENSLAND endured a night of terror as cyclone Yasi struck early this morning, delivering 290km/h winds and raging seas.

Muslim Brotherhood: 'Prepare Egyptian for War With Israel'
A leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt told the Arabic-language Iranian news network Al-Alam on Monday that he would like to see the Egyptian people prepare for war against Israel, according to the Hebrew-language business newspaper Calcalist.

An Era of Cheap Food May Be Drawing to a Close
U.S. grain prices should stay unrelentingly high this year, according to a Reuters poll, the latest sign that the era of cheap food has come to an end.

Are MMR Vaccines Dangerous for Children?
Are routine vaccines dangerous for children? Dr Suzanne Humphries, a practicing nephrologist (kidney physician) says the vaccine industry isn't giving people both sides of the story, and parents need to get informed before subjecting their children to vaccines that can potentially cause serious harm or even death.

Obama Administration Issues Hundreds of Health Care Exemption Waivers to Friends
If Obamacare is everything the administration claims it to be, then why are government officials secretly handing out exemption waivers to friends and insiders?

Lack of Vitamins C and E Linked to Metabolic Syndrome
What do millions of Americans who have plenty to eat have in common with poverty level Ecuadorians consuming a limited diet?



Today In History Wednesday February 2, 2011
1802 - The first leopard to be exhibited in the United States was shown by Othello Pollard in Boston, MA.
1848 - The Mexican War was ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty turned over portions of land to the U.S., including Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The U.S. gave Mexico $15,000,000 and assumed responsibility of all claims against Mexico by American citizens. Texas had already entered the U.S. on December 29, 1845.
1848 - The first shipload of Chinese emigrants arrived in San Francisco, CA.
1876 - The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in New York.
1878 - Greece declared war on Turkey.
1887 - The beginning of groundhog day in Punxsutawney, PA.
1893 - The Edison Studio in West Orange, NJ, made history when they filmed the first motion picture close-up. The studio was owned and operated by Thomas Edison.
1897 - The Pennsylvania state capitol in Harrisburg was destroyed by fire. The new statehouse was dedicated nine years later on the same site.
1913 - Grand Central Terminal officially opened at 12:01 a.m. Even though construction was not entirely complete more than 150,000 people visited the new terminal on its opening day.
1935 - Leonard Keeler conducted the first test of the polygraph machine, in Portage, WI.
1943 - During World War II, the remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad surrendered to the Soviets. Stalingrad has since been renamed Volgograd.
1945 - U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill left for a summit in Yalta with Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
1946 - The first Buck Rogers automatic pistol was made.
1962 - The 8th and 9th planets aligned for the first time in 400 years.
1980 - The situation known as "Abscam" began when reports surfaced that the FBI had conducted a sting operation that targeted members of the U.S. Congress. A phony Arab businessmen were used in the operation.
1989 - The final Russian armored column left Kabul, Afghanistan, after nine years of military occupation.
1998 - U.S. President Clinton introduced the first balanced budget in 30 years.
1999 - Hugo Chávez Frías took office. He had been elected president of Venezuela in December 1998.
2004 - It was reported that a white powder had been found in an office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) later confirmed that the powder was the poison ricin.

Chicago Schools Cancel Classes For First Time Since 1999
Chicago Public Schools classes have been canceled for Wednesday–for the first time since 1999–as the Blizzard of 2011 blows into Chicago. Mayor Richard Daley made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. More than 400,000 students are enrolled in the system.

'Al-Qaida on Brink of Using Nuclear Bomb'
Al-Qaida is on the verge of producing radioactive weapons after sourcing nuclear material and recruiting rogue scientists to build "dirty" bombs, according to leaked diplomatic documents.

A Stern Warning From a Central Banker
Mervyn King is Britain’s chief central banker and a key figure in the global financial system.

Foodstamp Recipients Jump by 400K In November, Hit New Record Of 43.6 Million
as of November, the SNAP program had 43.6 million participants, an increase of 400k from October, and a 14% increase, or 5.3 million from a year prior. We are confident that this 15% of the US population will be delighted to know that their rapidly diminishing dollars will end up acquiring increasingly less and less stuff. See the chart...it says it all.

UN human rights chief: 300 reported dead in Egypt protests
The U.N. human rights chief said on Tuesday she had unconfirmed reports that up to 300 people may have been killed and over 3,000 injured in the unrest that has engulfed Egypt for the past week. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, was appalled by reported death toll and injury count, saying, "I urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure police and other security forces scrupulously avoid excessive use of force."

GM Parks 510,000 Cars With Dealers, 31% Higher Than Year Earlier
One more month, one more chance for GM to stuff its dealers with cars.

The Government Tracking of Money Expands
Conversation I just overheard at a CVS store, between two employees

'Stuxnet' Worm Could Cause 'Cherobyl-Like Disaster' in Iran, Intel Assessment Warns
A recent Russian intelligence assessment warned that the "Stuxnet" computer worm that's embedded itself into Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant could cause a "Chernobyl -like disaster" should the site be switched on.

Egypt Crisis: Mubarak Won't Run Again; Report Says Obama Pushed for Decision
Read full coverage of the unrest in Egypt updated continually by CNN reporters worldwide. Send your photos and video to iReport and see CNN in Arabic here. See also this strong roundup of timely, insightful views on the wave of upheaval in the Arab world.

US Issues Terrorist Warning for Citizens Worldwide
The State Department Monday issued an updated warning on the "continuing threat of terrorist actions" for US citizens worldwide, and a second advisory cautioning travel to Britain.

Terrorism: Officials Warn Wall St. About Possible Terror Attacks
Security officials are warning the leaders of major Wall Street banks that al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen may be trying to plan attacks against those financial institutions or their leading executives, NBC New York has learned.

Rumsfeld to Receive 'Defender of the Constitution Award' at CPAC
Former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will be honored with the "Defender of the Constitution Award" at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual event attended by numerous conservative activists, journalists, and politicians.

Home Ownership - Nearly 11 Percent of US Houses Empty
I usually find the quarterly homeowner vacancy and homeownership report from Census pretty lackluster, but the latest one released this morning was anything but.

Not licensed to Drive? Lawmaker Wants It So
If one Georgia lawmaker has his way, drivers licenses will go the way of the dinosaurs.

New Government SOP: Step Out of Line and We'll Cut You Off
The need for most species to gather into larger collectives is a primal, animalistic instinct.

IMF, Warning of War, Says Ready to Help Egypt
The International Monetary Fund stands ready to help riot-torn Egypt rebuild its economy, the IMF chief said Tuesday as he warned governments to tackle unemployment and income inequality or risk war.

I quit, says Mubarak: Egyptian leader pledges to stand down at next election... but will that satisfy the protesters?
President Hosni Mubarak will step down at the next election, according to reports, following a rally by an estimated million people against his political regime.

Millions of Chinese Stunned After Government Makes Obama UFO Statement
Hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens remain stunned today after China’s official government television news station Xinhua made their unprecedented January 4th announcement that the American President, Barak Obama, was preparing to announce to the world the existence of extraterrestrial races currently on our planet and fueled by what they called was a “extraterrestrial disclosure race” now developing between China and the US.

Colassal Storm's Attack Begins in Midwest
As the blizzard finishes in the Midwest and the rain exits the Southeast, snow, ice and rain will target the Northeast.

Jordan's King Fires Cabinet Amid Protests
Jordan's King Abdullah II, bowing to public pressure, fired his government on Tuesday and tasked a new prime minister with quickly boosting economic opportunities and giving Jordanians a greater say in politics.

Tonsillectomies Cause Kids to Gain Excess Weight
When kids complain of sore throats and their tonsils appear infected, the condition known as tonsillitis, doctors are often quick to urge the surgical removal of these clumps of lymphatic tissue found on both sides of the throat.

Governments Hoard Food Stockpiles in Anticipation of Public Uprisings
Economic failures, government corruption, banking system fraud -- these and many other factors have together contributed to the escalating turmoil that the world currently faces.

Thermotherapy Alternative to Chemotherapy Uses Heat, Not Poison to Kill Tumors
Yet another study supports the use of heat to kill cancer cells without harming neighboring cells, in a promising alternative to chemo- and radiation therapy.


Today In History Tuesday February 1, 2011
1788 - Isaac Briggs and William Longstreet patented the steamboat.
1790 - The U.S. Supreme Court convened for the first time in New York City.
1793 - France declared war on Britain and Holland.
1861 - Texas voted to secede from the Union.
1862 - "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," by Julia Ward Howe was first published in the "Atlantic Monthly."
1867 - In the U.S., bricklayers start working 8-hour days.
1884 - The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published.
1893 - Thomas A. Edison completed work on the world's first motion picture studio in West Orange, NJ.
1898 - The Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, CT, issued the first automobile insurance policy. Dr. Truman Martin of Buffalo, NY, paid $11.25 for the policy, which gave him $5,000 in liability coverage.
1900 - Eastman Kodak Co. introduced the $1 Brownie box camera.
1913 - Grand Central Terminal (also known as Grand Central Station) opened in New York City, NY. It was the largest train station in the world.
1919 - The first Miss America was crowned in New York City.
1920 - The first armored car was introduced.
1920 - Canada's Royal North West Mounted Police changed their name to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The organization commissioned in 1873.
1930 - The Times published its first crossword puzzle.
1946 - Norwegian statesman Trygve Lie was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the United Nations.
1951 - The first telecast of an atomic explosion took place.
1951 - The first X-ray moving picture process was demonstrated.
1960 - Four black college students began a sit-in protest at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. They had been refused service.
1968 - During the Vietnam War, South Vietnamese National Police Chief Brig. Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head. The scene was captured in a news photograph.
1979 - Patty Hearst was released from prison after serving 22 months of a seven-year sentence for bank robbery. Her sentence had been commuted by U.S. President Carter.
1979 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was welcomed in Tehran as he ended nearly 15 years of exile.
1996 - Visa and Mastercard announced security measures that would make it safe to shop on the Internet.
1999 - Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky gave a deposition that was videotaped for senators weighing impeachment charges against U.S. President Clinton.
2001 - Three Scottish judges found Abdel Basset al-Mergrahi guilty of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 270 people. The court said that Megrahi was a member of the Libyan intelligence service. Al-Amin Khalifa, who had been co-accused, was acquitted and freed.
2003 - NASA's space shuttle Columbia exploded while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board were killed.

State of Emergency issued for the Missouri
Governor urges Missourians to prepare for possibly treacherous conditions, watch for downed power lines and avoid unnecessary travel. 

Egypt braces for 'march of millions' as Mubarak cuts communications
Protesters packed Cairo's Tahrir Square at mid-day Tuesday, standing shoulder-to-shoulder as large groups still streamed into area for the planned "march of millions."

Egypt braces for 'million-man' marches
Egyptians plan mass marches today in their campaign to oust President Hosni Mubarak, reassured by the all-powerful army, which has said their demands are legitimate and that it will not fire on them.

The GOP's Wild Plan to Avoid US Default Is To 'Pay China First"
New Republican legislation in the House and Senate would force the U.S. government to reroute huge amounts of money to China and other creditors in the event that Congress fails to raise its debt ceiling.

Insurance Company Drops Vet Over 2-Cent Shortage
When she was paying their monthly health insurance premium online in November, Frances swapped a 7 for a 9, leaving their $328.69 payment 2 cents short. Two pennies. That's the difference between a potentially life-saving surgery and a dropped insurance plan.

'40,000 Violations of the Law' in FBI Snooping
As the US prepares once again to extend the Patriot Act, a new report from a privacy watchdog indicates that the FBI's use of the law and other surveillance powers may have led to as many as 40,000 violations of the law by the bureau in the years since 9/11.

Homeland Security: The Myth of Posse Comitatus
The Oklahoma City bombing and the unsuccessful attempt to topple the World Trade Center have our domestic security planners looking inward for threats against the soil of the United States from small but technologically advanced threats of highly motivated terrorists. What legal bar does the Posse Comitatus Act present today to using the military to prevent or respond to a biological or chemical attack on the soil of the United States? In view of the erosion of the Posse Comitatus Act in the past 20 years, the answer is “not much.”  Comment: Wait until you read the conclusion in this document and lame excuses for ignoring posse comitatus.
Related Article: Rand Corporation's take on Posse Comitatus

Petition to the Senate to Investigate Oddities Involving 9/11 Terrorist Attacks Petition
We, the undersigned, do hereby petition the Senate of the United States of America to thoroughly investigate the events surrounding the acts of terrorism that transpired in the United States on September 11, 2001. Such an investigation would include research into the following peculiarities relating to the terrorist attacks on the United States on 9/11.....Read More....

Gold Bar Premiums at 17-Year High in Hong Kong - Safe Haven Bid on Inflation and Egypt Concerns
People's Bank of China adviser Xia Bin told the Economic Information Daily today that China should steadily increase its holdings of gold, silver and other precious metals. In an interview with the paper Xia said that “holdings of gold and silver can help establish the yuan as an international currency by increasing China's "final payment capacity." He advised buying precious metals on the dips and while gold and silver are marginally lower today, the remarks are another long term positive for the gold market.

Policymakers see dollar losing reserve currency allure
The U.S. dollar's role as a reserve currency will diminish in the coming years as Asian economies like China grow and countries seek to diversify their monetary holdings, policymakers said on Friday.

The Power Elite Warn on Debt Crisis
The current issue of Council on Foreign Relations newsletter, This Month in Geonomics, is all about the debt crisis. It features five separate articles warning on the debt problem (Five!):

How to Foil Nationwide Internet Shutdown
The Egyptian government cut internet connections across their country to silence protests, leaving nearly all of its citizens without online access. But they weren't entirely successful. When governments shut down broadband and mobile connections, here's what to do.

Egypt Protest Leaflets Distributed in Cairo Give Blueprint for Mass Action
Egyptians have been urged to come out after Friday prayers tomorrow and demand the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak's government, along with freedom, justice and a democratic regime.

Clinton: US Won't Support Mubarak's Ouster
Speaking today in a series of television interviews, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated that the Obama Administration does not seek and would not support the ouster of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Israel Sends SOS to World Leaders to 'Save Mubarak'
Hebrew newspaper sources have revealed the existence of an "urgent" message sent by the Israeli government at the end of last week to a number of world leaders.

IMF Board to Discuss Expanded SDR Role Friday
IMF Board To Discuss SDR Expansion Friday," published at 1339 GMT, incorrectly stated that the IMF board would discuss expanding the currency basket of the SDR in the first few paragraphs.

Judge Strikes Down Healthcare Reform
A federal judge in Florida struck down President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul as unconstitutional on Monday, in the biggest legal challenge yet to federal authority to enact the law.

Brent Oil Surges Past $100 on Egypt Uncertainty
Brent crude topped $100 a barrel for the first time since 2008 on Monday, jumping more than 1 percent on unrest in Egypt and rising demand expectations.

US Stocks End Up; Dow's Best January in 14 Years
Stocks rebounded on Monday as investors returned to stocks after a sharp sell-off on Friday, but yet kept a cautious eye on events unfolding in Egypt.

Israel Shocked by Obama's Betrayal of Mubarak
If Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is toppled, Israel will lose one of its very few friends in a hostile neighborhood and President Barack Obama will bear a large share of the blame, Israeli pundits said on Monday.

Food Staples Starting to Run Out in Egypt
While discontent, resentment and nationalism continue to fuel demonstrations, one vital staple is in short supply: food.

Multi-Day Dangerous, Destructive Winter Storm
A multi-day, multi-region potentially historic and destructive winter storm will unleash its fury beginning Monday and will last through Wednesday.

Cyclone Yasi: Evacuations Begin On Queensland's Island Resorts
Residents along Queensland’s northern coastline have been warned they have only a day to prepare for tropical cyclone Yasi.

Cairo: Anger Starting to Focus on Israel, US
Saturday’s optimism on the streets of Cairo for imminent political change gave way to anger on Sunday, as thousands of demonstrators became increasingly frustrated with the lack of response from major world leaders, especially the US.

Tribes Threaten to Attack Suez Canal If Mubarak Does Not Step Down
Bedouin tribesman have reportedly taken control of two towns in the Sinai Peninsula.

Common Houseflies Threaten to Spread Deadly Superbugs, Claim Scientists
Infection by deadly "superbugs" like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is no longer limited to just hospitals, according to a new report published in the journal BioMed Central Microbiology. Dr. Ludek Zurek from Kansas State University and his colleagues say that farm animals now contain antibiotic-resistant super-bacteria in their guts, and that common houseflies feeding on their excrement may be capable of spreading disease directly to humans.


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