Main Navigation

 

 

The Power Hour Past News

 

JULY 2012

Today in History - Tuesday - July 31, 2012
1792 - The cornerstone of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, PA, was laid. It was the first building to be used only as a U.S. government building.
1919 - Germany's Weimar Constitution was adopted.
1928 - MGM’s Leo the lion roared for the first time. He introduced MGM’s first talking picture, "White Shadows on the South Seas."
1945 - Pierre Laval of France surrendered to Americans in Austria.
1948 - U.S. President Truman helped dedicate New York International Airport (later John F. Kennedy International Airport) at Idlewild Field.
1955 - Marilyn Bell of Toronto, Canada, at age 17, became the youngest person to swim the English Channel.
1964 - The American space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the moon's surface.
1971 - Men rode in a vehicle on the moon for the first time in a lunar rover vehicle (LRV).
1982 - Yugoslavia imposed a six-month freeze on prices.
1989 - A pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a videotape reportedly showing the hanged body of American hostage William R. Higgins.
1991 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
1995 - The Walt Disney Company agreed to acquire Capital Cities/ABC in a $19 billion deal.
1999 - The spacecraft Lunar Prospect crashed into the moon. It was a mission to detect frozen water on the moon's surface. The craft had been launched on January 6, 1998.
2007 - The iTunes Music Store reached 2 million feature length films sold.
 

World News

Pakistan, US sign troop supply deal
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan and the U.S. say they have signed an agreement regulating the shipment of American troop supplies to and from Afghanistan. The deal signed Tuesday codified a largely informal arrangement that has allowed the U.S. to contract trucks to ship goods destined for the Afghan war through Pakistan over the past decade.

‘Assad better get the hell out’ – Panetta
RT - US Defense Sec. Leon Panetta has advice for Syria’s President Assad: “If you want to be able to protect yourself and your family, you’d better get the hell out now.” Panetta also warned that the US would not repeat the mistakes it made in Iraq. “The United States and the international community has made very clear that this is intolerable, and have brought their diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria to stop this kind of violence, to have Assad step down and to transition to a democratic form of government,” he said in an interview with CNN during a visit to Tunisia.

Ireland Allows Iconic Potato to be Genetically Modified
Activist Post - In a monumental move that signifies the truly terminal state of the international food supply, Ireland’s government officials have given the green light to begin genetically modifying the iconic potato. Met with severe resistance from citizens, watchdog organizations, and political figures, the decision allows for the genetically modified potatoes to be planted within Ireland by the Irish food development authority Teagasc.

VIDEO: Obama, NATO To Blame For Murder Of 1000s Of Civilians In Syria
Alexander Higgins - Michael Chossudovsky details how Obama and NATO terrorists are really to blame for murder of thousands of civilians in Syria being blamed on the government. “There is ample documentation to the effect that the Free Syrian Army which is supported by NATO and the United States has committed unspoken atrocities against the civilian population; and this is documented – it’s even documented by the Vatican,” said Professor Michael Chossudovsky, director of Center for Research on Globalization, in a Sunday interview with Press TV.

Bombers away! More US subs and missile defense in Pacific?
RT - Up to three more US attack submarines, a squadron of 12 B-52 bombers, 5,000 marines and missile defense systems may be deployed to the US territory of Guam. The suggested buildup could signal Obama’s Pacific strategy is beginning to shift into full gear. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank submitted a report to Congress last week outlining plans to turn Guam – located on the eastern edge of the Philippine Sea – into a veritable US fortress in the Pacific, Pacific Daily News reports. A 109-page unclassified section of the report released to the public on Sunday set forth the extensive plan for the US to beef up its forces in the region.

Tajikistan blocks YouTube, BBC, Russian websites after violence
RT - Internet access to several Russian news outlets, YouTube, the BBC and local news portals has been cut off in Tajikistan by order of the authorities.... On July 24, the army launched an operation to eliminate militants who were accused of killing Abdullo Nazarov, a top security services general. Official reports said 30 militants were killed and 40 more arrested in the operation. The army also suffered losses, with 17 troops killed and 40 injured. One civilian died in the operation, the authorities said. But unofficial sources told news outlets as Vesti.Ru or the BBC Russian Service that the death toll among the army was more than 100 soldiers, with a similar number of civilians also losing their lives.

Chinese destroyer enters Mediterranean via Egypt's Suez Canal
ynetnews.com - The destroyer could be on its way to the Syrian coast, the Egyptian newspaper reported [on Sunday], adding that the warship is planning to hold naval maneuvers in the area. Al Shuruk daily further claimed that the canal authority authorized the Chinese ship's crossing through the canal following permission from the Egyptian armed forces. Meanwhile, Egypt's Al-Wafd website reported that high security measures were taken during the ship's crossing of the canal.

RBS faces huge fine over Libor scandal, says Stephen Hester
Guardian - While the £290m fine slapped on Barclays has helped to distract from the computer meltdown at RBS, which prevented up to 13m customers accessing their accounts for up to a month, Stephen Hester, RBS's chief executive, said the rate-rigging scandal was bad for the entire industry.

VIDEO: Irelands Bankers Being Arrested And Charged!
Alexander Higgins - The former Chief Executive and Chairman of Anglo-Irish Bank has appeared in court in Dublin charged in connection with financial irregularities at the bank. Seán FitzPatrick was charged with 16 offenses under Section 60 of the Companies Act. He is accused of permitting Anglo Irish Bank to give financial assistance to Patricia Quinn, her five children and ten senior clients of the bank who became known as the ‘Maple 10′, to enable the 16 to buy shares in the bank.

Virus hysteria: Uganda's Ebola nightmare
RT - The Ugandan Government has created an emergency task force to deal with an outbreak of the Ebola virus. Dozens of terrified patients have fled hospitals afraid of contracting the disease, making quarantine near-impossible. The onset of the virus outbreak – the third in the last 12 years – has caused the deaths of at least 14 people in western Uganda.

YouTube: Watch what happens when Guns are banned in Australia
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." ~Thomas Jefferson

U.S. News, Politics & Government

NBC cuts tribute to terror victims from US Olympic broadcast
RT - If you were among the millions of Americans not allowed to watch a tribute to the victims of the 2005 terror attacks in London during the Olympics opening ceremonies on Friday, NBC has a reason: you didn’t want to see it.... Fifty-two people were killed on July 7, 2005 after a series of explosives detonated across London, but NBC — the US station that broadcasts the opening ceremonies stateside — said the tribute to them wasn’t American enough.

Mayor Bloomberg pushing NYC hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-feed
NY Post - Starting Sept. 3, the city will keep tabs on the number of bottles that participating hospitals stock and use — the most restrictive pro-breast-milk program in the nation. Under the city Health Department’s voluntary Latch On NYC initiative, 27 of the city’s 40 hospitals have also agreed to give up swag bags sporting formula-company logos, toss out formula-branded tchotchkes like lanyards and mugs, and document a medical reason for every bottle that a newborn receives.

Sheriff Mack: CSPOA Convention In September 2012!
Oath Keepers - The Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) will host its second national convention for constitutional training in Las Vegas this September 16-18, 2012.

Holmes charged in Colorado shooting - faces death penalty
RT - Accused Aurora, Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was charged Monday morning with crimes relating to the massacre that left a dozen people dead. The 24-year-old man has been arraigned on 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder.... In addition to being charged with 140 counts related to murder, authorities are prosecuting him on one count of crime enhancer and one count of possession of an explosive device.... If the court refuses to hear pleas of insanity likely to be introduced by Holmes’ attorney, he could face the death penalty if convicted of the charges.

YouTube: Batman Shooting Eyewitness Testimony CONTRADICTS Official Story
The Colorado shooter James Holmes was most likely on psychiatric "medications". Regardless of any possible false flag operations, psychiatric medications play a role and are used in such operations. All recent school shootings were executed by students on powerful mind altering psychiatric drugs. The warning labels on the boxes themselves state that Homicidal and Suicidal Tendencies and extreme violence as "side effects".

Aurora theater lacked security on night of Batman shootings
RT - The Colorado movie theater at which 12 people were killed and 58 wounded by a gunman this month did not have any uniformed security guards on duty the night of the July 20 shootings, even though other US theaters had additional protection that night.

Marines place $22.5M order for the Colt .45 M1911
Fox News - It’s been called the greatest handgun ever made, and it has barely changed sine 1911, when the legendary John Browning designed it especially for the U.S. Military.... Colt Defence will supply as many as 12,000 of the 200,000 US Marines with semi-automatic, tan-coloured M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistols, and they will include spare parts and logistical support. The gun has long been the weapon of choice for special operations agents, thanks to its reliability and the stopping power of its massive bullets.

It's not just Homeland Security: US Army orders riot gear too
RT - A solicitation for weapons posted on the official government website for federal business opportunities reveals that the US Army has been in the market for nonlethal equipment that it very well might be used in the United States.... The latest inquiry from the US Army was filed only a few weeks before another call for bids was published by the Department of Homeland Security. On July 26, the DHS Office of Procurement Operations also wrote on FBO.gov that they were soliciting contractors to help equip them with riot helmets, tactic gloves, shin guards, body armor and other equipment comparable that could be used in tandem with a complex “riot control system.”

Homeland Security and Military Vehicles - Pictures I Captured while in Kentucky
sherriequestioningall.blogspot.com - During my 140 mile trip to Lexington Kentucky, I saw at least 10 miltary vehicles on trucks being shipped on the highway. I then went on a small road to Winchester and passed this Homeland Security truck. I waited on the side of the road ahead of it to capture the picture. I was not able to get pictures of all the other military vehicles except for one. I saw many armored vehicles similar to Homeland Security vehicle on trucks but they did not say Homeland Security on them.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: New wave of Anaheim protests: 9 arrested as police disperse crowds
RT - At least nine people have been arrested by Orange County Police as they pushed protesters back during a street rally in outrage over the recent officer-involved shootings that left two locals dead. More than 200 people have gathered outside Anaheim police headquarters chanting slogans condemning the police and taking over a parking lot, where they drew outlines of bodies.

VIDEO: Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host Indicted on Three Felony Charges
Liberty Crier - Free Talk Live Co-Host in Trouble – Viral Video of Police-on-Student Brutality in School Cafeteria Allegedly Includes “Illegally Recorded” Interviews with On-Duty Public Officials Manchester, New Hampshire (PRWEB) July 24, 2012 According to court documents, Adam “Ademo” Mueller, journalist and co-host of nationally syndicated radio talk show Free Talk Live, has been indicted on three counts of felony wiretapping.

2012 Election News

YouTube: If Ron Paul Lost, Why Is Romney Still Trying To Steal His Delegates?
Published on Jul 30, 2012 by matlarson10.

VIDEO: Huge Ron Paul Banner greeting Romney in Poland
Daily Paul - Rachel Maddow even had a blurb on it.

VIDEO: Ron Paul’s Speech at the 2012 YAL National Convention
ronpaul2012.com July 29, 2012 - What an amazing night on Wednesday when Ron Paul was honored by Young Americans for Liberty who awarded him the first “Ron Paul Legacy Award.” Here’s Dr. Paul’s speech compliments of the excellent video staff at Catholic University.

Economy

UPDATE - BANKERS BEHIND BARS - Petition To Put Bankers In Jail Passes 650,000 Signatures In Two Weeks
Daily Bail - The online petition was started 2 weeks ago, already has more than 650,000 signatures, and is growing by 1,000 names every hour. Though focused on criminal EU bankers, the signatures are global in origin - Petition - Put The Bankers In Jail.

VIDEO: Who Profits From U.S. Wars
Veterans News Now - The latest objective estimate for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is between $3.7 trillion and $4.4 trillion, according to the research project “Costs of War” by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies. Prominent American economist Joseph E. Stiglitz put the total cost to the United States of the Iraq war at $3 trillion dollars in 2008. In September 2010 he said that our estimate “was if anything too low.” The United States is to spend more than $6 billion in Iraq in 2012 even though its forces are to withdraw from the country by the end of this year.

Veteran News

VIDEO: Crowd Spontaneously Gathers to Lay Veterans to Rest
8newsnow.com - Every Thursday morning, two members of the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America group hold a service at the cemetery for service members without families. On this Thursday, it was different. Instead of a near empty room, it was a full house.'''... What brought everyone together was an email. Within days of it circulating around the community, people responded.

Energy & Environment

New study shows half of the global warming in the USA is artificial
Watts Up With That? - U.S. Temperature trends show a spurious doubling due to NOAA station siting problems and post measurement adjustments. A comparison and summary of trends is shown from the paper. Acceptably placed thermometers away from common urban influences read much cooler nationwide.

Huffington Post Urges America Pay a Carbon Tax to Fight Climate Change
Activist Post - The main stream media and the Globalists in the United States have finally begun to show their true colours. In an article written by Carl Pope published in the Huffington Post titled ‘Why It’s Time to Tax Carbon Pollution’, it has been argued that the United States should follow the lead set by Australia and introduce a carbon tax as part of tax reform and the climate change movement.

Health

Statin drugs: A sweetheart to die for
(NaturalNews) A review published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs found nearly 900 studies of adverse effects linked to statin drugs. A recent Harvard study reveals a horrific 50 percent increase in the risk for developing diabetes if you are taking statin drugs. They called it a "small" risk increase. Researchers analyzing data on over 2 million Brits found that statin drug users had higher levels of liver dysfunction, kidney failure, cataracts and debilitating muscle weakness. Despite the purported cardiovascular benefits, other adverse effects include: nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, rashes, myopathy, muscle aches or weakness, tendon problems, dementia, depression, chronic fatigue, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, peripheral neuropathies and even fatal rhabdomyolysis (breakdown in muscle).

Fruit 101 - Learn the right way to eat fruits for natural cleansing
NaturalNews) There are two controversies with eating fruits: Should you eat them and if so, when? Those who reject fruit consumption point to glycemic indices and claim fruit's sugar spikes could lead to diabetes while pointing out that fruit sugar is fructose, and fructose is hard on the liver. hose who regard eating fruit as a healthy habit caution against mixing fruit with other foods. Their concerns are solely digestive. Both viewpoints have their interesting points that should be compared to one's own experience.

Personal care products found to increase diabetes risk by 60 percent in women
(NaturalNews) Many healthy-minded individuals are aware of endocrine-disrupting synthetic chemicals known as phthalates that are commonly found in plastic toys, electronics and adhesives, but few understand how these dangerous compounds can leach through our skin from the application of a host of common sprays, polishes and cosmetics.

Common OTC acid blockers may worsen cognitive impairment in the elderly
(NaturalNews) Adverse drug reactions are ranked as the fifth leading cause of death causing more than 100,000 deaths/year, account for seven percent of all hospitalizations and costs over $100 billion annually in the United States. While within the elderly population (age 65 and above), adverse drug reactions are even more widespread with some studies showing the elderly are two to four times more likely to be hospitalized for adverse drug events than non-elderly.

Almost one in ten employers to drop health insurance coverage under Obamacare
(NaturalNews) The Federal Register, dated Thursday, June 17, 2010, notes that the "mid-range estimate is that 66 percent of small employer plans and 45 percent of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfather status by the end of 2013." Essentially, the administration put employer health plans in a box. As the Heritage Foundation explains, if employers "make changes to their plans to control increasing costs, they will lose their grandfathered status. Alternatively, if they keep grandfathered status by not making changes, their plans will eventually become unaffordable, forcing them to give them up. Either way, their employees will eventually lose their current coverage."

You Think GMO Is Scary? Nano Tech is Here, In Your Store
Green Med Info - Engineering at a molecular level may be a future corporations' dream come true, however, nano-particles inside your body have few long-term studies especially when linked to health issues. Despite this new huge income-generating field there is a growing body of toxicological information suggesting that nanotechnology when consumed can cause brain damage (as shown in largemouth bass), and therefore should undergo a full safety assessment.

Oil from Wild Almond Trees Shwon to Combat Diabetes and Obesity
Natural Society - Researchers from the Missouri University of Science and Technology have found a promising new weapon in the fight against obesity and type II diabetes. Sterculic oil, an extract from the seeds of Sterculia foetida, also known as the 'wild almond tree,' may help combat belly fat and insulin resistance by re-sensitizing insulin receptors.

Science & Technology

NSA Wants “EZ Pass” Control for Internet
Kurt Nimmo General Keith Alexander, the NSA boss, wants the government to centralize the internet and force users to use a system analogous to EZ Pass. EZ Pass is an RFID transponder system used for toll collection on roads, bridges, and tunnels in the United States. “What we need for cybersecurity is something analogous to that,” Alexander told the annual Def Con computer hacking conference in Las Vegas.. “Think of us as the EZ Pass on the highway.”... In other words, the government should vet all users with a checkpoint. “All you need to pass is the fact of a signature and IP address in real time, and we can take it from there,” said Alexander.

New NASA photos reveal American flags planted during moon landings proudly yet wave FOUR DECADES after last Apollo mission
Daily Mail - All but one of the six flags left by American astronauts remain standing, according to an analysis of the shadows they cast on the surface of the moon.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Purple carrots have all the tasty benefits of their orange counterparts, and then some
Organic Gardening - Purple carrots aren't simply a novelty. Their unique color reflects their healthy phytochemical constituents. Not only does 'Purple Haze' have the vitamin A and beta-carotene of ordinary carrots—evident in its orange center—it's also rich in anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds that give blueberries their distinctive color and superfood health benefits. Studies have found that these blue and purple pigments can improve memory, enhance vision, protect against heart attacks, act as anti-inflammatories, and even help control weight.


Today in History - Monday - July 30, 2012
1619 - The first representative assembly in America convened in Jamestown, VA. (House of Burgesses)
1729 - The city of Baltimore was founded in Maryland.
1733 - The first Freemasons lodge opened in what would later become the United States.
1898 - "Scientific America" carried the first magazine automobile ad. The ad was for the Winton Motor Car Company of Cleveland, OH.
1937 - The American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) was organized as a part of the American Federation of Labor.
1942 - The WAVES were created by legislation signed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The members of the Women's Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service were a part of the U.S. Navy.
1945 - The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The ship had just delivered key components of the Hiroshima atomic bomb to the Pacific island of Tinian. Only 316 out of 1,196 men aboard survived the attack.
1956 - The phrase "In God We Trust" was adopted as the U.S. national motto.
1965 - U.S. President Johnson signed into law Social Security Act that established Medicare and Medicaid. It went into effect the following year.
1974 - The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to impeach President Nixon for blocking the Watergate investigation and for abuse of power.
1987 - Indian troops arrived in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, to disarm the Tamil Tigers and enforce a peace pact.
1990 - In Spring Hill, TN, the first Saturn automobile rolled off the assembly line.
1998 - A group of Ohio machine-shop workers (who call themselves the Lucky 13) won the $295.7 million Powerball jackpot. It was the largest-ever American lottery.
2001 - Lance Armstrong became the first American to win three consecutive Tours de France.
2003 - In Mexico, the last 'old style' Volkswagon Beetle rolled off an assembly line.
 

World News

Austerity At The Olympics: Each “Gold” Medal Contains 1.34% Gold
Zero Hedge - As every Olympic athlete knows, size matters. The London 2012 medals are the largest ever in terms of both weight and diameter – almost double the medals from Beijing. However, just as equally well-known is that quality beats quantity and that is where the current global austerity, coin-clipping, devaluation-fest begins. The 2012 gold is 92.5 percent silver, 6.16 copper and… 1.34 percent gold, with IOC rules specifying that it must contain 550 grams of high-quality silver and a whopping 6 grams of gold. The resulting medallion is worth about $500.

370M Indians swelter in darkness after power fails
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Northern India's power grid crashed Monday, halting hundreds of trains, forcing hospitals and airports to use backup generators and leaving 370 million people - more than the population of the United States and Canada combined - sweltering in the summer heat.

U.S. presented Netanyahu with contingency plan for Iran strike
The Blaze - The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Sunday that when President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon was in Israel earlier this month, he shared with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the American contingency plans for a possible attack on Iran. Quoting a senior U.S. official, Haaretz reports: Donilon sought to make clear that the United States is seriously preparing for the possibility that negotiations will reach a dead end and military action will become necessary. He said reports of such preparations were not just a way to assuage Israel’s concerns.

To Cope with American-led Sanctions, Iran stockpiling US Wheat
eurasianet.org - From the Reuters report: Vessels carrying at least 360,000 metric tonnes (396,832 tons) of grain are lined up to unload in Iran, Reuters shipping data showed on Thursday, a sign that Tehran is succeeding in stockpiling food to blunt the impact of tougher Western sanctions. Iran has been shopping for wheat at a frantic pace, ordering a large part of its expected yearly requirement in a little over one month and paying a premium in non-dollar currencies to work around toughened Western sanctions and avoid social unrest.

Syrian govt claims victory in Damascus as Aleppo battle rages
RT July 29, 2012 - The Syrian government has declared victory in Damascus while the fierce struggle for control of Aleppo continues. Meanwhile, the country’s Foreign Minister is in Iran, seeking support from the Islamic state. According to Reuters, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said, "Today I tell you, Syria is stronger… In less than a week they were defeated (in Damascus) and the battle failed. So they moved on to Aleppo and I assure you, their plots will fail."

US rages at Syria forces success against rebels in Aleppo
Press TV July 29, 2012 - US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has lost all legitimacy by attacking the armed groups in the city. "If they continue this kind of tragic attack on their own people in Aleppo, I think it ultimately will be a nail in Assad's own coffin," Panetta told reporters.

Syria: West 'could deploy 300,000 troops following regime collapse'
Telegraph - The end of the President Bashar al-Assad's rule could lead to an explosion of conflict both within Syria and beyond its borders, the Royal United Services Institute paper said.... Col Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan and one of the authors, wrote that the question of military intervention was a "live issue".

CIA “Manages” Drug Trade, Mexican Official Says
New American - In a recent interview, Chihuahua state spokesman Guillermo Terrazas Villanueva told Al Jazeera that the CIA and other international “security” outfits "don't fight drug traffickers." Instead, Villanueva argued, they try to control and manage the illegal drug market for their own benefit. "It's like pest control companies, they only control," Villanueva told the Qatar-based media outlet last month at his office in Juarez. "If you finish off the pests, you are out of a job. If they finish the drug business, they finish their jobs."

VIDEO: U.S. Mexico border fence collapses in Los Algodones, Mexico
KSWT News - Yuma, AZ - A construction company was excavating near the U.S. Mexico border fence in Los Algodones, Mexico Tuesday night around 8 p.m. About 114 feet of border fence collapsed.

VIDEO: World’s First ‘Smart City’ To Be Completed By 2015: ‘Songdo’ The Orwellian Control Grid
Grant J. Kidney - Dubbed ‘Songdo’, the city will rest upon a wholly man made island in the Yellow sea and will incorporate just about every aspect of an Orwellian ‘super state’ imaginable. Millions of wireless sensors and microchips will be embedded throughout the sprawling city-scape. ‘Smart appliances’ such as refrigerators that let you know when you’re running low on certain foods and bathroom mirrors that inform you of your physical health will be evident in every home. Songdo will also prominently feature ‘telepresence’ technology which translates to giant video screens everywhere.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Formal charges expected today for suspected Colorado movie theater gunman
yahoo.com - Alleged Colorado cinema gunman James Holmes will be back in court later today, this time to learn how many criminal charges he'll be facing.

In Texas, Arguing That Heat Can Be a Death Sentence for Prisoners
NY Times - Ten inmates of the state prison system died of heat-related causes last summer in a 26-day period in July and August, a death toll that has alarmed prisoners’ rights advocates who believe that the lack of air-conditioning in most state prisons puts inmates’ lives at risk.

United Nations Small Arms Treaty Not Dead
Kurt Nimmo and Alex Jones - Opponents arrayed against the United Nations’ anti-gun effort prematurely celebrated on Friday as the treaty stalled due to member states failing to reach an agreement on revised language in the text. The treaty went into limbo after the United States, Russia and China called for more time to consider revisions.... The U.S. State Department, however, said in a statement released at the conclusion of the negotiating conference that the effort will indeed be revived after the election in November.

VIDEO: Scalia Opens Door for Gun Regulation
Infowars.com - Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who is often characterized as the most “conservative” member of the Court, said on Sunday the Second Amendment allows government to regulate firearms.... Scalia’s remarks arrive as the government gears up an intense propaganda campaign to reimpose the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

VIDEO: DHS Funded Video Suggests Fighting “Active Shooters” With “Improvised Weapons”
Liberty Crier - Run, Hide, Fight is a Department of Homeland Security funded project and produced by the City of Houston that suggests the use of commonly used items to fight a shooter in case of becoming a potential victim; however, if the citizens were armed and trained in the proper use of firearms, ineffectual “improvised weapons” or foolish reactions would not be necessary.

Colorado Shooter Was Under Psychiatric Care Of Ex-US Air Force Doctor
London Independent - The defence attorneys, in their request to an Arapahoe County district judge, are seeking a court order requiring prosecutors to turn over the contents of a package that Holmes sent to Dr. Lynne Fenton and was later seized by investigators.... The New York Times reported the admonition cited Fenton for prescribing various pills for her husband and other non-patients on several occasions - including the sleep aid Ambien, the allergy medication Claritin and the painkiller Vicodin - and for failing to properly document the prescriptions.

James Holmes Is Behaving Like Sirhan Sirhan
Paul Joseph Watson - The parallels between alleged Colorado shooter James Holmes and Sirhan Sirhan are staggering. Both appear to have been drugged, both cannot remember the shootings they were accused of carrying out, and in both cases other shooters were reported by eyewitnesses.

Does billboard comparing Obama to alleged shooter go too far?
ALDWELL, Idaho (KBOI) - A Caldwell billboard is raising questions in the Treasure Valley as it compares President Obama to accused Colorado killer, James Holmes.

Bomb threats lead to evacuation of 8 Walmarts, 2 in Kansas City area
MISSOURI (KCTV) - At least eight Walmarts across Missouri have been evacuated Friday evening after bomb threats. Two of the stores are in the Kansas City area. Two and a half hours after the threats were called in, police declared the scenes as safe.

Police claim to thwart mass shooting in Maryland
RT - Neil Prescott, 28, was arrested by police in Crofton, Maryland on Thursday night after he allegedly phoned in a threat to employer Pitney Bowes, a software and mailroom supplier, warning them that he would "shoot the place up.”... According to authorities, Prescott identified himself as “a joker,” but they are not officially linking the planned shooting yet to last week’s incident in Aurora, Colorado.

Predator drones to start operations over North Dakota
RT - The FAA has authorized the use of remote-controlled Predator drones in the airspace above nearly 10,000 acres in North Dakota. As of this fall, unmanned military aircraft will use lasers to aim at ground targets from nearly 2 miles above the earth.... "People may hear airplanes flying above, but there will be no lights visible and no explosions," Col. Rick Gibney, commander of the 119th Wing of the North Dakota Air National Guard, tells the Grand Forks Herald. The lasers the drones will be equipped with are reported by the Herald to help pilots practice on designating targets for bombing and missile launching missions overseas.

Alaska man sues for proof of Obama's eligibility
Tri-City Herald - Gordon Warren Epperly claims in the lawsuit filed in Juneau Superior Court that Obama's citizenship status is unknown, and that Obama was illegally inaugurated in 2009, KTOO reported. He also claims that Obama, by taking office, has committed a crime of trying to overthrow the U.S. government. Epperly is acting as his own attorney.
The lawsuit is seeking the state Division of Elections to obtain a physical, "verified" copy of Obama's birth certificate.

YouTube: Filming police actions is legal
RT - The issue of whether it is legit to film police at work or not has been causing a lot of discussion lately, before DC police chief put it blunt in a statement RT obtained from the Police Department, that it was allowed to do so in public places.

2012 Election News

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 7/30/12: Tell Your Senators to Support Audit the Fed Bill S.202
Are your senators co-sponsors of the Audit the Fed bill S.202? Click here to find out.

The Grand Shi Strategy of Ron Paul
Forbs - As the Republican National Convention approaches, the shouts of victory resounding in the tents will easily conceal the broader political forces at work in the party beyond this fall’s hopeful decisive victory. The strategy of these forces are visible in the past Republican presidential campaign of Congressman Ron Paul. To some, Paul’s stubborn persistence in the campaign has been just that: a stubborn unwillingness to lie down and die despite evidence of sure defeat. But what they have missed is a common misperception of a subtle yet powerful age-old strategy at play.

Ron Paul campaign to challenge all Louisiana delegates
CNN - Paul's campaign asserts the final list of delegates released Friday that were selected during the state party's convention last month were chosen against the rules. At the time, Paul supporters held their own rump convention, or protest vote, in the same room, which composed a majority of those attending. Related article here.

VIDEO: Ron Paul Confronts Obama 'You Offer No Change' - 2012 Remix
Daily Paul - Ron Paul Confronts Obama 'You Offer No Change' (2012).

Romney: ‘No option should be excluded’ in stopping a nuclear Iran
Yahoo News - Speaking against the backdrop of the historic Old City, Mitt Romney signaled he supports Israel's right to "defend itself" against its enemies and said "any and all measures" should be considered in the world's efforts to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The Republican candidate said preventing a nuclear Iran should be America's "highest national security priority." And while he argued that diplomatic efforts should continue, Romney insisted that all options should be on the table in dealing with Iran, including a military strike.

YouTube: "If We're Going To Solve By Raising Revenue It Will Mean Tax Increases On Everyone" Romney Advisor
CNBC News July 27, 2012.

Economy

House to vote next week on a bill to redistribute Americans’ wealth
Examiner - House Ways and Means Chairman David Camp (R-MI) said Friday that the House will vote on his “tax reform bill” this coming week. The House will vote on this bill in stead of taking up the bill the Senate passed last week which extended the Bush tax cuts for incomes under $250,000 a year. Camp’s bill is being called “tax reform” by Republicans because that sounds better than redistributing wealth. It changes the tax code, but whether it is reform or not is in the wallet of the receiver. The bill makes several changes in the tax code...

Jaw-Dropping Corruption: America's 47 Million Hungry Mouths Are Just Another Corporate Cash Cow
AlterNet - A unique, hard-hitting report just completed by a California attorney exposes a largely unknown federal food-stamp racket involving large grocery retailers, food manufacturing giants and other private players, including the Federal Reserve and JPMorganChase, which combine to channel food stamp spending into a gravy train for the heavy hitters in the food industry.

Businesses: Bachmann, Huntsman, Gingrich, Santorum Owe Millions to Creditors.
Politico - While it’s common for presidential campaigns to take their time closing up shop, the small businesses left holding the bag are asking: Whatever happened to fiscal responsibility? Like many candidates with leftover costs from the campaign trail, Bachmann has derided the accumulation of national debt. “Sadly, we haven’t reformed the bankrupt tax-and-spend policies that we decried [through] Ronald Reagan some decades ago,” Bachmann said at a National Press Club speech in July 2011. “We have merely replaced them with a new and insidious scheme called borrow-and-spend.”

YouTube: Everyone a Millionaire
Imagine you ditched your car payment and instead invested that money?
Imagine you took the money that the government takes from your paycheck to invest into social security and used it instead to privately invest for retirement? 'Everyone a Millionaire' explains the results.

Energy & Environment

Record number of coal-fired generators to be shut down in 2012
Daily Caller A record-high 57 generators will shut down in 2012, representing 9 gigawatts of electrical capacity, according to EIA. In 2015, nearly 10 gigawatts of capacity from 61 coal-fired generators will be retired. While many of those coal plants are old and relatively inefficient, the scope of this new planned shutdown is unprecedented. The low price of natural gas resulting from the shale boom has led to reduced coal consumption and made the shutdowns necessary, experts say. But federal and state regulations have also damaged the industry and contributed to plant closures.

Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail -- for Collecting Rainwater on His Property
CNS News - A rural Oregon man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines because he had three reservoirs on his property to collect and use rainwater. Gary Harrington of Eagle Point, Ore., says he plans to appeal his conviction in Jackson County (Ore.) Circuit Court on nine misdemeanor charges under a 1925 law for having what state water managers called “three illegal reservoirs” on his property – and for filling the reservoirs with rainwater and snow runoff.
Related Article:
Oregon criminalizes permaculture...

Health

Turmeric Proven to Fight Diabetes…Again!
Activist Post - Research highlighting turmeric’s powerful health-boosting properties just seems to never cease, with some recent research showing yet again that the super spice can help to prevent diabetes risk thanks to the spice’s active compound curcumin. What’s more, the compound helps to prevent diabetes among those with pre-diabetes – indicated that extremely high blood sugar levels that could ultimately result in type 2 diabetes.

The secret healing benefits of miso - Here's why this fermented food is a nutritional powerhouse
(NaturalNews) Miso is a traditional Japanese fermented food that has been growing in popularity worldwide. Chefs and food aficionados prize miso for its rich, complex flavor and its ability to add an extra heartiness ("umami," also known as the "fifth taste") to nearly any dish. Natural health advocates love miso for its dense concentration of nutrients and its remarkable disease-fighting properties.

CDC calls for more government intervention to battle 'chronic disease,' obesity
(NaturalNews) In the latest issue of the CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease, "An Evaluation Framework for Obesity Prevention Policy Interventions" calls for "interventions that extend beyond individual behaviors" to combat obesity. Some methods involve "the need for policy action to create healthier environments" and implementation that "may include activity at multiple levels of the executive branch of government." The article reinforces the idea that we, as mere individuals, cannot make healthy lifestyle changes, so we need the government to do it for us.

The evolutionary approach to weight loss and good health
(NaturalNews) No obesity in "non-westernized" populations. Ancestral/paleolithic diets consist of meat, fish, fowl, eggs, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and other foods available before the agricultural revolution. Sugar, flours and processed foods are absent, and the consumption of grains, legumes and dairy is limited. Differences in food availability among populations are huge, but obesity and disease are pretty much absent in all of the societies that have been studied.

4 Proven Natural Weight Loss Tips for How to Lose Visceral Fat
Natural Society - Visceral obesity results in fatty acids accumulation in the pancreas, heart, liver, and other organs. This prevents proper organ function, causes improper insulin regulation, and even leads to heart attacks. But don’t stress; if you want to know how to lose visceral fat, try these 4 simple and natural weight loss tips.

Breaking: Major Harvard Study Published in Federal Govt Journal Confirms Fluoride Lowers IQ
Natural Society - In a telling review of a variety of studies that have demonstrated just how significantly fluoride can damage the brain and subsequently your IQ, Harvard University scientists stated "our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children's neurodevelopment."

Astragalus Benefits: Energizer, Immune Tonic and Potential Cancer Treatment
Natural Society - Known as Huang Qi in Chinese medicine, astragalus root has long been used by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners as a general tonic, to strengthen and energize the body, to help resolve colds and upper respiratory infections and to strengthen and regulate the immune system. It is among the most widely used herbs in Chinese Medicine and has recently garnered the interest of western science for its potential to boost immunity and lessen side effects of chemotherapy

Natural Solutions for Treating Common Digestive Problems
Natural Society - Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms vary tremendously from person to person, and the disorder's etiology is not well-understood. While effective pharmaceutical management of IBS has been unsurprisingly lacking, there are a number of more natural methods to regulate the digestive system and help treat common digestive problems.

Gluten Free Quinoa-Zucchini Cakes With Summer Herbs Recipe
Mother Earth News - Quinoa is a nutrient-dense whole grain with a rich, nutty-sweet flavor. The quinoa itself can be enjoyed as a side dish, and the prepared cakes are great on a salad or in a pita or sandwich. You can throw almost any veggie into this mixture. It’s a great way to use whatever’s fresh and available.

Science & Technology

White House chef says future food to be made from chemicals, not real food ingredients
(NaturalNews) (NaturalNews) Every two years, a consortium of Europe's most active minds converges at the Euroscience Open Forum to discuss the latest advancements in scientific research and innovation. But this year's meeting, which was held in Dublin, Ireland, featured a disturbing workshop held by White House executive pastry chef Bill Yosses, who explained and demonstrated to audience members how the food of the future will not actually contain real food, but rather various combinations of lab-created chemicals that mimic food.Watch the video here.

YouTube: Gun Control Amendment Slipped Into Cyber Security Bill
RT - Congress is continuing their plea for a comprehensive cybersecurity bill, and their latest attempt to govern the Web is attracting attention of not just the Internet savvy: a new amendment tacked on to a cybersecurity act includes a provision that deals with gun control.

Just a face in a crowd? Billboard scans pick up ID, personal data
Washington Times - Businesses foresee a day when signs and billboards with face-recognition technology can instantly scan your face and track what other ads you’ve seen recently, adjust their message to your tastes and buying history and even track your birthday or recent home purchase. The FBI and other U.S. law enforcement agencies already are exploring facial-recognition tools to track suspects, quickly single out dangerous people in a crowd or match a grainy security-camera image against a vast database to look for matches. Related video here.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Raw milk man James Stewart retains law group, motion to dismiss all charges being reviewed Monday
(NaturalNews) Matt Bromund [of the Bromund Law Group in Ventura] told NaturalNews he intends to file a motion to dismiss all charges against Stewart, and that such a motion could be reviewed by a judge as early as Monday (but could also take much longer, depending on the circumstances). Bromund is very optimistic about the outcome. "I think the motion to dismiss the case should be very easy for the judge to grant. [Stewart] should get prompt resolution at law on this case, and in the mean time he's going to get all kinds of extraordinary scrutiny because there is an agenda that has been set by various agencies of California."
Related Article:
Mark McAfee explains last night's bounty hunter arrest...

Say it ain’t soil: What’s the true value of organic farmland?
Grist - [Nick Maravell's] landlord, the Montgomery County Board of Education, transferred the lease to the county, which then awarded a contract to a private developer to build soccer fields.... The developers offered to compromise by setting aside one to three acres of the soccer park for an educational farm in its proposal. But that wouldn’t be enough for the farm incubator program or to continue seed saving. The county has offered Maravell the option to farm on an old waste site, but Sophia [Nick’s 24-year-old daughter] says that doesn’t seem safe. Besides, she adds, “legally it takes three years to convert to organic farmland.

Why We Shouldn't be Getting Rid of Wasps
Natural Society - The dwindling bee population has created quite the buzz in mainstream media, but the plight of wasps has gone ignored for the most part. Wasps are great recyclers, pollinators, pest control agents, and carry out their services in a vibrant buzz of color and energy. Who thought that getting rid of wasps may do more harm than good?

Pet News

Catswell Chicken Treats Voluntary Recall
Susan Thixton - From a Catswell statement issued 7/27/12 "In a communication that you will be receiving shortly, Catswell will be announcing that we are voluntarily recall Catswell Brand Vita Kitty Chicken Breast with Flaxseed and Vitamins from two affected lot codes.... We decided to enter into this voluntary and limited recall after testing revealed the presence of a limited amount of propylene glycol which has not been recognized as an approved ingredient for cats by the FDA.

If You Feed Sweet Potato Treats to Your Pet, Please Read This!
Dr. Becker - Canine kidney failure symptoms similar to those seen after consumption of chicken jerky treats from China are now being linked to sweet potato treats as well. Find out what other types of treats could also be contaminated and the best way to keep your pet safe.... Consider making your own sweet potato treats at home.


Today in History - Friday - July 27, 2012
1775 - Benjamin Rush began his service as the first Surgeon General of the Continental Army.
1777 - The marquis of Lafayette arrived in New England to help the rebellious American colonists fight the British.
1778 - The British and French fleets fought to a standoff in the first Battle of Ushant.
1789 - The Department of Foreign Affairs was established by the U.S. Congress. The agency was later known as the Department of State.
1804 - The 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. With the amendment Electors were directed to vote for a President and for a Vice-President rather than for two choices for President.
1909 - Orville Wright set a record for the longest airplane flight. He was testing the first Army airplane and kept it in the air for 1 hour 12 minutes and 40 seconds.
1914 - British troops invaded the streets of Dublin, Ireland, and began to disarm Irish rebels.
1921 - Canadian biochemist Frederick Banting and associates announced the discovery of the hormone insulin.
1944 - U.S. troops completed the liberation of Guam.
1953 - The armistice agreement that ended the Korean War was signed at Panmunjon, Korea.
1955 - The Allied occupation of Austria ended.
1964 - U.S. President Lyndon Johnson sent an additional 5,000 advisers to South Vietnam.
1965 - In the U.S., the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act was signed into law. The law required health warnings on all cigarette packages.
1967 - U.S. President Johnson appointed the Kerner Commission to assess the causes of the violence in the wake of urban rioting.
1974 - The U.S. Congress asked for impeachment procedures against President Richard Nixon.
1995 - The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC, by U.S. President Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young-sam.
1999 - The U.S. space shuttle Discovery completed a five-day mission commanded by Air Force Col. Eileen Collins. It was the first shuttle mission to be commanded by a woman.
2001 - The ribbon cutting ceremony was held for American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The event set two new world records, one for the 3 mile long ribbon and one for the 2,000 people that cut it.
2003 - It was reported by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) that there was no monster in Loch Ness. The investigation used 600 separate sonar beams and satellite navigation technology to trawl the loch. Reports of sightings of the "Loch Ness Monster" began in the 6th century.
 

World News

UN worries showdown in Aleppo could be imminent
GENEVA (AP) -- A showdown between government troops and opposition forces in Syria's largest city, Aleppo, is "imminent," the U.N.'s human rights office said Friday, as the Red Cross said it is pulling some of its foreign staff from Damascus out of concern for the safety of its workers.

Conservatives call on Obama to establish ‘safe zones’ in Syria
foreignpolicy.com - Now that the Syrian opposition has established control over territory on the ground, it's time for the United States to help establish "safe zones" inside Syria, a group of mostly conservative experts and former officials said Tuesday.... "Such ‘safe zones' would serve as a destination for civilians fleeing violence. They would also provide the country's opposition groups-which have actively stood up to the Assad regime's relentless aggression, and bravely defended their cities, towns, and villages in the absence of decisive international action - a place to train, be equipped, and organize," the letter says.

90% chance Greece will leave eurozone – Citi
RT - The chance of Greece leaving the euro in the next year has raised to 90 percent from the previous 50% says America’s Citibank. Greece will drop out of the eurozone and reinstate the drachma in the next 12-18 months, according to a report published on Thursday. Citi economists had previously put the chances of a Greek exit at 50 to 75 per cent.... Economists calculate that Greece may need a third rescue package worth up to €50 billion. Greece started a major austerity drive involving drastic spending cuts, tax rises, and labour market and pension reforms. The majority of Greece's private creditors agreed to write off more than half of the debts owed to them by Athens.

CONFIRMED: Turkey Running Proxy-Invasion of Syria
Tony Cartalucci - The Washington Post has just published an article with the very misleading titled, “Turkey a hub for Syria revolution as illegal border crossing points abound,” in which it describes “Salafi Muslims,” who have “come to offer help from the countries of the Persian Gulf region” arming and joining the so-called “Free Syrian Army.” The article also claims “weapons are ferried into Syria, delivered by Turkish military trucks and picked up by fighters on the other side in the dead of night.” A more apt title would be, “Turkey hosts invading Saudi and Qatari mercenary army.”

YouTube: Syria - The Media Lies of Aljazeera & the BBC - Shoruk
A film set was created for Tripoli (Libya) in Qatar, and they created fictitious demonstrations in order to sway public opinion worldwide. The same happened in Baghdad. And similar events are occurring in Syria. Many Journalists have left AlJazeera as a consequence. Shoruk explains.

VIDEO: Italian prosecutors accuse Moody's of releasing false figures
Press TV - “We became aware of something not quite right in 2007. Moody’s used to release its figures once or twice a year but all of a sudden ratings were being announced continuously. It became clear to us that Moody’s and its sisters Standard & Poor’s and Fitch were taking advantage of their influence on the market. A perfect example is Moody’s triple-A rating for Lehman & Brothers only months before the mortgage company collapsed,” Francesco Avallone with the Federconsumatori told Press TV.

Down Goes Britain: The UK Economy Tumbles Deep Into Recession
Activist Post - According to numbers that were released just this week, the UK economy has now contracted for three quarters in a row. During the second quarter of 2012, the UK economy shrunk by 0.7 percent. That was a much larger contraction than the 0.2 percent contraction that economists were forecasting. At this point we have got a definite trend going. During the fourth quarter of 2011, the UK economy shrunk by 0.4 percent. During the first quarter of 2012, the UK economy shrunk by 0.3 percent. And now in this latest quarter the contraction of the UK economy appears to be accelerating.

VIDEO: Russian MPs suggest allowing public use of firearms
RT - Following the shooting spree in a Colorado cinema, Russian legislators have drafted a bill which would allow public use of firearms. The law’s sponsors hope to curb crime rates, while opponents say legal air-guns already cause enough damage. The principle behind the drafted bill allowing the private use of handguns is “my home is my castle,” so any invasion of private space could be met with loaded barrels.

China arrests thousands in latest internet crime crackdown
BBC - More than 10,000 suspects have been arrested and 600 criminal gangs "busted" in China's latest cybercrime crackdown, the authorities say. As of June, 3.2 million "harmful" messages had been deleted and 30 internet service providers punished for granting access to unlicensed sites, the Ministry of Public Security said. The crackdown targeted pornography and the illegal sale of personal details. But some say it is being used to censor online criticism of the government.

VIDEO: HMRC tells school children: Tell your teacher if a neighbour is evading tax
Telegraph - School children are being encouraged by HM Revenue and Customs to tell their teachers if they know of anyone "in their local area" who is not paying their fair share of tax. Critics said it was "un-British" of the HMRC to try to turn "children into state spies". The news came after a Treasury minister said it was “morally wrong” for home owners to negotiate discounts with plumbers and traders by paying them in cash if it allowed them to evade tax. HMRC has set up teaching modules to guide children through the hazards of pay as you earn and National Insurance contributions.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dark Knight’ shooting suspect James Holmes claims amnesia
NY Daily News - The accused mass murderer keeps asking ‘Why am I here?’ a jail staffer reports. Holmes is also complaining about the food at the Aarapahoe County Detention Center.

Colo. shooting: Police pleaded for ambulances
DENVER (AP) -- As the horror unfolded for police first on the scene of the Colorado theater massacre, the officers repeatedly sent out urgent pleas for more ambulances even as a two-man crew and their rig were idling just a few miles away.... While some ambulances were quickly called to duty, it took dispatchers more than 20 minutes into the crisis to ask the Cunningham Fire Protection District and other nearby agencies to provide aid at the multiplex in suburban Denver.

DHS wants to use spy drones domestically for 'public safety'
RT - The United States already uses surveillance drones on its borders, but Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said during a hearing on Wednesday that flying unmanned aircraft inside the US could be the next step to ensuring “public safety.” Sec. Napolitano weighed in on the topic of unmanned aerial vehicles during this week’s Committee on Homeland Security and suggested that implementing UAVs for domestic surveillance could the next step in the United States’ amazingly accelerating drone program.

N.J. Wants to Outsource Radioactive Garbage to South Carolina
Activist Post - In yet another example of how the nation’s waste management methods are absolutely unsustainable, a long-running debate between two waste disposal companies and a South Carolina environmental regulatory agency regarding the shipping of 300 railcars containing about 60,000 to 78,000 tons worth of radioactive dirt from New Jersey to South Carolina landfills is beginning to heat up yet again.

Pentagon’s 30,000-pound bunker-buster ‘superbomb’ ready for use
RT - The biggest conventional bomb ever developed is ready to wreak destruction upon the enemies of the US. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said its record-breaking bunker-buster has become operational after years of testing.... The Pentagon has spent $330 million to develop and deliver more than 20 of the precision-guided Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-busters, which are designed to blast through up to 200 feet of concrete.

Batman Murders: The Blood Trail, The Neck Wound, The 2nd Gas Mask
NoMoreFakeNews.com - Citizen journalists are outdistancing everybody on the Batman murders.... First, the heavy blood trail outside the Aurora theater, in the back parking lot, has been wrongly attributed to a neck wound suffered by one of the victims, Allie Young. When viewed in the hospital, her scar doesn’t look serious enough to account for a massive blood loss, and the wound isn’t even dressed. Why would anyone lie about this?... There was a second gas mask found lying outside the theater at the back of the building. This would not have been Holmes’ mask. It would have belonged to a second killer. I’m not saying the meaning of these clues I’ve just listed is airtight and absolutely final. I’m saying they send the case in entirely new directions.

Lil Wayne Video Featured Skeletons in a Theater Prior to Batman Massacre
Infowars.com - Fans of the fourth richest rapper in the world Lil Wayne will be disheartened to learn that he may have had a sinister hand in the build up to the Batman massacre psy-op. His most recent music video for the song “My Homies Still” features imagery closely related to the Batman movie among other disturbing coincidences including, most shocking of all, 12 skeletons sitting in a movie theater while Wayne and his crew rap and dance.
Related Video: illuminati 'My Homies Still' & The Dark Knight Rises Shootings Connected?...

VIDEO: Second Amendment: It’s Not About Hunting, It’s About Tyranny
Kurt Nimmo | Far too many Americans have no idea why the Second Amendment is the cornerstone to the Bill of Rights. Now that Obama has tested the water on government gun control with a speech delivered before the National Urban League, we can expect the divisive issue to play a role in his re-election campaign.

Bombshell: Leaked UN Treaty Does Ban Guns
Aaron Dykes | Treacherous wording upholds “States” gun rights but not individuals; could be signed by July 27.... It makes specific note that the treaty places no limit upon greater gun control efforts within individual nations, and additionally places no expiration on the agreement. The scope of this language proves the analysis by Infowars (1, 2, 3, 4), writers at Forbes and many other publications that have been warning about this deceptive encroachment to be correct– there is an effort to disarm America underway. The devil, as usual, is in the details.

US Military and Local Police Working Together on American Streets
Susanne Posel - USNORTHCOM and Leon Panetta, US Secretary of Defense, has readily admitted that US armed forces will collaborate with local law enforcement “if called upon”. In fact, more than 20,000 troops were brought home and readied for deployment within the US to assist in “civil unrest and crowd control”. The US military will prop up the US Secret Service “for operational security reasons we do not discuss the numbers of military personnel and resources that are involved. Additionally, we do not share our operational plans,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. William G. Lewis.

Chicago Alderman Moves to Ban Business for Politically Incorrect View on Gays
Kurt Nimmo - Business that does not tote the political agenda of government will not be allowed to operate. In Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago, the Alderman controlling Logan Square wants to block Chick-fil-A from opening a store because its CEO opposes gay marriage.... In other words, business that does not tote the political agenda of government – and the United Nations – will not be allowed to operate. Like the former Soviet Union, Chicago will only permit business (called “enterprises” in the Soviet Union) to exist if it follows the political dictates of government.

2012 Election News

Veterans for Ron Paul March on the RNC !
Adam Kokesh - Veterans for Liberty Super PAC invites you to join us for Veterans for Ron Paul March on the RNC. Read the call to action.

Romney Proves Himself to Be Irrelevant, Vows to Fight Medical Marijuana
Activist Post - Recently on the campaign trail Mitt Romney said that he would fight marijuana legalization "tooth and nail". During a town hall meeting in the "Live Free or Die" state, New Hampshire, Romney used the same tired argument that marijuana leads to a "culture of drugs" in young people. This argument is increasingly becoming ridiculous, and the voting public knows it; all except the probably inebriated paid staffers clapping in the background.

VIDEO: MSNBC Guest: Romney Could End Up Withdrawing From GOP Race Before Convention
realclearpolitics.com - Mediaite: On his MSNBC show today, Al Sharpton opened by focusing on Mitt Romney‘s tax returns and increasing pressure from Republicans and conservatives for the GOP candidate to release more of them. Guest Catherine Crier said that it is certainly fair to look into that aspect of Romney’s background, and even threw out the notion that Romney might withdraw as the Republican nominee before the convention.

Ron Paul Legacy Award at YAL Convention
Daily Caller - Hundreds of young libertarians gathered Wednesday night to celebrate the legacy of retiring Rep. Ron Paul hours after the House passed legislation to audit the Federal Reserve that the Texas congressman has been pushing for years. “We had a little vote today in the House of Representatives,” Paul said to roaring applause at the Young Americans for Liberty event in his honor.... The group held a “Ron Paul Legacy” event to honor the congressman’s twelve-terms in the House. Paul, who ran for president as a Republican in 2008 and 2012, and as a Libertarian in 1988, will retire from Congress this year.

Retiring Ron Paul may distract from Romney fanfare at convention
(Reuters) - For all the drama that surrounded the Republican primary season, the convention to formally nominate Mitt Romney as the party's candidate for president is likely to be suspense-free. Well, maybe not completely. Aside from Romney's coronation, the August 27-30 convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum will host another show: Ron Paul's farewell. The 76-year-old representative from Texas will retire from Congress after November's elections, capping a long and colorful career. He is looking to take some of the limelight away from his former rival in the primaries.

Economy

YouTube: Judge Napolitano: I support Ron Paul's Audit the Fed Bill
Fox Business Jul 25, 2012.

Paycheck-to-paycheck: US households barely getting by
RT - More than one-third of American households are barely able to manage their bills, getting by financially only paycheck-to-paycheck, a new study reveals. Research out of the Consumer Federation of America and the Consumer Planner Board of Standards, Inc. suggests that Americans are less well off now than during the Clinton administration, with 38 percent of households questioned — nearly two-fifths — saying they are only barely able to get by.

VIDEO: Tim Geithner Admits Banks (And AIG) Were Bailed Out At Rigged Libor Rates, Costing Taxpayers Billions
Daily Bail - One-minute clip from yesterday of Geithner being questioned by Rep. Hensarling regarding the Fed's and Treasury's decision to use an artificially low Libor as the interest rate on hundreds of billions in crisis loans to AIG and other bailed-out banks.

CORZINE CRONYISM BOMBSHELL - High Ranking DOJ Lawyers And AG Eric Holder Were Partners In Firm That Represented MF Global
Daily Bail - Those wondering why the Department of Justice has refused to go after Jon Corzine for the vaporization of $1.6 billion in MF Global client funds need look no further than the documents uncovered by the Government Accountability Institute that reveal that the now-defunct MF Global was a client of Attorney General Eric Holder and Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer’s former law firm, Covington & Burling.

Energy & Environment

Infrastructure literally melts under record heat in the US
RT - As jets get stuck in melting asphalt, highways crack and form new “speed bumps,” and storms wipe out countless power lines, the US is becoming alarmed by the effect of the weather on its infrastructure. With temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 40 degrees Celcius), a New York subway train derailed after the heat stretched the track, forming a sharp angle. In Texas, the clay-rich soils under highways have been shrinking and cracking, the New York Times reported.

Health

MRSA cases in academic hospitals double in five years
ScienceDaily - Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) doubled at academic medical centers in the U.S. between 2003 and 2008, according to a report published in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

GSK whistleblower says Glaxo Marketing VP 'Sir' Andrew Witty was deeply involved in massive criminal cover-up
(NaturalNews) The recent landmark ruling against drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which as we recently reported led to a massive criminal fine of more than $3 billion and a guilty plea by the company of committing felony crimes, was followed by an apology from GSK Vice President of Marketing "Sir" Andrew Witty for the company's "past" failures. But according to whistleblower Gregory Thorpe, the apology is meaningless, as Witty had been working for GSK during the years when the company was proven to have been engaged in illegal activity, and was more than likely involved in it.

Popular MS drugs don't prevent disability, research finds
(NaturalNews) A new study has found this most common and popular of MS drugs has little or no effect on halting a patient's progression towards disability, The New York Times and other media reported. The drug does seem to help reduce the development of brain lesions while limiting the frequency of relapses. But other than that, it appears to be pretty worthless; up to now, few other studies have examined the long-term, overall effect of interferon beta that would demonstrate how effective it is at preventing the beginning of the non-reversible disability.

Cinnamon beats Alzheimers
(NaturalNews) The miracle spice cinnamon is the scented bark of a tropical evergreen tree, native to India and Sri Lanka. Cinnamon comes from an evergreen tree in Southeast Asia and is cultivated widely in Vietnam, China, Burma, and Laos for its bark and the oil processed from the bark.

Brew up a bounty of healthful benefit with coffee
(NaturalNews) A surprising trend is cropping up among the general population: drinking coffee as a powerful health promoting beverage. Not only does coffee help to boost energy and clarify the mind, research has shown it to be an important source of antioxidants. To maximize the benefit and minimize potential health risk, it is vital for individuals to be selective about the coffee they consume.

Study: Radiation Therapy Can Make Cancers 30x More Malignant
Green Med Info - Following on the heels of recent revelations that x-ray mammography may be contributing to an epidemic of future radiation-induced breast cancers, in a new article titled, "Radiation Treatment Generates Therapy Resistant Cancer Stem Cells From Aggressive Breast Cancer Cells," published in the journal Cancer July 1st, 2012, researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center report that radiation treatment actually drives breast cancer cells into greater malignancy.

Cardiac CTA Emits Radiation Equal to 600 Chest X-Rays
Natural Society - According to researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, a cardiac CTA exposes patients to the same amount of radiation as 600 chest X-rays - an amount of radiation also close to a single piece of radioactive food.

Healthy Eating Shopping Tips
By Russell Blaylock, MD, CCN - One of the more difficult things for the shopping public to do is to decide which foods in the supermarket are bad for one’s health and which are healthy. Not only are we inundated with conflicting advice from public health authorities, but the labels on our foods are equally confusing, if not more so. Here are some general rules.

High Fat Healing
Green Med Info - A low fat diet is good for people who have eaten lots of meat and cheese and fat during their lives; it will help them re-balance and return to a more healthful equilibrium. On the other hand, a low fat diet is bad for people who have been eating raw food, fruit and vegetables for most of their lives. Not only that, a high fat diet is good for people with neurological disorders, particularly seizures.

Science & Technology

Reverse-Engineered Irises Look So Real, They Fool Eye-Scanners
Wired - The academics have found a way to recreate iris images that match digital iris codes that are stored in databases and used by iris-recognition systems to identify people. The replica images, they say, can trick commercial iris-recognition systems into believing they’re real images and could help someone thwart identification at border crossings or gain entry to secure facilities protected by biometric systems.

Skype handing over more chat data to law enforcement
arstechnica.com - Skype has expanded its cooperation with law enforcement in the United States, making text chats and user information more available to police, according to a new report in the Washington Post. Real-time audio and video surveillance remains “impractical,” the paper concluded, “but that barrier could eventually vanish as Skype becomes one of the world’s most popular forms of telecommunication.” Many have blamed Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in May 2011, and subsequent technical changes to the VoIP app’s architecture. Citing an anonymous source, The Post said that police surveillance of online chats “had been made since last year.”

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

PUBLIC RED VIGIL ALERT: Raw milk advocate James Stewart seized by armed bounty hunters driving unmarked vehicles with no plates
(NaturalNews) James Stewart, the 65-year-old raw "milk man" and founder of Rawesome Foods, was assaulted near his home today by three armed men driving unmarked luxury vehicles with no license plates. Carrying firearms on their hips and dressed in gangster-style street clothes, Satanic T-shirt imagery and tattoos, they claimed to be making an "arrest" and verbally assaulted James, forcing his head against a car and screaming, according to witnesses, "You better listen to me or you're gonna have a bad f*ckin' day!" A partial video of the incident was captured by a witness. That video link is here.

Health Ranger interviews health freedom attorney Jonathan Emord about Rawesome raids
(NaturalNews) This is the transcript of an interview with health freedom attorney Jonathan Emord. See the original video on TV.NaturalNews.com.

Tell Congress not to let Agribusiness write its own rules!
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund - On the heels of the "Monsanto rider" inserted into the House Agriculture Appropriations Bill a few weeks ago, the Biotech industry managed to insert several more damaging provisions into the House version of the Farm Bill. Together, these GMO industry-promoting provisions; override judicial review of GMO crops found to have been approved illegally, gut any real review by the USDA of new GMO crops, and create a forced backdoor approval of "Agent Orange" corn and other currently pending GMO crops. There is even a provision to establish, for the first time, a policy recognizing "allowable" level of GMO contamination in our food.

Is Your Garden Poisoning You?
Prevention - Lead Found In City Gardens. You may think the biggest threat to your garden is a determined bunny with a hankering for your spinach, but there’s a much more dangerous threat lurking beneath the surface: lead. And a whole lot of it—especially if you live in or near a major city, finds a new government study.

Rediscovered Roots: These uncommon vegetables are short on glamour but rich with culinary possibilities
Organic Gardening - Cultivating something old, but new to our gardens, is a wonderful way to connect with our ancestors—or in this case, with our “roots.” And daikon, celeriac, salsify, and scorzonera are root vegetables with old-world associations. Although common in European or Asian cooking, these crops barely register with American gardeners today. What a shame: All four offer nutritious top greens as well as flavorful roots that extend the harvest season well into winter. It’s time more gardeners tried these honorable heirlooms.


Today in History - Thursday - July 26, 2012
1775 - A postal system was established by the 2nd Continental Congress of the United States. The first Postmaster General was Benjamin Franklin.
1788 - New York became the 11th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1881 - Thomas Edison and Patrick Kenny execute a patent application for a facsimile telegraph (U.S. Pat. 479,184).
1907 - The Chester was launched. It was the first turbine-propelled ship.
1908 - U.S. Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte issued an order that created an investigative agency that was a forerunner of the FBI.
1945 - Winston Churchill resigned as Britain's prime minister.
1947 - U.S. President Truman signed The National Security Act. The act created the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
1948 - U.S. President Truman signed executive orders that prohibited discrimination in the U.S. armed forces and federal employment.
1952 - King Farouk I of Egypt abdicated in the wake of a coup led by Gamal Abdel Nasser.
1953 - Fidel Castro began his revolt against Fulgencio Batista with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba. Castro eventually ousted Batista six years later.
1956 - Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal.
1971 - Apollo 15 was launched from Cape Kennedy, FL.
1998 - AT&T and British Telecommunications PLC announced they were forming a joint venture to combine international operations and develop a new Internet system.
 

World News

Bulgaria bomb blast: Iran accuses Israel of killing its own citizens
RT - Iran's UN envoy says it was Israel who plotted and staged the Bulgarian bus attack, buffing off allegations his country was behind the tragedy. The suicide bomb attack on a bus in the Bulgarian city of Burgas on July 18 killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver and injured over 30 more. Israel was quick to point the finger at Iran, accusing Tehran and its “Hezbollah proxy” of staging the bombing.

US, Israel discuss Syria attack
Press TV - A new report has unveiled that Pentagon officials were in talks with Israeli defense officials about whether Israel might move to attack Syria and destroy the Arab nation’s weapons facilities. In the report published Wednesday, The New York Times cited two American officials as saying that the Obama administration is not advocating such an attack because of its possible international consequences. U.S. President Barack Obama’s national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, was in Israel over the weekend and discussed the Syrian crisis with officials there, a White House official said.

Drone operations over Somalia pose danger to air traffic -UN
RT - While the US keeps a low profile on its drone operations around the world, the UN has released a report saying that unmanned aircraft over Somalia pose a danger to air traffic and potentially violate an arms embargo against the country. The UN monitoring group on Somalia cites several narrowly averted disasters including drones crashing into a refugee camp, flying dangerously close to a fuel depot and almost colliding with a large passenger plane over the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the Washington Post reports.

Exclusive: Prosecutors, regulators close to making Libor arrests
Reuters July 22 2012 - U.S. prosecutors and European regulators are close to arresting individual traders and charging them with colluding to manipulate global benchmark interest rates, according to people familiar with a sweeping investigation into the rigging scandal. Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have recently contacted lawyers representing some of the suspects to notify them that criminal charges and arrests could be imminent, said two of those sources, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is ongoing.

American fast food diet unleashes disease epidemic sweeping across Asia
(NaturalNews) According to a recent study published in the journal Circulation, globalization continues to usher U.S.-style fast food into East Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia, where natives, especially those from the younger generations, are quickly adopting things like hamburgers and fries in place of their traditional fare. And based on the data, this Western fast food craze is responsible for a significant uptick in cases of diabetes and heart disease.

War voyeurs: Israeli tourists watch Syria battles from safe distance
RT - Armed with binoculars and cameras, tourists in Israel are flocking to the Golan Heights in the hope of seeing the bloody conflict in neighboring Syria, sparking a trend among tour operators. In this day and age, whale watching apparently just doesn’t cut it any longer. t’s far more entertaining to watch your neighbors bomb and shoot the living daylights out of each other – from the safe distance of, say, the Golan Heights. This is, apparently, the latest craze among Israelis, who flock to vantage points near the country’s border with Syria to observe the ongoing clashes, according to the Times of Israel.

Libor fixing should become criminal offence, EU says
RT - The European Commission has proposed making interest rate fixing a criminal offence - a move it hopes would help” put an end to criminal activity in the banking sector”. Manipulating benchmark rates, such as Libor and Euribor, will be added to insider dealing as criminal offences, the Commission said in a statement. It wants EU members to pass new laws. Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding presented the amendments on Wednesday to impose criminal penalties on manipulation.

12 Signs That Spain Is Shifting Gears From Recession To Depression
The Economic Collapse - Now we are watching a virtual replay of what happened in Greece take place in Spain. Unfortunately, the global financial system may not be able to handle a complete implosion of the Spanish economy. The following are 12 signs that Spain is shifting gears from recession to depression.

Olympic mascots made for Locog in Chinese 'sweatshop' factories
Guardian - Olympics merchandise for London 2012 is being produced in sweatshop conditions with staff earning as little as £6 a day, despite organisers promising to clean up its supply chain, according to a new report. Activists in China spoke to dozens of factory workers and discovered staff were forced to work up to 120 hours overtime a month, nearly three times the legal limit. At one factory, staff had to buy their own safety masks and were fined half a day's salary if they were five minutes late to work.

UK to Give Flu Vaccine to Every Child
Gaia Health - With the stated purpose of protecting the old, not the children, the UK government plans to give the influenza vaccine to every child in the country every year. This is a £100 million boon to AstraZeneca, whose FluMist nasal vaccine will be used.

Vast aquifer found in Namibia could last for centuries
BBC - A newly discovered water source in Namibia could have a major impact on development in the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa. Estimates suggest the aquifer could supply the north of the country for 400 years at current rates of consumption. Scientists say the water is up to 10,000 years old but is cleaner to drink than many modern sources. However, there are concerns that unauthorised drilling could threaten the new supply.

Russia: Nearly 250 human fetuses dumped in forest aged at 5-6 months
RT - (Graphic photos) Investigators say all 248 fetuses discovered in a Urals forest were likely intended for use in scientific research. Most were terminated after the fifth month of pregnancy. According to police, forensic examinations showed most of the fetuses were terminated at 22-26 weeks of pregnancy. Initially, it was thought they were 12-16 weeks. All the fetuses were mummified.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Shooter James Holmes and DARPA Weird Science
Kurt Nimmo - Appearing on the Alex Jones Show today, investigative journalist Wayne Madsen said accused shooter James Holmes had a number of links to U.S. government-funded research centers, including the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. James Holmes was one of six recipients of a National Institutes of Health Neuroscience Training Grant at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, Madsen writes for the Wayne Madsen Report.

VIDEO: Reality Check: Does Rapper Ice T Know More About The 2nd Amendment Than Journalists?
Liberty Crier - Ben Swann discusses the historical accuracy of rapper/music artist Ice-T’s comments on the real reason for the 2nd Amendment. Ice-T states the 2nd Amendment exists to ensure the people have a means of self defense against tyranny of both foreign and domestic origins. Ben Swann agrees, Ice-T is correct.

VIDEO: Michael Moore Pleads For Gun Control After The Colorado Theater Shooting: ‘I’m Sick Of This’
Business Insider - More than a decade after he released his documentary “Bowling For Columbine,” about another tragic Colorado massacre, filmmaker Michael Moore says he is “sick” of having to keep addressing the issue of gun control. In an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan last night, Moore pleaded for more restrictive measures on gun ownership in the wake of the horrific massacre in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater last week.

U.S. government's secret wiretaps violate the Constitution, rules court
(NaturalNews) The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ruled recently that the National Security Agency - the nation's premier global spy - has, "on at least one occasion," violated the Constitution's Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. The ruling from the secret U.S. national security court is the first time the federal government has acknowledged its spy activities overstepped legal parameters since passage of a law in 2008 "that overhauled surveillance laws following the uproar over the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program in the George W. Bush Administration," The Wall Street Journal reported.

VIDEO: How the US is transforming and expanding its military bases around the world
Press TV - In an interview with Press TV's U.S. Desk Vine said the Pentagon has been using a new strategy of “lily pad” bases instead of its huge bases it had at the time of the Cold War. He said the new strategy would greatly endanger both the security interests of the United States and that of the world.

YouTube: Where Are The Photos Of This Stuff? (It's Like Bin Laden All Over Again)
CNN July 24, 2012 - "Inside Massacre Suspect's Death Trap"

CFR Globalists Say Don’t Worry - “Your Guns Are In Safe Hands”
Activist Post - It’s funny, I was worried about my Second Amendment rights just a moment ago, but now that the Council On Foreign Relations, a global governance think tank and inbred cesspool of despotic elitism, has explained the situation to me, I suddenly feel at ease. In preparation for the fast approaching UN summit on “international conventional arms trade” in New York, the CFR has published yet another disinformation piece skewing the facts and twisting reality to lull Americans into a state of apathy.

VIDEO: TSA Expands Invasion To CA Train Stations & Bus Terminals
Paul Joseph Watson - Footage shot at the Oceanside Transit Center in Southern California documents how the rollout of TSA workers is expanding out of the airports and into train stations and bus terminals.... “We’re doing patrols in the parking lot with dogs, we’re even going as far out to the train station because the train station is connected to the airport here and we have guys walking around the train station, walking around the rental cars, we’re inspecting cars coming into the parking garage, I mean we’ve fully expanded – we’re no longer just at the gate and just at the security checkpoint,” said the whistleblower, a TSA supervisor.

Since 1989 Lockheed Martin Placed 257 of Their People on 135 Government Advisory Committees
americafirstsite.com - Lockheed Martin, the largest arms merchant in the world, is eager to keep filling up from the taxpayers’ money spigot. With annual revenues of about $45 billion, it invests its profits in influence, especially in Washington, where since 1989 Lockheed has donated $23 million to political campaigns, spent $125 million on lobbying; received $20 million in earmarks; received 31 grants and 15,358 contracts from the federal government; and placed 257 of their people on 135 government advisory committees.

Quick fix? US solves F-22 Raptor hypoxia mystery
RT - The US Air Force determined that constricting altitude vests were to blame for a spate of F-22 Raptor jet pilots fainting, sometimes mid-flight. But ground crews exhibiting the same symptoms suggest a contaminated oxygen supply could be the culprit. The Air Force claims it is “confident” it has identified the issue, and will be lifting the flight restrictions on the F-22 imposed by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Mike Bloomberg, Health Cop: Mayor Takes Aim At Booze
The Trenches - First he came for your smokes. Then he came for your trans-fats. Then he came for your sugary drinks — and now Mayor Mike Bloomberg has your booze in his sights. In the mayor’s latest effort to protect you from yourself, the city Health Department now plans to tackle alcohol abuse in the Big Apple, starting with a mass, 50-question telephone survey to get a handle on how serious a problem it actually is.

2012 Election News

Romney: Obama Doesn’t Love Israel Enough
antiwar.com - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in an address on Tuesday that President Obama has not been enough of an ally to Israel, and Israelis deserve a more loyal US president. Speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Reno, Nevada on his upcoming visit to Israel, Romney played the old, predictable political card of who’s a more committed, blind follower and supporter of Israel. It was done purely for political points, and had no substantive motivation or relation to reality.

Pennsylvania Voter Law Put to Test in Grandmother’s Suit
Bloomberg - Pennsylvania’s new voter- identification law is unnecessary and will unduly burden the poor and elderly, a lawyer for a great-great-grandmother who is challenging the statute told a judge.... The new requirement may disqualify 186,830 potential voters in Philadelphia, almost 25 percent the adult residents of the state’s largest city, according to the state’s estimates.

Veteran News

VA Must Disclose Veteran Drug Test Documents
Courthouse News - Veterans won another court order requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to hand over more documents about its Cold War-era drug experiments on thousands of Vietnam veterans. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in Oakland, Calif., said the documents requested were "squarely relevant" to the claim that the government failed to adequately notify veterans of the chemicals they were exposed to and what that exposure might do to their health.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

NYPD accused of ‘widespread human rights violations’
Press TV - The New York Police Department has shown "a pattern of abusive and unaccountable protest policing" during the Occupy protests, a wide consortium of legal experts detail in a report (PDF) issued on Wednesday. The lawyers say NYPD officers violated human rights in hundreds of instances, yet "there has been near-complete impunity for alleged abuses." Only one officer has been disciplined throughout the protests that started last fall.

Economy

Ron Paul Wins, Bernanke Loses As 'Audit The Fed' Bill Is Approved Overwhelmingly
Daily Bail 7/25/12 - The vote was 327-98... In a rare bipartisan consensus, and definitely without the expressed, written consent of The Bernank, the House today overwhelmingly approved Ron Paul's bill (H.R. 459) to provide for a complete audit of the Federal Reserve. All attention turns now to the Senate and the sister bill (S.202), where two years ago H.R. 1207 was weakened significantly. (Bloomberg) Similar legislation, S. 202, was introduced in the Senate by Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky and Ron Paul’s son. The Senate bill, which has 21 Republican cosponsors, hasn’t been considered by the Senate Banking Committee.

VIDEO: Ron Paul questioning Timothy Geithner
C-SPAN 7/25/12.

VIDEO: Ron Paul on Bloomberg News: Bernanke 'Wants Secrecy,' Not Transparency
Daily Paul 7/25/12 - "If the Congress had the guts..." we would pass the Audit the Fed legislation!

Harry Reid vows Federal Transparency Act will never be voted on in the Senate
Examiner 7/25/12 - Harry Reid. The Senate Majority Leader and Nevada Democrat has vowed the Federal Reserve Transparency Act will not be put to a vote in the Senate.... Ron Paul supporters have already begun to get active online, sharing the contact information to Harry Reid's office. One supporter called his office instantly, claiming that he would be encouraging his friends to vote Harry Reid out of office. The contact information being shared is the following...

Break Up Big Banks: Sandy Weill
Denver Post - Former Citigroup (C) Chairman Sanford "Sandy" Weill said on Wednesday that it's time for the United States to "go and split up investment banking from banking." In an interview on CNBC, Weill -- who led the 1998 merger of Travelers Group and Citicorp to form Citigroup -- said that the financial crisis "was created by too much concentration in investments in the banking system, way too much leverage, and very little transparency with lots of off-balance sheet things that didn't really count, and I think a lot of those things have to change."

Where is Obama’s Promised Minimum-Wage Hike?
Common Dreams - During the 2008 campaign, presidential candidate Barack Obama made a pledge to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 per hour by 2011. Promises like this one inspired a generation of young voters, excited long-neglected progressive voters and gave hope to millions of his supporters across the country.... t is now four years later, and there has been no increase to the minimum wage. There has been no congressional vote, much less a whisper from the White House on the minimum wage.... The U.S. has the lowest minimum wage by far among large Western industrialized countries.

100 Million Poor People In America And 39 Other Facts About Poverty That Will Blow Your Mind
The Economic Collapse - Every single day more Americans fall into poverty. This should deeply alarm you no matter what political party you belong to and no matter what your personal economic philosophy is. Right now, approximately 100 million Americans are either "poor" or "near poor". For a lot of people "poverty" can be a nebulous concept, so let's define it. The poverty level as defined by the federal government in 2010 was $11,139 for an individual and $22,314 for a family of four. Could you take care of a family of four on less than $2000 a month?

Housing Market

VIDEO: Millions of houses empty in US but homelessness rising
Press TV - Cameron Whitten, a social justice activist who has been on hunger strike since June 2, says his act is aimed at drawing the attention of fellow Americans to injustice being done to the homeless in the United States. “There are 3.5 million homeless people in America despite the fact that we have over 80 million empty homes right now,” he said in his interview with the U.S. Desk on Wednesday. He added that in Portland alone, "there are over 2,000 people who sleep on the streets every night.”

Health

Did you know that 'natural' foods can still contain GMOs? The main difference between 'organic' and 'natural'
(NaturalNews) When it comes to "natural" and "organic," there is a main difference you need to be aware of. One is strictly regulated and the other label can mean, well just about anything. An organic label means that the product is strictly regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is good news for all you "organic" shoppers, it means that organic products are regulated from start to finish, assuring that it doesn't contain certain ingredients found in non-organic foods and products.

What do 'Raw Fooders' actually eat?
(NaturalNews) A revealing and controversial e-book that was a labor of love for years by author Nomi Shannon is now available on the Webseed Empowerment Platform. "What Do Raw Fooders Eat?" lets you, essentially, visit the homes of 48 busy people who describe themselves as thriving on raw foods, peek inside their private kitchens, and "spy"on them as they prepare their meals for an entire week?

Vitamin D revealed to be miracle anti-cancer 'drug' with astonishing chemical properties
(NaturalNews) A new study published this month finds that the hormonally active form of vitamin D, Calcitriol 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), inhibits the growth of many kinds of cancerous cells, including breast cancer, indicating that vitamin D3 can be useful in treating and even preventing a variety of cancers. Authors of the study said that caner cell growth is inhibited by "anticancer actions including cell cycle arrest, promotion of apoptosis and inhibition of invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis." Vitamin D's anti-inflammatory properties and interference with estrogen synthesis further explains its anti-tumor properties.

Protect your child from the dangers of Ritalin - Four Homeopathic remedies to treat ADHD and ADD
(NaturalNews) Anecdotal evidence seen by parents, teachers and homeopaths indicates the efficacy of homeopathic treatment for ADHD children; even though clinical trials have produced mixed results. A major factor influencing the success of homeopathic treatment involves finding a qualified and knowledgeable homeopathic practitioner to administer a well-chosen remedy. Many remedies are available to help children and adults suffering from ADHD and ADD, and a series of remedies may be needed to bring about the desired cure. Organizations such as the National Center for Homeopathy provide online lists of practitioners to assist families in locating homeopaths in their areas. Do not self-treat if you or your child suffers from this disorder.

Cancer physician speaks out about cancer fraud
(NaturalNews) Nicholas Gonzalez, M.D. reveals how his enzyme-based approach was deliberately designed to fail compared to conventional (chemotherapy) treatment protocols for cancer. The next NaturalNews Talk Hour will forever change the way you look at "modern" cancer research and western medicine. Visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com...

VIDEO: Mass Murders And The SSRIs Connection
beforeitsnews.com - There are numerous examples of people who have gone off on a shooting rampage and killed their classmates, their co-workers, members of their family and often took their own lives, then it was shortly discovered that they were taking an antidepressant. The apparency is that the person was mentally ill and went on a rage but when these cases have actually been looked at closer, what we find is that the person did not have any violent tendencies and in most cases was not even suicidal before they started treatment with their antidepressant medication.

Pharmaceutical Drugs are 62,000 Times More Likely to Kill You than Supplements
Dr. Mercola - Official UK and EU data reveals that you are 900 times more likely to die from food poisoning than nutritional supplements, and compared to supplements, you’re 300,000 times more likely to die from a preventable medical injury during a hospital stay in the UK. Adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs are 62,000 times more likely to kill you than food supplements, and 7,750 times more likely to kill you than herbal remedies.

9 Natural Remedies for Hair Loss and Hair Thinning
Natural Society - Many men, and less often women, often deal with the hardships of hair loss, and accepting this problem can be quite difficult. Fortunately, while hair loss is largely genetic, a good diet can encourage healthy hair growth and even possibly reduce balding. Furthermore, there are a number of natural remedies for hair loss and hair thinning, so you don’t need to go straight to the drug store for pharmaceuticals.

Science & Technology

YouTube: Mini-drones to take your DNA?
RT - In the past two decades, technology has advanced quicker than in any other time frame in history. From cloning animals to flying drones to androids, science-fiction seems to becoming more of a science-fact. But what if flying drones can take a DNA sample or inserting a tracking chip in your body? RT's Kristine Frazao has more.

Infographic: Crash Course on the Internet Piracy Debate
Activist Post - Lawmakers continue to push for strict Internet control legislation at the behest of establishment mega-media. Congressmen such as Lamar Smith have even gone as far as to propose government IP Czars to supplant the wave of private copyright trolls filing frivolous lawsuits.
Despite the government's history of failed attempts to control the Internet, the legal battle for control over the Internet rages on.

Swimming ‘Jellyfish’ Built out of Rat Cells & Silicone
Live Science - ‘Using rat heart cells and silicone polymer, researchers have bioengineered a ‘jellyfish’ that knows how to swim.’ The odd jellyfish mimic, dubbed a “Medusoid” by its creators, is more than a curiosity. It’s a natural biological pump, just like the human heart. That makes it a good model to use to study cardiac physiology, said study researcher Kevin Kit Parker, a bioengineer at Harvard University.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

GMO wars - Monsanto suing DuPont to see who will dominate the world's food supply
(NaturalNews) Biotechnology giant Monsanto is suing one of its largest rivals, DuPont, for what the company says are violations of a licensing agreement established between the two firms back in 2002. And at the very same time, DuPont is suing Monsanto for allegedly, illegally withholding important details from the federal patent office about its Roundup Ready trait, as well as for allegedly engaging in anticompetitive business practices that restrict competitive agriculture.

VIDEO: Tomato Seeds Amazingly Sprouting Inside a Tomato
Treehugger - Last week, Redditor Serena Altschul posted these pictures of a tomato seedlings sprouting from inside of a tomato fruit that had been forgotten on a kitchen counter for about a month. Several of the seedlings were cut out of the fruit. The transplanted tomato seedlings survived and soon there were lots of large tomato plants to take care of.

Pet News

The AVMA Plot Thickens
Susan Thixton - Veterinary organizations and partnerships with corporations...how do you feel about that? Is it acceptable to you for a national veterinary organization to accept large donations from...let's say...two animal drug companies and one pet food company? LARGE donations? If you think that's a bad idea, and the thought of such mega-million dollar partnerships makes your blood pressure rise, don't read this article.

Humor & Satire

Humor: You Didn’t Build That!
Infowars - President Obama has corrected the record regarding the means of production…
 


Today in History - Wednesday - July 25, 2012
1759 - British forces defeated a French army at Fort Niagara in Canada.
1805 - Aaron Burr visited New Orleans with plans to establish a new country, with New Orleans as the capital city.
1845 - China granted Belgium equal trading rights with Britain, France and the United States.
1850 - Gold was discovered in the Rogue River in OR.
1861 - The Crittenden Resolution, which called for the American Civil War to be fought to preserve the Union and not for slavery, was passed by the U.S. Congress.
1866 - Ulysses S. Grant was named General of the Army. He was the first American officer to hold the rank.
1868 - The U.S. Congress passed an act creating the Wyoming Territory.
1909 - French aviator Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel in a monoplane. He traveled from Calais to Dover in 37 minutes. He was the first man to fly across the channel.
1914 - Russia declared that it would act to protect Serbian sovereignty.
1924 - Greece announced the deportation of 50,000 Armenians.
1941 - The U.S. government froze all Japanese and Chinese assets.
1943 - Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was overthrown in a coup.
1946 - The U.S. detonated an atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. It was the first underwater test of the device.
1952 - Puerto Rico became a self-governing commonwealth of the U.S.
1984 - Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space. She was aboard the orbiting space station Salyut 7.
1994 - Israel and Jordan formally ended the state of war that had existed between them since 1948.
1998 - The USS Harry S. Truman was commissioned and put into service by the U.S. Navy.
1999 - Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France. He was only the second American to win the race.
2010 - WikiLeaks leaked to the public more than 90,000 internal reports involving the U.S.-led War in Afghanistan from 2004-2010.
 

World News

US position on Syria directly endorses terrorism - Lavrov
Washington’s reaction to blasts in Damascus is a downright justification of terrorism, slams Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. US State Department announced that terror acts in Syria are not surprising in light of the Assad regime’s actions. “This is direct endorsement of terrorism. How are we supposed to understand that?” Sergey Lavrov shared his astonishment at a press conference in Moscow. “This is a sinister position, I cannot find words to express our attitude towards that.”

Russia warns Syria against using chemical weapons
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia chided its longtime ally Syria on Tuesday over its threat to use chemical weapons in case of a foreign attack, but Moscow gave no sign it was abandoning President Bashar Assad's regime, despite growing international condemnation over the violence in the Arab country.

Turkey blocks truck route into Syria
BEIRUT (AP) -- Turkey sealed its border with Syria to trucks on Wednesday, cutting off a vital supply line to the embattled nation as fighting stretched into its fifth day in the commercial capital of Aleppo. Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan said deteriorating security was behind the closure.

Russia begins increased submarine patrols off the coasts of the United States
Examiner July 22, 2012 - On June 1 or a bit later we will resume constant patrolling of the world's oceans by strategic nuclear submarines," Russian navy Commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said Friday. This in apparent response to the “threat” posed by the United States which has adopted a “pre-emptive war strategy” and is considered by Russia military and intelligence officials as the single largest military threat to Russia and world peace.

Britain's ex-army commandos train armed rebels in Syria: UK media
Press TV - The Daily Mail and Sunday Express have revealed that the mercenaries have set up training camps in Iraq and on the Syrian border for the armed rebels. British army sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said the militants are receiving instructions in military tactics, weapons handling and communications systems. Groups of 50 militants at a time are being trained by two Mideast-based private security firms which employ former SAS personnel.

‘Israel Will Go to War if Hizbullah Gets Chemical Weapons’
Israel National News - Israel is prepared to intervene militarily if Hizbullah gets a hold of Assad’s chemical weapons, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned in Brussels on Tuesday. "In the moment we see that the Syrians transfer chemical and biological weapons to Hizbullah, this is a red line for us and from our point of view it‘s a clear ‘casus belli,’" Lieberman said, using the Latin expression justifying war.

VIDEO: Iran threatens to ‘strike out’ at any intervention in Syria
RT - President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has friends in the region poised “to strike out” in the event of an intervention into Syria, says a commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The warning was particularly sent to “hated” Arab countries. “None of Syria's friends or the great front of resistance has yet entered the scene, and in the event that this happens, decisive blows will be struck at the enemy, especially the hated Arab rulers,” Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, a spokesman of the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Fars news agency.

Syria Update: What the News Isn't Reporting
Tony Cartalucci - Wider UNSC dissension, Turkish offensive against its own "rebels," and Iraq's rejection of latest "Arab League" statement before massive Al Qaeda attacks. Scratching just below the surface of the Western media's headlines are stories carrying greater implications - stories the West believes are better left untold.

Syrian Gov. alarmed of Fake Syrian Satellite Channel
DayPress News - Syria`s Information Ministry urged Friday Syrian nationals to be cautious and avoid misleading fake media outlets who allege being Syrian official TVs. Syria`s Information Ministry announced that there is a satellite channel using the logo of the Syrian Satellite Channel and broadcasting nationalistic songs in preparation for springing a media ambush which has been uncovered before.

Dirty Deeds: Iranian nuclear program hit by 'AC/DC virus'?
RT - Iranian nuclear facilities have reportedly been attacked by a “music” virus, turning on lab PCs at night and blasting AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Mikko Hypponen, Chief Researcher at Finnish digital security firm F-secure, publicly released a letter he received from an unnamed Iranian scientist. The researcher, who claimed to work for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said that another virus has struck the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran and a secret underground research facility at Fordo, southwest of Tehran.

Saying Goodbye to Libor Won’t Be Easy, but It’s Necessary
Bloomberg - Amid the investigations into manipulation of Libor, policy makers are coming around to the idea that the world needs a new benchmark to price hundreds of trillions of dollars in loans, securities and derivatives. The challenge will be getting banks, investors and borrowers to agree on what that benchmark should be.

Cash-strapped Argentine town holds raffle to see who will be paid
silverdoctors.com - Just when you thought you had seen it all. The broke Argentine town of Bialet Masse has held a raffle to determine which of the town’s 92 employees would receive their paychecks. A lucky 23 were selected to receive their full paychecks. Coming soon to a town near you?

Watch out, Africa, Melinda is coming!
(NaturalNews) Flying under the radar; however, is the partnership between The Gates Foundation and drug giant, Pfizer, and therein lies the dirty little secret. The method of choice to prevent births? Injectable Depo-Provera, long known as a highly dangerous drug. It actually carries a black-box warning on its label, stating that severe bone loss is a consequence of its use. It also thins the vaginal lining, and research is ongoing to investigate the possibility that it increases the risk of breast cancer.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

James Holmes Received $26K Grant From Bethesda-Based National Institutes of Health
CBS News - WNEW News reports that Holmes was awarded a prestigious grant from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It gave the graduate student a $26,000 stipend and paid his tuition for the highly competitive neuroscience program at the University of Colorado in Denver. Holmes was one of six neuroscience students at the school to get the grant money.

First Lawsuit Over James Holmes Massacre
tmz.com - Torrence Brown, Jr. was in Century 16 Theater when Holmes let loose. One of Brown's best friends, A.J. Boik, was shot in the chest and died. Brown, who was not physically injured, claims to now suffer from extreme trauma. Brown has hired attorney Donald Karpel to rep him. Karpel tells TMZ ... he is targeting 3 defendants.

Who's the real brains behind it? Check out the photo...
How did he know what guns to purchase? where did he get $20,000 to purchase the weapons? Why did he tell the police about his apartment?

Gun sales skyrocket after Colorado massacre
RT - Jake Meyers tells the Denver Post that he arrived for work at Rocky Mountain Guns and Ammo on early Friday to find a line of 15 to 20 people waiting outside of the store. Three days later, he said surging gun sales yielded "probably the busiest Monday all year" and that, for the first time all year, firearms classes taught by the store’s staff were booked for three weeks straight. "A lot of it is people saying, 'I didn't think I needed a gun, but now I do,' " Meyers adds. "When it happens in your backyard, people start reassessing — 'Hey, I go to the movies.' "

VIDEO: Reality Check: Unanswered Questions About Colorado Theater Massacre
Liberty Crier - Ben Swann Reality Check takes a look at the questions the national media is not bothering to ask about the Colorado theater massacre.

$400mln panic attack: Navy tech set fire to nuke sub to leave work early
RT - Twenty-four-year-old Casey Fury, who was on medication for anxiety and depression, was charged after he "willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned a vessel, namely the USS Miami, together with building materials and supplies located thereon."

Mayor Bloomberg Says Cops Should Go On Strike Until Americans Give Up Their Guns
Reason.com - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told CNN's Piers Morgan last night that he doesn't "understand why police officers across this country don’t stand up collectively and say we’re going to go on strike, we’re not going to protect you unless you, the public, through your legislature, do what’s required to keep us safe."

US cops catch attempted ‘Batman’ mass-murder copycat with massive arsenal
RT - A man claiming to have attended a showing of the new Batman film with a loaded gun has been caught by Maine cops. Police found handguns, boxes of ammunition and an illegal automatic weapon in his possession.... Mr. Courtois told police that he was traveling to New York, where he planned to shoot one of his former bosses. He added that he had brought a loaded gun to a screening of the new Batman film the previous night.

VIDEO: How to stop a massacre: Surveillance video reveals simple, low-cost solution that works everywhere
(NaturalNews) In the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado Batman movie theater shooting, a surveillance video has surfaced that shows the simple, obvious answer to the question on everybody's mind: How do we stop a massacre? The answer is revealed in the stunning short video shown below. Related article/video: 89-year-old Woman Scares Away Burglars...

25 Reasons Why We Need to Preserve Our 2nd Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Activist Post - It is important that we illustrate how important it is for everyday citizens to have the fundamental right to bear arms in order to defend themselves. According to Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, co-authors of "Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun," law-abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves against criminals as many as 2.5 million times every year -- or about 6,850 times a day!

VIDEO: Richard Rothschild Battles Local Agenda 21
Activist Post - Richard Rothschild was the first county commissioner to officially oppose the United Nations' International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), also known as Local Governments for Sustainability. In fact, Mr. Rothschild won the November 2010 election in Carroll County, Maryland based on his opposition to ICLEI, which is the local UN Agenda 21 Sustainable Development action plan that attacks property and Constitutional rights.

Death was last stop on journey for packed pickup's immigrants
mysanantonio.com - Sunday July 22, 2012. Thirteen people died in the accident and the truck was carrying more than 20 people when the accident took place. The truck is currentlly at the Goliad Sheriff's Office in Goliad, Texas. John Davenport/© San Antonio Express-News.

2012 Election News

Revolution Money Bomb
Help liberty oriented candidates and grassroots projects succeed by giving them the funding fuel they need. Join us this August 15th for an all day liberty moneybomb event.

US Military On Call to Use Force at 2012 Political Conventions
antiwar.com - The US military will be on call to respond and use force in case of unrest at this year’s Democratic and Republican Party National Conventions in Tampa, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina. In a disturbing illustration of the creeping militarization of the day, US Northern Command has admitted that the Army will aid domestic law enforcement if called upon by the Secretary of Defense.

Economy

VIDEO: Santelli Rants: "Ditch The Duct Tape; The Problem Is Insolvency"
Zero Hedge - "What's the difference between the US and Europe?" 'About Six Years' is the punchline that CNBC's Rick Santelli ascribes the apparently magnanimous view that Europe is so much different from us. Between PIMCO's Kashkari pontificating on unsustainable debt (and the Fed's need to 'do something', and Liesman still defending the Fed with all his might, Santelli loses it - noting Kashkari's intelligence, he rhetorically asks "Do you really think [the Fed] is the solution?" - and rightly so.

YouTube: Ron Paul on Fox Business with Gerri Willis
Fox Business 7/24/12 - Interview on the Audit the Fed Bill.

Nestle blames biofuels for skyrocketing food inflation
(NaturalNews) You want to know why food prices are climbing all over the world? Well, the head of Nestle, the world's largest food manufacturer, says it's because we are increasingly burning our food for fuel. In fact, company chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe declared recently, we have begun to rely on food-produced biofuels so much that "the time of cheap foods is over."

YouTube: Ron Paul on Washington Journal
Ron Paul on C-SPAN July 24, 2012 discusses the Audit the Fed bill and answers questions from C-SPAN callers.

VIDEO: Dennis Kucinich Rocks the House in Support of Ron Paul's HR 459 - Audit the Fed
Daily Paul - Dennis Kucinich in support of HR 459.

CBO to employers: Obamacare has $4B more in taxes than expected
Washington Examiner - CBO revised the Obamacare tax burden upward by $4 billion for businesses and $1 billion to $1.5 billion for individual workers.

AP Exclusive: Internal documents shows Obama deportation proposal could cost more than $585M
Daily Journal - The Obama administration's new plan to grant temporary work permits to many young, illegal immigrants who otherwise could be deported may cost more than $585 million and require hiring hundreds of new federal employees to process more than 1 million anticipated requests, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press.

VIDEO: Former Wells Fargo CEO Richard Kovacevich: 2008 Crash Manufactured – Made Insiders Tremendous Amounts of Money
Blacklisted News - Kovacevich talks about the Fed requiring banks to take bailout funds. The Fed and the government needed this money to be loaned out to increase the money supply. By giving member banks more money, the Fed wanted them to loan it out to the public, which would create even more money. Kovacevich says the that regulators simply failed to do their jobs – no new regulations were needed. TARP was simply a coverup for regulators’ corruption and negligence. Financiers profited tremendously from the market collapse, a collapse that they knew was coming because they saw the enormous leverage and risk lenders were taking.

Energy & Environment

Bill Gates funds scheme to spray artificial 'planet-cooling' sulfur particles into atmosphere
(NaturalNews) Geo-engineers are finally coming out of the "chemtrail" closet, as reports are now emerging about deliberate plans in the works to dump untold tons of sulfate chemicals into the atmosphere for the purported purpose of fighting so-called "global warming." The U.K.'s Guardian and others are reporting that a multi-million dollar research fund, which just so happens to have been started and funded by Microsoft founder and vaccine enthusiast Bill Gates, is being used to fund the project. A large balloon hovering at 80,000 feet over Fort Sumner, New Mexico, will release the sulfates into the atmosphere within the next year.

Eyewitness: Mysterious Booms Return To Wisconsin
Paul Joseph Watson - Mysterious booms that plagued several towns in Wisconsin earlier this year appear to have returned, with an eyewitness reporting hearing the strange noises repeatedly over a 30 minute period last night.... The USGS eventually concluded that the booms were caused by an unusual “swarm” of earthquakes that hit a region not noted for its seismic activity. However, a separate seisometer study conducted when the booms briefly returned following the conclusion of the USGS inquiry found that the sounds were not being caused by earthquakes.

YouTube: 7/24/2012 -- Snow and Sleet north of Idaho -- NE SE N SW and W = hail / damaging winds
dutchsinse - The midwest USA continues to have a record heatwave .. forecast temps of about 105F / 41C for the next several days..

Nebraska wildfire scorches 92 square miles, threatens town
USA Today - The wildfires burning in north-central Nebraska threatened to force the evacuation of a second small town Tuesday and continued to interfere with boating along the scenic Niobrara River.... Officials estimate the fires, which have already destroyed at least 10 homes, are about 15 percent contained. More than 200 firefighters and 4 helicopters are fighting the fires, and three firefighters have been injured.

VIDEO: Department of Environmental Conservation is still working on its environmental impact study for high-volume hydraulic fracturing
Capital Tonight - Recently obtained email exchanges show the agency has been incontact with individuals who work with for the natural gas industry. Environmental advocates and good government groups are upset by the news. Common Cause executive director Susan Lerner and Thomas Cluderay of the Environmental Working Group explain why.

Health

Opiate-based prescriptions declared an epidemic by the CDC
(NaturalNews) There has been a recent epidemic of opium-addiction that is growing fast as one of America's drug problems. The CDC says this is not coming from foreign cartels, traffickers or drug dealers, but from the pharmacy that so many visit for prescribed medicines. These opiate-based drugs include Vicodin, Oxycontin, Oxycodone, and other opioid pain relievers. The CDC says that last year alone, enough of these drugs were prescribed to medicate each and every American adult with "five mg of hydrocodone (Vicodin and others), taken every four hours, for a month, and have led to over 40,000 drug overdose deaths."

Home remedies relieve symptoms and allergic reactions from MSG poisoning - Here's what you need to know
(NaturalNews) Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used in nearly all foods as a preservative or flavor enhancer. A toxic food additive, MSG creates a wide constellation of symptoms forcing victims to seek relief from side effects and allergic reactions. Minute amounts of MSG are found in everything that's processed, even vegetables and organic milk. These relatively benign quantities are activated by heating during processing becoming noxious, and in some cases poisonous -- causing dangerous health reactions when consumed.

Health Basics: What are probiotics?
(NaturalNews) Probiotics are Nature's truest form of antibiotics. These microscopic organisms (microflora) help the body build long-lasting immunity to a host of illnesses and diseases, including allergies, irritable bowels, viruses, bacterial infections, and yes, cancer! No vaccination or prescription medicine in the world could ever come close to this safe and beneficial way of balancing the body's billions of microbes. Probiotics not only help create this balance but also help maintain it for years and years, hence the name probiotic, which means "for life."

Heartburn pills taken by millions 'can increase risk of cancer and heart disease'
Daily Mail - New research suggests that if you take the drugs long term — that’s for more than a year — the risks can include infections, cancer and heart disease and a dangerous deficiency of some vital minerals and vitamins. Recently both the U.S. and UK drug watchdogs have issued new warnings about very low magnesium levels in people taking PPIs long term. Magnesium is vital for building bones, as well as for proper working of nerves and muscles which can go into spasm if they aren’t getting enough. It’s also essential for heart health and helps control blood pressure and blood sugar.

Crude Awakening: Mineral Oil Contaminates Everyone's Bodies
Green Med Info - The scientific literature indicates that there are at least two dozen adverse health effects linked to exposure to mineral oil, a crude oil derivative. New research indicates these fat-soluble hydrocarbons are accumulating to disturbing levels in our bodies, and affecting newborns by contaminating breast milk. How did they get there? Mineral oil is legally allowed to be added to our foods, drugs and cosmetics, where they accumulate in our bodies over time, with the highest concentrations found in our fat deposits.

New Dirty Dozen: 12 Fruit and Vegetables to Always Buy Organic, Plus the Clean 15
Natural Society - For the eighth year in a row, the Environmental Watch Group (EWG) has published an updated ‘shopper’s guide’ based on a comprehensive analysis of government pesticide testing data of 45 different fruit and vegetables. The guide includes the ‘dirty dozen:’ the twelve foods most commonly contaminated with pesticides, as well as the ‘clean fifteen:’ the fifteen least contaminated foods. This year the dirty dozen also includes a ‘plus’ category, warning about two foods containing particularly concerning organophospates, insecticides that are known reproductive and neurotoxins.

'Lead-free' jewelry for children found to be loaded with lead
(NaturalNews) Last week, 16 jewelry retailers and suppliers were sued by the state of California for selling jewelry with more than 1,000 times the allowable lead, as lead-free. Many of the defendants are repeat offenders, and include manufacturers, shippers, sellers, distributors, and traders that do business in California.

Science & Technology

Skype No Longer Willing To Claim That Its Calls Are Untappable By Law Enforcement
TechDirt - For years, we've noted that various governments have sought to be able to wiretap Skype -- and the company has always insisted that its peer-to-peer architecture made it impossible. Last year, however, some hackers suggested that there was now a backdoor in Skype. And now when a reporter for Slate, Ryan Gallagher, is pushing the company on this issue, it refuses to make a clear statement onto the ability to wiretap Skype calls. You can draw your own conclusions.

YouTube: @Govt follows you: Twitter feeds info to US police state
RT - Millions of us turn to social networks like Facebook and Twitter to share our lives with friends and family. But what you might not know is that you could be giving away your personal data to governments. RT's Marina Portnaya explains, no privacy settings can bar the authorities' prying eyes.

Cybersecurity 'Compromise' Distracts From Destruction of Internet Freedoms
Activist Post - Last week, “compromise legislation” was brought before the US Senate that will enable federal agencies to assess cyber threats while giving them “permission” to exchange information with corporations “under certain conditions” under the justification of better protecting corporations from cyber-attacks. Although the threat has not manifested as of yet, President Obama stated that: "...foreign governments, criminal syndicates and lone individuals are probing our financial, energy and public safety systems every day. It would be the height of irresponsibility to leave a digital backdoor wide open to our cyber adversaries."

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Move Over, Frankenfish—Now We Have Frankenapples!
ANH - The apples, which we’ll likely see in the Golden Delicious and Granny Smith varieties first, contain a synthetic gene that sharply reduces production of polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme responsible for the browning. Some growers, particularly organic ones, worry the anti-browning gene will spread to their apples. While apple pollen does not usually drift very far on the breeze, it can be carried by bees, and cross-pollination would occur without any way to control it.

Monsanto Sued By Migrant Workers Over Labor, Housing Conditions
Huffington Post - A group of migrant farm workers from Texas is suing Monsanto, accusing the agriculture giant of paying them less than the minimum wage, putting them in substandard housing and charging them for rent they were told would be free.... According to the complaint, "two or more" of the workers "suffered illness or injuries from suspected pesticide exposure" during the course of the work.... Missouri-based Monsanto is the largest producer of genetically modified seed in the world. The company had sales of $4.2 billion and net income of $937 million in the most recent quarter.


Today in History - Tuesday - July 24, 2012
1847 - Mormon leader Brigham Young and his followers arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake in present-day Utah.
1847 - Richard M. Hoe patented the rotary-type printing press.
1849 - Georgetown University in Washington, DC, presented its first Doctor of Music Degree. It was given to Professor Henry Dielman.
1866 - Tennessee became the first state to be readmitted to the Union after the U.S. Civil War.
1923 - The Treaty of Lausanne, which settled the boundaries of modern Turkey, was concluded in Switzerland.
1929 - U.S. President Hoover proclaimed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which renounced war as an instrument of foreign policy.
1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his fourth "Fireside Chat."
1948 - Soviet occupation forces in Germany blockaded West Berlin. The U.S.-British airlift began the following day.
1956 - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ended their team. They ended the partnership a decade after it began on July 25, 1946.
1969 - The Apollo 11 astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
1974 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Nixon had to turn over subpoenaed White House tape recordings to the Watergate special prosecutor.
1987 - Hulda Crooks, at 91 years of age, climbed Mt. Fuji. Hulda became the oldest person to climb Japan’s highest peak.
 

World News

Syria foils infiltration attempt by armed groups from Lebanon
Press TV - Syrian soldiers have foiled an attempt by armed rebel groups to infiltrate the country from the Lebanese border.... Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

US-led trooper killed in E Afghanistan
Press TV - The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Tuesday that the trooper had been killed in a Taliban attack. The brief statement did not disclose the nationality of the trooper or the exact location of the attack. This is while, according to the Western military alliance, another US-led trooper was killed in the eastern part of the war-ravaged country on Monday.

Top US Commander accused of stalling Afghanistan hospital abuse probe
RT - A Congressional hearing on a delayed probe into a US-funded Afghan military hospital has aroused concerns that rampant corruption hampers the NATO occupation. An official cited “Auschwitz-like conditions” at the hospital, among other concerns. The former head of training for Afghan security forces, Army Lieutenant General William Caldwell, is accused of blocking an investigation of possible abuse and mismanagement at Kabul’s Dawood National Military Hospital. The Congressional hearing begins Tuesday.

President Morsi appoints Hashim Qandil as Egypt's new premier
Press TV - According to the Egytpian state TV, Morsi appointed Qandil to the position on Tuesday. Morsi was elected president on June 24 in a runoff that was also participated by Ahmed Shafiq, who served as ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister.

Israel orders demolition of eight Palestinian villages for IDF training sites
RT - Israel’s Defense Ministry has ordered eight Palestinian villages in the West Bank to be razed, claiming the land is needed for military training. Hundreds of Palestinians are to be displaced despite evidence that the villages have existed since 1830. The residents of the villages, located in the southern region of Hebron, are accused of “illegal dwelling in a fire zone.”

Iraqi death toll rises to 107 in the worst wave of attacks this year
­RT - A series of blasts and shootings has brought the single-day death toll for brutal attacks across Iraq to 107 victims, including 13 Iraqi soldiers. With 268 more wounded, the attacks signal the worst outbreak of violence in the country this year.

Syria says will use chemical weapons if attacked
AP - The Syrian regime threatened Monday to use its chemical and biological weapons in case of a foreign attack, in its first ever acknowledgement that it possesses weapons of mass destruction.... "No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used, during the crisis in Syria no matter what the developments inside Syria," Makdissi said in news conference broadcast on Syrian state TV. "All of these types of weapons are in storage and under security and the direct supervision of the Syrian armed forces and will never be used unless Syria is exposed to external aggression."

Gaza Blockade Over? Egypt Opens Border to Palestinians
antiwar.com - Five years of full-scale blockade of the Gaza Strip may have finally come to an end in the wee hours of Monday morning, with Egyptian officials announcing that they are opening the border unilaterally and completely to all Palestinians, including those stuck in the strip. The move comes just a week and a half after the Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that he was “confident” Egypt’s President Mursi would fully open the Gaza border to trade. This opening seems even more than anyone had hoped.

London Assembly trying to ban McDonald's, Coca-Cola from 2012 Olympics
(NaturalNews) Because many of the products offered by both McDonald's and Coca-Cola are filled with processed sugar, artificial chemicals, and unhealthy fats, and are linked to causing childhood obesity and other illnesses, the London Assembly believes the International Olympic Committee has a responsibility to nix these companies from sponsoring the Games. Hosting a lineup of the world's most talented athletes while peddling junk food to the masses, in other words, is a hypocritical position to take, according to the Assembly.

VIDEO: Couple Refuse to Rip Up Illegal Vegetable Garden after Demands From Draconian Council
Daily Mail - This spring, Michel Beauchamp and wife Josee Landry planted an elaborate vegetable garden on the front lawn at their Drummondville, Quebec, home and the cucumbers, tomatoes, beets and Brussels sprouts they grow have helped him shed 75lb and her 25lb. But town code states such a garden can only take up 30 per cent of front yards in the St-Charles-de-Drummond neighbourhood where they live - the rest must be grass.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Navy Radio System Blamed For Crippling Garage Doors
CBS News - A radio signal being transmitted out of a submarine base is likely behind reports of garage doors failing to open and close in southeastern Connecticut, the U.S. Navy said Monday. The signal is part of the Enterprise Land Mobile Radio system, which is used by the military to coordinate responses with civil emergency workers, said Chris Zendan, a spokesman for submarine base in Groton.

VIDEO: ABC’s “666 Park Avenue” – Promoting the Number of the Antichrist
beginningandend.com - Fresh off of cancelling the blasphemous, Christian-mocking show “GCB”, ABC is now set to premiere “666 Park Avenue” in its Fall 2012 lineup. Loosely based on the novel of the same name, (which was about a Manhattan apartment building whose tenants are witches), the TV show brings its own spin to the story by having an extravagent luxury apartment where a young couple comes looking for work as managers and meet the building owners who are witchcraft practitioners working for Satan. And the show’s numerical title, is a promotion of the Antichrist.

YouTube: Final Warning From George Orwell
From the 2003 Television docudrama: George Orwell - A Life in Pictures. Related: George-Orwell-1984-Audio-book.

Chicago cop torture payouts reach $40m
RT - Chicago is set to pay out over $7 million to two men who were victims of torture at the hands of ex-police chief Jon Burge. It brings the cost in litigation related to Burge’s abuses to an unprecedented $40 million of tax payers’ money. The larger part of the payout will go to Michael Tillman, who claims police tortured him for four days until he confessed to the murder of 42-year-old Betty Howard in 1986.

Follow the Trend: Batman Shooter James Holmes Was On Hardcore Pharmaceutical Drugs
Activist Post - Like virtually all massacre shooters before him, the notorious Batman shooter James Holmes is now reported to have been taking hardcore pharmaceutical drugs. In Holmes’ case, they happen to be the very same drugs that ultimately led to the early death of actor Heath Ledger. With a fix for ‘altering his state of mind’, the ‘Batman shooter’ was heavily hooked on the prescription painkiller Vicodin. Holmes even reportedly dosed up on a pharmaceutical cocktail just before the shooting.

VIDEO: Mother of Theater Shooter James Holmes Attacks ABC News, Releases Statement
Daily Paul - Once again, the corporate media has been caught spreading misinformation in order to spin a story. In the hours after the shooting in Colorado, the corporate media reported that the mother of the accused gunman, Arlene Holmes, was quoted as telling ABC News “You have the right person” when asked about her son and the murders. Arlene Holmes now insists her comments were twisted by ABC News

VIDEO: Suspected Shooter Holmes Obviously Drugged During Arraignment
Kurt Nimmo July 23, 2012 - Appearing in court today, the suspected shooter in the Colorado mass murder case looked to be heavily drugged. Even the corporate media admitted he appeared to be sedated. From NYMag.com: Accused Aurora shooter James Eagan Holmes sat in a Colorado court room with red-and-orange-dyed hair and heavy eyelids this morning at his advisement hearing, speaking not a word and appearing to nearly nod off. The 24-year-old looked confused, blinked slowly, and struggled to keep his head up, leading the press to wonder if he’d been drugged.

Eerie Coincidence: Colorado University Had Identical Drill On Same Day As ‘Batman’ Massacre
Paul Joseph Watson - A Colorado university just 16 miles away from the site of Friday morning’s deadly ‘Batman’ massacre staged an identical exercise the very same day in which students were trained how to react to a gunman firing at people in a movie theater.... The school drill was just one of a number of strange coincidences that eerily paralleled the tragic massacre druing which 12 people were killed dozens more injured.

VIDEO: MAYDAY! The Lone-Wolf Rises during a Dark Knight
Government Rag Blog - Many similarities are starting to show through the cracks with the Colorado shooting, Columbine shooting, Tucson shooting, V-Tech shooting, Norway, as well as the more recent violent and rubber-bullet terroristic Anaheim Police rampage. The difference between the ‘lonewolf’ shootings and the police rubber bullet rampage is hardly any except that the police are given the ‘go-ahead’ because they must be fighting ‘bad-guys’ or they surely wouldn’t be doing it. This eruption of violence within numerous police stations lately in America clearly show that the militarized police are being trained with ‘shoot-to-kill’ mental mentality as all the DHS reports roll out listing Americans as criminal terrorists.

Colorado Shooter Had More in Common with Paramilitary Cops than Batman
Kurt Nimmo - The corporate media has described in detail the gear he allegedly wore during the mass shooting without drawing the obvious conclusion. Instead of a Batman fetish, Holmes was fascinated with the sort of paramilitary gear now routinely donned by cops. Is it possible Holmes was emulating the look and feel of militarized cops and the Batman story is just a flimsy cover to paper over the obvious?

VIDEO: Police brutality story heats up: Anaheim, CA PD faces evidence-buying claims
RT - Witnesses to the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man in Anaheim, California say officers offered to buy up cell phone footage of the brutality that followed. The circumstances of the shooting are currently under investigation. A few hours after shooting 24-year-old Manuel Diaz as he ran from police at around 4pm Saturday, officers unleashed rubber bullets and an attack dog on a crowd of witnesses – most of them women and children – who confronted police over the incident as they gathered evidence. Diaz later died in hospital. Officials have yet to comment on what may have caused one of the officers to open fire. Related video/article here.

Arizona Sheriff’s Trial Begins With Focus on Complaints About Illegal Immigrants
NY Times - Letters purporting to offer information about illegal immigrants are among a vast array of evidence to be introduced in the class-action civil rights trial against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office that began on Thursday in Federal District Court here. The elected sheriff and his office are accused of engaging in a pattern of discriminatory policing during large-scale operations known as suppression patrols, unfairly singling out Latinos — including citizens and legal immigrants — for stops, questioning and detention.

US drops biggest-ever human trafficking case amid evidence doubts
RT - The Justice Department spent millions of dollars on what is considered to be the largest human trafficking case in the US, only to dismiss it on the grounds that the government would be unable to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

VIDEO: Penn State hit with $60 million fine, banned from bowl games
ESPN.com - The NCAA said the $60 million was equivalent to the average annual revenue of the football program. The NCAA ordered Penn State to pay the penalty funds into an endowment for "external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university." The Penn State athletic program will also be put on five-year probation and must work with an athletic-integrity monitor of NCAA's chosing.

2012 Election News

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk: Lesson From Aurora: Gov't Cannot Protect Us From All Harm
Security and Self-Governance by Ron Paul - Our prayers go out to the injured victims and the families of those killed. As a nation we should use this terrible event to come together with the resolve to create a society that better values life. We should also face the sober reality that government cannot protect us from all possible harm. No matter how many laws we pass, no matter how many police or federal agents we put on the streets, no matter how routinely we monitor internet communications, a determined individual or group can still cause great harm. We as individuals are responsible for our safety and the safety of our families.

Veteran News

Disabled veterans claims United Airlines abused him
RT - A disabled veteran says he was called “retarded” by United Airlines staff while his service dog was kicked in the ribs during a three-day layover at Dulles International Airport. Jim Stanek, cofounder of Paws and Stripes, said the nightmare began on July 15, starting three days of physical and verbal abuse against him and his dog.... Stanek suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) from three tours in Iraq.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

VIDEO: Detroit to host ‘Occupy the Midwest Conference’
Press TV - Curtis McGuire, an organizer of “Occupy Detroit”, says a meeting is set to be held in Detroit, Michigan between August 23rd to 26th to “strengthen the relationship between the Occupies and the Midwest.” The Occupy The Midwest Conference will be hosted by Occupy Detroit. The summer conference will be the second gathering of Occupiers from around the Midwest, following the widely acclaimed success of the previous conference held during the spring in St. Louis, MO.

Economy

Audit The Fed: HR 459 - 271 Co-sponsors - Up for VOTE July 24, 2012!
Daily Paul - On record so far at www.thomas.gov. Title: To require a full audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks by the Comptroller General of the United States before the end of 2012, and for other purposes.

Federal Government's Debt Jumps More Than $1T for 5th Straight Fiscal Year
CNS News - By the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2012, the new debt accumulated in this fiscal year by the federal government had already exceeded $1 trillion, making this fiscal year the fifth straight in which the federal government has increased its debt by more than a trillion dollars, according to official debt numbers published by the U.S. Treasury.

VIDEO: IRS examining claim of HSBC whistleblower
WND series prompted authorities, Senate report confirms massive fraud. As U.S. senators digest a sharply critical committee report confirming massive international money laundering by global banking giant HSBC, the Internal Revenue Service is acknowledging receipt of a whistleblower claim from a former employee of the bank who presented 1,000 pages of evidence to WND six months ago, after local and federal authorities ignored him.

US banks create 10,000 units to reduce state control – study
RT - US major banks such as JP Morgan Chase, Citibank Group and Bank of America spawned more than 10,000 subsidiaries in the past 22 years, using legal structures to reduce taxes and avoid tighter regulation, a Federal Reserve study revealed. JP Morgan Chase, the largest US lender, has 3,391, as it extended, followed by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Corp. with more than 2,000 each, according to the study. The assets of the largest lenders have since tripled to $15 trillion since 1999, when the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act separating investment and commercial banking was abolished.

Fed hints at quantitative easing 3
RT - Citing a continuously stagnant jobs report and a seemingly perpetually perturbed international economy, members of the Fed say that a third run of quantitative easing — yet another round of bond purchasing — could be in the cards for the country’s central bank. The Fed is unlikely to formally make a decision either way until there next meeting wraps up on August 1, but some members of the bank are announcing on the heels of their latest get together that the option is still on the table.

Energy & Environment

Scientists Propose Dumping Hundreds of Tons of Iron into Ocean to ‘Stop Global Warming’
Activist Post - In an attempt to ‘stop global warming’, scientists have been experimenting with dumping several tons of iron into the Antarctic ocean in order to potentially fertilize the development of plankton. Despite raising a multitude of red flags raised from leading scientific organizations and health watch organizations, a new study is now calling for the practice to be even further extended as a worldwide ‘geoengineering’ strategy to alter the climate via dumping hundreds of tons of iron dust into the ocean. Previous research found that by dumping the heavy metal into oceans worldwide it could not only devastate the marine life population, but deplete oxygen levels and explode the growth of certain unwanted organisms.

Health

The jury is in - Olive oil lowers mortality by a quarter and heart disease by nearly one-half
(NaturalNews) Reporting in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Spain found that the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil work synergistically with essential fatty acids such as the omega-3 fat, DHA to enhance their incorporation into cell membranes. The scientists found an association between greater olive oil intake and a lower risk of dying over an average of 13.4 years of follow-up.

Action Alert - Institute of Medicine accepting public comment on proposed vaccine safety study
(NaturalNews) The Institute of Medicine (IoM), an organization under the umbrella of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), is currently in the process of putting together an assessment on the health outcomes of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children. And part of this process includes accepting public comments about the government's recommended vaccination schedule, a provision that represents a key opportunity for the natural health community to collectively share with the IoM our thoughts and concerns about the safety of vaccines.

Nanoparticle technology turns personal care products toxic
(NaturalNews) Nanoparticle technology has been in popular use by skincare and cosmetics companies now for roughly a decade.... Minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, commonly used in sunscreen lotions, foundation and other liquid types of lotions are harmless in their normal size. They simply sit on the skin rather than absorbing in to the skin since they are too large to penetrate its protective barrier. However, when these are broken down into nanoparticles which are often smaller than the size of a red blood cell, they are easily absorbed into the skin. There is research showing that nanoparticles of zinc oxide and other ingredients like aluminum collect in parts of the brain and cause cell death.

Milk pasteurization promotes the growth of super germs, say scientists
(NaturalNews) Human interference with mother nature is always a bad idea, and new research has identified spore-forming bacteria that not only survives milk pasteurization, but are able to germinate as a result of the heat. Certain bacteria have the ability to form a tough, protective endospore which allows them to survive extreme conditions. Food scientists have identified Paenibacillus bacteria as the predominant spore-forming bacteria in milk.

Why virgin coconut oil is superior to highly refined, processed coconut oil
(NaturalNews) Many people in the natural health community have been well aware of the health benefits of coconut oil and other coconut products for decades. More recently, "clean eaters" and people following an ancestral diet have been replacing canola oil and other cooking oils with coconut oil. Unfortunately, some people do not realize that certain brands of coconut oil pose serious health risks. Innocent health seekers may be consuming a product that makes them sick.

Chia seed - Ancient food of Aztec warriors, now on Wall Street
(NaturalNews) The versatile chia seed has a long history of cultivation and use in Mexico, Central and South America. Warriors of the past have recognized chia's exceptional energy and stamina supporting attributes. Over the last several years, those wishing to boost vitality have discovered the extraordinary power of this seed as well. Incredibly, even the workers on Wall Street have adopted chia to healthfully promote stamina in lieu of dangerous stimulants.

5 Air Purifying Plants for Your Home
Natural Society - Indoor pollution may be causing 50% of illnesses worldwide. If you experience headaches on a regular basis and the reason simply can’t be pinpointed, consider the pollution in your home as the cause. The good news is that you can cleanse the air within your home with these 5 air purifying plants.

Why Did the Wall Street Journal Bury the Merck Fraud Story?
Dr Mercola - Two virologists have filed a federal lawsuit against Merck, their former employer, alleging the vaccine maker lied about the effectiveness of their mumps vaccine. They claim they witnessed “firsthand the improper testing and data falsification in which Merck engaged to artificially inflate the vaccine's efficacy findings” The Wall Street Journal published the story on June 22, 2012, but within days, it was scrubbed from the internet. Was the story erased as a result of discussions at the Wall Street Journal’s “elite” CFO network on June 25, which includes Merck?

Worst whooping cough outbreak in over 50 years happening among the fully vaccinated
(NaturalNews) If four shots of toxic vaccines do not work against pertussis (AKA whooping cough), then maybe five or six will work... Or maybe not... The CDC now reports the highest level of pertussis cases in 50 years. Of course, they are encouraging all children and adults to line up for yet another shot in the dark.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Wyoming To Loosen Raw Milk Rules, Just A Bit
Food Safety News - Proposed changes to the Wyoming Food Safety Rules put the Cowboy State no closer to allowing commercial sales of raw milk, leaving advocates for retail sales disappointed. Wyoming is one of 20 states that bans the commercial sale of raw milk. That position is not changing, according to the state's Department of Agriculture. Current law even bans farm families from drinking their own raw milk, but it's never been enforced that way. So the proposed rule is being clarified to allow producers who are the sole owners of animals to serve raw milk in their home to family members, non-paying guests, and farm and ranch employees.

Miscellaneous

DivinityNow: Coming to grips with crisis, the loss of loved ones, and the divine right of self defense
(NaturalNews) In this timely video, Mike Adams, the editor of NaturalNews and the creator of Divinity Now explores key issues we each face when experiencing the sudden loss of a loved one due to violent crime or any other circumstance.


Today in History - Monday - July 23, 2012
1715 - The first lighthouse in America was authorized for construction at Little Brewster Island, Massachusetts.
1827 - The first swimming school in the U.S. opened in Boston, MA.
1829 - William Burt patented the typographer, which was the first typewriter.
1877 - The first municipal railroad passenger service began in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1886 - Steve Brodie, a New York saloonkeeper, claimed to have made a daredevil plunge from the Brooklyn Bridge into the East River.
1904 - The ice cream cone was invented by Charles E. Menches during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, MO.
1914 - Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia following the killing of Archduke Ferdinand by a Serb assassin. The dispute led to World War I.
1938 - The first federal game preserve was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The area was 2,000 acres in Utah.
1945 - The first passenger train observation car was placed in service by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
1952 - Egyptian military officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew King Farouk I.
1954 - A law is passed that states that "The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to repair, equip, and restore the United States Ship Constitution, as far as may be practicable, to her original appearance, but not for active service, and thereafter to maintain the United States Ship Constitution at Boston, Massachusetts."
1958 - The submarine Nautilus departed from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, under orders to conduct "Operation Sunshine." The mission was to be the first vessel to cross the north pole by ship. The Nautils achieved the goal on August 3, 1958.
1962 - The "Telstar" communications satellite sent the first live TV broadcast to Europe.
1972 - The U.S. launched Landsat 1 (ERTS-1). It was the first Earth-resources satellite.
1998 - U.S. scientists at the University of Hawaii turned out more than 50 "carbon-copy" mice, with a cloning technique.
2000 - Lance Armstrong won his second Tour de France.
 

World News

Israel ‘fears Iran Olympics attack’
Raw Story - The Israeli government has reportedly dispatched agents from its internal security service Shin Bet to protect its team of athletes. Meanwhile Israel’s foreign security service Mossad is said to have sent a team, codenamed Bayonet, to Europe in search of a group of terror suspects believed to be working with Iran’s Quds force and Hezbollah.

VIDEO: Tens of thousands protest in Mexico against new president
RT - At least 32,000 protesters marched through Mexico City on Sunday to protest the “imposition” of the new president. They accuse president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto, a member of the old ruling party, of electoral fraud.

VIDEO: Turkey deploys ground-to-air missiles to Syrian border
RT - A train carrying several batteries of missiles and troop carriers has arrived in the southeast Turkish city of Mardin, the Anatolia state news agency reports. The move comes a month after Syria downed a Turkish jet for violating its airspace.

U.S. to focus on toppling Syrian government
NY Times - The Obama administration has for now abandoned efforts for a diplomatic settlement to the conflict in Syria, and instead it is increasing aid to the rebels and redoubling efforts to rally a coalition of like-minded countries to forcibly bring down the government of President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials say.

U.S. Writing New Syrian Constitution
Activist Post - The report written by Foreign Policy magazine titled, "Inside the quiet effort to plan for a post-Assad Syria," indicates that the US State Department-funded USIP plans on releasing a report soon, detailing the US-crafted government being planned. The USIP, which already publishes details of how it has crafted, created, and is continuing to manage and facilitate the NATO-installed client regime now running Libya, constitutes nothing less than implementation of modern-day imperialism.

‘EU has no right to inspect Syria-bound Russian transport’
RT - The European Union's plans to inspect aircraft and ships for violations of the arms embargo imposed on Syria cannot be applied to Russian planes and ships, said the director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technology. "Only aircraft and ships of the European Union are subject to this requirement,” Roman Pukhov told Interfax-AVN on Friday. “The EU has no international legal right to inspect aircraft and ships belonging to countries that are not its members, including Russia."

VIDEO: US missile shield to encircle Chinese economic tiger
RT - American plans to develop a missile shield in Asia have alarmed Beijing. With 250 million Chinese officially considered poor, spending billions to challenge the US military could sink China’s economy without firing a single shot. The Chinese military has voiced concern that the US missile shield plans to destabilize the military balance on the continent.

Tax havens: Super-rich ‘hiding’ at least $21 trillion
BBC - A global super-rich elite had at least $21 trillion (£13tn) hidden in secret tax havens by the end of 2010, according to a major study. The figure is equivalent to the size of the US and Japanese economies combined. The Price of Offshore Revisited was written by James Henry, a former chief economist at the consultancy McKinsey, and commissioned by the Tax Justice Network. He said $21tn is a conservative figure and the true scale could be $32tn.

Fitch cuts credit rating of Japan’s biggest banks
RT - Fitch has cut the credit rating of three of Japan’s biggest banks on concerns Tokyo is unable to support the financial sector. The agency lowered the rating for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Mizuho Financial Group (MHFG), and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by one notch to "A-" from "A".

Fukushima contractor forced workers to fake radiation readings
RT - A company charged with decontaminating the devastated Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant encouraged its workers to falsely lower their radiation dosimeter readings by covering the devices with lead, according to a leaked tape of an internal meeting.

VIDEO: Leuren Moret: The Untold Dangers of Radiation Exposure
Activist Post - Moret, a self-described “whistleblower” with regard to nuclear weapons research, has exposed the Japanese earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 as an act of tectonic nuclear warfare with the use of HAARP by the CIA, the United State Department of Energy, and British Petroleum on behalf of the global Elite under the direction of the banking cartels.... In this lecture, Moret explains how the effects of radiation can mask itself, becoming manifestations of various diseases that the mainstream medical establishment currently does not associate with radiation exposure.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Police Tapes of Colorado Batman shooting in Colorado Batman shooting - debunk it, or confirm it?
Is this a staging situation or actual event?

Marine Corps creates law enforcement battalions
AP -The Marine Corps has created its first law enforcement battalions - a lean, specialized force of military police officers that it hopes can quickly deploy worldwide to help investigate crimes from terrorism to drug trafficking and train fledgling security forces in allied nations. The Corps activated three such battalions last month. Each is made up of roughly 500 military police officers and dozens of dogs. Related Article/Photos here.

Aurora's Strict Gun Laws Didn't Prevent Shooting, But If One Law-Abiding Person In The Theater Had Been Carrying One...
CNS News - Purdue student and Young America's Foundation Intern Scholar Hillary Cherry provides her thoughts on the Colorado shooting, stressing the importance of protecting our Second Amendment rights.... Currently in Aurora, Colorado, where the shooting took place, there are already laws prohibiting the carry of a concealed dangerous weapon (though unenforced, due to state law),* discharge firearms,** unless by law enforcement on duty or on shooting range, and have a loaded firearm in motor vehicle within the city limits.***Yet these laws were unable to stop James Holmes.

YouTube: English Warning To Americans: Don’t Give Up Your Guns!
The British people have been completely disarmed according to UN resolution, and here are personal accounts of british citizens of why Americans need to fight for their constitutional rights.

Mexico urges USA to review
(Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon condemned U.S. gun laws as "mistaken" and urged Washington to review them after a shooter killed 12 people and injured more than 50 others at a U.S. movie theater on Friday... Mexico's president, who has repeatedly called on Washington to tighten gun controls to stop weapons flowing from the United States into the hands of Mexican drug cartels, said U.S. weapons policy needed a rethink after the killings.

VIDEO: Chaos Erupts After Anaheim, CA Police Open Fire on Unarmed Crowd Including Women and Children
Activist Post - After "an unruly crowd" -- as the reporter below conveniently states -- gathered to ask questions and express anger at what was perceived to be a senseless killing, the officers further proved that those who were gathered had valid concerns about their local police force. In response, police quickly opened fire with rubber bullets, and even set a dog loose on a woman with a baby stroller. The woman was able to grab her baby before the dog arrived, but she was slightly injured, while a man can be seen in the video having his arm bitten.

Colorado Batman shooting shows obvious signs of being staged
(NaturalNews) James Holmes, the Aurora, Colorado shooter who reportedly opened fire at a Batman movie premiere, was a medical student at the University of Colorado, pursuing a PhD in neuroscience, reports ABC News. As part of the attack, Holmes painted his hair red and referred to himself as "The Joker," one of the arch enemies in the DC Comics-inspired Batman movie series. (CBS report) According to news reports, this sudden violent rampage was completely out of character for James Holmes, who was described as "shy."

YouTube: FBI theater attack warning issued on May 17, 2012
Published on Jul 20, 2012 by dutchsinse - It appears the FBI attempted to remove from the Internet a warning from 2 months ago that theaters would be attacked. A few are trying to say this document is fake or that I made it up.. (in the comments below this video) ... to that I say.. wrong! just do the search going back through May and June. Its there.

VIDEO: Witness: Someone let gunman inside Colorado movie theater
CNN A man who was at the Colorado movie theater where a dozen people were killed this morning, says he saw the gunman. He says he thinks someone deliberately let the gunman inside once the movie started. Here's what he told TV station KCNC this morning live on their newscast.

VIDEO: Second Amendment Foe Bloomberg Exploits Colorado Shooting
Kurt Nimmo - New York mayor and notorious gun-grabber Michael Bloomberg has exploited the shooting at a Colorado theater to demand that Obama and Romney “stand up and tell us what they’re going to do about” the criminal behavior of psychopaths. According to Bloomberg, the world would be a better place if the government confiscated legally owned firearms and had a monopoly on violence.

CFR: Don’t Worry About Hillary’s Small Arms Treaty
Kurt Nimmo - CFR and United Nations are pushing a world government scheme — and gun ownership and sovereignty stand in the way. Opposition to the treaty and defense of the Second Amendment “are not only inflammatory, they are completely unfounded,” the premier globalist organization asserts. Stewart M. Patrick, writing for “The Internationalist,” a blog on the CFR website, argues that the treaty does not endanger the Second Amendment and the sovereignty of the United States.

Napolitano: All Three Branches of Government Are Acting Above the Law
Reason.com - The greatest distinguishing factor between countries in which there is some freedom and those where authoritarian governments manage personal behavior is the Rule of Law. The idea that the very laws that the government is charged with enforcing could restrain the government itself is uniquely Western and was accepted with near unanimity at the time of the creation of the American Republic. Without that concept underlying the exercise of governmental power, there is little hope for freedom.

Immigration Arrests Drop to 38-Year Low
All Gov - Federal law enforcement officers are not apprehending immigrants like they used to do, arresting the lowest total in almost four decades during 2010. Apprehensions for immigration violations numbered 516,992 two years ago, which was down dramatically from the peak year of 2000, when 1.8 million were arrested. The 2010 total was the lowest level since 1972, according to the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

Obama Administration Declares All Statements by 9/11 Accused “Presumptively Classified”
All Gov - All statements made by the five Guantánamo prisoners accused of plotting the September 11, 2001, attacks have been classified by the Obama administration, prompting legal challenges from civil libertarians and news organizations. The order, made in April at the beginning of the military trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others, applies to anything they have said, either in court or in private with their attorneys.

Super-Silent Owl Drone Will Spy on You Without You Ever Noticing
Wired - larpa [the intelligence community’s research division] has reportedly awarded a $4.8 million contract to Connecticut firm D-Star Engineering to develop the ultra-quiet drone, Aviation Week reports. It’s the next step in developing a workable drone as part of the agency’s Great Horned Owl Program, which the agency hopes will let the military collect intelligence “without anyone knowing you are there,” (.pdf) according to an agency briefing.

Houston Cop Arrested For Handcuffing and Raping Woman After Traffic Stop
Loop21.com - After the rape, the officer drove the victim to the precinct and booked her in for reckless driving.

Cargill Beef Recalls 30,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef
Hannaford Supermarkets is alerting consumers that Cargill Beef is voluntarily recalling 29,339 pounds of ground beef that may contain salmonella.
The 85-percent-lean ground beef was produced at Cargill's plant in Wyalusing, Pa., on May 25, and repackaged for sale to consumers by customers of the Kansas-based company.

2012 Election News

GOP Makes Room for Rep. Ron Paul at Tampa Convention?
USA Today - Ron Paul supporters have feuded with state Republican parties across the country, battling for delegate seats at the national convention, but the national party is welcoming Paul and his supporters to the event with open arms, even helping the Texas congressman organize his troops.

YouTube: Facts: Clarification from the RNC rules committee, Ron Paul has 6 states
Ben Swann of Reality Check with Ben Swann... joins Daily Paul Radio with Kurt Wallace for 'Facts: Clarification from the RNC rules committee, Ron Paul has 6 states' to discuss the details about his converstaions with rules committee and what that means for the many states in question regarding the nomination of Ron Paul eligibility at the RNC in Tampa. Ben also explains more regarding the unbound and bound delegates lawsuit and what a decision made prior to convention would do.

Ron Paul Rips Romney and Obama For Debating Petty Issues
policymic.com - Paul told Politico in a candid interview.... “It’s a shame. The important issue is [what] the two candidates seem to agree on,” Paul said. “They don’t really disagree with militarism overseas, they don’t disagree with the Federal Reserve system and the bailouts, and they don’t disagree on basically whether the role of federal government is wealth redistribution through welfare. So instead, they’re talking about tax returns and that to me is so disappointing.” “It’s all a charade, I think it’s all contrived to not have a debate,” Paul said.

Paul vs Obama Poll
Liberty Crier - Paul vs Obama, who would win in November? At present, Romney is losing to Obama in the RealClearPolitics.com polls. Romney is losing 57 to 41 in the Intrade Prediction Market. He is losing in the electoral count 220 to 180.

VIDEO: Mike Gallagher: GOP is doomed if Ron Paul isn't allowed to speak at convention
Daily Paul - 7/17/12 edition of The Mike Gallagher Show. Mike's facts are a little off like many others in the media - Ron actually HAS attained a plurality in more than 5 states and therefore will be speaking - but this is still a good listen. He 'gets it' that the Republican Party is dead if they shut out the growing Ron Paul liberty faction.

Economy

US 10-Year Yields Hit Record Low on Spain Fears
CNBC - U.S. 10-year Treasurys rallied on Monday, sending yields to historic lows, as heightened fears about Spain's ability to stave off a sovereign bailout prompted investors to seek out safe-haven fixed income assets.... Fears also rose about Greece's ability to stay afloat, after its prime minister said on Sunday that the country was in a "Great Depression" similar to the one in the 1930s, as international lenders were scheduled to gather in Athens to discuss the terms of further rescue payments.

HR 459, Audit the Fed, Vote on Tuesday, July 24
Daily Paul - The House will be voting on Ron Paul's HR 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, on Tuesday, July 24. Please CALL your Representative on Monday and urge him/her to vote YES on HR 459.

Don't Die in 2013: Confiscatory 55% Death Tax Set to Take Effect
ATR - In 2013, the death tax will revert to its antiquated, pre-2001 form. The applicable exclusion amount will plummet to $1,000,000, and the top marginal rate will leap twenty points to 55%. A 5% surtax will also return, to be levied on estates between $10 million and $17 million. This raises the top effective rate of the death tax to 60%.

US poverty to hit highest level since 1965
RT - Poverty in the US is projected to spread at record levels unseen since the 1960s, affecting many groups including underemployed workers, suburban families and the poorest of America's poor. As unemployment aid dwindles and workers grow increasingly discouraged, poverty is reaching every corner of the US. In 2010, a family of four with a pre-tax income of $22,314 was considered below the poverty line, while an individual with a pre-tax income of $11,139 would have the same status.

VIDEO: Ben Swann Gets Reality Checked
Daily Paul - Does gold set the price for oil? Ben Swann Reality Check responds to a Washington Times column which fact checks Ben's assertion that the declining dollar is the reason for high gas prices. Here is the Washington Times Article.

Health

Truth In Trials Act, Medical Marijuana Protection Bill, Proposed By Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers
Huffington Post - Under the Truth In Trials Act, sponsored by California Democratic Rep. Sam Farr and co-sponsored by other representatives such as Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ron Paul (R-Texas), state-licensed medical marijuana users would be given the right to provide an "affirmative defense" in the case of a federal prosecution. This effectively allows them to prove that their actions, while illegal at the federal level, were in fact protected under state law.

Turmeric a ‘Superfood Secret’ for Healthy Fat Loss
Natural Society - A super spice known for its numerous anti-cancer properties and an impressive ability to positively influence over 586 diseases according to peer-reviewed research from leading universities, turmeric may also be one of the most powerful substances when it comes to healthy fat loss. Over 1,543 scientific journal entries are now centered around turmeric’s beneficial properties, but a bounty of new research is now hitting the limelight that demonstrates how this powerful spice can actually serve to combat unwanted fat by conquering insulin resistance and blood glucose levels alike.

Research: Gold and Tea Outperform Chemo in Fighting Cancer
Natural Society - When examining the body of research on alternative cancer treatment methods and substances, it is quite easy to find a multitude of research highlighting the anti-cancer effects of many ‘super’ substances such as ginger and turmeric. The latest research on the subject shines a light on just how powerful the combination of gold and tea can be in conquering cancer, and even the mainstream media is reporting on the amazing results. While the process ignores countless other peer-reviewed alternatives and even adds a radioactive quality to gold nanoparticles, it still manages to heavily outperform chemotherapy.

Vitamin E found to significantly lower risk of developing liver cancer
(NaturalNews) The study authors concluded "We found a clear, inverse dose-response relation between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk... overall, the take home message is that high intake of vitamin E either from diet or supplements was related to lower risk of liver cancer in middle-aged or older people." It is important to understand that vitamin E exists naturally as eight different mirror isomers known as tocotrienols and tocopherols. Be sure to supplement with a full-spectrum form of vitamin E (400 to 800 IU daily) to benefit from lowered risk from liver cancer and chronic disease.

Effect of Your pH on the Development and Growth of Cancer
Waking Times - The human body’s entire metabolic process depends on one critical factor – the pH of the plasma fluids. The pH scale is very simple. The lower the readings on the pH scale are acidic and the higher readings are more alkaline. Through homeostasis, the body maintains a healthy plasma pH of 7.4. Although the pH of the body will fluctuate with meals, exercise, stress, hormones and sleep, a healthy and balanced saliva pH should be between 7.0 to 7.5.

Mercury-Packed CFL Bulbs Now Found to Fry Your Skin
Activist Post - Following a study in Europe examining the effects of CFL bulbs on the skin, researchers from Stony Brook University in New York conducted a similar study to examine the bulbs’ impact on human skin cells. For the study, the researchers purchased CFL bulb from various locations, and then measured the amount of UV radiation emissions. What they found in every single one of the bulbs studied was “significant levels of UVC and UVA” which was a result of cracks that were present in the coating on the bulbs.

Essential Fatty Acids and the sun
(NaturalNews) Vitamin D isn't the only reason you need sunlight. Many people are aware of the connection between vitamin D and the sun; however, what many people aren't aware of is that the heath benefits of EFAs and sunlight go hand-in-hand. Dr. Johana Budwig, seven-time Nobel Prize nominee and pioneer in Essential Fatty Acid research, says the sun's rays are very much in harmony with humans.

Chocolate can improve blood circulation, EFSA rules
(NaturalNews) The EFSA is the European Food Safety Authority, and it considers it okay for a food to promote health benefits based on scientific proof. This is not the attitude of USA's Food and Drug Administration. Our militantly aggressive FDA has the viewpoint that only large pharmaceutical corporations can promote health benefits for their toxic formulas that harm more than they help.

Candida overgrowth triggers your child's chronic ear infections
(NaturalNews) Research documented by Bruce Semon, M.D., Ph.D. at the Wisconsin Institute of Nutrition demonstrates a strong link between Candidiasis (candida overgrowth) and chronic infections in the middle ear, mainly in children. Other studies on candida support this correlation and the deteriorating effects candidiasis has on the immune system.

Science & Technology

Obama warns US on cyber-threats
BBC - Cyber-attacks pose the “most serious economic and national security” challenge America faces, said Barack Obama. The US President spelled out the scale of the threat in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal. Foreign governments, crime gangs and individuals were probing America’s net defences every day.... “It would be the height of irresponsibility to leave a digital backdoor wide open to our cyber-adversaries,” he wrote in the newspaper’s editorial column.

YouTube: Neustar is spying on Americans for the government?
RT - One Delaware-based tech company is quietly leading the way in surveillance infrastructure and serving as the middle man between law enforcement officials and your most personal information. RT correspondent Liz Wahl takes a look at what's really going on there.

VIDEO: Kim Dotcom Attacks Obama with New Song “Mr. President”
LIberty Crier - Dotcom, the 38-year-old founder of Megaupload.com, has come forth with his latest attempt to make a splash in the same industry that has employed every tactic in the book to put him behind bars. Even after being targeted by an international witch-hunt spearheaded by the Recording Industry Association of America, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and selected members of the US Congress, Dotcom has dropped a new musical number of his own. nd, of course, Dotcom has made the song available free of charge all over the Internet.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

VIDEO: New GMO ‘Agent Orange Soy’ Silently Backed by USDA
Activist Post - Millions of pounds of herbicides are applied to crops around the nation each year. In one single year, 2006, 96.7 million pounds of glyphosate was sprayed on soybeans alone; this is a 20-fold increase from the 4.9 million pounds in 1994, the year before Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds were introduced.

VIDEO: Factory Fed Fish: Monsanto's and Cargill's Plans for the Ocean
Dr. Mercola - The mass cultivation of genetically modified (GM) soybeans has a hugely detrimental environmental and health impact worldwide. As it stands, soy is widely used in our diets, in processed foods and found in most meat, as soy is fed to animals on CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). The next "natural" step, at least according to two of the largest stakeholders in the soy industry, Monsanto (creator of GM soy) and food giant Cargill, is to make soy the feed of choice for factory-farmed fish around the world – a move they are misleadingly labeling as "sustainable."

Pet News

New Parasite Prevalence Maps Help Pet Owners Prepare
Dr. Becker - Preparation is priceless when it comes to protecting your dog or cat from tick-borne diseases, GI parasites, and heartworm disease. There's a new tool to help you learn which bugs you need to be concerned about depending on where you and your pet live... plus get tips on how to keep your dog or cat parasite-free without resorting to chemical pest preventives.

Miscellaneous

How to find rock solid certainty about your personal future
(NaturalNews) Even if you still struggle with excessive worry, fear, anxiety or frustration about your future and cannot imagine how to get beyond it, there are most definitely solutions that you have not learned yet. You just need to discover what they are and begin applying them until you have a new skill, a new perspective and a new way of being. Here are three principles to help along the way, with specific action steps to strengthen them within you:


Today in History - Friday - July 20, 2012
1801 - A 1,235 pound cheese ball was pressed at the farm of Elisha Brown, Jr. The ball of cheese was later loaded on a horse-driven wagon and presented to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson at the White House.
1810 - Colombia declared independence from Spain.
1859 - Brooklyn and New York played baseball at Fashion Park Race Course on Long Island, NY. The game marked the first time that admission had been charged for to see a ball game. It cost $.50 to get in and the players on the field did not receive a salary (until 1863).
1861 - The Congress of the Confederate States began holding sessions in Richmond, VA.
1868 - Legislation that ordered U.S. tax stamps to be placed on all cigarette packs was passed.
1871 - British Columbia joined Confederation as a Canadian province.
1881 - Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull, a fugitive since the Battle of the Little Big Horn, surrendered to federal troops. (Montana)
1908 - In the United States, the Sullivan Ordinance bars women from smoking in public facilities.
1917 - The draft lottery in World War I went into operation.
1942 - The first detachment of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, (WACS) began basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
1944 - An attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler failed. The bomb exploded at Hitler's Rastenburg headquarters. Hitler was only wounded.
1944 - U.S. President Roosevelt was nominated for an unprecedented fourth term of office at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
1969 - Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. became the first men to walk on the moon.
1974 - Turkish forces invaded Cyprus.
1976 - America's Viking I robot spacecraft made a successful landing on Mars.
1982 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan pulled the U.S. out of comprehensive test ban negotiations indefinitely.
1985 - Treasure hunters began raising $400 million in coins and silver from the Spanish galleon "Nuestra Senora de Atocha." The ship sank in 1622 40 miles of the coast of Key West, FL.
1998 - Russia won a $11.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to help avert the devaluation of its currency.
2003 - In India, elephants used for commercial work began wearing reflectors to avoid being hit by cars during night work.
 

World News

BREAKING NEWS: Huge explosion in Damascus, Wi-Fi and 3G cut-off - RT reporter
RT - A massive blast has occured in the Syrian capital Damascus, says RT's correspondent on the ground. Internet access has been cut off. According to security sources, the Syrian army has begun a counter attack to regain control of the capital. RT's correspondent Maria Finoshina said it was "the loudest explosion heard in days", with internet and WI-FI access disappearing immediately afterwards. According to Syrian State TV, government forces recaptured the disctrict of Medin in a "fierce fight". 'The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights', a British-based watchdog, said "tanks and armed personnel carriers stormed the district", which is located in the south of the capital.

VIDEO: 'US violates law by arming Syrian gangs'
Press TV - “Arming the insurgency in a recognized state is already an act of war and let’s be clear, the United States has acknowledged that we give “non-lethal” aid, whatever that constitutes, to the Syrian opposition and we wink at the notion that some of our allies, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, are giving lethal aid to the insurgents, really these terrorists,” James Jatras told Press TV.

New Enhanced Virus Emerges After Vaccine Combination
Activist Post - According to a report by Clare Peddie of Adelaide Now, the administration of two different vaccines to chickens in order to “control infectious disease” has resulted in the creation of an entirely new virus strain in the Melbourne and Sydney areas of Australia. The new strains were highly virulent and had a relatively high mortality rate according to researchers.

IDF raises alert in north, limits soldiers' leaves
Ynet News - The decision following an IDF situation assessment it was decided to cancel the weekend leaves for some soldiers stationed on the northern border.... The move was also prompted by the growing concerns regarding Damascus chemical weapons' stockpiles.... Both Washington and Jerusalem fear that the growing chaos in Syria may result in unconventional weapons may be either used by Assad against opposition forces, or fall into the hands of Hezbollah.

Va. Army mortuary unit deploys to Middle East
Army Times - More than 40 soldiers from Fort Lee are deploying to Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Officials at the Army base near Petersburg say the soldiers from the 111th Quartermaster Company left Wednesday for an at least six-month deployment. The soldiers are part of one of the Army's only two active duty mortuary affairs units.

VIDEO: Russia, China veto western-backed Syria resolution at UN Security Council
RT - Russia and China have vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that threatened Syria with more sanctions. It was the third time in nine months that Russia and China used their powers as permanent members of the 15-nation council to block resolutions on Syria. There were 11 votes in favor of the resolution. Russia and China voted against it, while South Africa and Pakistan abstained from voting.

Pictured: CCTV of suspected suicide bomber who killed Israeli tourists in Bulgaria bus bombing... and his fake U.S. driving licence
Daily Mail - Confusion surrounds the identity of a suicide bomber who killed seven people at an airport in Bulgaria after it emerged he could be a former suspected terrorist who spent two years in Guantanamo Bay.

German Bundestag approves $122 billion bailout for Spanish banks
RT - Germany’s lower house approves $122 billion rescue package for Spanish banks in a bid to help the country cope with "excessive" market fears and prevent the eurozone's debt crisis from spreading further. Lawmakers voted 473-97 to support the bank bailout, with 13 abstentions.

Religious Israeli lawmaker tears up New Testament
CBS News - An aide says Christian missionaries mailed the Christian scripture to Michael Ben-Ari of the ultranationalist National Union Party. Itamar Ben-Gvir said Ben-Ari, an Orthodox Jew, was enraged to receive the book, in whose name he says millions of Jews were slaughtered. Ben-Ari tore it up, he said, then posed for photographs with the destroyed Bible.

Russian customs stop 300 radioactive cars at Japanese border
RT - Russian customs officials have stopped the smuggling of nearly 300 radioactively contaminated cars at the Japanese border as part of an ongoing operation monitoring imports following the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant last year.

Indian surgeons carve up poor women in insurance fraud scheme
RT - Medics in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh have been carrying out hysterectomies on village women without a valid medical reason in order to scam a government system that allows private hospitals to claim compensation for treating patients who cannot afford the procedures, says the state's health minister. It is reported that up to 2,000 people were convinced into having their wombs removed since the beginning of this year.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

House approves $600B in defense spending
Reuters - The House approved on Thursday $606 billion in defense spending for next year after two days of debate that saw lawmakers from both parties line up to condemn the war in Afghanistan as a waste of lives and money. The Republican-dominated House voted 326-90 to approve the annual defense appropriations bill, which includes a Pentagon base budget of $518 billion plus $87.7 billion in spending for the Afghanistan war and other overseas operations, according to the House Appropriations Committee.

VIDEO: 'Dark Knight’ Shooting To Be Exploited For Political Grist
Paul Joseph Watson - Within hours of the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado at a screening of the new Batman movie, the political machine is already gearing up to exploit the incident as a tool to demonize the second amendment and characterize Americans who are against big government as extremists.

VIDEO: Pelosi Threatens Media: ‘Maybe The People Writing These Stories’ Should Release Their Tax Returns
Breitbart - House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) weekly press briefing.

Video: Luke Rudkowski asks, What does It All mean, to YOU?
Life, Love & Liberty w/ Sheriff Mack, Adam Kokesh, Gary Franchi & Jordan Page. What is the meaning of life...

U.S. Military Purchasing Combat Equipment for Domestic Contingency Planning
Intel Hub - For the last two years, the President’s Budget Submissions for the Department of Defense have included purchases of a significant amount of combat equipment, including armored vehicles, helicopters and even artillery, under an obscure section of the FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the purposes of “homeland defense missions, domestic emergency responses, and providing military support to civil authorities.”

VIDEO: Security, Privacy Experts Testify To Congress On Spy Drones
Steve Watson - Security and privacy experts have today given testimony to a congressional hearing on the anticipated increased use of unmanned drones in US airspace. Several important issues were raised during the House Homeland Security Oversight Subcommittee hearing “Using Unmanned Aerial Systems Within the Homeland: Security Game Changer?”
Related Article:
Virginia Lawmaker Looks To Strictly Regulate Spy Drones

VIDEO: ATF head warns employees of ‘consequences’ if they don’t ‘respect the chain of command’
KTU 103FM - The head of ATF recently warned employees that they will face "consequences" if they don't "respect the chain of command," in what Republican lawmakers are decrying as an "ominous message" meant to frighten would-be whistle-blowers in the wake of the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.

Almost entire Congress refuses to release tax returns
RT - Members of Congress are demanding that U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney give full disclosure of all of his tax returns, but most are refusing to publicize their own. The presumptive presidential nominee has disclosed his 2010 tax return and 2011 tax return estimate, but refuses to publicize any more. His refusal is generating critical responses from Congressional members, who claim his secrecy makes him unfit to run for president. However most members of Congress do not think that this same level of transparency should apply to them.

VIDEO: Former MSNBC Anchor Says MSM News Is Controlled By Advertisers
Alexander Higgins - The mainstream news outlets are hurting and the numbers don’t lie. The fact that media is controlled by corporate advertisers and government handlers doesn’t help. A recent Gallup poll revealed that 21 percent of Americans have lost trust in television news and critics blame the disconnect of the media from covering the real issues.... Cenk Uygur, now the of host of The Young Turks on Current, gives us his take on where the media loyalty lies.

FBI Wants a Database of Your Tattoos
The FBI is consulting local police and vendors about technology currently in use that can spot crooks and terrorists by interpreting the symbolism of their tattoos, according to government documents. The inquiry follows work already underway at the bureau and Homeland Security Department to add iris and facial recognition services to their respective fingerprint databases. The FBI on Friday issued a request for information on existing databases “containing tattoo/symbol images, their possible meanings, gang affiliations, terrorist groups or other criminal organizations.”

TSA Infographic
floorgem.com - Click on image to enlarge.

TSA checks woman’s feeding tube for explosives during strip-search
Raw Story - The Transportation and Security Agency (TSA) is under fire after agents in Dallas strip-searched a woman and handled her feeding tube. John Deaton told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that his the feeding tube implanted in his wife’s stomach was medically necessary after she had complications from gastric bypass surgery.... They had physically stripped her and saw the tube coming out of her stomach, and they decided that they needed to check it for explosives, so they had to physically handle the tube,” Deaton recalled, adding that swabbing the tube for explosives put his wife at a risk for infections.

TSA Signs Off On Flight School Owned by Illegal Alien
Kurt Nimmo - According to the GOA, the TSA approved flight instruction for more than two dozen illegal aliens at a flight school in Boston owned by an illegal alien. Eight of the students entered the United States illegally and seventeen had overstayed their allotted time in the country. Remarkably, six of the illegal aliens were able to obtain pilot licenses.

Judge: Man who stripped nude at airport not guilty
AP - An Oregon man who stripped nude at Portland's airport security to protest what he saw as invasive measures was found not guilty of indecent exposure.

2012 Election News

YouTube: Ron Paul Radio Interview KTRH 740
Ron Paul discusses his plurality of states and how it exceeds the RNC requirements for not only a speaking engagement but the possibility of a nomination from the floor of the national convention..He also denounces his support for Romney.

Woman cut twice from voter rolls is dead certain she's alive
Orlando Sentinel - Connie Smith is not dead, and she has a signed-and-sealed state certificate to prove it. But that's not always enough. State and Orange County elections officials keep bumping her off voter rolls, because they think she is dead. The latest "To Whom It May Concern" certified letter arrived last Friday from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office. "This letter is to inform you that the person named above has been removed from the Orange County vote rolls after we received notification of their death."

Economy

VIDEO: Rep. Paul on Efforts to Make the Fed More Transparent
Fox Business July 19, 2012 - Rep. Ron Paul, (R-Texas), on efforts to pass the “Audit the Fed” bill.

Buying local grows independent, sustainable communities and pulls the plug on THE SYSTEM
(NaturalNews) Buying green and organic is important for broad range, long-term sustainability; furthermore, buying from local, independent business owners gives you a vested interest in your community. Here are 11 great reasons to keep your money and your focus on your neighborhood to rejuvenate life in the community.

The Price Of Corn Hits A Record High As A Global Food Crisis Looms
Activist Post - Are you ready for the next major global food crisis? The price of corn hit an all-time record high on Thursday. So did the price of soybeans. The price of corn is up about 50 percent since the middle of last month, and the price of wheat has risen by about 50 percent over the past five weeks. On Thursday, corn for September delivery reached $8.166 per bushel, and many analysts believe that it could hit $10 a bushel before this crisis is over.

VIDEO: Santelli Blasts Bernanke: 'Manipulation Is Manipulation!'
Daily Bail - A crime is a crime unless the New York Fed ignores it...

VIDEO: Bankers Declare U.S. & Europe Conquered
Paul Joseph Watson - A recent CNBC clip in which financial analysts admit to viewers that America is under the control of a group of central bankers who are building a world government is a damning insight into how the establishment has dispensed with any pretense of trying to hide their agenda as it is finalized.

Are You on the Hook for Mom's Nursing-Home Bill?
WSJ - Thought you were immune from your parents' debts? Not so fast. Twenty-nine states have "filial support" laws that could be used to go after patients' adult children for unpaid long-term-care bills. In at least one of those states, Pennsylvania, nursing homes have started routinely using the law to prod families into paying their elders' bills or completing Medicaid paperwork on their behalf.

Post Office Might Miss Retirees' Payment
WSJ - While lawmakers continue to fight over how to fix the ailing U.S. Postal Service, the agency's money problems are only growing worse. The Postal Service repeated on Wednesday that without congressional action, it will default—a first in its long history, a spokesman said—on a legally required annual $5.5 billion payment, due Aug. 1, into a health-benefits fund for future retirees. Action in Congress isn't likely, as the House prepares to leave for its August recess.

Housing Market

Bank contractors illegally break into homes across the US
End The Lie - Returning from work or vacation, homeowners across the U.S. are finding themselves locked out of their houses, with their homes broken into and many of their belongings stolen and destroyed. The culprits? Bank contractors, hired to preserve abandoned properties. These contractors often ignore signs of occupation, including furniture, maintained gardens and turned on lights. It is illegal for any bank representative to enter a property if they have not retaken it at a foreclosure sale – especially if there are signs of occupation. Yet contractors have been repeatedly ignoring these signs.

Foreclosure crisis hits older Americans hard
The Trenches - More than 1.5 million older Americans already have lost their homes, with millions more at risk as the national housing crisis takes its toll on those who are among the worst positioned to weather the storm, a new AARP report says. Older African Americans and Hispanics are the hardest hit. “The Great Recession has been brutal for many older Americans,” said Debra Whitman, AARP’s policy chief. “This shows that home ownership doesn’t guarantee financial security later in life.”

Energy & Environment

Major Physicians Group Implores Exemption From Smart Meters - Are You On the List?
Activist Post - The prestigious American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has just issued a report emphasizing that patients with any of myriad health issues be accommodated to avoid not only having Smart Meters installed on their own properties, but to be accommodated also for their neighbors' Smart Meters. The report asks for doctors to recognize EMF/RF exposure in their patients, the cumulative effects, and especially the effects of Smart Grid technology.

VIDEO: Woman Pulls Gun To Prevent Smart Meter Installation
Paul Joseph Watson - A Harris County woman pulled a gun on a CenterPoint Energy worker to prevent the installation of a smart meter in a confrontation that highlights concerns about the devices being used to spy on Americans’ energy use, as well as possible health impacts. 55-year-old Thelma Taormina has signs posted on her front gate warning utility employees not to trespass on her land, as well as another that reads, “No smart meters are to be installed on this property.”

Health

Five easy ways to add goji berries to your diet for enhanced nutrition, trace minerals and longevity
(NaturalNews) I've been eating goji berries on an almost daily basis for at least six years. They've been part of Chinese Medicine for over 5,000 years, and they're super dense in antioxidants, trace minerals, carotenoids and other health-promoting phytonutrients. But a lot of people don't know how to really incorporate them into their diets! So below, you'll discover five easy ways to eat more goji berries and experience their extraordinary health benefits for yourself. Goji Berries have somewhat of a sweet taste, but their taste is actually far more complex due to the symphony of nutrients and minerals they deliver. See some of the ways to use them....

Health basics - Why you should always choose organic
(NaturalNews) Ever notice when you meet someone who eats mainly organic, who works out often, is financially stable and always in that "sharing" mode, that no matter what happens around them, they stay in that "gear," that energetic and positive attitude just stays illuminated and seems to levitate over the negativity?... Believe it or not, a fairly rigid diet of organic food, drinks, herbs, vitamins, minerals, Dead Sea salts and natural spring water enables human beings to reach their ultimate HEALTH POTENTIAL and use more than 15 percent of their BRAIN each day.

Physical Inactivity Killing 5 Million a Year
Natural Society - Sitting at home and minding your own business just may be hazardous to your health. One in three adults across the globe doesn’t get enough exercise, and it’s killing us—five million of us a year. Experts call it like it is: a pandemic. According to studies featured in the medical journal The Lancet, physical inactivity—not achieving 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week—is a major contributor to major diseases like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancer.

Glass particles found in injectable cancer drugs; massive FDA recall issued
(NaturalNews) In a joint release with the Food and Drug Administration, Hospira blamed the glass supplier for the injectables in recalling 19 lots of carboplatin, cytarabine, paclitaxel and methotrexate, which were shipped between September 2011 and April of this year. According to the release, vials of these drugs have been discovered with "visible particles embedded in the glass located at the neck of the vial." Glass particles in the medicine, in other words. "In the event in which particulate matter could be injected into a patient, there may be the potential for patient injury where medical intervention may be required.

Earthing is essential for optimal health
(NaturalNews) Walking barefoot on the earth has been a staple part of human and animal life since the beginning of time. In the past couple of generations, humans have made shoes, sandals and boots that insulate us from the natural energies of the Earth. Although these shoes protect our feet they also deprive us of the free electrons present in the ground. Grounding our bodies with barefoot exposure has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that is a genetic requirement for optimal health.

Eating Hemp for the Treatment and Prevention of Glaucoma
Intel Hub - One nutrient that has shown promise in treating (and preventing glaucoma) is Omega 3 fatty acid. Hempseed has the perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega fatty acids needed by the human body. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce ocular pressure. Omega 3 increases the flow of the aqueous humor (the fluid behind the iris), thus decreasing blockage and pressure on the optical nerve. Omega 3 fatty acid (DHA) is also a major structural lipid (fat) of the retina.

Do You Really Need That Filling?
Rodale - BPA in composite fillings is causing behavioral problems in kids, a new study suggests. We've known for some time now that silver amalgam fillings containing the neurotoxin mercury pose health risks. But what about the alternative? The results of a newly released study suggest some white composite fillings could be dangerous, too.

Science & Technology

Russian research project offers 'immortality' to billionaires - by transplanting their brains into robot bodies
Daily Mail - A Russian entrepreneur who heads a hi-tech research project called 'Avatar' has contacted billionaires to offer them immortality. Itskov claims he will personally oversee their immortality process, in exchange for an undisclosed fee. Itskov, a media entrepreneur, claims to have hired 30 scientists to reach this goal - and aims to transplant a human brain into a robot body within 10 years.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

USDA Green-Lights Field Trials of Monsanto Drought-Resistant Corn After Admitting it Performs No Better Than Natural Corn
Scribd - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) does not even pretend to legitimately evaluate genetically-modified organisms (GMO) before approving them anymore, having recently green-lighted approval for a new variety of "drought-resistant"GM corn produced by Monsanto that admittedly grows no better under drought conditions than natural varieties do.


Today in History - Thursday - July 19, 2012
1788 - Prices plunged on the Paris stock market.
1799 - The Rosetta Stone, a tablet with hieroglyphic translations into Greek, was found in Egypt.
1848 - The Women's Rights Convention took place in Seneca Fall, NY. Bloomers were introduced at the convention.
1870 - France declared war on Prussia.
1939 - Dr. Roy P. Scholz became the first surgeon to use fiberglass sutures.
1942 - German U-boats were withdrawn from positions off the U.S. Atlantic coast due to effective American anti-submarine countermeasures.
1943 - During World War II, more than 150 B-17 and 112 B-24 bombers attacked Rome for the first time.
1974 - The House Judiciary Committee recommended that U.S. President Richard Nixon should stand trial in the Senate for any of the five impeachment charges against him.
1979 - In Nicaragua, the dictatorship of the Somozas was overthrown by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional or FSLN).
1982 - The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 14% of the population had an income below the official poverty level in 1981.
1984 - Geraldine Ferraro was nominated by the Democratic Party to become the first woman from a major political party to run for the office of U.S. Vice-President.
1985 - George Bell won first place in a biggest feet contest with a shoe size of 28-1/2. Bell, at age 26, stood 7 feet 10 inches tall.
1985 - Christa McAuliffe of New Hampshire was chosen to be the first schoolteacher to ride aboard the space shuttle. She died with six others when the Challenger exploded the following year.
 

World News

Syrian rebels attack govt HQ, Assad’s whereabouts unknown
RT - The Syrian capital is facing the fifth day of violence in a row. On Wednesday a bomb attack inside the national security building killed three senior officials, including the country’s defense minister. The whereabouts of President Bashar Assad have been unknown ever since the attack, fueling rumors that he may have been killed by the bombing as well.... Rumors are also surrounding the whereabouts of Assad’s family, many of whom are believed to have fled the country.

VIDEO: Tourist terror: At least seven Israelis killed in Bulgaria bus bomb attack
RT - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that "Iran is responsible for the terror attack in Bulgaria, we will have a strong response against Iranian terror." Defense Minister Ehud Barak also said Iran, Hezbollah or Hamas could be behind the attack. Hezbollah, however, has denied any involvement in the deadly blast. A representative of the organization told Lebanese daily An-Nashra that Israeli accusations are "laughable".

Breaking/Unconfirmed: Sec Clinton Assassination Attempt in Israel
Veterans Today - Israeli radio and Reuters broke the story then went mysteriously silent, an assassination attempt inside Israel, on Secretary of State Clinton. Soon afterward, Iran’s national network, al Alam went public with a translated version which is being boycotted by news services.

Taliban bomb attack blows up 24 Nato tankers
Telegraph - A Taliban bomb attack on tankers carrying fuel to Nato forces sparked an inferno which consumed up to 24 lorries, local officials said.

US wasted up to $8 bln on Iraq reconstruction
RT - Billions of taxpayer dollars are vanishing in Iraq as the government fails to properly monitor its spending. The U.S. has wasted an estimated $6 to $8 billion in its reconstruction effort in Iraq, largely due to poor reviews of contractor invoices. In its final audit report, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Funds (SIGUR) said that of the $51 billion effort to reconstruct Iraq,“the precise amount lost to fraud and waste can never be known,”largely due to poor record keeping by the Pentagon and the Department of State.

VIDEO: HSBC 'sorry' for aiding Mexican drugs lords, rogue states and terrorists
Guardian - The bank has apologised for its lapses and said reforms had been put in place. Paul Thurston, chief executive of retail banking and wealth management, who was sent in to try and clear up HSBC's Mexican banking business in 2007, said he was "horrified" by what he found.

Millions of savers face pension values being HALVED due to cheating fund managers
Daily Mail - Millions of Britons are losing half the value of their pensions because they are cheated by punishing fees that are blatantly being hidden from them, an industry watchdog has warned. As a result the average person who has paid into a scheme all their lives will miss out on £100,000 when they come to retire.

97-yr-old 'Most Wanted' Nazi war criminal arrested in Hungary
RT - Hungarian prosecutors have taken into custody the Nazi-era war crimes suspect Ladislaus Csizsik-Csatary, 97, who reportedly helped organizing the 1944 deportation of 15,700 Jews to Auschwitz.... In April 2012, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a human rights organization, listed Csizsik-Csatary as the most wanted war crimes suspect.

British drug firm to pay millions to Thalidomide victim born without arms and legs in landmark compensation case that could result in thousands of similar claims
Daily Mail - A British company has agreed to pay millions of pounds in compensation to an Australian woman who was born without arms and legs after her mother took Thalidomide during her pregnancy. The landmark case is expected to result in thousands of other victims of the drug around the world winning huge claims against British pharmaceutical company Diageo and German firm Grunenthal.

Banned in the UK! BBC fights for right to air riot docudrama
RT - The film, which features actors portraying anonymous rioters sharing their experience of the events, was due to be broadcast on Monday evening, but was banned by a court order hours before hitting the airwaves.

Sound of irony: Copyright firm fined after stealing music for anti-piracy ad
RT - A music royalty collection agency in the Netherlands got trapped by the very copyright rules it was intended to protect. The company has been fined for stealing music from its client, using it without his permission and failing to pay royalties. Music royalty collection agency Buma/Stemra now owes at least 164,974 euro to the Dutch musician Melchior Rietveldt, a sum calculated by the recording artist himself.

Computer Virus named after Islamic Messiah found in Iranian and Israeli systems
Activist Post - Yet another virus primarily targeting countries in the Middle East has been discovered, this time called Mahdi, after the Islamic Messiah who will, according to Islam, rule the earth before the Day of Judgment. Much like the astoundingly complex virus known as Flame, this virus can be modified remotely by the attacker in order to record keystrokes, remove documents, monitor email communications and even record audio. However, according to Costin Raiu, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, this piece of malware is not sophisticated, unlike Flame.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

HSBC ‘allowed drug cartels to launder money’
Al Jazeera - Lax controls at Europe’s largest bank, HSBC, allowed Mexican drug cartels to launder billions of dollars through its US operations, an investigation by the US senate has found. The extensive report on London-based HSBC Holdings PLC by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also says US regulators knew the bank had a poor system to detect problems but failed to take action.

YouTube: Ron Paul Urges Afghanistan Withdrawal
Congressman Ron Paul urges withdrawal from Afghanistan during Defense Appropriations debate on July 18, 2012.

200 police officers vs. 100,000 gang members - Chicago devolves into all-out gang war
(NaturalNews) As gangs battle each over for turf, respect, a larger share of the drug trade - or just because they don't like each other - so many innocent people are being gunned down in the crossfire that residents of the Windy City are demanding that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his police chief, Garry McCarthy, do more to protect them. For Chicago Police - whose special Gang Enforcement Unit is outnumbered by gang members 500-to-1 - the problem is much more complex than the math.

VIDEO: Another doctored image deepens Obama mystery
WND - A professional graphic artist who examined the 1973 photo believes the image of Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was airbrushed into the scene to cover up an African-American man who was standing next to Obama at the Honolulu airport. Filmmaker Joel Gilbert, who commissioned the analysis, told WND there’s substantial evidence that the man in the original photograph was Frank Marshall Davis, the Communist Party member, pro-Soviet propagandist and pornographer who played a fatherly role in Obama’s teen years.

YouTube: The Manual Coding On Barack Obama's Birth Certificate
Barack Obama's long form birth certificate is essential in conflict with itself. The coding on the document doesn't match the documents content.

$100K Reward Offered for Info Linking Botched DOJ Gun-Running Operation to White House
Washington Examiner -- One of the nation's oldest conservatives group is offering whistleblowers a $100,000 reward for information from the White House and Justice Department on the "Fast & Furious" administration gun-running bungle. The Conservative Caucus told Secrets that it believes that the scandal which led to the death of a U.S. Border Control agent is a potential Watergate.

$3.5 Billion was spent on corporate lobbying in 2010
Refreshing News - What did it buy? The return on investment of corporate lobbying [Graphic].

Handcuffed man shot twice by San Francisco police - witness reports
RT - Officers with the San Francisco Police Department in Northern California shot a man believed to have a knife this morning, but preliminary reports suggest that the victim was in handcuffs while the authorities opened fire.

2012 Election News

RNC confirms Ron Paul will be up for nomination
Examiner - The Republican National Convention is quickly approaching (August 26th). For over the past year, avid Ron Paul supporters have won delegate spots in various state conventions across the country. Through this hard-work, Ron Paul will officially be allowed to be nominated for the nominee of the Republican Party.

Let Ron Paul address the Republican convention in prime time
The Hill - If Ron Paul does address the Republican Convention in prime time, he will say some things I agree with, and many things I strongly disagree with. But Ron Paul has earned the right to address the Republican National Convention in prime time.... Ron Paul has many faithful and devoted supporters and donors. He has had a genuine influence on our national discourse. He has made a real contribution to our debates.

DISCLOSE Campaign Spending Act Blocked By
Huffington Post - Senate Republicans blocked a bill Monday evening to increase transparency in campaign spending by independent groups. In a 51-44 vote, the DISCLOSE Act failed to obtain the 60 votes needed to clear a Republican filibuster. The bill would have required disclosure of anyone who donates to independent groups that spent more than $10,000 on campaign ads -- or their functional equivalent -- and other election spending.

Veteran News

Veteran Affairs 'hopelessly broken'
Human Events - Within five to seven years, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than one million new veterans will enter their system, in need of disability claims processing, health care, and more.... The VA that will receive them is already overburdened, battling a veterans’ claims backlog of over a decade that swept past 600,000 overdue claims just last week and shows no clear signs of improvement.

Economy

Bernanke Slams Audit the Fed
Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday rebutted Republican lawmakers pushing a bill that would give Congress the ability to review monetary policy decisions, saying it could compromise central bank independence. Bernanke said it would be a “nightmare scenario” if politicians decided to second-guess monetary policy.... The Republican-controlled House is on track to take up Paul’s Fed audit legislation next week. The bill, which has been co-sponsored by more than half of all House members, looks set to clear that chamber. Related Article: Date Set for Audit the Fed Vote.

VIDEO: One last time! Ron Paul vs. Bernanke
The Hill: "It might not be a surprise to find a smile on the face of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke when he appears before the House Financial Services Committee Wednesday. It looks to be the last time he will have to face off against Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). Continue reading here. The hearing entitled "Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy" aired on C-Span 3 Wednesday, July 18, 2012.

Goldman Sachs developing in-house private bank
Raw Story - Goldman Sachs said Tuesday it is developing its private bank for wealthy clients, particularly in fast-growing countries and in Europe, where it hopes to pick up the slack from struggling local banks. “We’ve been in the wealth business for a long time,” said David Viniar, Goldman’s chief financial officer, said in a teleconference. With certain European banks retrenching amid the eurozone debt crisis, he said, “there are some of our clients that need dollar funding.” “We’re growing the private bank out of the US,” he said, noting that today it was “very small but something we intend to grow very rapidly.”

More Americans on Government Dole Than Found Jobs
Kurt Nimmo - Between April and June, according to statistics released by the Senate Budget Committee, more Americans went on Social Security disability than found jobs. According to figures released by the committee, a total of 246,000 people enrolled in the Social Security Disability Insurance program while during the same period a mere 225,000 found jobs.

For the First Time, Canadians Now Richer Than Americans
US News - For the first time in recent history, the average Canadian is richer than the average American, according to a report cited in Toronto's Globe and Mail. And not just by a little. Currently, the average Canadian household is more than $40,000 richer than the average American household. The net worth of the average Canadian household in 2011 was $363,202, compared to around $320,000 for Americans.

11 International Agreements That Are Nails In The Coffin Of The Petrodollar
The Economic Collapse - Is the petrodollar dead? Well, not yet, but the nails are being hammered into the coffin even as you read this. For decades, most of the nations of the world have used the U.S. dollar to buy oil and to trade with each other. In essence, the U.S. dollar has been acting as a true global currency. The power of the U.S. dollar has been one of the few things holding up our economy. Once that leg gets kicked out from under us we are going to be in a whole lot of trouble. The following are 11 international agreements that are nails in the coffin of the petrodollar...

NEXT: Compton, CA, may declare bankruptcy
Reuters - Compton, which has an accumulated $43 million deficit and has depleted what had been a $22 million reserve, will run out of cash to make its payroll on September 1 at its current cash consumption rate, city comptroller Steven Ajobiewe told the city council during a July 17 meeting.

Energy & Environment

VIDEO: Global impact as drought wilts US crops
Al Jazeera - At least 29 states in the United States' Midwest are feeling the effects of the 'Big Dry' as oppressive heat and a worsening drought are pushing grain prices near or past records. Corn is a mega-crop and a bad year drives up the price everything from beef to cereal and auto fuel. As crops continue to wilt and falter, farmers and consumers across the globe are hoping for more rain, despite forecasts of dry days ahead.

‘Unusual event’ reported at Limerick power plant
pottsmerc.com - According to Frank Custer, communications director with Montgomery County, the county received an email from Exelon, parent company of the nuclear power plant, stating that an explosion had occurred causing the “unusual event,” in Unit 1 but the event did not pose any threat to the public. Custer said the notice reported the “unusual event” had been terminated. A call placed to the Limerick Generating Station’s media relations spokesperson was not picked up or returned as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.

“High neutron flux” causes shutdown at New York nuke plant
syracuse.com - The Nine Mile Point Unit 1 reactor shut down automatically at 11:18 a.m. Tuesday. Officials with Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, the plant’s owner, originally thought the turbine that spins to make electricity had tripped. But the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said late Tuesday the shutdown was due to a high neutron flux in the plant’s reactor. The cause of the condition is still under review. All plant safety systems responded as designed and there were no complications.

Health

Eat strawberries, prevent diabetes?
(NaturalNews) Scientists at the University of Warwick have identified a potential preventive effect of strawberries on Type 2 Diabetes risk. Although strawberries have previously been identified as effective at battling high cholesterol and and post-meal blood glucose levels, professor Paul Thornalley's research has now demonstrated that strawberry extract actually stimulates the protein "Nrf2" in our bodies, which activates antioxidant activity and decreases blood lipids.

Seven questions to ask your dentist if you want to reduce dental toxins
(NaturalNews) Amalgam fillings are composed of mercury, silver, tin, copper and other trace metals. A growing body of evidence suggests that amalgam fillings contribute to many degenerative diseases and cancers. According to a report published by The...

Heal your thyroid by banishing inflammation, boosting immunity and improving digestive health
(NaturalNews) Thyroid hormones regulate other hormones, including the adrenal glands' adrenaline production. Thyroid gland hormones also influence cellular metabolism, digestion, libido, and overall energy. There are three maladies involving the thyroid...

Exposure to dogs may protect children from asthma
(NaturalNews) Two studies concluded that infants in homes with furry dogs or cats had better protection from viral infections that normally lead to bronchial problems, including asthma, which has been increasing on the young over the past few decades of increased childhood vaccination schedules. The studies concluded that non-vaccinated children's immune systems were stronger among those whose homes were occupied by at least one furry animal than those who were vaccinated in homes without animals.

VIDEO: Human corpses harvested in multimillion-dollar trade
smh.com.au - RTI [Biologics] is one of a growing industry of companies that make profits by turning mortal remains into everything from dental implants to bladder slings to wrinkle cures. The industry has flourished even as its practices have roused concerns about how tissues are obtained and how well grieving families and transplant patients are informed about the realities and risks of the business. n the US alone, the biggest market and the biggest supplier, an estimated two million products derived from human tissue are sold each year, a figure that has doubled over the past decade.

Pepsi Isn’t The Only Company That Uses Aborted Fetal Cells As Flavor Enhancers
(KipNews) Children of God for Life is calling on the public to boycott products of major food companies that are partnering with Senomyx, a biotech company that produces artificial flavor enhancers, unless the company stops using aborted fetal cell lines to test their products.

Benefits of Kombucha Tea: Why is it Government Regulated?
Natural Society - Seeing a natural tea-drink come under regulation should be no shock to any of us. But many people don’t quite understand what kombucha tea is or why the government is watching it, especially while the benefits of kombucha tea are overwhelming.

Research: Gold and Tea Outperform Chemo in Fighting Cancer
Natural Society - The latest research on the subject shines a light on just how powerful the combination of gold and tea can be in conquering cancer, and even the mainstream media is reporting on the amazing results. While the process ignores countless other peer-reviewed alternatives and even adds a radioactive quality to gold nanoparticles, it still manages to heavily outperform chemotherapy.

FDA Officially Bans BPA in Baby Bottles
Anthony Gucciardi - BPA in Baby Bottles Officially Banned by FDA, Still in Food Products. During the same round of statements made regarding the ban of BPA in baby bottles within the US, FDA spokesperson Curtis Allen continued to outlandishly assert that the ‘safety of BPA’ used in actual food products is still supported by the organization. Allen even goes on to say that the reason for the ban is more a result of the industry ‘abandonment’ of BPA than actually protecting the health of US citizens. In his statement, Allen told medical reporters.

Science & Technology

YouTube: Law Enforcement And Marketers Buying Your Smart Phone Tracking Data
RT - One Delaware-based tech company is quietly leading the way in surveillance infrastructure and serving as the middle man between law enforcement officials and your most personal information. RT correspondent Liz Wahl takes a look at what's really going on there.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Shock claim - NaturalNews exclusive - LA 'authorities' in Rawesome raw milk raids were impersonating public officials
(NaturalNews) Documents and testimony obtained by NaturalNews allege the following: The Rawesome Foods armed "raw milk raids" and prosecution of James Stewart and Sharon Palmer were carried out in part by law-breaking private citizens pretending to be lawful government authorities. Those individuals -- who have been operating under false labels such as "district attorney" or "LAPD officer" -- may conceivably be liable for millions of dollars in civil and criminal damages for their actions which technically may be described as...

Pet News

VERY Bad News for Raw Feeders
Susan Thixton - Attention anyone that feeds raw meat pet food or manufacturers of raw meat pet foods...the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is about to vote on a policy against the feeding of raw meat pet food. If you want to protect your rights to feed a raw meat pet food, I suggest you take action before this gets approved.

Jerky Treat Testing Released by FDA
Susan Thixton - The FDA just released testing results of Chinese imported jerky treats. Very discouraging. For five years - although the treats continue to be linked to death and serious illness of thousands of pets - the same hand full of tests were performed. Finding nothing. Phyllis Entis of efoodalert.com put it perfectly..."Come on, FDA! It’s time to pause, breathe, and start thinking outside the treat bag."


Today in History - Wednesday - July 18, 2012
1743 - "The New York Weekly Journal" published the first half-page newspaper ad.
1812 - Great Britain signed the Treaty of Orebro, making peace with Russia and Sweden.
1830 - Uruguay adopted a liberal constitution.
1872 - The Ballot Act was passed in Great Britain, providing for secret election ballots.
1932 - The U.S. and Canada signed a treaty to develop the St. Lawrence Seaway.
1935 - Ethiopian King Haile Selassie urged his countrymen to fight to the last man against the invading Italian army.
1936 - The first Oscar Meyer Wienermobile rolled out of General Body Company’s factory in Chicago, IL.
1936 - The Spanish Civil War began as Gen. Francisco Franco led an uprising of army troops based in Spanish North Africa.
1942 - The German Me-262, the first jet-propelled aircraft to fly in combat, made its first flight.
1944 - U.S. troops captured Saint-Lo, France, ending the battle of the hedgerows.
1944 - Hideki Tojo was removed as Japanese premier and war minister due to setbacks suffered by his country in World War II.
1947 - U.S. President Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act, which placed the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore next in the line of succession after the vice president.
1971 - New Zealand and Australia announced they would pull their troops out of Vietnam.
1985 - Jack Nicklaus II, at age 23 years old, made his playing debut on the pro golf tour at the Quad Cities Open in Coal Valley, IL.
2000 - It was announced that Christopher Reeve would direct and serve as executive producer on the TV movie "Rescuing Jeffrey."
2001 - A train derailed, involving 60 cars, in a Baltimore train tunnel. The fire that resulted lasted for six days and virtually closed down downtown Baltimore for several days. (Maryland)
 

World News

BREAKING: Assad's brother-in-law and defense minister killed by suicide bomber bodyguard
RT - Syrian Defense Minister Gen. Daoud Rajha was killed by a suicide bombing attack at a national security building in Damascus. His deputy – Assad’s brother-in-law Assef Shawkat - was also reported to have been mortally wounded by the blast. Conflicting media reports say Shawkat is alive, although he was said to have been injured in the blast and was rushed to the hospital along with other surviving victims.

Fishermen all say US Navy opened fire without warning
Press TV - The Indian fishermen who survived a hail of gunfire from a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of Dubai dispute U.S. claims that their boat drew fire after ignoring warnings to steer clear of the American vessel.... We had no warning at all from the ship, we were speeding up to try and go around them and then suddenly we got fired at," 28-year-old Muthu Muniraj told Reuters from hospital, his legs punctured by the rounds of the U.S. craft's .50-caliber gun.

Latest Conspiracy Theory from Iran: The West Is Causing Drought
American Thinker - "I am suspicious about the drought in the southern part of the country," Hassan Mousavi, who also heads Iran's cultural heritage and tourism organisation, said at a ceremony to introdue the nation's new chief of meteorological department. "The world arrogance and colonist (term used by Iranian authorities to label the West) are influencing Iran's climate conditions using technology... The drought is an acute issue and soft war is completely evident... This level of drought is not normal."

Like in Libya, Al Qaeda flags now fly in Syria
worldmathaba.net - According to reports al-Qaeda flags are flying openly in some areas of Idlib and Aleppo provinces that straddle the borders with Turkey and Iraq (see article: Al-Qaeda tries to carve out a war for itself in Syria). The flags are increasing more common in Syria, especially with the influx of new arms and cash in the region. The Daily Telegraph witnessed the black flag used by al Qaeda flying high in several villages and on pick up trucks of rebel fighters, the article noted.

X marks the spot: Spy ring and warships encircle Iran
RT - The Pentagon is quickly tightening its ring of forces around Iran. As a recent report reveals a radar belt around the Persian country is almost complete, the biggest ever naval drills, involving up to 20 nations, are to take place in the Gulf waters. The US military have asked for $12.2 million from Congress to build an AN/TPY-2 type radar station in Qatar. The construction is due be finished by the end of this month, The Wall Street Journal reports, quoting US officials.

Exodus: Israel to drive Africans from Holy Land
RT - Israel has initiated the first stage of a controversial “emergency plan” aimed at interning and deporting an estimated 60,000 African immigrants. Officials believe the presence of the Africans poses a threat to the “Jewish character” of the state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who believes immigrants are swamping his country, has claimed the African migrants “are seen by many Israelis as a law and order issue and even a threat to the long-term viability of the Jewish state.”... Israeli authorities are ready to grant 1,000 euros to any African who agrees to freely leave within five days. Some immigrants have agreed, while others are going to be repatriated by force.

Singapore, US forces take part in South China Sea exercise
Today On Line - The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the United States Navy (USN) are taking part in the 18th Singapore-US Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise in the South China Sea from July 17 to 27, 2012. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the United States Air Force (USAF), the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the United States Marine Corps will also participate in this year's exercise.... About 1,400 personnel from both countries are involved in this year's exercise.

Israel takes over 2 offshore Egyptian gas wells, geologist says
Press TV - Egyptian geologist Khaled Odeh says Israel has taken over two natural gas wells located in Egypt’s territorial waters. Odeh said in Cairo on Monday that the wells are located in the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Cyprus, IRNA reported. He added that Israel took advantage of Egyptian officials’ inaction and started drilling operations in the area in April 2012.... The issue of supplying gas to Israel has always been a contentious topic for Egyptians, who view Israel as an enemy and oppose engaging in any form of business with it.

HSBC chief quits in front of US Senate committee as bank is accused of ‘letting Mexican gangs launder $7 billion
12160.info - A US Senate probe has disclosed how lax controls at Europe’s largest bank left it vulnerable to being used to launder dirty money from around the world. The report into HSBC, released ahead of a Senate hearing on Tuesday, says huge sums of Mexican drug money almost certainly passed through the bank. Suspicious funds from Syria, the Cayman Islands, Iran and Saudi Arabia also passed through the British bank. HSBC said it expected to be held accountable for what went wrong. Related article: HSBC let drug gangs launder millions...

Moody's downgrades 13 Italian banks
USA Today - Ratings agency Moody's Investors Service is downgrading the credit ratings for 13 Italian banks three days after cutting the Italian government's bond rating. The government's lower rating means Moody's believes it is at greater risk of defaulting on its debts and "indicates a similarly increased risk that the government might be unable to provide financial support to its banks in financial distress." Moody's dropped seven banks by one notch, the other six by two notches. They all remain investment grade.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

YouTube: Breaking News: Sheriff Arpaio Concludes Obama Birth Certificate is a Forgery
July 17 2012 - This is the full press conference. The official government investigation into the long form birth certificate Barack Obama released and claimed as his own on April 27, 2011 has been proven without any doubt to be a forgery. Sheriff Arpaio's original intent was to clear Obama. But, during the investigation it became clear that the long form birth certificate was a forgery.
Related Article: Arpaio's Obama probe finds 'national security threat'

Outrage After News Channel Helps Public Identify Gun Owners
Paul Joseph Watson - In an article about firearms training, a WRAL.com article... quotes Gail Neely, executive director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, who claims that “concealed weapons permit holders aren’t as law-abiding as they are reputed to be.” However, the part that really has second amendment proponents up in arms is a searchable box that allows the public to identify where concealed carry permit holders live, by typing in the street name, city, county and zip code.

Agenda 21 Ecocities Built for Permanent Population Control
Activist Post - The Ecocity Builders is a non-profit organization which is a collaboration of international networks of associates that influence and actively participate in local city planning projects all across the US. Through training courses, they advocate the ecocity approach as the only way to continue in civilized society.... They focus on reworking current issues to match UN Agenda 21 guidelines in planning for local cities including transportation, energy, architecture, design, natural restoration, development, planning, and advocacy.

Company tries to claim intellectual property ownership over children's exercises like 'leap frog'
(NaturalNews) Almost everyone has heard of a ridiculous court case involving companies or individuals making incredulous, specious claims, but this may be the first time someone has tried to claim ownership of a child activity. Focused Fitness, LLC, has filed suit against Action Based Learning, LLC, for attempting to assert copyright ownership over children's exercise activities "such as crawling, the 'army crawl,' the 'log roll,' 'leap frog,' walking on a balance beam, going over and under hurdles, balancing on a rope that has been laid on the ground, and others," the complaint said.

YouTube: Troops Ordered To Kill All Americans Who Do Not Turn In Guns
Using the rhetoric of the threat post by terrorists, insurgents and "international crime syndicates," the UN is busy trying to imply that all weapons are somehow involved in illegal activity on a global scale and should therefore be controlled and regulated by a global authority. This is precisely the same language used in a 1961 U.S. State Department briefing which outlined a long term agenda to carry out a "Program for General and Complete Disarmament in a Peaceful World."

Breaking: new evidence shows Hillary a mastermind behind Gunwalker
Examiner - According to investigative citizen journalist Mike Vanderboegh, sources close to the development of the Gunwalker scheme state that early on, Hillary and her trusted associated at State, Andrew J. Shapiro, devised at least part of the framework of what would later become Operation Fast and Furious. It was Shapiro who first described the details of the proposed scheme early in 2009 just after the Obama Administration took office.

New Mexico police embrace mobile surveillance tools
RT - Law enforcement agencies in Albuquerque have announced that they’ve procured a mobile surveillance trailer — a $68,000 piece of machinery that is equipped with four remote-controlled cameras attached to an extendable 30-foot boom. The entire surveillance hub run on its own generator, is self-contained and can operate for up to 30 days at a time from a single spot without requiring maitenance. The latest addition to the Albuquerque Police Department’s arsenal can transmit live videos to the smart phones and laptops of cops across the city and is described by the force’s chief as a necessarily implement to aid in SWAT team operations. That’s not all, though.

The 9 Most Loathsome Lobbyists in Washington
AlterNet - The depraved lobbyists in our nation's capitol will push virtually any legislation if the money is right.

68-year-old car buyer mistaken for terrorist due to credit report
Activist Post - Sandra Cortez got a lot more than she bargained for when she went to buy a new car and within an hour was threatened with calls to the FBI by the staff at the Denver dealership she went to. Cortez’s ludicrous encounter is far from the first and will almost certainly not be the last case of someone being confused with a terrorist or international criminal simply due to a similar or shared name and then being treated as such.

2012 Election News

Texas Republican Party calls for mandatory GMO labeling, legalized raw milk, complete elimination of TSA
(NaturalNews) Delegates from the Texas Republican Party recently gathered in Fort Worth to iron out their party's official 2012 platform. And in the official platform document, it is spelled out that the Texas Republican Party is in full support of mandatory labeling of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), legalized raw milk, and the complete elimination of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The 22-page report outlining the party's platform contains a section titled Empowering Families to Direct their Health Care that promotes freedom of choice in food and medicine, including the freedom not to vaccinate.

AUDIO: Ben Swann – Facts: Clarification from the RNC rules committee, Ron Paul has 6 states
Daily Paul Radio - Ben Swann of Reality Check with Ben Swann and an award winning nightime news anchor at WXIX FOX 19 in Cincinnati joins Daily Paul Radio with Kurt Wallace for ‘Facts: Clarification from the RNC rules committee, Ron Paul has 6 states‘ to discuss the details about his converstaions with rules committee and what that means for the many states in question regarding the nomination of Ron Paul eligibility at the RNC in Tampa. Ben also explains more regarding the unbound and bound delegates lawsuit and what a decision made prior to convention would do.

YouTube: Raw Footage – Ron Paul Interview for Upcoming Documentary, Bubble
The Bubble is a feature length documentary that ask those who predicted the greatest recession since the Great Depression, why did it happen and what are we facing? The documentary is an adaptation of Tom Woods’ New York Times bestseller Meltdown. Filmmaker Jimmy Morrison is releasing each interview in full for free before the film’s release.

80% of Americans Would Consider Voting for a 3rd Party/Independent Presidential Candidate
Reason.com - The recent Reason-Rupe poll finds that 80% of Americans say they would or might consider voting for an Independent or third-party presidential candidate in the 2012 election. Specifically, 60% said they would consider voting for an independent or third-party candidate, 20% said they might consider, 17% said they would not consider, and 3% said they did not know whether they would consider voting for an Independent or third-party presidential candidate.

NAACP Official: Romney ‘Flew In’ His Own Blacks to Cheer NAACP Speech
Atlanta Blackstar - An official with the NAACP suggested that Republican challenger Mitt Romney brought his own black supporters to the NAACP speech yesterday to give the appearance that NAACP members were applauding him. And when Romney later told Fox News that black people at the event gave him a standing ovation and said in a private meeting they would vote for him because of dissatisfaction with Obama, they were actually his own people, the official suggested.

Economy

YouTube: Exploring America's Ghost Town -- Gary, Indiana
RT's Anastasia Churkina travels to Gary, Indiana -- America's ghost town, one of the most dangerous places in the country that used to boom with industry and is now an urban desert.

US set to lose 2 million jobs
RT - The Pentagon will see massive cuts over the next decade to adjust the ever-expanding US deficit. A new study reveals, however, that the immediate impact of those adjustments could cost 2 million Americans their jobs in the next year alone.... The author of the report, Dr. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University and Chmura Economics and Analytics, suggests that while the Obama administration-endorsed sequestration goes about as scheduled, more than 2 million Americans will see their jobs eradicated in just 2013.... Dr. Fuller’s report says that it will be more than just military men and women made jobless by the cuts. In addition to lay offs coming to defense contractors and others with close DoD ties, the study suggests that as many as 600,000 federal workers will lose their jobs.

Veteran News

Federal government routinely denies medical claims to injured, disabled veterans
(NaturalNews) Eight U.S. Army veterans have claimed in court that the federal government denied their medical claims and that the government regularly does so with scores of other veterans as part of a "standardized" practice. In the suit, the vets - led by plaintiff Dannie Fail - claim the Army's Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury (TSGLI) program "has standardized the practices of denying claims [from injured veterans] in a manner that is arbitrary, unsupported by its own guidelines and contrary to law."

Housing Market

YouTube: CJ Holmes and Homeowners for Justice: California Governor Brown must issue foreclosure moratorium
CJ Holmes, real estate broker and founder of Home Owners For Justice, speaks out against bank fraud and forgery being used to foreclose people's homes at the Foreclosure Moratorium Rally, California State Capitol, June 25th, 2012. Unless the people rise up and demand their legislators and representatives stop foreclosures, this country can expect a continued epidemic of foreclosures until virtually every loan is foreclosed continuing at least for the next five years. Home Owners for Justice website. Related Video: MERS Action...

Zuckerberg's Loan Gives New Meaning to the 1%
Bloomberg - Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is giving new meaning to the term "the one percent." The Facebook Inc. (FB) founder refinanced a $5.95 million mortgage on his Palo Alto, California, home with a 30-year adjustable-rate loan starting at 1.05 percent, according to public records for the property. While almost all lending rates have reached historical lows this year, the borrowing costs available to high-net-worth individuals are even lower if the person is willing to bear the risk of monthly interest rate adjustments, said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst with Bankrate Inc., a North Palm Beach, Florida-based firm that tracks interest rates. Large increases are unlikely anytime soon with the Federal Reserve signaling it will keep interest rates near zero for at least two years.

Energy & Environment

Radiation On West Coast of North America Could End Up Being 10 Times HIGHER than in Japan
Washington’s Blog - Joke F Lübbecke of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and 3 scientists from the GEOMAR Research Center for Marine Geosciences poured tracer dye into coastal waters off of Fukushima, and monitored its progress as it traveled to the West Coast of North America, to find out what might really happen. They have revealed their results in a new paper published by journal Environmental Research Letters.

Health

FDA bans BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is banning the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups, a move critics said did not go far enough and was meaningless because most bottle manufacturers had already phased out the use of the chemical.

Study finds new weapon in the fight against diabetes
(NaturalNews) Researchers from the Missouri University of Science and Technology say that they may have found a way to re-sensitize cells to the effects of insulin. Sterculic oil, found in a wild species of almond called Sterculia foetida, may help people in whom the ability to supply insulin is compromised, or who have developed insulin resistance.

VIDEO: Chow down to reverse severe heart disease and diabetes with diet
(NaturalNews.TV) Root for Charles, John, and Garnet as they try to buck the system of pills and procedures and outfox their heart disease and diabetes. When their doctors inform them that they can't get better, our intrepid trio tells the doctors to think again. Charles, John and Garnet decide to take on their diseases by drastically changing their diets.

7 Food Tips to Keep You Cool
Green Med Info - With extreme heat settling over vast areas this summer and temperatures stuck at 100 degrees or more for days on end in some places, it's time to adjust our diets for the duration. It's natural that rich heavy foods just don't appeal to us when the thermometer spikes, and we turn to lighter fare to cool us off. Eating wisely is especially important right now to minimize our discomfort and maximize our energy - despite the heat.

The great olive oil fraud - Why your extra virgin olive oil may not be virgin at all
(NaturalNews) According to Tom Mueller, the fearless author of Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, 70 percent of the extra virgin olive oil sold worldwide is watered down with other oils and enhancers... During volunteer testing by suppliers to authenticate what they thought were pure extra virgin olive oils, every brand submitted in Australia during 2012 failed the tests and none gained certification for being pure. Authentication tests at UC Davis in 2011 uncovered similar results.

Accelerated Aging Could be Result of Chronic Anxiety
Natural Society - Recent research from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston suggests that chronic panic, phobia and similar anxiety disorders may lead to accelerated aging by shortening telomeres, the DNA-protein complexes whose lengths serves as biomarkers of cells’ biological ages.

Natural Way to Reduce Cholesterol: Consume More Nuts!
Natural Society - Looking for a natural way to reduce cholesterol? Changing your diet is the single best way to do so. Nuts in particular have repeatedly been shown to be great for reducing cholesterol, according to numerous studies that were reviewed by Loma Linda University. On average, eating a small bag of nuts (67 grams) each day could reduce cholesterol levels by 7.4%, according to the BBC.

CDC reports that 1 in 12 public pools are contaminated with parasites
(NaturalNews) A July 9, 2012 news article published in the New York Daily News stated that a public swimming pool in Brooklyn had to be shut down when it became contaminated with fecal material. Park officials believed the incident was caused by a dirty diaper.

VIDEO: Genocidal Cereal Killer Released
Exo Human - Spermicides hidden in GMO corn provided to starving Third World populations through the generosity of the Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Kofi Annan’s AGRA or vaccines that contain undisclosed sterilization agents are just two documented cases of using vaccines or GMO seeds to “reduce population.”

VIDEO: Human corpses harvested in multimillion-dollar trade
smh.com.au - RTI [Biologics] is one of a growing industry of companies that make profits by turning mortal remains into everything from dental implants to bladder slings to wrinkle cures. The industry has flourished even as its practices have roused concerns about how tissues are obtained and how well grieving families and transplant patients are informed about the realities and risks of the business. n the US alone, the biggest market and the biggest supplier, an estimated two million products derived from human tissue are sold each year, a figure that has doubled over the past decade.

If Your Doctor Insists That Vaccines Are Safe, Then Have Them Sign This Form
The average person that consents to a vaccine injection, either for themselves or for their children, genuinely believes it is for the betterment of health. What they are not aware of is that even their doctor is likely unfamiliar with the toxic ingredients contained in vaccines which can immediately begin to degrade both short- and long-term health.

19 Ways Cancer Becomes the Ultimate Soft-Kill Operation
Activist Post - The cancer epidemic is a soft-kill operation and a move by the world’s so-called elites to cull the human population. It is well documented that the Club of Rome, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, the Rockefellers, Warren Buffet and many other globalists plan to dominate and decimate humanity with their population reduction agenda. As we will see, the globalists first cause the cancer and then provide us with their ineffective treatments (not cures) for profit. This method is known as Problem – Reaction – Solution.

Science & Technology

Council on Foreign Relations Meets with Google to Fight International Crime
Activist Post - Google will meet this Wednesday with the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss ways that they can use their dominant search engine to penetrate and disrupt international crime.... So, it seems Google is moving right past the privacy concerns that citizens have due to warrantless monitoring of online activity, and deciding to head into full-blown action. Under the cloak of doing good by fighting international crime, Google will likely be given full reign to not only monitor but infiltrate people and organizations that the DoD, DEA, CFR and other alphabet agencies desire.


Today in History - Tuesday - July 17, 2012
1785 - France limited the importation of goods from Britain.
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to the British at Rochefort, France.
1821 - Spain ceded Florida to the U.S.
1862 - National cemeteries were authorized by the U.S. government.
1866 - Authorization was given to build a tunnel beneath the Chicago River. The three-year project cost $512,709.
1867 - Harvard School of Dental Medicine was established in Boston, MA. It was the first dental school in the U.S.
1898 - U.S. troops under General William R. Shafter took Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
1917 - The British royal family adopted the Windsor name.
1941 - Brigadier General Soervell directed Architect G. Edwin Bergstrom to have basic plans and architectural perspectives for an office building that could house 40,000 War Department employees on his desk by the following Monday morning. The building became known as the Pentagon.
1945 - U.S. President Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. During the meeting Stalin made the comment that "Hitler had escaped."
1946 - Chinese communists opened a drive against the Nationalist army on the Yangtze River.
1955 - Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA.
1960 - Francis Gary Powers pled guilty to spying charges in a Moscow court after his U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
1966 - Ho Chi Minh ordered a partial mobilization of North Vietnam forces to defend against American air strikes.
1975 - An Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit. It was the first link up between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
1979 - Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza resigned and fled to Miami in exile. (Florida)
1986 - The largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history took place when LTV Corporation asked for court protection from more than 20,000 creditors. LTV Corp. had debts in excess of $4 billion.
1987 - Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and rear Admiral John Poindexter begin testifying to Congress at the "Iran-Contra" hearings.
1995 - The Nasdaq composite stock index rose above 1,000 for the first time.
1997 - After 117 years, the Woolworth Corp. closed its last 400 stores.
1998 - Biologists reported that they had deciphered the genome (genetic map) of the syphilis bacterium.
 

World News

Iran reinforces nuclear rights, OKs atomic merchant ships
RT - Iranian lawmakers have given the green light to design and construct atomic-powered merchant ships. The move underlines Iran’s argument that its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes, while the West suspect it of building atomic weapons.... Admiral Abbas Zamini told Iranian news agency Fars that the first stages of designing a nuclear propulsion system were underway.... "All countries have the right to use peaceful nuclear technology, including for the propulsion system of its vessels," he stressed.

Iran claims $50bln oil field found in Caspian Sea
RT - A new oil layer with reserves of two million barrels has been discovered in Iran's territorial waters in the Caspian Sea, the country’s state TV reported. "The newly found layer at the Sardar-e Jangal field contains quality crude that is hydrogen sulfide-free", says Ali Osouli, the Managing Director of Khazar Exploration and Production. Osouli added the off-shore field would produce some 8,000 barrels of oil per day.

Protests multiply against cuts in Spain
AFP - Cuts to public budgets are already affecting services such as schools and hospitals and critics say Rajoy's new austerity measures will worsen economic conditions for ordinary people.... "It's intolerable. The problems of the Spanish state don't stem from civil servants... It's unfair and shameful," said nurse Miguel Contreras, 28, who came to protest in the capital Monday from the central Castilla-La Mancha region. "There are hospitals with whole floors that are not being used because they are firing and cutting jobs. We have little hope, but staying sat at home would just make it easier for the government to keep on doing what it wants."

US Security Agents, TSA ‘At Heathrow For Olympics’
Sky News - The Department for Transport has reached an agreement with the US Transportation Security Administration for specialist agents to be working at several UK airports. They will arrive one week before the Olympics, and leave around a week after the end of the Paralympics. This is an added security layer that has been done to help boost and aid the American airlines in particular that fly in and out of the likes of Heathrow and other airports.

Geneticist charts effects of nuclear disasters
al.com - The impact of Chernobyl and Fukushima-Daiichi is ongoing and radiation still in the environment is inhaled or swallowed, leading to accumulation in the body. One mushroom eaten in affected areas may deliver as much radiation as hundreds of chest x-rays, he [Dr. Wladimir Wertelecki] concluded. This accumulation is most worrisome for pregnant women. Radiation is an agent that can not only cause birth defects, but alter the human genome with long-term effects on future generations, he stated.

Prelude to the Destruction of Syria: Another Fake Massacre
Kurt Nimmo - The “massacre” of Tremseh, Syria, reported with standard sensationalistic fanfare over the weekend by the establishment media is another war propaganda fabrication. Billed as “Syria’s Bloodiest Massacre” by Newsweek and Bloomberg, the event supposedly occurred on July 12 in the Sunni Muslim village of Tremseh in Hama province.

US Ship Mistakenly Fires On Friendly Boat Off Dubai, As Russia Condemns Saudi Treatment Of Religious Protesters
Zero Hedge - Those trigger happy US sailors are causing some diplomatic headaches again for Hillary Clinton who this time has no Syrian anti-aircraft missiles to blame, by firing on a friendly ship, killing one and injuring three, off the coast of Dubai. Per the AP: "A U.S. Consulate official in Dubai says an American vessel has fired on a boat off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, killing one person and injuring three. The official gave no further details, but it appears the boat could have been mistaken as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran's maritime boundaries.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Welcome to London! Royal Navy's largest warship sails down the Thames as armed forces put on show of strength for Olympics
Daily Mail - The largest warship in the British Navy's fleet and thousands of additional soldiers have arrived in London to ensure security is not breached during 2012 Olympics.... Security of the global sporting event has been at the top of London Major Boris Johnson's agenda this week after contractor G4S admitted it needed additional soldiers to plug a 3,500 staffing shortfall.

For First Time in 50 Years, U.S. Cargo Ship Delivers Goods Directly to Cuba
All Gov - The cargo ship Ana Cecilia, carrying humanitarian goods directly from the United States to Cuba, arrived in Havana Bay on Friday, the first direct shipment since President John Kennedy imposed a U.S. embargo on Cuba in February 1962. He did so as a way of trying to force change on the communist government there, but the regime of the Castro brothers and their associates remains firmly ensconced.

Anger after Bill Gates gives £6m to British lab to develop GM crops
London Independent - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given British scientists a multi-million pound grant to develop GM crops... But the decision by the Gates Foundation to invest substantial funds in technology that has been promising an agricultural revolution for almost two decades provoked anger last night. The money would have been better spent on proven bio-tech techniques and cheap "agro-ecology sustainable practices" (low-input, traditional, organic) that have the potential to meet global food needs and yield long-term food security, said Dr Michael Antoniou, a molecular geneticist from King's College London's medical school.

PHOTOS: Sayonara atomic energy: Biggest anti-nuclear rally hits Tokyo
RT - “If we don’t do anything and stay silent, it means we agree in restarting the nuclear plants,” said the protesters, led by Nobel-winning novelist Kenzaburo Oe. Organizers put the number of attendees at 170,000-200,000; this makes the demonstration the largest in 50 years. Over 7.4 million signatures have been collected for a petition demanding a phase-out for nuclear power.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Needles found in sandwiches on Delta flights from Amsterdam
Delta Air Lines Inc said it was working with federal authorities after what appeared to be sewing needles were found in food on four U.S.-bound flights that left Sunday from Amsterdam, injuring one passenger.

Law of the Sea treaty dead
Washington Times - The Law of the Sea Treaty now has 34 senators opposed and thus will not have the Senate votes for ratification, a key opponent of the treaty announced Monday. Critics of the treaty had argued that LOST would require the U.S. to subject its sovereignty to an international body, require U.S. businesses to pay royalties for resource exploitation, and subject the U.S. to unwieldy environmental regulations as defined in the treaty.... With 34 senators against the misguided treaty, LOST will not be ratified by the Senate this year,” Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, said in a statement on his website.

YouTube: Inside of Bohemian Grove 2012
RT - RT correspondent Abby Martin is on the ground and she is bringing the latest on what's really going on there.

As Syrian crisis deepens, Obama cites ‘Captive Nations’ week
washingtontimes.com - As critics accuse President Obama of a weak response to the political and humanitarian crisis in Syria, the president quietly signed an order Monday proclaiming “Captive Nations Week.” “As individuals rise to demand their universal rights, the United States stands with them in pursuit of equality, justice, and freedom,” the president declared in the order. “And as long as there are people who live in the darkness of oppression, America will remain their steadfast friend, linked by a common dream and our common ideals.”

YouTube: Fast & Furious Staged to Pass UN Gun Treaty
Aaron Dykes examines the long-standing United Nations agenda to disarm populations. Related video/articles here.

VIDEO: Tom Woods Nullification Documentary Wins at Film Festival
Daily Paul - Via Tom Woods.com: I just heard the great news that Nullification: The Rightful Remedy won best feature-length documentary at FreedomFest in Las Vegas. The screening was packed and the audience was enthusiastic, but this news is just thrilling. Congratulations to Jason Rink, whose hard work made the project possible.

VIDEO: Congressman tells Conservative Activists that fighting for the Constitution is a losing battle!
UniteInAction.org - What happens when a Republican Congressman tells Conservative Activists that fighting for the Constitution is a losing battle? Watch the fireworks as Unite In Action's Director of Legal Affairs KrisAnne Hall and 912 Project National Co-Chair, Unite In Action President, Stephani Scruggs respond.

Chicago 'cop' collecting $1.2 million without ever working a day
RT - Barnes was in the police academy for barely a week when, in 1997, he collapsed five-blocks into “a slow jogging exercise.” He was admitted immediately to a local hospital, diagnosed with heat stroke and treated for both kidney and liver failure. Fifteen years later, Barnes still receives tax-free disability payments from the police force — and will continue to do so until death. By the time he reaches retirement age — and is granted a full police pension — he is expected to have earned around $1.2 million from the city.

2012 Election News

VIDEO: Media Ron Paul delegate plurality scam
Examiner - Monday morning was host to the fulfillment of a new program run by the establishment's media. One that fully displays the totality of its desperation and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make sure Ron Paul doesn't become the nominee.... It doesn't matter that, back in May, Ron Paul had already won a five state plurality of delegates, the majority of delegates from any particular state, five being the minimum needed to appear on the first ballot at the RNC. Although reluctantly and somewhat quietly, it was even reported on at the time by the same establishment media that Paul had accomplished that hurdle.

Yes, Romney Perjured Himself
Daily Beast - The claim that he committed a felony by falsely reporting his role at Bain Capital under oath is what has really gotten under Romney’s skin. But it seems pretty clear to me that he signed a federal financial disclosure form, under the penalty of perjury, saying he had not been involved “in any way” with Bain after he left for Utah in February 1999. That’s a strong statement. And it is directly undercut by Romney’s own statement in his 2002 attempt to prove residency to run for governor:

Ben Swann: Three Facts About A Candidate's Name Being Placed Into Nomination at RNC
Daily Paul - Via Ben Swann's Facebook Page: I have been in touch with a member of the RNC Rules committee over the past 4 days and have been able to confirm a few FACTS about the nomination process.

YouTube: FOX News Admits Romney Cannot Win Without Ron Paul Supporters
Published on Jul 16, 2012 by matlarson10.

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 7/16/12: Audit the Fed Bill
Inflation is a Monetary Phenomenon by Ron Paul: Later this month Congress will have an unprecedented opportunity to force the Federal Reserve to provide meaningful transparency to lawmakers and taxpayers. HR 459, my bill known as "Audit the Fed," is scheduled for a vote before the full Congress in July.

Feds OK Florida access to citizens list
AP - In a victory for Republicans, the federal government has agreed to let Florida use a law enforcement database to challenge people's right to vote if they are suspected of not being U.S. citizens. The agreement, made in a letter to Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration that was obtained by The Associated Press, grants the state access to a list of resident noncitizens maintained by the Homeland Security Department. The Obama administration had denied Florida's request for months but relented after a judge ruled in the state's favor in a related voter-purge matter.

Economy

IRS has no legal basis to collect Affordable Care Act tax - It's all an act!
(NaturalNews) According to the law, the IRS will not be permitted to freeze the bank accounts of taxpayers who choose not to purchase health insurance, nor will the agency be allowed to garnish wages. The IRS also does not have the authority to levy interest charges on those who choose not to pay the penalties. The only thing the IRS is permitted to do under the new law is withhold tax refunds from those that are due them, and that do not purchase health insurance. Since the majority of tax filers every year are owed refunds, the IRS hopes the threat of not receiving one will be enough to convince the American public to comply with the federal government's forced health care system.

Consumer bureau to police credit reporting bureaus
AP - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Monday that it will start supervising the 30 largest firms that make up 94 percent of the industry. That includes the three big credit reporting firms: Equifax Inc., Experian and TransUnion. This marks the first time that a single government agency will take an active role in policing credit bureaus, according to industry experts. The Fair Credit Reporting Act currently requires them to keep accurate information about consumers.

World’s Most Prestigious Financial Agency – Called the “Central Banks’ Central Bank” – Slams U.S. Economic Policy
Washington’s Blog - The central banks’ central bank, the Bank of International Settlements or “BIS” – which is the world’s most prestigious mainstream financial body – has slammed the policy of America’s economic leaders. This is especially dramatic given that the banks own the Federal Reserve, and that the Federal Reserve and other central banks – in turn – own BIS. In other words, BIS is criticizing one of its main owners.

Energy & Environment

Artificial Weather Revealed by Post 9-11 Flight Groundings
Green Med Info - In the three days that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when all commercial flights above the continental US were suddenly suspended, a veil was lifted on the profound, though until that point unconfirmed, effects that aviation-associated artificial clouds are having on our planetary environment.... The post-9/11 grounding of all commercial aircraft resulted in the sudden disappearance of condensation trails (contrails) from jet aircraft across the entire United States. According to the Nature study, the potential of contrails "...from jet aircraft to affect regional-scale surface temperatures has been debated for years...," but it was not until the three-day grounding period that doubts concerning the existence of the phenomenon could be put to rest.

Health

Pepsi Isn’t The Only Company That Uses Aborted Fetal Cells As Flavor Enhancers
(KipNews) Children of God for Life is calling on the public to boycott products of major food companies that are partnering with Senomyx, a biotech company that produces artificial flavor enhancers, unless the company stops using aborted fetal cell lines to test their products.

Exclusive: Glaxo whistleblower goes public with shocking details of bribery, marketing fraud and other pharma crimes
(NaturalNews) Whistleblower Blair Hamrick recently joined Mike Adams on the Health Ranger Report for a video interview. In this astonishing interview, Blair describes his firsthand knowledge of the "bribery" of physicians, the push for off-label marketing of drugs for unapproved health conditions, the illegal marketing of drugs to children, how 80 percent of physicians were willing to be "on the take," and other astonishing details from behind the scenes of the criminally-operated medical mafia known as Big Pharma. The full video interview is available on YouTube here.

Science proves that cranberries stop urinary tract infections, but it's still illegal to say so
(NaturalNews) A fresh review of previously compiled literature on the healing power of cranberries once again affirms that drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry supplements is a great way to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, the updated findings have the potential to change the mainstream approach to preventing and treating UTIs, that is if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not censor the truth.

Radiation - How to protect yourself from its effects safely and naturally
(NaturalNews) Whether concern stems from the possible exposure to drifting radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan or from every day sources of non-ionizing radiation (i.e., cell phones, computers, Wi-Fi,smart meters, etc.), exposure to radiation is a reality.

Dietetic Association’s Latest Power Grab
ANH - They want to make sure that only Registered Dietitians, not certified nutritionists with Master’s degrees and PhDs, will be eligible for insurance reimbursements! We’ve reported previously on how the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association (AND/ADA), is attempting to create a monopoly on the practice of nutrition services and counseling, cornering the market by excluding other qualified professionals by law relying on a state-by-state, restrictive licensure scheme. (They’re not the only profession that uses licensure as a means to eliminate competition, but this is one of the most egregious examples we have seen, and one that could affect your health!)

YouTube: Anti-Depressants Killing Sex Drive, Triggering Suicide
RT - A Recent study on antidepressants has shown that the drugs have some serious side effects: those taking certain prescriptions could lose their sex drive. It sounds like the whole nation's sexuality is under a threat as, according to the statistics, one in ten Americans takes antidepressants. And it's not only libido people are losing - many of these meds induce anxiety and double the risk of suicide. Psychologist and author Bruce Levine joins RT's Liz Wahl to discuss the issue.

German Study Says Condoms Contain Cancer-causing Chemical
Deutsche Welle - The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute said it had found the carcinogen N-Nitrosamine in 29 of 32 types of condoms it tested. The condoms, which were kept in a solution with artificial sweat, exuded huge amounts of cancer-causing N-Nitrosamine from its rubber coating. Researchers measured amounts of N-Nitrosamine, that were way above the prescribed limits for other rubber products such as baby pacifiers. “N-Nitrosamine is one of the most carcinogenic substances,” the study’s authors said. “There is a pressing need for manufacturers to tackle this problem.”

Science & Technology

VIDEO: Pentagon Releases “Comics” for Globalist Domination
Kurt Nimmo The government is spending your hard-earned money on a slick propaganda effort called “America’s Army Comics,” a “free” iPad and Android tablet app that will allow readers to experience combat and other “issues” in a digital format. “We decided to do a mobile app format because it allows us to do a lot of really innovative things that we hadn’t seen comic books do before,” executive producer Mike Barnett told Fox News.

Verizon Claims Right to “Edit” What You See on the Internet
All Gov - In its legal brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, Verizon lawyers claim the FCC has exceeded its regulatory authority by trying to dictate how ISPs control the flow of information across their networks. More importantly, the company claims the net neutrality rules violate its First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights. As Verizon sees it, “broadband networks are the modern-day microphone by which their owners [e.g. Verizon] engage in First Amendment speech.” Furthermore, the company should be allowed to act like a newspaper does, selectively choosing what information should be allowed to stay and what should be selected out.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Plan For Your Fall Garden – Now Is The Time
Survival Farm - Timing the planting of your fall garden is critical. When planting a fall garden time is not on your side. Being even a few days late planting your fall garden can be the difference in a good fall harvest or having a fall frost kill your garden before you can harvest any vegetables!
Related Article: 10 Things to plant in your Fall garden.

Wisconsin Town Barred from Imposing Strict Anti-Pollution Rules against Factory Farms
OCA - The Wisconsin Supreme Court dealt a blow to environmentalists concerned about water pollution from huge livestock farms Wednesday, when it said communities couldn't set stricter standards than the state. The ruling was believed to be the first decision by a state Supreme Court in about a half-dozen cases pitting neighbors and small farmers throughout the Midwest against so-called factory farms, which can have hundreds or even thousands of animals. Similar cases have been filed in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma, and the decision was closely watched.


Today in History - Monday - July 16, 2012
1774 - Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed the treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardji, ending their six-year war.
1779 - American troops under General Anthony Wayne capture Stony Point, NY.
1790 - The District of Columbia, or Washington, DC, was established as the permanent seat of the United States Government.
1791 - Louis XVI was suspended from office until he agreed to ratify the constitution.
1845 - The New York Yacht Club hosted the first American boating regatta.
1862 - David G. Farragut became the first rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.
1875 - The new French constitution was finalized.
1926 - The first underwater color photographs appeared in "National Geographic" magazine. The pictures had been taken near the Florida Keys.
1935 - Oklahoma City became the first city in the U.S. to make use of parking meters.
1940 - Adolf Hitler ordered the preparations to begin on the invasion of England, known as Operation Sea Lion.
1942 - French police officers rounded up 13,000 Jews and held them in the Winter Velodrome. The round-up was part of an agreement between Pierre Laval and the Nazis. Germany had agreed to not deport French Jews if France arrested foreign Jews.
1944 - Soviet troops occupied Vilna, Lithuania, in their drive toward Germany.
1945 - The United States detonated the first atomic bomb in a test at Alamogordo, NM.
1957 - Marine Major John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record when he flew a jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds.
1969 - Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, FL, and began the first manned mission to land on the moon.
1970 - The Pittsburgh Pirates played their first game at Three Rivers Stadium.
1973 - Alexander P. Butterfield informed the Senate committee investigating the Watergate affair of the existence of recorded tapes.
1979 - Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq after forcing Hasan al-Bakr to resign.
1981 - After 23 years with the name Datsun, executives of Nissan changed the name of their cars to Nissan.
2005 - J.K. Rowling's book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was released. It was the sixth in the Harry Potter series. The book sold 6.9 million copies on its first day of release.
 

World News

West is using 'blackmail' in new draft of UN resolution on Syria - Lavrov
RT - Western governments are trying to blackmail Russia into supporting their interpretation of the Syrian resolution, said Russia’s Foreign Minister. They have threatened to end the UN observer mission if an agreement is not reached. “If our western partners do not recognize the fact that if they block our resolution to the conflict then the UN observer mission will have to withdraw from Syria, it will be regrettable indeed,” said Minister Lavrov.

Iran prepares to shut down Strait of Hormuz
WND - Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabali said that military plans have been drawn up to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, but added Iranian forces won’t shut it down until they receive the go-ahead from Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. In addition to drawing up plans for the strait’s closure and awaiting permission from Iran’s supreme leader, the Iranian Parliament, or Majlis, still needs to give final approval.

The South China Sea: From Bad to Worse
Kirk Spitzer - Whether the U.S. can avoid being dragged into a shooting match will depend on how far Beijing and its unruly mix of military, maritime and natural resources agencies choose to push their claims. And whether China’s increasingly frustrated neighbors decide to push back. Last week’s regional security talks in Cambodia were a step in the wrong direction. China refused to look at a written code of conduct being drafted to govern navigation, resources and related issues in the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important waterways. It also blocked discussion – let alone resolution — of the conflicting territorial claims in the region.

Egyptians pelt Clinton motorcade with tomatoes
Reuters - Protesters threw tomatoes and shoes at U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's motorcade on Sunday during her first visit to Egypt since the election of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.... The assault on her motorcade came on a day Clinton spoke at the newly re-opened U.S. consulate in Alexandria, addressing accusations the United States, which had long supported former President Hosni Mubarak, of backing one faction or another in Egypt following his ouster last year. "I want to be clear that the United States is not in the business, in Egypt, of choosing winners and losers, even if we could, which of course we cannot," Clinton said.

Monsanto linked to coup that ousted Paraguayan president
(NaturalNews) The political system in Paraguay is undergoing some major turmoil right now following the forced impeachment of former President Fernando Lugo, a "left-of-center" politician democratically voted into office by the people of Paraguay back in 2008. And among those who initiated and brought about this controversial coup was multinational biotechnology giant Monsanto, which was apparently threatened by Lugo's resistance against the company's genetically-modified (GM) crop agenda.

Monitoring 'enemy moves': Iran 'vigilant' over US presence in Gulf waters
RT - Iran warns it’s closely monitoring the “enemy’s” moves from the Caribbean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The statement comes after Washington is reported to have dispatched a fourth aircraft carrier and a fleet of underwater drones to Gulf waters. Iran’s intelligence systems are tracking all the activities of the US forces and its allies from the Caribbean Sea to the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, says Rear Admiral Javad Mashidi, the deputy commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy.

Britain MI6 behind assassination of Iran nuclear scientists: Analyst
Press TV - An American military analyst says Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, MI6 has facilitated assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists in cahoots with the Western media machine.

Bounty Hunters Unleashed on Crooked Bankers
Wealth Wire - Iceland has potentially set a new trend in the finance community. According to Business Insider, their government has hired an ex-cop; a white collar crime bounty hunter [Ólafur Þór Hauksson] who wants to make sure the bankster criminals pay the price for their elaborate crimes.... The good news for him [Hauksson] is that he’s not working alone. He’s got 100 top-notch researches rigorously working around the clock to help make this a smoother and quicker process.

Canada’s Effort to Criminalize Criticism of Israel
Aletho News - Israel’s siege of Gaza has made it a “closed zone” – no access, no exit, cut off from the world. By attempting to shut down criticism of Israel’s practices, Canadian supporters of the government of Israel are creating another “closed zone” in Canada – in which criticism, open debate, and freedom of expression will not be allowed.

Stolen Haitian Relief Money
Op Ed News - Instead of relief going to help Haitians, it's given to profiteering companies and NGOs. Haitians then and now ask where did the money go? It hasn't helped them. Washington diverted the largest amount. Instead of helping, it sent in the marines, let contracts for corporate predators, and funded well-connected profiteering NGOs. Haitians got hardly anything. They're still waiting for desperately needed aid.

CDC Pushes Measles Vaccine Ahead of London Olympics
Melissa Melton - This week, the CDC released a digital press kit entitled “Traveler’s Health: 2012 London Olympics” urging everyone to get their vaccinations before they leave... The measles vaccine, however, is no longer produced for standalone sale in the United States. The only way to get a measles inoculation is to take a combination vaccine: either a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot or an MMR and varicella (MMRV) shot. The only company that currently produces these shots for sale in America is Big Pharma fraud Merck and Company, Inc.

Doctors' basic errors are killing 1,000 patients a month
Independent UK - Almost 12,000 patients are dying needlessly in NHS hospitals every year because of basic errors by medical staff, according to the largest and most detailed study into hospital deaths ever performed in the UK.... Helen Hogan, who led the study, said: "We found medical staff were not doing the basics well enough – monitoring blood pressure and kidney function, for example. They were also not assessing patients holistically early enough in their admission so they didn't miss any underlying condition. And they were not checking side-effects... before prescribing drugs."

VIDEO: Is Canada's plastic money melting?
LA Times - Does Canada's plastic money have a heat problem? According to reports in the Canadian news, the polymer bills are melting in extreme heat -- shriveling up like bacon, and occasionally sticking together when left in a hot car.

VIDEO: Visit Sunny Chernobyl: Author Says Nuclear Meltdown Good for the Environment
Aaron Dykes - Featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, author and environmentalist Andrew Blackwell heralded the beauty of Chernobyl, a man-made disaster, now a wasteland, where he found a shining desolate place that humans had vacated, and now returned to nature. Part of a ‘love letter to pollution,’ Blackwell discusses his book Visit Sunny Chernobyl, sounding off in poetic language “Paradoxically, perversely, the accident may actually have been good for this environment.”

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Auditors say billions likely wasted in Iraq work
AP - After years of following the paper trail of $51 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars provided to rebuild a broken Iraq, the U.S. government can say with certainty that too much was wasted. But it can't say how much. In what it called its final audit report, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Funds on Friday spelled out a range of accounting weaknesses that put "billions of American taxpayer dollars at risk of waste and misappropriation" in the largest reconstruction project of its kind in U.S. history.

Never Mind: Military Doesn’t Think Iran’s Missiles Will Reach U.S. After All
Wired - Another year, another Pentagon report on Iran’s military power. Which means another round of imprecise predictions about when Iran may first test an intercontinental ballistic missile. But this time, the Pentagon no longer believes a future Iranian missile will be able to strike America. And another reason not to worry: Even if Iran does develop one, it’ll probably suck.

VIDEO: Tiny 2-Foot Bomb Could Be ‘Months’ Away From Drone War
Wired - That would open new worlds of possibility for the U.S. drone arsenal. There are a lot more small drones than there are Preds and Reapers. The small-fry robots are used as flying spies, since they’re too lightweight to arm — until now. The Small Tactical Munition is supposed to arm the Shadow, a drone that’s only 12 feet long. The U.S. fleet of killer drones would significantly increase. Alternatively, the existing, large killer drone fleet could carry far more weapons than they currently do.

NSA Whistleblower: Spy Agency Gathering Info on ‘Virtually Every US Citizen’
AntiWar.com - National Security Agency whistleblower William Binney said on Friday that the US government is secretly gathering information “about virtually every US citizen in the country,” in “a very dangerous process” that violates Americans’ privacy. Binney, who resigned from the NSA in 2001 over its sweeping domestic surveillance program, delivered a keynote address at the HOPE Number 9 hackers conference in New York. “They’re pulling together all the data about virtually every U.S. citizen in the country…and assembling that information,” Binney explained.

DHS – Praise Lord Obama and Pass the Ammunition
Activist Post - The following chart demonstrates the frequency, quantity, and variety of ammunition the Department of Homeland Security has awarded to a variety of providers since Mr. Obama took office in January 2009. Solicitation and award notifications are available upon request. As you can see by the chart, no weapon or caliber is forgotten. From the mundane to the exotic ammunition, the Department of Homeland Security has purchased them by the thousands.

In Vast Effort, F.D.A. Spied on E-Mails of Its Own Scientists
NY Times - A wide-ranging surveillance operation by the Food and Drug Administration against a group of its own scientists used an enemies list of sorts as it secretly captured thousands of e-mails that the disgruntled scientists sent privately to members of Congress, lawyers, labor officials, journalists and even President Obama, previously undisclosed records show.

YouTube: Bohemian Grove: Orgy of Power for Global Elite
RT Jul 13, 2012 - For the last 133 years, the world's wealthiest and most powerful elite gather at the Bohemian Grove in the Redwood forest of Monte Rio, CA where they network, discuss policy, party and perform mock sacrificial rituals. Yet, little people know about this secretive meeting of CEOs and political bigwigs because there is virtually no media coverage of the event. So what is really happening at the Bohemian Grove? RT correspondent Abby Martin sets out to find out for herself.

VIDEO: Arrest at Occupy Bohemian Grove 2012
The Trenches - Cindy Sheehan at the Bohemian Grove protest and senior citizen Doug Miller, being arrested at occupy bohemian grove by sergeant Williams with Sonoma County Sheriff. assaulted and arrested.

Occupiers to protest Bohemian Grove
RT July 14, 2012 - Demonstrators from around the world will descend on a plot of land around 70 miles north of San Francisco, California this week, but they won’t be granted access to see what actually happens between the members of one of Earth’s most unknown secret societies: Bohemian Grove. That shroud of secrecy that has surrounded the gathering since its start over a century ago — and what happens beneath it — is exactly why hundreds are expected to turn out in Monte Rio, California to protest the ongoing erosion of a democratic society.

Alaska sues to block low-sulfur fuel requirement for ships
Reuters - The state of Alaska sued the Obama administration on Friday to block environmental regulations that would require ships sailing in southern Alaska waters to use low-sulfur fuel.... The lawsuit faults the EPA, the Department of Homeland Security and others for using a marine treaty amendment as the basis for the new federal regulations without waiting for ratification of that amendment by the U.S. Senate. The Alaska Department of Law said in a statement that the low-sulfur-fuel requirement would be costly, jacking up prices for products shipped by marine vessel and harming Alaska's cruise industry.

Clearwater, Florida poised to institute more laws that target the homeless
Tampa Bay Times - Sitting or lying down on sidewalks or other public rights of way on Clearwater Beach, downtown or in the East Gateway neighborhood could mean a $500 fine, 60 days in jail or both. The sitting ban is among a flurry of new ordinances the City Council will consider Monday as part of its crackdown on homeless people. The council also could drop the hammer on sleeping outside, panhandling and bathing in public sinks. Like public sitting, each crime would be an arrestable offense.

2012 Election News

Ron Paul: Romney Campaign Scared to Let Me Speak at GOP Convention
The Hill - The Texas Republican candidate for president said he thinks the prospects of him having the Tampa platform to energize his “Ronvolution” movement of supporters — who buck traditional GOP staples such as war funding and are in favor of more radical ideas such as auditing the Federal Reserve — intimidates some in the Republican leadership, including former Gov. Mitt Romney’s (R-Mass.) campaign.

Ron Paul: My Supporters Wouldn’t be Okay With Condoleezza Rice
Capital Column - - Speculation about Ms. Rice’s future with the GOP skyrocketed after the Drudge Report listed the former Bush administration official as Governor Romney’s top vice presidential candidate. ABC News says that the Drudge Report’s list is especially noteworthy because there are ties between Matt Drudge and several Romney staffers. Rumors about Ms. Rice’s future with the GOP have been increasing in number over the last few months, as the Romney campaign continues to vet potential running mates for the former Massachusetts governor.... However, Ms. Rise has categorically denied any interested in being Mr. Romney’s running mate. “I didn’t run for student council president. I don’t see myself in any way in elected office,” Ms. Rice told CBS “This Morning.” “I love policy. I’m not particularly fond of politics.”

Nebraska Recap
Daily Paul - Our numbers--we believed going in--were at about 40% of the total delegates. As I told many people, we didn't have the majority. I also told a number of people that how well we did would probably depend on how well the Romney forces were organized, and how many folks in rural areas decided to stay home and irrigate their corn instead of coming to the convention. Based on the credentials report, attendance was at about 96% of the elected delegates--an extraordinary number, really. Of course that made our job tougher, since we looked to be behind by about a 60-40 split. Related video here.

Iowa Republican says government illegitimate, declares herself U.S. Senator
Raw Story - An Iowa woman who was running for a state Senate seat has dropped that bid after deciding the U.S. government is a sham, and has instead unilaterally declared herself a U.S. Senator from the Republic of Iowa in an alternative government, the Republic for the United States of America.

Veteran News

Army suicides-the most alarming tragedy in the US
cursory glance at recent media reporting exposes the important issues we Americans are most concerned about – the looming presidential election, our long-suffering economic condition, the Penn State scandal and Tom and Katie’s break up. If you’re interested in our military’s involvement in Afghanistan, our successes and failures, the names of those killed, etc., then you’ll have to search more aggressively. The fact is, America’s media, and perhaps the American people, have generally lost interest in the decade-long war.

Insurance companies, government steals life insurance benefits from PTSD veterans who commit suicide
(NaturalNews) Families of four veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following their tours of duty in combat zones who committed suicide after returning home are charging Prudential Insurance and the Department of Veterans Affairs with refusing to pay life insurance benefits they are due.

Letters of SC soldier killed in Vietnam come home
Refreshing News - Four letters from a courageous South Carolina soldier who tried to tell his family about the fearsome battles that raged around him in Vietnam were returned to his family Saturday, some 40 years after he was killed.

Economy

VIDEO: Transcript Reveals FED Assisted Banks In LIBOR Manipulation Scam
Alexander Higgins - A transcript from the NY Federal Reserve reveals that the Federal Reserve know that global banking cartel was manipulating the most important interest rate in the world – The London Inter-Bank Overnight Rate (LIBOR) and they knew the rates they were posting were not honest numbers.

Baltimore city is among many suing big banks over allegations of rate-rigging
Baltimore Sun - The city is suing more than a dozen major banks, claiming the institutions conspired to manipulate the London Interbank Offered Rate, or Libor. This is a benchmark used to set interest rates on variable-rate credit cards and mortgages plus trillions of dollars' worth of financial instruments, including some purchased by the city of Baltimore.

Visa, MasterCard in $7.25bn swipe-free settlement
Press TV - Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and banks that issue their credit cards have agreed to a $7.25 billion settlement with U.S. retailers in what could be the largest antitrust settlement in U.S. history, according to Reuters. The settlement would resolve a lawsuit over the fixing of credit and debit card fees filed by retailers in 2005, Reuters and other media outlets reported after the settlement papers were filed Friday in a federal court in Brooklyn.

How Your Bank Account Could Disappear
ETF Daily News - We are being led to believe by the Corporate Media (another unreliable source) that this problem is only a risk for all individuals with “brokerage” accounts, however as we piece together all the pieces of the puzzle (already revealed) this is what we see before us...

YouTube: Welcome to Toledo - Living large with food stamps & section 8 in America's 8th Most Miserable City
The U.S. Gov't and city of Toledo squandered 115 million dollars to build 800 homes for lower income people. That equates to approximately 140,000 per house. Today, many of the homes are vacant.
Related article:
Taxpayer-aided homes sit vacant...

27 Things That Every American Should Know About The National Debt
Economic Collapse - The U.S. government has stolen $15,876,457,645,132.66 from future generations of Americans, and we continue to add well over a hundred million dollars to that total every single day day. The 15 trillion dollar binge that we have been on over the past 30 years has fueled the greatest standard of living the world has ever seen, but this wonderful prosperity that we have been enjoying has been a lie. It isn’t real.

Housing Market

A payday loan can stop you getting a mortgage: Worrying news for three million who have needed fast cash
Daily Mail July 13, 2012 - Millions of borrowers who have taken out payday loans are being blacklisted by banks and building societies on the grounds they are too risky to lend to, it emerged yesterday. Families forced to turn to the short-term loans – often charged extortionate interest rates, as high as 16,000 per cent in some cases – are routinely being refused mortgages.

VIDEO: Souders v. Bank of America -- BoA & Michele Sjolander nailed on robo stamping, timely removal and default judgment.
Mortgage Movies - Bank of America is facing some serious issues as it attempts to remove Plaintiff Lorayne Souders' Fraud lawsuit in Pennsylvania. Some of these issues include failure to answer her complaint, untimely removal (they filed removal on and robo stamping, which may have been done in post hoc fashion in an attempt to cover their tracks after the note never reached the trust pool.... a REMIC violation of course. A New York Court slammed BoA and the same exact cast of characters for such conduct in Bank of NY v. Alderazi, 929 NYS 2nd. 198 (2011).

Energy & Environment

YouTube: Replacing A Smart Meter With A Safe Analog Meter
FreedomTaker.com - Your "SMART METER" is a surveillance device that monitors your "energy consumption behavior" and it emits biologically destructive "pulsed" radiation in your home, and it is UNLAWFUL because your power company has no easement (rightful access) to do that!!

How privacy-conscious consumers are fooling, hacking smart meters
(NaturalNews) Curiously, in all this haste to accomplish the government's energy program, no federal safeguards seem to have been designed to protect customer information from being accessed by others - information that smart meters could be sending (the activist group may have a point on this one). Worse, it appears that smart meters themselves are not an impregnable fortress - the meter can be subject to hacking.

Health

How antibiotics destroy your immune system
(NaturalNews) The absolute worst thing to do to any infant is to give them an antibiotic. Antibiotics indiscriminately kill bacteria, both good and bad. One round of antibiotics will permanently change the baby's immune system, and because a majority of neuro-chemicals are also made in the gut, the baby's neurology is also altered. The antibiotics that have been touted as the savior of mankind from disease are costing us in cancer and degenerative, chronic diseases.

Eating Antibiotic-Fed Chicken Leading to Bladder Infection Spike
Natural Society - In case anyone still doesn't mind eating antibiotic-fed chicken, hear this. Conventionally-raised chickens have been linked to urinary tract infections in people. Eating the antibiotic-fed chicken can especially lead to a urinary tract infection in women.

Prescription drugs' side effects are especially dangerous for the elderly
(NaturalNews) Researchers in Britain have found that commonly used drugs prescribed to half of those that are 65 or older lead to an increased incidence of death and mental health decline, especially when the drugs are prescribed in combination. The researchers' findings, which was published in the August 2011 Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, suggest that these types of drugs negatively affect the brain and increase the risk of decline and death. The study found that patients taking a combination of prescription drugs were at greater risk.

6 charts that show the Welfare State run amok
AEIdeas - The original purpose of Medicaid was to provide improved healthcare access for poor people, while not turning the safety net into a trap. Under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, Medicaid will be greatly exapnded beyond what Congress originally intended. In fact, as these charts show, it has already expanded beyond what Congress surely originally envisioned and, in the process, has created a terrible fiscal problem for the United States.

Treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease naturally
(NaturalNews) Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is surging throughout the Western industrial world to become the most common liver disease. In the USA alone, over 30 million are afflicted with NAFLD. It can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even liver failure. NAFLD is not from boozing too much, nor is it from Hepatitis B or C. It's from our modern diet also known as SAD (standard American diet), which has spread to other nations and continents.

Rocket Fuel Chemical Contaminating Your Food and Water
Natural Society - There’s nothing quite like an ice-cold glass of rocket fuel on a summer afternoon. Perchlorate, a key ingredient in rocket fuel, can be found in almost everybody in America. Perchlorate in drinking water has been an issue for quite some time, and has been contaminates our ground and drinking water and everything quenched by it—people, lettuce, cows.

Science & Technology

White House gives Homeland Security control of all communication systems
RT - The White House has finally responded to criticism over US President Barack Obama’s hushed signing last week... Now the Obama administration is addressing those complaints by calling the Executive Order a necessary implement for America’s national security. “The [order] recognizes the creation of DHS and provides the Secretary the flexibility to organize the communications systems and functions that reside within the department as [Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano] believes will be most effective,” White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden tells the Washington Post.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Growing Celery: Grow a New Bunch Indoors or Outdoors
The Kitchn - Don't toss that celery base! Did you know you can use it to re-grow a new bunch of celery? It's apparently quite simple: just stand the base in a small dish of water for a week or so until new leaves appear in the center. The leaves will be yellow at first, and once they really emerge and turn green, you can plant the celery in the ground or in a pot. [Note: To avoid BPA, always use a clay, or BPA-free container for potting.]

Easy, Year-Round Worm Composting
Mother Earth News - New blogger Stan Slaughter discusses a method for producing vermicompost in large quantities in all seasons of the year.

Pet News

Real Life Story of Supplement Free Pet Food
Susan Thixton - A pet owner contacted me recently and shared a brief story of one of her dogs, how he had changed dramatically when she took him off all pet foods using synthetic vitamins and minerals. I wanted to know more. The following is the story of Tucker - one lucky little dog.

Humor & Satire

VIDEO: So papa, how do you like the iPad we got you?
No need to understand the language to get it.
 


Today in History - Friday - July 13, 2012
1754 - At the beginning of the French and Indian War, George Washington surrendered the small, circular Fort Necessity in southwestern Pennsylvania to the French.
1787 - The U.S. Congress, under the Articles of Confederation, enacted the Northwest Ordinance, which established the rules for governing the Northwest Territory, for admitting new states to the Union and limiting the expansion of slavery.
1812 - The first pawnbroking ordinance was passed in New York City.
1832 - Henry Schoolcraft discovered the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
1835 - John Ruggles received patent #1 from the U.S. Patent Office for a traction wheel used in locomotive steam engines. All 9,957 previous patents were not numbered.
1863 - Opponents of the Civil War draft began three days of rioting in New York City, which resulted in more than 1,000 casualties.
1875 - David Brown patented the first cash-carrier system.
1878 - The Congress of Berlin divided the Balkans among European powers.
1896 - Philadelphia’s Ed Delahanty became the second major league player to hit four home runs in a single game.
1931 - A major German financial institution, Danabank, failed. This led to the closing of all banks in Germany until August 5.
1941 - Britain and the Soviet Union signed a mutual aid pact, that provided the means for Britain to send war material to the Soviet Union.
1954 - In Geneva, the United States, Great Britain and France reached an accord on Indochina which divided Vietnam into two countries, North and South, along the 17th parallel.
1978 - Lee Iacocca was fired as president of Ford Motor Co. by chairman Henry Ford II.
1998 - "Image of an Assassination" went on sale. The video documentary is of Abraham Zapruder's home video of U.S. President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas.
1998 - RealNetworks Inc. rolled out a test version of RealSystem G2. G2 is a streaming video and audio delivery system.
2000 - The United States and Vietnam singed a major trade agreement. The pact still needed to be approved by the U.S. Congress.
 

World News

‘WMD’ + ‘ethnic cleansings’ = case to bomb Syria?
RT - US officials say Damascus is moving parts of its chemical weapons arsenal, an allegation denied by Syrian authorities. Some in Washington imply that the weapons may be used for “ethnic cleansing”. Syria is believed to have a large arsenal of chemical weapons, including sarin nerve agent, mustard gas and cyanide, which is undeclared due to the country not being a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Wall Street Journal cites unnamed US officials as saying that parts of the arsenal are being relocated from their storage facilities. The Syrian government denied the alleged move when asked for comments.

Over 200 killed in Syrian village – opposition
RT - Syrian opposition government forces stormed a village in the province of Hama on Thursday, killing at least 200 people. Numerous reports cite opposition activists who themselves quote local witnesses. The state TV puts the blame on “terrorists”.

Syria forces seize Israel-made arms from rebels
Press TV - Syrian forces have confiscated Israeli-made arms from anti-government rebels in the west-central city of Hama, Press TV reports. The country has been the scene of violence by armed groups since March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including many security forces. Damascus blames ‘outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups’ for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

War in August? US sends fourth aircraft carrier and dozens of underwater drones towards Iran
RT - The US Navy has unexpectedly dispatched a fourth aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf, along with a fleet of underwater drones in what is being considered just the latest move in a series of escalations leading towards a potential war with Iran. The deployment of dozens of small, unmanned submarine-like watercraft was confirmed by the Los Angeles Times this week, which cites military officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

Turkey Skirting Iran Sanctions By Trading Gold For Crude
Free Beacon - Turkey has exchanged nearly 60 tons of gold for several million tons of Iranian crude oil, despite its promises to uphold Western sanctions on Iran’s energy sector, according to recent Turkish reports. By using gold instead of money, Turkey is able to skirt Western sanctions on Iran’s oil trade, particularly those pertaining to SWIFT, the global money transfer service that until recently assisted the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian financial institutions.

Israel to deploy missile interceptor on Egyptian border
RT - Israel is to install a mobile air defense system at the Egyptian border, following cross-border attacks in the area, reports the Israeli media.... The system has been used against Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip in the past and this time "will be placed near Eilat as part of an operational deployment program which includes changing the locations of the batteries from time to time,” according to an Israeli military spokeswoman.

The WHO Fails In Its Effort To Defend Mercury In Vaccines Before the UN
America First Site - Bowing to pressure from the Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs (CoMeD, Inc.) and other organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed its 2004 guidelines on eliminating, reducing, and replacing Thimerosal in vaccines to public health officials worldwide. WHO made its disclosure before the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) where it met unprecedented resistance to its defense of the use of neurotoxic mercury in vaccines. “This is a huge development,” says CoMeD’s Vice President, David Geier, while speaking at UNEP’s INC4 meeting.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

D.C. to introduce enhanced 911
Washington Post - District residents who enroll in a program to be announced Thursday will be able to instantly supply emergency responders with information that includes preexisting medical conditions, drug allergies and floor plans of their homes when they call 911, authorities said. The program is available at no cost to residents, and registration is done online. Those who sign up will help police, firefighters and other emergency workers better understand what might await them at the scene of an emergency, according to city officials.

VIDEO: Louis Freeh: Penn State disregarded children’s safety
Boston Herald - Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials hushed up child sex abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago for fear of bad publicity, allowing the former assistant football coach to prey on other youngsters, according to a scathing report issued today on the scandal.... After an eight-month investigation, Freeh’s firm produced a 267-page report that concluded that the Hall of Fame coach, President Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz "repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky’s child abuse."

Sears now adds bestiality to its website
WND - Now the store that once served as an American icon for families has kicked its offerings up a notch, featuring bestiality in its latest round of promotions. The situation has been documented by officials with the American Family Association. (Be aware that the link contains proof of Sears’ offerings with explicit images).

Report: Obama orders U.S. intelligence to increase surveillance of Israel
World Tribune - Western diplomatic sources said President Barack Obama has ordered intensified U.S. intelligence on Israel’s military and government. They said Obama wanted to ensure that his administration could collect information that would indicate an Israeli plan to strike either Iran or Syria. “The CIA is working very closely with the State Department and other agencies to monitor Israel on a daily basis,” a diplomatic source said. “Obama has told his people that he does not want to be surprised.”

DoD Report Reveals Some Detainees Interrogated While Drugged, Others “Chemically Restrained”
truth-out.org - Detainees in custody of the US military were interrogated while drugged with powerful antipsychotic and other medications that "could impair an individual's ability to provide accurate information," according to a declassified Department of Defense (DoD) inspector general's report that probed the alleged use of "mind altering drugs" during interrogations.

WMD Drill 'Operation Four Aces' Underway in SC
Activist Post - Described as an “exercise” designed to “help police, fire and emergency officials be better prepared for such a disaster,” the South Carolina Weapons of Mass Destruction Specialized Response Team exercise, which is called Operation Four Aces, began on Monday, July 9 and will continue until Friday, July 13. According to Leslie Yancey, spokeswoman for the Horry County Fire Rescue, “officials” from all over South Carolina will take part in the exercise in order to “test the interoperability of specialized response teams in the event of an actual terrorist event in our state.”

Politicians banned from this year's 9/11 ceremony
RT - Things will be especially quiet this year when families gather in New York City to commemorate the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The 9/11 Foundation is banning politicians from making speeches at this year’s ceremony.... “This year, the reading of the names by family members will be the exclusive focus of the program,” Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, writes to family members in a letter published on Wednesday.

Lawmakers Want ‘Made in China’ U.S. Olympic Uniforms Burned
ABC News - Lawmakers were outraged Thursday after an ABC World News report revealed that the U.S. Olympic team’s opening ceremony outfits are made in China. Some suggested making a bonfire with the outfits, which include berets and blazers. “I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said when asked by ABC News today, “If they have to wear nothing but a symbol that says USA on it, painted by hand, that is what they should wear.”

Government to deploy laser-based ‘molecular strip-search’ devices across airports and roadside checkpoints
Mike Adams - In an instant, even without your knowledge, this device will be able to determine what you ate for breakfast, whether you’re ovulating, whether you have cancer, how long ago you consumed alcohol, and even how much adrenaline is currently pumping through your veins. Everything about you will be scanned, tracked and logged by the government, then combined with your search engine logs, web surfing habits, mobile phone text records, grocery purchasing habits, credit card records and everything else they have on you to create a total police state profile of your psychology and behavior.

VIDEO: “I Don’t Need To Stop at a Checkpoint to Prove Who I Am Because This Is America”
SHTFplan - With local, state and DHS checkpoints randomly popping up all over America many of our citizens believe that we must comply with what more often than not amounts to unlawful requests and orders from law enforcement officials. While driving through California, Steven Anderson came upon three such checkpoints and he chose not to play ball with officers who asked him, among other things, to prove his citizenship, prove his identity and pull over for further inspection and questioning.

2012 Election News

Ben Swann: Update on the plurality of States dispute, and clarification
Daily Paul - "An update on the 5 state plurality issue and the Ron Paul campaign. I have been in contact with a number of people and here is what I know so far: 1. Paul has a majority of delegates in at least 7 states. Colorado (but many are uncommitted), Nevada (which unless a judge intervenes will probably be considered bound), Massachusetts (where the GOP de-credentialed delegates), Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Louisana (which has a combination of bound and unbound delegates, unbound are Congressional District delegates the vast majority of which are Paul's)

VIDEO: Austin Petersen on RT: Ron Paul Already Has 5 States; Can Be Nominated at RNC
Daily Paul - Listen starting at 7:00 minute mark. The Republican National Committee rules state securing five states guarantees an individual time to speak at the RNC. Austin Petersen, director of Freedom Works, says Paul already has the numbers to be nominated at the RNC.

Romney to Host Fundraiser in Jerusalem
rys2sense.com - Mitt Romney will host a fundraising event in Jerusalem at $60,000 or more per plate on July 29, The Jerusalem Post learned on Wednesday. Delegates are set to fly in from the US for the event, which a Republican source said would be “a small meeting, but a big fundraiser.” Immediately after the fundraising meeting, Romney will host a conference in Jerusalem, where he will lay out his Middle East policy. Romney plans to visit the UK for two days, attending the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27, before flying to Israel.

Economy

San Bernardino bankruptcy: Criminal probe underway
LA Times - Law enforcement officials said Thursday that they have an open criminal investigation regarding allegations of misconduct in the city government of San Bernardino, which announced this week it was going to file for bankruptcy.

Democrats fail to remove cuts to food stamps from farm bill
Guardian - Democrats failed on Wednesday to block Republican attempts to cut billions of dollars in food assistance to poor American families, having earlier denounced the plans as an "abomination" and "immoral".

Federal Reserve predicts new economic crisis
RT - Details from the Fed’s last meeting have been released to the public, and the minutes from that gathering reveal that the economists that oversee much of the inner-workings of the country’s fiscal policy remain concerned with the state of America. Among the items discussed in the meeting ishow a lack of initiative on the part of the US Congress could bring further strain on America’s economy, specifically that a failure to avert tax hikes and planned massive spending cuts later this year could be catastrophic.

VIDEO: Libor Explained: Eliot Spitzer on the ‘cartel-style corruption’ behind Libor scam
Current - “Viewpoint” host Eliot Spitzer, Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone contributing editor, and Dennis Kelleher, president and CEO of Better Markets, analyze the Libor interest rate–rigging scandal engulfing the banking industry.... Kelleher argues that the Libor scandal is proof that the financial industry “is corrupt and rotten to its core.” “The same executives [using] the same business model that crashed the entire financial system in ’08 are still running these banks,” he says.

Libor Scandal Could Turn 'Ugly' As U.S. Cities Begin To Sue
Huffington Post - The news on Wednesday that cities and states are suing some of the world's largest banks over Libor manipulation shows how this scandal could blow up into one of history's biggest bank frauds. That's because interest-rate manipulation might well have kept your town or state from hiring firefighters or teachers, from paving roads or paying for indigent care or after-school programs for your kids -- adding to the human suffering of the economic collapse these same banks caused in the first place.

Housing Market

Travis County, Texas increases property tax exemption for elderly, disabled
Statesman - Travis County homeowners 65 and older and those with disabilities will get a more generous tax break from the county, following a vote Tuesday by county commissioners who said they wanted to lessen the burden for those struggling "in their golden years." But the gesture will cost the county about $1 million in tax revenue, a cost that commissioners said they were willing to bear. "We'll just find a way to fund it," County Judge Sam Biscoe said.

Brutal Gestapo Tactics Are Being Used Against Homeowners All Over America
Activist Post - Property rights are being absolutely shredded all over America. Buying a piece of land and enjoying it with your family has always been a big part of the American Dream. Unfortunately, in the United States today you don't actually own your own home. If you don't pay your rent (property taxes) your home will be taken away from you, and you are only allowed to use your property in very narrowly defined ways.

Energy & Environment

VIDEO: Maryland Pepco, BGE Customers Will See Bill For 24 Hours Of Lost Storm Income In Form Of Bill Stabilization Adjustment
WUSA9.com - Some of you will see an extra charge in your next electric bill because Pepco and BGE lost money when they couldn't charge customers to deliver power during the storm outage.... Only regulators in Maryland allow utilities to recoup lost billings by invoicing customers directly. "Not good. Not good at all, that's not a good thing," said Maryland power customer Alice Jenkins "I must call Pepco and ask them about that." "It's the law," said Pepco spokesman Bob Hainey. "It's called bill stabilization."

Tube wear detailed at California's troubled nuke plant
Press TV - The generator tubes represent a critical safety barrier - if a tube breaks, there is the potential that radioactivity can escape into the atmosphere. Also, serious leaks can drain protective cooling water from a reactor. In one troubled generator in Unit 3, 420 tubes have been retired. The records show another 197 tubes in that generator have between 20 percent and 34 percent wear, meaning they are close to reaching the point when they would be at risk of breaking. More than 500 others have between 10 percent and 19 percent wear in the tube wall.

California prunes and almonds have detectable levels of cesium-134
ENENews July 12, 2012 - A fingerprint for radiation from Fukushima Daiichi

NYTimes: “Radioactive materials like cesium are brought back to the surface soil each year by plant growth and pollination”
Contaminated areas of Chernobyl and Fukushima are unlikely to be hospitable habitats for years to come. In Chernobyl, for example, the amount of americium-241, a highly radiotoxic isotope if ingested, is actually increasing as its parent nuclide, plutonium, decays. Radioactive materials like cesium are brought back to the surface soil each year by plant growth and pollination.

Southern California seaweed tests over 500 percent higher for radioactive iodine-131 than anywhere else in US
(NaturalNews) High levels of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster reached Pacific shores just days after the catastrophe occurred, according to a recent study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Tests conducted on samples of Macrocystis pyrifera, also known as Giant kelp, revealed the presence of radioactive iodine-131 at levels 500 percent higher in Southern California than in any other area of the country tested.

Start Praying for Rain
Mark Sircus - The United States Department of Agriculture has declared natural disaster areas in more than 1,000 counties and 26 drought-stricken states, making it the largest natural disaster in America ever. The declaration—which covers roughly half of the country—gives farmers and ranchers devastated by drought access to federal aid, including low-interest emergency loans. All over America the corn is dying. If drought conditions persist in the middle part of the country, wheat and soybeans will be next. Weeks of intense heat combined with extraordinarily dry conditions have brought many U.S. corn farmers to the brink of total disaster.

Health

Gluten - The hidden killer
(NaturalNews) In the 1920s, the US government found that animals fed a diet of white flour developed serious neurological diseases and died. Instead of banning this deadly product like they should have, the FDA declared that most white flour products must be "enriched" with iron and a few vitamins to "correct" the problem. Unfortunately, this decision has helped create an even more insidious situation that results in diabetes, heart disease and cancer for millions of people.... There are 35 diseases that can be caused by eating gluten listed in a review in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Simple cancer remedies that can give you a fighting chance
(NaturalNews) Evidence-based research has shown that there are hundreds of known and effective cancer cures. Here are some very simple protocols that will give you an edge if you are afflicted with cancer.

Fresh vegetable diet protects against pancreatitis and risk of pancreatic cancer
(NaturalNews) Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have published the result of a cohort of studies in the journal Gut (an International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) that explains how a vegetable-rich diet is protective against non-gallstone related acute pancreatitis. The study was the first broad population-based research body to investigate how vegetables and fruits influence the risk of developing pancreatitis and indirectly, the future risk of pancreatic cancer.

Common parasite linked to increased risk of suicide and self-harm
(NaturalNews) The parasite in question is known as Toxoplasma gondii, and infection with it is known as toxoplasmosis. The most common sources of human exposure are undercooked meat, unwashed vegetables and the feces of domestic cats. Although other animals can become infected with the parasite, only cats shed it in their feces.... The risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from domestic cats is relatively small, and there is no need for pregnant women to get rid of their cats. To be safe, however, pregnant women should avoid changing litter boxes. If they must change a litter box, pregnant women should wear rubber gloves, then thoroughly wash their hands.

Centrum vitamins are owned by Pfizer
(NaturalNews) Feeling a little run down? Are you stressed? Someone in the house ill, and you don't want to get it? In situations like these, many reach for vitamins. By definition vitamins are "organic components in food that are needed.... for maintaining good health." But do you know how to read the ingredient label on your vitamins? Do you know what those words mean, where the ingredients come from? Who makes them? Most people don't.

Toxic Teeth and the Breast Cancer Connection
Green Med Info - There is no safe level of mercury. Mercury is the most toxic naturally occurring substance on the planet, yet, according to the EPA, there is currently over 1 ton of mercury from amalgam fillings in the mouths of Americans. Over 67 million Americans exceed the exposure of mercury vapors considered "safe" by the EPA because of the presence of amalgams in their teeth.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

YouTube: Stop Monsanto From Poisoning Hawai'i: Genetic Engineering Chemical Warfare
CALL TO ACTION: For over 20 years, Hawai'i has been the global center for the open-field testing of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's), including pharmaceutical crops. Over 5,000 experimental tests have been conducted by Monsanto, Dow, Dupont/Pioneer, Syngenta and BASF that spray chemicals on an almost daily basis on our most valuable lands. They are supported by tax-breaks, and beneficial relationships with landowners, regulators and politicians. We estimate GMO companies own or lease 40,000 -- 60,000 acres that are sprayed with over 70 different chemicals.

Pet News

Nature's Variety Dog Food Recall
Susan Thixton - Nature's Variety has issued a nationwide voluntary recall on Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs. Issued 7/12/12. Nature’s Variety has initiated a voluntary recall of its Prairie Beef Meal & Barley Medley Kibble for Dogs due to an off-odor smell that may develop over time. This product is not contaminated in any way, but some products are not remaining fresh for the shelf life of the product.

 


Today in History - Thursday - July 12, 2012
1790 - The French Assembly approved a Civil Constitution providing for the election of priests and bishops.
1806 - The Confederation of the Rhine was established in Germany.
1862 - The U.S. Congress authorized the Medal of Honor.
1864 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln witnessed the battle where Union forces repelled Jubal Early's army on the outskirts of Washington, DC.
1912 - The first foreign-made film to premiere in America, "Queen Elizabeth", was shown.
1933 - A minimum wage of 40 cents an hour was established in the U.S.
1941 - Moscow was bombed by the German Luftwaffe for the first time.
1946 - "The Adventures of Sam Spade" was heard on ABC radio for the first time.
1954 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a highway modernization program, with costs to be shared by federal and state governments.
1954 - The Major League Baseball Players Association was organized in Cleveland, OH.
1957 - The U.S. surgeon general, Leroy E. Burney, reported that there was a direct link between smoking and lung cancer.
1960 - The first Etch-A-Sketch went on sale.
1974 - John Ehrlichman, a former aide to U.S. President Nixon, and three others were convicted of conspiring to violate the civil rights of Daniel Ellsberg's former psychiatrist.
1982 - "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" broke all box-office records by surpassing the $100-million mark of ticket sales in the first 31 days of its opening.
1982 - The last of the distinctive-looking Checker taxicabs rolled off the assembly line in Kalamazoo, MI.
1984 - Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale named U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket.
1990 - Russian republic president Boris N. Yeltsin announced his resignation from the the Soviet Communist Party.
1998 - 1.7 billion people watched soccer's World Cup finals between France and Brazil. France won 3-0.
2000 - Russia launched the Zvezda after two years of delays. The module was built to be the living quarters for the International Space Station (ISS.)
 

World News

London 2012: Army Reinforcements Called in to Cover G4S Olympics Shortfall
Guardian - The military has been asked to provide up to 3,500 extra troops to guard the London Olympics, amid concerns that private security firm G4S will be unable to deliver the number of staff it promised.

France, Germany tax evasion inquiries target Swiss bank clients
LA Times - France and Germany have launched a series of raids on the offices and homes of bank officials and their wealthy customers in an ongoing inquiry aimed at cracking down on those who evade taxes by using Swiss banks. On Tuesday, German police searched the homes of an unspecified number of Credit Suisse bank customers suspected of tax evasion. In France, detectives raided the offices of Swiss banking and finance house UBS in three major cities: Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.

China Detains Defiant Catholic Bishop
Washington Post -Tensions between Beijing and the Vatican are mounting after Chinese authorities detained an outspoken Catholic bishop who has defied state control of the church, a move that highlights the Communist Party’s deep mistrust of religious organizations. Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin was whisked away just hours after he announced his resignation from the leadership of the Patriotic Catholic Association, or PCA, the government body that controls China’s state-sanctioned version of the Catholic Church, according to two people close to the PCA.

Water Securitization, Agenda 21 and the Right to Life
Intel Hub - The IPCC document HS 15332 Climate Change Impacts: Securitization of Water, Food, Soil, Health, Energy and Migration explains how the UN plans to secure resources to use at their disposal. Through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under-developed countries are forced to sell their resources to the global Elite as “full cost recovery” to the global central bankers. Once those resources are under the complete control of the IMF they become assets to be reallocated back to the enslaved nations for a price. This scheme makes water sources under central privatization cost more and become less accessible to those who desperately need it.

Syrian National Council in Moscow for first-ever talks
RT - In an effort to pave the way for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with the head of a major Syrian opposition group in the Russian capital. It was the first time Russia has engaged directly with the major opposition movement, the Syrian National Council (SNC). In the course of the two-hour meeting, Lavrov forwarded Russia's position that the most effective way for the Syrian government and opposition groups to resolve their longstanding conflict is to follow the Annan Plan.

Afghan exit will cost U.S. billions
Press TV - Fighting a war isn't cheap, and in Afghanistan's case, neither is ending one. The U.S. is set to get everyone out by 2014, but getting everything out will cost billions, says Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, Newser writes. "Combat is still going on. Terrible terrain. Narrow roads. Long way to a seaport. Afghanistan is orders of magnitude more challenging … (withdrawal) than was Iraq," the Pentagon's No. 2 tells USA Today.

Court shoots down London residents’ missile claim
RT - A group of residents in East London fear for their safety after authorities ruled in favor of transforming their peaceful apartment building into a weaponry site. Council tenants at the Fred Wigg Tower have lost a High Court battle to stop surface-to-air missiles from being stationed on the roof of their 17-story building during the Olympics. Residents were appalled to hear that the British government was willing to go to such extreme lengths to protect the Olympic venues.

YouTube: The Trans Pacific Partnership - A Corporate Fascist Coup
There is a bold global corporate takeover happening right before our eyes. The Trans Pacific Partnership has been discussed in secret for nearly 3 years and has been disguised as a trade deal when in reality it amounts to a fascist corporate coup where the megacorporations are gaining a tighter grip over individual governments all over the world. Leaked TPP investment chapter here.

VIDEO: Russian Duma adopts 'web blacklist' bill despite SOPA-style censorship outcry
RT - Russia's lower house of parliament has passed the bill in its third and final reading, despite criticism of censorship from the country's most popular websites.... The proposal aims to introduce a non-governmental internet watchdog, which would monitor the web for potentially harmful content and request hosting companies to restrict access to those pages. If hosting companies refuse, the page would then become blacklisted.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Ex US Commander, McChrystal Calls for Reviving The Draft
The former US commander in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, has urged that the draft be reinstated to spread the burden of fighting and to instill a sense of shared civic duty among young Americans.

VIDEO: Bravo, Cenk Uygur! Lethal Presidency: TYT covers Obama's Drone Murder of Al-Awlaki's 16yo Son
Daily Paul July 11, 2012.

VIDEO: Pelosi Cuts Off Question About Free Sterilization Mandate; Says: 'Let's Go to Church and Talk About Our Religion'
CNS News - At a press conference on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) cut off a question about the Health and Human Services regulation that takes effect on Aug. 1 and that will require health care plans in the United States to provide coverage for sterilizations, without any fees or co-pay, to all women with “reproductive capacity”--meaning all women who have begun ovulating, including teens.

Mayor Bloomberg’s Agenda 21 Dorms for Empty Nesters
Infowars -New York’s anti-Big Gulp mayor Michael Bloomberg has devised a plan to cram cash-poor empty nesters into dorm-sized apartments on Manhattan no larger than 200 square feet, or about 20 by fifteen feet in size. Sustainable development under the United Nations’ Agenda 21 calls for restricted housing space and the elimination of cars in favor of walking, bicycling (imagine that during a New York winter), and mass transit. Related article: Agenda 21 Dense MegaCities of the Future...

VIDEO: Christian prof says Jesus was Muslim
WND - Luther College faculty member admits it will 'be a stretch' for some. Ignoring the historical timeline in which Jesus taught some 2,000 years ago in the Middle East and the advent of Islam is dated six centuries later, after Christianity had impacted much of the known globe, Robert F. Shedinger, who wrote “Was Jesus a Muslim?” said his research convinced him of Jesus as aligning in thought with Islam.

Former Afghanistan Commander Calls for Conscription
Kurt Nimmo - Stanley McChrystal, the former commander in occupied Afghanistan, wants to bring back forced conscription. He believes sending 18 year olds into warzones designed by the global elite will “instill a sense of shared civic duty among young Americans,” the AFP reports.

The Pentagon considers awarding war medals to those who operate America's death-delivering video games
Global Research - The effort to depict drone warfare as some sort of courageous and noble act is intensifying: The Pentagon is considering awarding a Distinguished Warfare Medal to drone pilots who work on military bases often far removed from the battlefield. . . . [Army Institute of Heraldry chief Charles] Mugno said most combat decorations require “boots on the ground” in a combat zone, but he noted that “emerging technologies” such as drones and cyber combat missions are now handled by troops far removed from combat.

Pentagon Takes Over Civilian Duties and Sprays Mosquitos in Florida
Kurt Nimmo - Officialdom in Miami-Dade is working with the U.S. Air Force to spray mosquitos. “This newest round of mosquito control involves a large C-130 cargo plane based in Ohio to spray Homestead ARB and communities of Doral, West Sweetwater, Kendall, Homestead, Florida City and areas east of U.S. 1, where heavy concentrations of mosquitos have been reported,” CBS Miami reports.

Another Pilot flying F-22 suffers oxygen deficit
Press TV - The Hawaii Air National Guard said Tuesday one of its pilots briefly experienced an oxygen deficit while flying an F-22 stealth fighter last week. The pilot also felt dizzy. He activated the emergency oxygen system until his symptoms abated and the plane's oxygen generating system returned to normal. The pilot landed safely after Friday's incident, the first time a Hawaii F-22 pilot has experienced hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, Anthony said. Huffington Post

Healthcare repeal bill passes House
Press TV - Pressing an election-year point, Republicans pushed yet another bill through the House on Wednesday to repeal the nation's two-year-old healthcare law, a maneuver that forced Democrats to choose between President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement and a public that is persistently skeptical of its value. The vote was 244-185, with five Democrats defectors siding with Republicans.

Dem. Chair Invested in Swiss Banks, Foreign Drug Companies, and the State Bank of India
Weekly Standard - Disclosure forms reveal that Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, previously held funds with investments in Swiss banks, foreign drug companies, and the state bank of India. This revelation comes mere days after the Democratic chair attacked presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for holding money in Swiss bank accounts in the past.

UN arms treaty could put U.S. gun owners in foreign sights, say critics
Fox News - A treaty being hammered out this month at the United Nations -- with Iran playing a key role -- could expose the records of America's gun owners to foreign governments -- and, critics warn, eventually put the Second Amendment on global trial.... On that score, LaPierre, who serves as NRA executive vice president, warns that the “UN’s refusal” to remove civilian firearms and ammunition from the scope of the treaty amounts to a declaration that only governments should be gun owners. But he revealed he was set Wednesday to tell the UN gathering that 58 U.S. senators had signed a letter saying that they would refuse to ratify any treaty that includes controls over civilian guns or ammunition.

Justice Dept., FBI to review use of forensic evidence in thousands of cases
Press TV - The FBI will review thousands of convictions in the largest study in its history to find out if faulty lab work led to wrongful convictions, officials say. The focus is on work done by hair and fiber specialists at the FBI laboratory, which does forensic work for local and state as well as national law enforcement agencies, The Washington Post reported. The agency plans to review all cases dating back to at least 1985.

NYPD shamed for embellishing counter-terrorism record
RT - The New York Police Department has exaggerated its record and prescribed itself extra merit in keeping the Big Apple safe from extremists according to a study which examined the force’s published achievements. Journalistic investigation by Justin Elliott from ProPublica.org has called into question the NYPD’s counter-terrorism record after the inquiry found modest and overstated involvement of the department in thwarting 14 plots which have been published on police’s website.

Land of free, home of beret!
NY Post - Our Olympic heroes will be headed off to London this month — looking as if they’re decked out for a Hamptons lawn party. Ralph Lauren yesterday unveiled the preppy parade uniforms that Team USA members will wear at the July 27 opening ceremony, stirring an uproar over pricey duds fit for a regatta.

2012 Election News

VIDEO: Can Nebraska get Ron Paul the GOP nomination?
Liberty Crier - from the RT YouTube Description: Despite what you’ve heard, Ron Paul is still in the GOP running.The Republican presidential candidate and his supporters are not giving up thefight and although Paul has conceited that he likely won’t win the nomination,the Texas congressman still can have the floor at the Republican National Committee.If Paul’s delegates claim the state of Nebraska he can formally be nominatedfor president. The Republican National Committee rules state securing fivestates guarantees an individual time to speak at the RNC. Austin Petersen,director of Freedom Works, give us his take on Paul’s possibilities.

VIDEO: Maddow: All Eyes on Nebraska (Ron Paul)!
Liberty Crier - Rachel Maddow explains how Ron Paul supporters are taking over the Republican Party at the state and local level and how they are still fighting to win the majority of delegates in as many states as they can. Most importantly, if they win in Nebraska this Saturday, Ron Paul will be eligible to be nominated at the Tampa Convention in August and Mitt Romney’s nomination will be contested.

Garbage Collectors Trained To Spot Terrorists Before RNC
Paul Joseph Watson - Garbage collectors are being trained by police to be on the lookout for terrorists in the run-up to this year’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. The terrorist depicted in the role playing scenario used to train garbage workers is a young white woman while her victim is a Middle Eastern man.

VIDEO: Obama Leads Romney Nationally, Boosted By Unmarried Voters: Poll
Huffington Post - President Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney nationally by a slim 46 to 43 margin, according to a poll released Wednesday morning by Quinnipiac University. Obama's edge comes largely among unmarried voters, the poll found. He leads Romney 54 percent to 34 percent among the single voters polled, while Romney has a 51 to 38 advantage among married voters.

Mitt Romney booed at NAACP
Press TV - Mitt Romney was booed Wednesday at the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) conference for promising to repeal the president's signature health care reform law, bringing him to an awkward halt in the middle of an otherwise civilly-received pitch for black voters. It was an awkward moment that forced him to go off script, after giving a somewhat pained smile as the booing continued.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

SWAT Team Raids Occupy Organizers’ Apartment in Seattle
The Dissenter - Early in the morning, on July 10, a SWAT team from the Seattle police department raided an apartment where organizers from the Occupy movement have been living. A warrant shown to the four people that were sleeping in the apartment at the time indicated the police were looking for “anarchist materials” and the raid was part of an ongoing investigation into militant action that Occupy engaged in on May Day.
Related Article/Video:
Police use ‘flash hand grenade’ to raid Occupy home.

Economy

VIDEO: Obama Administration Outsourced Jobs with Stimulus Funding
CNS News – The Obama administration allowed millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds to go to foreign companies, despite recent statements by President Barack Obama that he opposes “shipping jobs overseas." “I want to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs and factories overseas,” Obama said in a speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday.

VIDEO: San Bernardino seeks bankruptcy protection
LA Times - San Bernardino on Tuesday became the third California city in less than a month to seek bankruptcy protection, with officials saying the financial situation had become so dire that it could not cover payroll through the summer. The unexpected vote came at the suggestion of the interim city manager, who said the city faces a $46-million deficit and depleted coffers.

US cities driven to brink by austerity
Press TV - Each town or city that faces financial crises has its own story to tell, but taken together, these stories spin a narrative about the American economic landscape that is impossible to ignore.

Texas Gov. spends $25m on mansion amid budget cuts
Press TV - Texas Governor Rick Perry is moving back into the Governor's Mansion. For the $25 million it cost the state to renovate it, he better enjoy it. Perry's public stance favoring budget cuts has made the exorbitant cost for the mansion's renovation controversial, Bloomberg reports. During his unsuccessful bid for the Republican Party's Presidential nomination, Perry proposed balancing the budget by slashing federal government spending and cutting taxes, The Washington Post reports.

Energy & Environment

Fracking forces eviction of entire Pennsylvania trailer park
RT - An entire community in central Pennsylvania is being ordered to find new homes after a fracking operation has forced dozens of low-income earning residents to try to relocate from a local trailer park. Nearly three-dozen families lived in Jersey Shore, PA’s Riverdale Mobile Home Park earlier this year, but all of that quickly changed. The owners of the 12-acre plot of land sold the property to Aqua America and Penn Virginia Resource Partners, who plan to soon start hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — where some trailers still stand today.

Health

Vitamin B6 deficit promotes inflammation, heart disease and cognitive decline
(NaturalNews) Researchers reporting in The Journal of Nutrition from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston have now provided conclusive evidence that low levels of vitamin B6 significantly increases the risk for diseases mediated by systemic inflammation, with special emphasis on the leading cause of mortality in the US, cardiovascular disease. Including natural foods such as leafy greens (spinach and kale), seeds and nuts to your diet may go a long way to cut the risks associated with heart disease, loss of cognition and early death.

38 Natural Alternatives for HIV
Green Med Info - Fortunately, natural substances are being researched for their therapeutic value for our immune health. "Superbugs" develop due to repeated, frequent and multiple different antibiotic prescriptions. Plant products have historically been consumed and utilized for their anti-microbial and holistic benefits. Here are 38 natural substances which indicate potential benefit for people with HIV.

How to Avoid Dementia Through Food and Diet
Natural Society - Want to know how to avoid dementia? Just change your diet. Once again, science is substantiating what many of us already know—that diet can prevent disease, and that fruits and vegetables provide a far reaching range of benefits—specifically, that a group of compounds within produce could help protect people from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

Has big business overused "organic" to turn a profit?
(NaturalNews) Over 40 years ago, Michael J. Potter founded a small "whole earth" grocery store that eventually turned into a large organic foods producer and wholesaler, Eden Foods [video]. However, last May he set out to challenge what organic food has become today. With organic food becoming more popular in today's age, it has attracted large corporations to take part in the highly profitable niche. Unfortunately, with big money coming into the sector, it has pushed out the small players and left it up to the corporations to change the game.

New chemical makes teeth 'cavity proof'
Daily Mail - A new chemical could make human teeth ‘cavity proof’ – and do away with the need for visits to the dentists forever. The molecule has been called ‘Keep 32′ – after the 32 teeth in a human mouth. The chemical was designed by dentists in Chile, and wipes out all the bacteria that cause cavities in just 60 seconds in tests. The chemical could be added to any current dental care product, turning toothpaste, mouthwash and chewing gum into ‘super cleansers’ that could get rid of the underlying cause of tooth decay. The chemical targets ‘streptococcus mutans’, the bacteria that turns the sugar in your mouth into lactic acid which erodes tooth enamel.

Science & Technology

VIDEO: SOPA In Disguise! - Congress Introduces IPAA
Alexander Higgins - In the past several months, Congress has attempted to police and control the Internet with bills such as PIPA, SOPA and CISPA. But due to blackout campaigns by websites such as Wikipedia, Google and Reddit and protest from citizens, the legislation has been shot down repeatedly. Now the hydra has reared a new head this time known as the Intellectual Property Attache Act.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

ACTION ALERT: Montgomery Soccer INC is moving forward to destroy Nick's Organic Farm
SaveNicksOrganicFarm.org - The County Executive and Montgomery Soccer INC are still moving forward with plans to destroy Nick's Organic Farm and Brickyard Educational Farm. They want to bulldoze this irreplaceable Montgomery County asset and turn it into parking lots and private soccer fields... It is critical that we do everything that we can to stop these soccer fields from moving forward! We have 36 days until Montgomery Soccer Inc could come onto the farm and ruin 32 years of organic soil.

Miscellaneous

VIDEO: Hank Williams Jr Dedicates New Song to Obama: “Take the Change and Stick it”
Infowars - Country music legend and proverbial rebel, Hank Williams Jr, has taken a swipe at the sitting US President on his new track entitled “Taking Back the Country” – the opening song on his new album entitled Old School, New Rules. Lyrics include lines like, “Don’t tread on me”, and “Barack, pack your bags, head to Chicago, take your teleprompter with you so you’ll know where to go.” Click on the name of each song to listen to that one or listen to the full album from track 1 to 12.


Today in History - Wednesday - July 11, 2012
1786 - Morocco agreed to stop attacking American ships in the Mediterranean for a payment of $10,000.
1798 - The U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by "An Act for Establishing a Marine Corps" passed by the U.S. Congress. The act also created the U.S. Marine Band. The Marines were first commissioned by the Continental Congress on November 10, 1775.
1804 - The United States' first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton, was killed by Vice President Aaron Burr in a duel.
1864 - In the U.S., Confederate forces led by Gen. Jubal Early began an invasion of Washington, DC. They turned back the next day.
1934 - The first appointments to the newly created Federal Communications Commission were made.
1934 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt became the first American chief executive to travel through the Panama Canal while in office.
1955 - The U.S. Air Force Academy was dedicated in Colorado Springs, CO, at Lowry Air Base.
1962 - The first transatlantic TV transmission was sent through the Telstar I satellite.
1972 - U.S. forces broke the 95-day siege at An Loc in Vietnam.
1977 - The Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in a White House ceremony.
1979 - The abandoned U.S. space station Skylab returned to Earth. It burned up in the atmosphere and showered debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.
1995 - Full diplomatic relations were established between the United States and Vietnam.
1998 - U.S. Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, a casualty of the Vietnam War, was laid to rest near his Missouri home. He had been positively identified from his remains that had been enshrined in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, VA.
1999 - A U.S. Air Force jet flew over the Antarctic and dropped off emergency medical supplies for Dr. Jerri Nelson after she had discovered a lump in her breast. Nelso was at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Research Center.
2008 - Apple released the iPhone 3G.
 

World News

US unconcerned by Russia's deployment of naval flotilla to Syria: White House
Press TV - "We currently have no reason to believe this move is anything out of the ordinary but we refer you to the Russian government for more details," said Erin Pelton, a spokeswoman for the US National Security Council, on Tuesday. The remarks came after reports said Russia has dispatched a naval flotilla, including two destroyers and three amphibious landing vessels, to the Syrian port.

UN envoy presses Syrian peace plan with Iran, Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) -- The U.N.'s special envoy on the Syrian crisis sought to build support for his peace efforts Tuesday with the leaders of Iran and Iraq, saying President Bashar Assad has agreed to a plan to quell the bloodshed in the most violent areas of Syria and then expand the operation to the whole country.

US drone strikes kill 6 in South Somalia
Press TV - US assassination drone strikes have claimed the lives of at least six civilians in southern Somalia, Press TV reports. The attacks occurred early on Wednesday near a Kuda Island village, which is located in 15km from Kuda, a senior al-Shabab official Sheikh Ibrahim said. He confirmed that six people were killed and dozens of others injured in the latest airstrikes.

VIDEO: 'Spain is rising up!' Raging miners invade Madrid
Spanish coal miners have entered a second day of mass protests as the country’s leader announces a nationwide tax hike. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says he will raise VAT by 3 per cent as part of the plan to trim the public budget by 65 billion euro over the next two-and-a-half years. He also announced a 3.5-billion-euro cut to local government spending. The fourth austerity package in seven months will raise the sales tax to 21 per cent and do away with tax rebates for home buyers. Unemployment benefits for workers will also be scaled back.

'Unknown disease' kills 60 children in Cambodia - Could vaccines have been the cause?
(NaturalNews) According to Dr. Nima Asgari, a public health specialist at the United Nations (UN) body in Cambodia, as many as 60 children have died in Cambodia since April, all after experiencing similar symptoms. Prior to their deaths, many of the children had reportedly been suffering high fever, severe chest disease symptoms, and/or signs of neurological damage, symptoms which are all strangely associated with vaccine injury.

Russia, Israel turn up heat in Mediterranean Sea
Hurriyet Daily News - Russia and Israel became the latest powers after NATO’s naval deployments in the eastern Mediterranean Sea last week amid the continuing crisis over last month’s downing of a Turkish jet by the Syrian forces... Russia has sent a naval flotilla of six warships, led by an anti-submarine destroyer, to its naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus, while Israel is separately preparing to boost the strength of its naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean in order to protect the country’s energy investments there, Israeli media reported.

Mali Islamists destroy tombs at famous Timbuktu mosque
Reuters - Islamist militants destroyed two tombs on Tuesday at the famous 14th century Djingareyber mosque in Timbuktu, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, residents said.... They have destroyed at least eight of 16 listed mausoleums in the city, together with a number of tombs and a sacred door at Sidi Yahya mosque, in their campaign to erase traces of what they regard as un-Islamic idolatry.

Agenda 21 Dense MegaCities of the Future Now Underway
Just a few months ago, scientists were calling for the human population to move into more closely tight-knit cities. Michail Fragkias, chief scientist for the UIN’s “ Planet Under Pressure” wants populations to be confined to mega-cities, locked up so they are easily controlled and mitigate further population growth.... According to the globalists at America2050, “metropolitan regions will be an interlocking economic system, shared natural resources and ecosystems, and common transportation systems link these population centers together.”

Death and Taxes Takes on New Meaning in Australia
Activist Post - On July 1st, 2012, Australia became the latest among more than a dozen countries to implement a nationwide carbon tax, known as The Clean Energy Legislative Package. Beyond the allotted price of $23.78 per ton of carbon emissions levied on companies, the real cost of the tax is beginning to be felt by homeowners and businesses.... When Erica Maliki and her family went to bury their father-in-law in Melbourne, they experienced firsthand the economic impact, even to cemeteries. According to the family, a $55 charge was levied for the burial plot, after which they were told that "even the dead don't escape the carbon tax."

Mysterious Lethal Illness Strikes Cambodia
Activist Post - The disease is known to cause paralysis, brain swelling, neurological symptoms, severe respiratory distress leading to rapid shutdown, and death. In some cases, victims were described as having their lungs “burned.” Most of the affected individuals were children under the age of 3. Medical investigators are now suggesting that they may have identified the cause of the disease – the EV-71 virus... EV-71 (Enterovirus 71) is largely known for its ability to cause Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (not to be confused with Foot and Mouth Disease which occurs in cattle and other animals).

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Hidden Government Scanners Will Instantly Know Everything About You From 164 Feet Away
Gizmodo - Within the next year or two, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will instantly know everything about your body, clothes, and luggage with a new laser-based molecular scanner fired from 164 feet (50 meters) away. From traces of drugs or gun powder on your clothes to what you had for breakfast to the adrenaline level in your body—agents will be able to get any information they want without even touching you. And without you knowing it.

Confirmed - Chief Justice Roberts switched sides on Affordable Care Act Supreme Court decision
(NaturalNews) Insider sources have revealed that Chief Justice John Roberts indeed flip-flopped his previous position by deciding at the last minute to affirm the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Jan Crawford, Chief Political and Legal Correspondent at CBS News reports that two unnamed sources familiar with the details of the proceedings have come forward with claims that Chief Justice Roberts caved to eleventh-hour pressures urging support for the ACA, despite having earlier opposed key portions of the legislation.

VIDEO: Chris Christie Calls War On Drugs 'A Failure'
Huffington Post - "The war on drugs, while well-intentioned, has been a failure," Christie said Monday during a speech at The Brookings Institution. "We're warehousing addicted people everyday in state prisons in New Jersey, giving them no treatment." Christie stressed the merits of legislation recently passed by New Jersey state lawmakers that institutes a year of mandatory treatment for first-time, nonviolent drug offenders instead of jail time.

VIDEO: Oregon Moves Towards Legalizing Marijuana
Examiner - Initiative 9, the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, will regulate cannabis for adult use, license cannabis for commercial sale, and allow Oregon farmers to grow hemp for biofuel, food, sustainable fiber and medicine. Supporters of the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA) turned in 167,845 total raw signatures to Oregon's Secretary of State on Friday, July 6. At least 87,213 valid registered Oregon voters' signatures are required to qualify for the November ballot. The state has 30 days to determine if enough of the signatures are valid to qualify for the ballot.

VIDEO: Missionary jailed on Independence Day in US after preaching in 13 other closed countries with no problems
buzz.naturalnews.com - Jessie Boyd has preached over the last ten months in Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, and China - countries in which such preaching is illegal - only to return to the USA and be arrested in the Bible belt on the very night that we celebrate our freedom. Wake up America.

VIDEO: TSA is continuing its expansion from airports to train stations and other modes of transportation
Kurt Nimmo - The journalist, Julio N Rausseo, going by the handle 1776umphreys on YouTube, writes that when he entered the train station on July 5 he noticed a number of TSA agents. “I took out my cell phone and started to follow these TSA agents, and it appeared to me that they were setting up a Check Point for Amtrak Riders. This is just another example of how TSA expanding their operations and entering Train Stations, Bus terminals, and major sporting and concert events,” he writes.

Celeb Bono Partners with Monsanto, G8, to Biowreck Africa
Green Med Info - At the G8 Summit held two weeks ago at Camp David, President Obama met with private industry and African heads of state to launch the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, a euphemism for monocultured, genetically modified crops and toxic agrochemicals aimed at making poor farmers debt slaves to corporations, while destroying the ecosphere for profit.... With a commitment of $3 billion, Obama plans to 'partner up’ with mega-multinationals like Monsanto, Diageo, Dupont, Cargill, Vodafone, Walmart, Pepsico, Prudential, Syngenta International, and Swiss Re because, as one USAID representative says 'There are things that only companies can do, like building silos for storage and developing seeds and fertilizers.’

2012 Election News

AUDIO: Doug Wead ‘If we have a plurality of the delegation in Nebraska we can nominate Ron Paul for President’
Daily Paul Radio - Doug Wead Senior advisor to the Ron Paul 2012 campaign joins Daily Paul Radio with Kurt Wallace for ‘If we have a plurality of the delegation in Nebraska we can nominate Ron Paul for President’ to discuss the fight for delegates in Nebraska and corruption in Massachusetts also the Ron Paul vs. the Federal Reserve influenced media. Doug also talks about how the Ron Paul 2012 campaign has been managed.

VIDEO: 'Children of Americans who never lived in US shouldn't vote'
Press TV - Eileen Fleming, candidate for the House of Representatives criticizes what she describes as one “unjust law” which allows children of American citizens who reside in Israel and have never lived in the United States to vote absentee ballots in U.S. elections.

Veteran News

YouTube: Army Medic Court-Martialed for Refusing Experimental Vaccine
Infowars - Mike Adams talks with a U.S. Army Medic, Sean Niemi, who reports about refusing to take and give his troops, an experimental vaccine and being court martialed in the aftermath. He also points out how the army ignored it’s own laws just so he could be made an example of, incase others might follow his footsteps. Money was withheld as well.

Economy

VIDEO: CNBC Expert Says Gold May Have Been Manipulated Like Libor
CNBC News - Gold may have been manipulated like the London interbank rate or Libor over a long time frame, Ned Naylor-Leyland, investment director at Cheviot, told CNBC. The scandal surrounding the fixing of the Libor has opened markets up to “more scrutiny and more investigation,” Naylor-Leyland said. He expects to see revelations over the next few months that the price of gold was also manipulated because "gold and silver reflect the true value of money the same way interest rates do."

Mexican Drug Cartel Laundered Millions Via Bank Of America Into U.S. Horse Racing
Daily Bail - The alleged ties between the violent drug gang known as Los Zetas and the second-largest U.S. bank by assets were described in a 35-page affidavit filed in federal court in Texas last month. According to an FBI agent, a horse-buying and training business created to launder drug money had accounts at the Charlotte, N.C., bank. A U.S. citizen who is the brother of a top Zetas leader and allegedly served as the front man for the drug cartel's horse operation moved money in and out of one of these Bank of America accounts and a separate personal Bank of America account, the FBI said in the court filing.

And finally, the IRS gets audited!
WND - Federal employees are blowing the whistle on the Internal Revenue Service, according to a report [video] by Indianapolis television station WTHR-TV. The scam involves the use of an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN –a nine-digit tax-processing number assigned by the IRS to individuals who are obligated to file a federal tax return but do not have or are not eligible for a Social Security Number. Illegal aliens may obtain an ITIN by sending the IRS documents such as original or notarized photocopies of birth certificates, driving records, voter ID cards, school records and vaccination records – all documents that are easily forged or falsely notarized.

VIDEO: Domeen Flowers, Former IRS Employee, Accused Of Identity Theft, Fraud
From the Trenches - One identity thief recently infiltrated the ranks of the IRS itself. Domeen Flowers, 48, formerly employed by the IRS, was arrested and indicted on Thursday for allegedly stealing taxpayers’ identities from an IRS database and using them to fraudulently apply for credit cards, several news outlets report.... Federal investigators have not disclosed how many people’s information was compromised.

$220 million missing at Iowa brokerage
AJC - A regulatory group ordered accounts frozen at Iowa-based brokerage Peregrine Financial Group late Monday, saying it hasn't been able to account for $220 million in customer funds, following what the company said was a suicide attempt by its founder and chairman.

Housing Market

Wells Fargo, says Stage 4 breast cancer patient, is telling me to make full payments or abandon my home!
NY Daily News - Cindi Davis has been fighting breast cancer for four years. She and husband Kirk, faced with massive medical expenses, have been fighting with Wells Fargo over foreclosure just about as long. “They’re just going to put us out and it’s like, we are willing to pay what we can pay, but it’s not enough,” Cindi said.

How Does Someone Lose Their House Over A $474 Water Bill?
Consumerist - Say you fall behind on your property taxes, or choose to make your car payment instead of the water bill. It doesn't take much for some municipalities to file a tax lien against a homeowner, often a debt of only a few hundred dollars, says the NCLC.... Those liens are often sold to companies that tack on substantial interest rates starting in the 18% range, and upwards of 50%. These lien buyers also charge huge fees to redeem the liens and avoid foreclosure.... Seeing a potential for huge profits, lien buying is a $15 billion business in the U.S., and a number of state and local governments are eager to sell off these liens to bidders.

Health

Use these supplements to stop cravings, burn fat and energize your workouts
(NaturalNews) Maybe you've noticed - people on low or no fat diets tend to remain fat or regain it quickly. Food fat issues are overrated. We need good fat to help build cell walls and brain cells.

Startling graphic from CDC shows how meal sizes have increased in the past 60 years
Daily Mail - A startling infographic has highlighted just how out of control the country's meal servings are - with the average restaurant portion more than four times as big as it was in the 1950s.

Natural food prices falling as big name distributors ramp up offerings
(NaturalNews) It seems that more and more big name supermarkets have a natural foods section with natural food and products. Kroger in particular has pushed its Nature's Market, now found in more than 1,300 of the 2,500 stores nationwide. With the demand to increase market share for natural foods between competitors, it could mean good news as prices fall slowly but surely.

Health Benefits of Chlorella - The Disease Fighting Powers
Natural Society - It’s green, grows in the fresh waters of Australia and Southeast Asia, and it may be one of the most nutritionally valuable food sources out there.... Usually taken in a capsule or put in smoothies and other recipes as a powder, this green algae is being credited with all sorts of health benefits. From reducing body fat to helping ward off metabolic syndrome, this little green algae is powerful far beyond its unassuming appearance.

Ward off cancer, protect against radiation, and ease irritable bowel syndrome with mint
NaturalNews) A seemingly humble herb, mint offers a variety of exceptional health enhancing features. Research has shown that certain varieties of mint have properties that help defend against cancer and damaging radiation. Not only does this herb offer protective benefit, but it also provides those who suffer from irritable bowl syndrome much needed relief.... The fresh herb contains ample amounts of vitamin A, C, B12, K, along with folic acid, thiamine, and riboflavin. Mint also provides many essential minerals such as calcium, copper, fluoride, iron, potassium, selenium, and zinc. The essential oils found in mint include menthol, menthone, and menthol acetate.

Big Pharma wants nano-scavengers in its drugs
Green Med Info - To clean up its drugs that are contaminated with genotoxic ingredients (which are also carcinogenic), Big Pharma may deploy lab-created, nanosized, polymer-based scavengers.

The Remarkable Healing Properties of Pumpkin Seed
Green Med Info - Pumpkin seeds, like all edible seeds, pack an immense nutritional and medicinal punch.... For example, a one cup serving (64 grams) of pumpkin seeds has 44% daily value (DV) of zinc, 22% of copper, 42% magnesium, 16% manganese, 17% potassium, and enough iron (17% DV) to improve iron-deficiency associated anemia. But beyond the obvious nutritional virtues of the seed, recent scientific investigations have revealed that pumpkin seed meal, as well as its pressed oil, may have great value in alleviating the following conditions...

Science & Technology

Discovery of magnetic sensors in fish and rats may explain why some people can 'feel' wi-fi, smart meters, power lines and electropollution
(NaturalNews) Scientists from the University of Munich, led by geophysicist Michael Winklhofer, say they've located and identified "internal compass needles" in the noses of rainbow trout. These are called magnetosensory cells, and they turn out to be far more sensitive to magnetic fields than anyone previously thought.... While the study did not look for magnetosensory cells in humans, their identification in fish proves that biological systems can (and do!) create these highly sophisticated "instruments" which sense electromagnetic fields.

Taxes for online shopping gaining support in states, Congress
chicagotribune.com - A wave of states have passed laws that will require consumers to pay sales tax on all Internet purchases as soon as next year. Other states and the District are pursuing similar measures. And in Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley wants to go further and levy a tax on songs and other digital products bought through popular sources such as iTunes. For states struggling in the troubled economy, this could mean $23 billion in new revenue each year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Urgent Action Alert on TWO GMO Amendments!
Alliance for Natural Health - This morning we learned of a dangerous set of policy riders which the biotech industry was able to get inserted into (and buried within) the House Agriculture Committee’s discussion draft of the voluminous 2012 Farm Bill. These riders represent significant changes to the Plant Protection Act (PPA), which will create serious risks to farmers, the environment, and public health by forcing the rushed commercialization of genetically engineered crops. They would also eliminate all meaningful review of the effect GMO crops may have on our environment or our health.

Pet News

Vets increasingly prescribing diet drugs for fat dogs; liposuction use on the rise
(NaturalNews) You have no doubt heard about the obesity epidemic among humans, but believe it or not, the animal kingdom is also battling the bulge, and what's more, veterinarians and researchers see lots of similarities between the species that could lead to better outcomes for both man and beast.

Best Play Mate Ever!
Zeke Has March Madness!


Today in History - Tuesday - July 10, 2012
1776 - The statue of King George III was pulled down in New York City.
1778 - In support of the American Revolution, Louis XVI declared war on England.
1821 - U.S. troops took possession of Florida. The territory was sold by Spain.
1832 - U.S. President Andrew Jackson vetoed legislation to re-charter the Second Bank of the United States.
1866 - Edison P. Clark patented his indelible pencil.
1890 - Wyoming became the 44th state to join the United States.
1900 - ‘His Master’s Voice’, was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine.
1910 - W.R. Brookins became the first to fly an airplane at an altitude of one mile.
1913 - The highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was 134 degrees in Death Valley, CA.
1919 - The Treaty of Versailles was hand delivered to the U.S. Senate by President Wilson.
1928 - George Eastman first demonstrated color motion pictures.
1929 - The U.S. government began issuing paper money in the small size.
1940 - The 114-day Battle of Britain began during World War II.
1949 - The first practical rectangular television was presented. The picture tube measured 12 by 16 and sold for $12.
1951 - Armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean conflict began at Kaesong.
1953 - American forces withdraw from Pork Chop Hill in Korea after heavy fighting.
1962 - The Telstar Communications satellite was launched. The satellite relayed TV and telephone signals between Europe and the U.S.
1973 - Britain granted the Bahamas their independence after three centuries of British colonial rule.
1985 - Coca-Cola resumed selling the old formula of Coke, it was renamed "Coca-Cola Classic." It was also announced that they would continue to sell "New" Coke.
1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev won re-election as the leader of the Soviet Communist Party.
1991 - Boris Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic.
1991 - U.S. President Bush lifted economic sanctions against South Africa, citing its "profound transformation" toward racial equality.
1998 - The World Bank approved a $700 million loan to Thailand.
1998 - The U.S. military delivered the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie to his family in St. Louis. He had been placed in Arlington Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown in 1984. His identity had been confirmed with DNA tests.
1999 - The heads of six African nations that had troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed a cease-fire agreement that would end the civil war in that nation.
2002 - Peter Paul Rubens' painting "The Massacre of the Innocents" sold for $76.2 million at Sotheby's.
 

World News

Egypt braces for new showdown between Islamists and military
Telegraph - Egypt is braced for a major confrontation between the country’s Islamist president and military after the generals vowed to uphold a Constitutional Court ruling disbanding parliament.

Spain to get first 30 bln from EU bailout
RT - The eurozone’s finance ministers agreed in Brussels on the terms of a bailout for Spain’s troubled banking, saying they would provide the first tranche of 30 bln euros by the end of July. A final loan agreement will be signed on or around July 20, “taking into account national parliamentary procedures, allowing for a first disbursement of €30bn by the end of the month," EuroGroup President Jean-Claude Juncker said at a news conference.

Assad: United States supports terrorists to “destabilize Syria”
Activist Post - In an interview with Germany’s ARD television channel aired today but originally filmed on July 5, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that the United States is now “part of the conflict” in Syria in funding and protecting the armed opposition forces which are, by all definitions, terrorists. This is far from the first time this accusation has been made by Syrian officials. However, on June 21, 2012, the accusation was confirmed by anonymous American officials and Arab Intelligence officers cited by the New York Times.

VIDEO: Endgame in Syria and Iran Risks War with China and Russia
Kurt Nimmo - Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleul of Beacon Equity Research predicts that the coming conflict with Syria will be the trigger event that takes down the U.S. dollar. A military response to Syria and Iran would likely draw in Russia and China, he warns, and the result would be a conflagration the world has not witnessed since the Second World War.

Drone strike kills 19 ahead of US-Pakistan meeting in Tokyo
NYDailyNews.com - Pakistani authorities increased the estimate from an initially reported 12 suspected militants who were killed in the attack in the Dattakhel region in North Waziristan on Friday.... Friday's strike came just days after Washington and Islamabad resolved a protracted dispute over the use of unmanned armed aircraft, with Clinton apologising for an air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

14 Incredibly Creepy Surveillance Technologies That Big Brother Will Be Using To Spy On You
Activist Post - Most of us don't think much about it, but the truth is that people are being watched, tracked and monitored more today than at any other time in human history. The explosive growth of technology in recent years has given governments, spy agencies and big corporations monitoring tools that the despots and dictators of the past could only dream of.

VIDEO: U.S. Army course authorizes use of deadly force, internment camps during U.S. civil disturbance
Activist Post - In a damning new 115 page self-learning course from the U.S. Army Military Police School at Fort McClellan originally issued in April 2006, we learn that the military has a detailed and brutal plan in store in times of mass civil unrest in the United States. ...this document (available HERE), originally published on July 6 by Public Intelligence, reveals some quite disturbing and clearly institutionalized practices which can and will be used in a time of civil unrest.

Report: FBI Hopes To Launch Iris-Scan Database To Track Criminals
Slate - First it was fingerprints, then DNA. Now databases of iris scans are next on the biometrics list for law enforcement agencies in their efforts to track criminals. As part of a $1 billion upgrade, the FBI is implementing a Next-Generation Identification System that will expand its old fingerprint database to allow for “rapid matching” of physical identifiers including iris scans, facial images, and palm prints, Mashable reported today.

YouTube: After 9/11 NSA had secret deal with White House'
RT Jul 9, 2012 - RT talks to a former National Security Agency executive in the US who sacrificed his career to blow the whistle on wrong-doings inside the NSA.

George W. Bush knew of bin Laden terrorist threat before 9/11, CIA documents show
newjerseynewsroom.com - The warnings began in late June. A June 23 brief, titled “Bin Laden Attacks May Be Imminent [redacted],” reported that multiple sources had suggested that authorities should “expect Bin Laden to lauch attacks over the coming days, possibly against U.S. or Israeli interests.”

Huge Increase in Demand for Cellphone Data by Government
Kurt Nimmo - A congressional inquiry has revealed that law enforcement agencies flooded cellphone carriers with a tsunami of demands for subscriber information last year. Carriers received 1.3 million requests for text messages, caller locations and other information in the course of investigations, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Rick Perry: No Obamacare for Texas
Fox News - Texas Governor Rick Perry said Monday that Texas will not implement key portions of President Obama’s healthcare legislation, despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling upholding the constitutionality of the law. Perry sent a letter Monday morning to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, saying he has “no intention” of either implementing a state health insurance exchange or expanding Medicaid, two provisions that are incorporated into the federal law.

VIDEO: US may put Assange to death if it gets him – former senior NSA official
RT - If America gets its hands on the WikiLeaks founder, they may go as far as execute him, a known National Security Agency whistleblower Thomas Andrews Drake told RT, adding that in the US, security has become a state religion. An expert on electronic eavesdropping, Drake sacrificed his career to blow the whistle on perceived wrongdoings within the NSA. He was charged under the Espionage Act, though the charges were dropped only last year. He told RT that in America’s ‘soft tyranny’, everyone is subject or suspect in terms of surveillance.

New WikiLeaks Syria Leaks: Courageous Journalism or Something Else?
A.M. Freyed - As always, questions about WikiLeaks motives and sincerity are of import – certainly to the Internet’s alternative media … and to history as well. With all the things going on in the world, how did WikiLeaks mange to obtain Syrian emails, and why did leader Assange chose to focus on Syria?... There have certainly been suspicions in the past that WikiLeaks is actually being fed information that Western powers want released, information that is mildly critical of the West but actually provides propaganda points that Western powers WANT disseminated.

VIDEO: "Code Compliance Officer" Enters Woman's Home, Wakes Her In Bed, Says Her Grass Is Too Long
WJBF-TV - Last week, Erica Masters pressed charges against a Code Enforcement Officer, Jimmy Vowell, after he entered her home without her consent. But that's not all... she's suing the county as well. Erica Masters says, "I'm really just not comfortable with where I am right now, so I've decided to press charges. At least to put my mind at ease. And to hopefully help keep other Columbia County citizens a little bit safer as well."

VIDEO: Rhode Island Cop Still Employed Despite Conviction of Kicking Woman to Head
pixiq.com - Lincoln police officer Edward Krawetz kicked the woman in the head in 2009 claiming self-defense because apparently he was in fear for his life. He didn’t go to trial until March of this year. He was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison but because he is a cop, the judge suspended the sentence, meaning he didn't serve a day in jail, even though he already had a prior conviction for assaulting a jogger. He will also collect his pension once he reaches retirement age.

2012 Election News

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow on Nebraska Caucus & Massachusetts Delegate Scandal
Daily Paul - Part I: RNC & Importance of Nebraska Caucus and Part II: Massachusetts Delegate Scandal with Evan Kenney.

Massachusetts State Election Fraud Lawsuit Filed; Injunction Requested to Prevent Seating of Romney Appointed Delegates
Daily Paul - If you haven't heard, the MA Republican party has recently decided to deny certification to around 17 delegates/alternates over some unprecedented technicalities. Many of these are liberty supporters that you may have helped elect at the MA district caucuses on April 28th.

Hilarious Photos Of Protesters Crashing Mitt Romney's Fancy Hamptons Fundraisers
Business Insider - "Mitt Romney has a Koch problem."

Veteran News

Twenty-one year PTSD study halfway finished
utsandiego.com - The Millennium Cohort Study, run out of the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, is a 21-year study that is comprehensively following the lives and habits of 187,000 service members. Researchers began accumulating data 11 years ago, in 2001. The project is scheduled to run another decade, until 2022. Researchers hope the massive amount of data they collect will help them pinpoint who gets PTSD and why.

Economy

Minimum wage for everyone! Scranton, PA mayor takes heat for slashing police, fire dept. paychecks
RT - The mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania says he will defy a judge’s injunction and pay a few hundred city workers only minimum-wage because anything more will bankrupt the sixth-largest town in the state. Nearly 400 city employees — including police officers, firefighters, staffers with the Department of Public Works and even the mayor — will be compensated with only $7.25 per hour starting with this week’s paycheck and continuing until Scranton can scrape together enough money to avoid bankruptcy.

VIDEO: TV "Dirty Jobs" host, Mike Rowe: America Has a Dysfunctional Relationship with Work
OK, well, maybe more than one dysfunctional relationship but regarding its relationship with hard work? Well, as part of his interviews with CNN and CNN I-report today, Mike Rowe has something to say about that and goes on to talk about how skilled labor doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Can we get an amen?

If You’re An American Taxpayer, These Are Your Most Recent Defense Purchases
Business Insider - Not even the Fourth of July could stop the Pentagon from an absolutely massive week of defense spending. Stuck indoors due to the oppressive heatwave sweeping the nation, the Department of Defense spent more than $9.2 billion in a mere four days. That's up from $4 billion the week before.... America ... enjoy your recent purchases.

Real Story Behind Negative Interest Rates0: Banks Pushing Credit Unions Out of Business?
americafirstsite.com - Are the banksters attempting to eliminate their local, community-owned competition in the fractional-reserve banking system?... Credit unions serve most Americans better than banks, because they generally offer lower interest loans, have fewer fees for membership than banks charge for their accounts, and offer better service. Here’s a story from October 2011...

Housing Market

Report: Some lose homes over as little as $400
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The elderly and other vulnerable homeowners are losing their homes because they owe as little as a few hundred dollars in back taxes, according to a report from a consumer group. Outdated state laws allow big banks and other investors to reap windfall profits by buying the houses for a pittance and reselling them, the National Consumer Law Center said in a report being released Tuesday. Local governments can seize and sell a home if the owner falls behind on property taxes and fees. The process helps governments make ends meet at a time when low property values and the weak economy are squeezing tax revenue.

Energy & Environment

Cooling Trend Calculated Precisely for the First Time
Science Daily - For the first time, researchers have now been able to use the data derived from tree-rings to precisely calculate a much longer-term cooling trend that has been playing out over the past 2,000 years. Their findings demonstrate that this trend involves a cooling of -0.3°C per millennium due to gradual changes to the position of the sun and an increase in the distance between the Earth and the sun.

VIDEO: Fukushima radiation could reach US coast in five years
EnvironmentalResearchWeb.org - Radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan could reach the US West Coast in the next 5–6 years, doubling the radioactivity of US coastal waters, according to simulations carried out by German oceanographers.

Health

Boy forced to get cancer-causing treatment?
WND - A hearing is scheduled before the Michigan Court of Appeals on Wednesday in a fight by the state Department of Human Services to forcibly administer more cancer-causing drugs to a child who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, but following an earlier round of treatments has been declared either “in remission” or cured. The case could be a foreshadowing of the decision-making process that soon will become mandatory under Obamacare.

Addictive painkiller OxyContin being tested on U.S. children
(NaturalNews) Purdue Pharma LP, the pharmaceutical company responsible for developing the highly addictive painkiller drug OxyContin (oxycodone), is so desperate to retain exclusivity on the soon-to-expire patent rights for its drug that it has decided to conduct clinical trials with OxyContin on young children. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), more than 150 children between the ages of six and 16 will participate in the multi-site trial, which will be used solely to extend OxyContin's exclusive patent by a mere six months.

Florida ignores deadly tuberculosis outbreak
RT - Officials in Florida recently closed one of the leading tuberculosis hospitals in the Sunshine State, even amid what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called one of the worst TB epidemics in decades. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Florida health officials earlier this year that a tuberculosis outbreak was ravaging the state, authorities did little to address it. Instead of following through with suggestions for immediate action, the state actually ordered A.G. Holley State Hospital in Lantana, FL, a well-known TB center, to be closed.

36 Natural Alternatives for Infection
Green Med Info - Most people have issues with bacterial or viral infections from time to time. Unnecessary antibiotics ARE dangerous! Antibiotics damage the integrity of the microbial balance in the gut. The healthy gut microflora is 70-80% of the immune system. Impaired immune systems are less effective at healing the body. Plant products have historically been consumed and utilized for their anti-microbial and health boosting benefits. Many plant materials are being researched for their therapeutic value for our immune health.

10 reasons to take a probiotic daily
(NaturalNews) Probiotic intake for overall good health has been underestimated by even the alternative health community. The fact is that gut bacteria greatly affects both overall physical and mental health.... Probiotic bacteria have many more functions than digestion. They trigger immune system reactions throughout the body, including activating T-cells.

Mineral deficiencies can be fatal to athletes
(NaturalNews) A quick rundown of the importance of minerals and their function shows us that minerals are critical to our entire physiology such as the teeth, bones, blood, muscle, tissue and nerve cells. They are integral to transporting oxygen to the blood, or the pressure of body fluids to pass through the body. For example, potassium, calcium and sodium help maintain the rhythmic beating of the heart. Minerals are the bedrock of hormones such as thyroxin and insulin, and of proteins such as hemoglobin.

Boost Your Energy and Athletic Performance with Beet Juice
Natural Society - Need to boost your energy? Scientists from the University of Exeter have found beetroot juice to significantly boost workout stamina. According to the BBC, the study looked at exercise performance and the effects of regular supplementation with beetroot juice. The findings could be helpful for people with cardiovascular disease or for those who simply want to run or cycle longer.

Report: 83 percent of doctors have considered quitting over Obamacare
Daily Caller - The DPMA, a non-partisan association of doctors and patients, surveyed a random selection of 699 doctors nationwide. The survey found that the majority have thought about bailing out of their careers over the legislation, which was upheld last month by the Supreme Court. Even if doctors do not quit their jobs over the ruling, America will face a shortage of at least 90,000 doctors by 2020. The new health care law increases demand for physicians by expanding insurance coverage. This change will exacerbate the current shortage as more Americans live past 65.

Monounsaturated fats are essential to unlock nutrients from vegetables
(NaturalNews) Everybody knows that a diet filled with fresh, raw vegetables and greens are essential to vibrant health and prevention of chronic diseases, but few understand how the fats they consume along with these foods help to unlock the nutrient store provided by a healthy diet. At the ill-advised advice of many dieticians and medical professionals, people are encouraged to follow a low fat diet that includes fat-free salad dressings laden with added sugars for flavoring.

When a tomato isn’t a tomato
(NaturalHealth365) One third of the tomatoes eaten in the U.S. comes from Florida, and the bulk of those are grown in the winter on very large commercial farms. The problems with the tomatoes grown in Florida is that there is only sand not soil for the plants, which means there are no nutrients in the fields. That along with a warm, damp environment where fungus thrive means an abundance of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, as much as eight times the pesticides will be used. There are 110 kinds of chemical compounds, which are used on tomato plants. (sound yummy?)

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

The 'Monsanto Rider': Are Biotech Companies About to Gain Immunity from Federal Law?
(NaturalNews) - A so-called "Monsanto rider," quietly slipped into the multi-billion dollar FY 2013 Agricultural Appropriations bill, would require - not just allow, but require - the Secretary of Agriculture to grant a temporary permit for the planting or cultivation of a genetically engineered crop, even if a federal court has ordered the planting be halted until an Environmental Impact Statement is completed.... Unless the Senate or a citizen's army of farmers and consumers can stop them, the House of Representatives is likely to ram this dangerous rider through any day now.

Corn Crisis Explodes into Corn Disaster
Holly Deyo - Adding to a mountain of other challenges, "corn disaster" is not what we need to hear. Life is tough enough. After weeks of drought and days of blistering 100+ temps, corn is succumbing to these tortures. Soybeans are next in line. No way can crops withstand such harsh onslaughts of dry, blast-furnace conditions. Fields like this one, right, are becoming prevalent, not the exception. This is America's bread basket.
Related Article:
Severe drought imperils Missouri's crops

The corruption of the Farm Bill, and why clean, organic food remains more expensive than conventional
(NaturalNews) If you have ever wondered why junk food is almost always artificially cheap compared to healthy food, you need look no further than federal agriculture policy. Little do most people know that the federal government funnels billions of taxpayer dollars via the "Farm Bill" into large-scale crop systems that primarily grow genetically-modified (GM) soy, corn, cotton and other commodity crops used throughout the highly-processed, industrial food supply.

Pet News

What Do Energy Drinks and Many Pet Foods have in Common?
Susan Thixton - Energy Drinks and many Pet Foods share a common ingredient; synthetic taurine. Possibly of added concern, many pet food companies (and energy drink companies) source taurine from China. Adding one more piece to the puzzle of this pet food supplement, why do some pet foods add taurine and others don't?

How to keep your dog healthy
(NaturalNews) In the last 50 years or so, the health of domestic dogs has declined dramatically. Dogs are getting serious diseases at younger ages and are living shorter lives. Clearly something is profoundly wrong with the current model of canine health care. What has happened in these years to so change the health of dogs?

Miscellaneous

Seven ways to find joy in tough times
(NaturalNews) These are tough times getting tougher. We all should know by now that stress may be the number one catalyst for bad health. But denial is not the answer. We need to understand more about the reality of our times in order to survive. The trick is to do so while retaining a level of equanimity and compassionate detachment, not merely forced cold indifference. Through equanimity, the spark of joy can ignite happiness no matter what the environment is forcing on us.


Today in History - Monday - July 9, 2012
1776 - The American Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York.
1789 - In Versailles, the French National Assembly declared itself the Constituent Assembly and began to prepare a French constitution.
1790 - The Swedish navy captured one third of the Russian fleet at the naval battle of Svensksund in the Baltic Sea.
1808 - The leather-splitting machine was patented by Samuel Parker.
1816 - Argentina declared independence from Spain.
1847 - A 10-hour work day was established for workers in the state of New Hampshire.
1868 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The amendment was designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
1872 - The doughnut cutter was patented by John F. Blondel.
1877 - Alexander Graham Bell, Gardiner Greene Hubbard, Thomas Sanders and Thomas Watson formed the Bell Telephone Company.
1878 - The corncob pipe was patented by Henry Tibbe.
1900 - The Commonwealth of Australia was established by an act of the British Parliament, uniting the separate colonies under a federal government.
1922 - Johnny Weissmuller became the first person to swim the 100 meters freestyle in less than a minute.
1943 - American and British forces made an amphibious landing on Sicily.
1947 - The engagement of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced.
1951 - U.S. President Truman asked Congress to formally end the state of war between the United States and Germany.
1953 - New York Airways began the first commuter passenger service by helicopter.
1971 - The United States turned over complete responsibility of the Demilitarized Zone to South Vietnamese units.
2005 - Danny Way, a daredevil skateboarder, rolled down a large ramp and jumped across the Great Wall of China. He was the first person to clear the wall without motorized aid.
 

World News

NATO: 6 killed in Afghanistan blast were US troops
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- All six troops killed in a weekend roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan were Americans, NATO confirmed Monday.

Legalize it! Israel committee defies UN, backs settlement expansion
RT - The so-called “outpost committee” appointed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in January said that it recommends the legalization of the outposts on the basis that the territory was not occupied. “Israelis have the legal right to settle in Judea and Samaria and the establishment of settlements cannot, in and of itself, be considered illegal,” claimed the report published by the committee.

Monday declared day of mourning in Russia
RT - July 9 has been declared a national day of mourning after two separate catastrophes Saturday took the lives of more than 180 people. More than 170 bodies have been recovered in the Krasnodar region after a flash flood on Saturday morning.... More than 5,000 houses in four towns were hit by the flood. The death toll is likely to rise, as rescue workers remove more rubble.

Russian Nuclear-Capable Bombers Intercepted Near West Coast In Second U.S. Air Defense Zone Intrusion In Two Weeks
Washington Free Beacon - Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone near the Pacific coast on Wednesday and were met by U.S. interceptor jets, defense officials told the Free Beacon. It was the second time Moscow dispatched nuclear-capable bombers into the 200-mile zone surrounding U.S. territory in the past two weeks.

Iran Army Ground Forces to hold military drill
Press TV - A senior Iranian commander says the Army Ground Forces plan to launch a military drill codenamed Qaem in the western part of the country. Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said on Saturday that the drill would begin on Monday.

'Bloody bandits and Western lies: What’s really going on in Syria'
RT - Everything you’ve heard about Syria is a lie says Ankhar Kochneva, a Russian journalist who has seen first hand the realities of the Syrian civil war. Kochneva told RT she has proof a Western invasion of Syria will be launched by summer’s end.

VIDEO: Show of force: Syria conducts major drills amid Western pressure
RT - Syria`s military has launched a series of large-scale exercises starting with naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea. The move is thought to be targeted at the West to demonstrate Syria`s capacity to defend its borders. On Saturday Syria`s naval forces engaged in a military exercise whereby they repelled an aggressive attack at sea. The warships in tandem with launch vehicles fired several missiles, all of which hit their targets with high precision, the country`s SANA agency reports.

Israel Plans Lebanon Invasion After Syria Falls
Kurt Nimmo - Following the inevitable collapse of Syria, Israel will invade Lebanon and “the damage will be enormous,” a senior officer told Haaretz on Thursday. “The destruction will be greater in Lebanon than in Israel and the amount of explosives which will fall there will be far more than what will fall here,” said an IDF officer. “We will need to be strong and aggressive.”

U.S. declares Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally
Reuters - Donors are expected to pledge $16 billion in aid for Afghanistan over the next four years, a U.S. official said on Saturday, as Washington kept a promise to declare the country a major non-NATO ally. The upgrade in Afghanistan's security status, a largely symbolic move for now, and a donors' conference to be held in Tokyo on Sunday both aim to reinforce the U.S. message to Afghans that they will not be abandoned as the war winds down.

Fukushima nuclear disaster was ‘man-made’ says damning new report
Daily Mail - The nuclear accident at Fukushima in Japan last year was a ‘man-made disaster’ and not completely caused by the devastating tsunami, a new report has said. The Japanese parliamentary panel today submitted its final report on the catastrophe. The probe is the third of its kind in Japan since the world’s worst nuclear crisis in a generation. In a damning report, the Diet’s Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission said: ‘The TEPCO Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and TEPCO, and the lack of governance by said parties.’

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Exposed... Plan to Train Combat Nurses on US Soil!
Know The Lies - Tyranny Watch recently received an interesting letter from a local whistleblower within St. Louis, MO who we will refer to as “Andrew Jackson”... His mother, who is a nurse, was sent this letter by the Army in hopes of recruiting RN’s to serve. The disturbing, but subtle, facts spelled out in the letter is this...

Christian Fined & Sentenced to 60 Days in Jail Over AZ Home Bible Studies
The Blaze - We’ve told you before about government regulations hampering home Bible studies, but this story is even more pervasive, perplexing and complicated than the others. Michael Salman, who lives in Phoenix, Ariz., has been sentenced to a startling 60 days in jail, given a $12,180 fine and granted three years probation for refusing to stop hosting Bible studies at his home. Why, you ask? He‘s apparently in violation of the city’s building code laws.

Obama invites Egypt's Islamist leader to USA
Reuters - President Barack Obama has invited Egypt's newly elected Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, to visit the United States in September, an Egyptian official said on Sunday, reflecting the new ties Washington is cultivating with the region's Islamists.

Electric eye on America: US set to deploy drones for home use
RT - The US Army has completed a two-week demonstration of a new ground-based sensor system for its drones. It now hopes to get the drones certified for domestic flights, but critics are concerned that their use could breach privacy rights. The demonstrations took place at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and involved testing the Ground Based Sense and Avoid (GBSAA) system for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The drone has been on duty in Afghanistan, but the Army now hopes to deploy it at home.

The Drone Zone - Air Force trains drone pilots by tracking civilian cars
NY Times - Today many of the pilots at Holloman [Air Force Base] never get off the ground. The base has been converted into the U.S. Air Force’s primary training center for drone operators, where pilots spend their days in sand-colored trailers near a runway from which their planes take off without them. Inside each trailer, a pilot flies his plane from a padded chair, using a joystick and throttle, as his partner, the “sensor operator,” focuses on the grainy images moving across a video screen, directing missiles to their targets with a laser.

As U.N. Finalizes Arms Trade Treaty, Opponents Warn of Global Gun Grab
CNS News - In a letter to Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the eve of the conference, 130 Republican lawmakers outlined their concerns that the treaty being negotiated could negatively affect U.S. security, foreign policy and economic interests – as well as Americans’ constitutional rights. “The ATT must not accept that free democracies and totalitarian regimes have the same right to conduct arms transfers: this is a dangerous piece of moral equivalence,” the letter stated.

New Obama Executive Order Seeks ‘Control’ Over Communications During ‘Crisis’
Executive Order July 6, 2012 -- Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions.

Obama's 'missing year' at Columbia found?
WND - Two separate database reports from the National Student Clearinghouse last year that contradicted President Obama’s claim he attended Columbia University for two years added to the intrigue generated by Obama’s unwillingness to discuss his time at the Ivy League institution, his block on the release of educational records, and the many political science students and faculty there in the early 1980s who say they don’t remember him.

TSA Explains Bizarre New Policy Of Testing Drinks Purchased In Airports
Steve Watson - Many passengers have recently complained that TSA agents have approached them randomly after they have passed through the checkpoints, and have demanded to run tests on drinks they have purchased inside the secure gate areas, without explaining what they were testing for. Travelers interviewed by the news channel KJCT8 condemned the rules as “ridiculous” and “extreme”, noting that practice is pointless given that the beverages are delivered securely to the airport in the first place and have already been passed though security checks.

Rules Committee to Hold 'Emergency' Meeting Monday on Health Care Repeal
National Journal - Under committee rules, Monday's business is considered an "emergency" meeting because a hard copy of the introduced measure must be available to members of the panel at least 24 hours before a meeting. While the text is available online now, the bill is not expected to be introduced until Monday, said committee spokesman Doug Andres. Last week, Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's office said the vote to repeal the health care law would be set for July 11.

Obama Tax Pays For “Free” Illegal Alien Health Care
Western Journalism - Barack Hussein Obama repeatedly stated that his health care law does not pay for illegal alien medical expenses. But American Patriot has proven the fact that illegal aliens and the special interest groups that represent them are cheering the Supreme Court decision to uphold Obamacare because it does exactly that.

ObamaCare Decision Means Feds Will Continue to Cull Gun Owner Information
Gun Owners of America - While the decision means many harmful things for the American public, the Second Amendment community remains greatly affected, as the law requires Americans’ medical information to be culled and entered into a national database. Centralizing these medical records will allow the FBI to troll a list of Americans for ailments such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to deny them their gun rights, in the same way that the Veterans Administration has already denied more than 150,000 veterans their right to bear arms.

2012 Election News

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk
Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk July 9, 2012 - The moral hazard fractional reserve banking and taxpayer insured deposits.

VIDEO: Maddow: Paul could be nominated at the RNC; Romney has not won yet. All eyes on Nebraska!
Daily Paul - July 06, 2012 MSNBC News.

Nebraska GOP hires security for state convention
Beatrice Daily Sun - Nebraska GOP Executive Director Jordan McGrain said he has, for the first time, hired security for the July 14 convention in Grand Island. McGrain hopes to quash any disruptions like those at other state conventions, where disputes between supporters of presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Paul resulted in shouting matches, brawling and _ in Louisiana _ delegates being carted off by police. McGrain said he does not expect Nebraska delegates to cause disruptions, but fears Paul supporters from other states might.

All Nebraska Delegates Need to Follow the Maine Template + Call in the Sheriff
Daily Paul - The meeting in Grand Island on July 14 is going to be a showdown. Below is a 3-step template, offered by jz4Maine (with an added suggestion from Tumbleweed Steve), as the following strategy proved to be successful in Maine under similar circumstances.
Related Video: Watch out for Charlie Cheater...

The Technology Revolution: Ron Paul takes libertarian cause online
RT - Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty has released a new manifesto, entitled “The Technology Revolution.” It addresses the issue of Internet overregulation, and stresses the importance of preserving the private sector online.

YouTube: Reality Check: President Obama and Mitt Romney Don't Have Opposing Views On Healthcare?
Ben Swann Reality Check compares the stances of President Obama and Mitt Romney on the healthcare issue.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

Boston Police: Occupy protesters are tofu-eating stupid morons that can’t raise kids
RT - The editor of the Boston Police Department’s union newspaper has a message for Occupy Wall Street: you’re a bunch of ignorant idiots — and your kids are stupid too. Officer James W. Carnell, a veteran of the Boston PD and the managing editor for Pax Centurion, has penned a scathing op-ed in the latest issue of the official newspaper of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association. Responding to a letter to the editor sent in from a world-renowned college professor and activist, Carnell calls out the Occupy Wall Street movement and its protesters for seemingly being responsible for everything that is wrong with the country today.

Economy

Lawyers Have Already Drafted 13,000 Pages of Regulations for New ObamaTax Law
The Health and Human Services Department “was given a billion dollars implementation money,” Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg of Montana said. “That money is gone already on additional bureaucrats and IT programs, computerization for the implementation.”... There has been much focus on the mandate that all Americans obtain health insurance, but analysts say that’s just a small part of the law — covering only a few pages out of the law’s 2700. “The fact of the matter is the mandate is about two percent of the whole piece of the legislation,” Spalding [of the Heritage Foundation] said. “It’s a minor part.”

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves: 10 Ways That Obama Is Killing Jobs In America
Federal Observer - The truth is that Barack Obama is killing jobs in America. His regulations are absolutely crippling our businesses, he has been heavily promoting new job killing “free trade” agreements, Obamacare has the potential to be the most job killing law of all time, and he is running up debt that will crush job creation in this country for ages to come. Obama will likely go down as the most anti-business president in U.S. history.

California $68 billion high-speed rail gets green light
AP- Senate Republicans blasted the decision, citing the state's ongoing budget problems. They said project would push California over a fiscal cliff. No GOP senators voted for the bill Friday. The final cost of the completed project from Los Angeles to San Francisco is projected to be $68 billion. "It's unfortunate that the majority would rather spend billions of dollars that we don't have for a train to nowhere than keep schools open and harmless from budget cuts," Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, said in a statement.

Natural, organic items grab bigger share in supermarkets
USA Today - Nationwide, natural and organic food sales grew 8 percent in 2010 versus the less than 1 percent growth in the $630 billion total U.S. food market, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. It grew at about a 5 percent rate each year from 2005 to 2009.... In fact, conventional retailers have surpassed the specialty natural food stores, responsible for 54 percent of organic food sales in 2010, according to the Organic Trade Association. Natural retailers brought in 39 percent of total organic food sales.

Housing Market

VIDEO: Sheriff Announces County Wide Mortgage Fraud Investigation
GovernmentOversite.com - Christopher Conley, High Sheriff of Carroll County NH, holds a press conference at the County complex on 7/2/12. He announces that he is forming a task force to investigate mortgage fraud. Fraud is occurring across the United States. Properties being foreclosed on that are owned outright. Financial institutions that stake claim to a property without a deed. The Sheriff states: "In each case there is no accountability be the financial institution, no one to present a reply, no decision maker to speak with.

Energy & Environment

VIDEO: Fracking causes rumbles in California
RT - California is one of the largest oil and gas producing states in the US. As the Golden State cashes in on the boom, the oil and gas industry is increasingly using fracking. Last year about a quarter of all the oil and gas wells drilled in California were fracked and with no regulation in place, companies are rushing to dig some more. California is prone to droughts and earthquakes, leaving residents worried about how fracking could affect their water supply and the potential for an earth shaking disaster.

Health

GlaxoSmithKline pleads guilty to criminal fraud charges, pays massive $3 billion in fines
(NaturalNews) U.K.-based pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a corporate "person" in the eyes of the federal government (http://blog.timesunion.com/occupyalbany/corporations-are-people/394), has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in what even the mainstream media is calling the largest healthcare fraud case in history. And though the company is having to fork over $3 billion in collective fines for its illegal activity, no actual GSK employees or executives are being held personally responsible for their crimes.

SaneVax: Why is a highly sensitive HPV test used in vaccine development and not for patient care?
NaturalNews) The SaneVax Team wants to know why consultants paid by the pharmaceutical industry appear to be using the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to promote a double standard of HPV testing to market "cervical cancer vaccines" at the expense of women's health. Are HPV vaccine manufacturers, the NCI and WHO afraid of what a sensitive and accurate HPV test would disclose if one were used for post-vaccination monitoring and patient care?

Who knew? Compound in apples fights obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease
NaturalNews) Researchers from the University of Iowa, publishing the result of their work in the journal PLoS ONE, have found that a substance known as ursolic acid reduces obesity and its associated health problems by increasing the amount of muscle and brown fat, two tissues recognized for their calorie-burning properties. Ursolic acid is highly concentrated in the skin of apples, and can now be added to the growing list of natural compounds (including green tea and green coffee bean extracts) that increase metabolism and directly influence gene expression to aid weight management and health issues.

Food: A direct connection to how you feel
(NaturalNews) Ever wonder why you are in pain, feeling tired and sluggish, frequently sick, have less than radiant skin, or just can't seem to focus? The answer may very well lie in the meals you eat on a daily basis. Food plays a direct role in why you feel the way you do. Making smarter choices by incorporating natural, raw foods into your diet will help to alleviate common symptoms and allow you to live a healthier, symptom-free life.

Homeopathic remedies alleviate heat exhaustion and heat stroke
NaturalNews) Homeopathic treatment for the various stages of heat and sun exposure are often helpful in stabilizing an individual and overcoming mild overheating. If an individual is suffering from heat stroke, treat with the appropriate remedy en route to your healthcare practitioner or hospital.

Addicted to coffee? You may be dopamine deficient
(NaturalNews) Many of us depend on an early morning "Jo" to get us on the go. Some of us need refills as the day progresses. Still others use coffee to get over depression or anxiety, even though caffeine can create more fight or flight hormones and tax our adrenal glands by pumping us with adrenaline. The adrenaline rushes lead to more retention of cortisol, leading to a vicious cycle of more stress and anxiety.

Proof Armed Forces are Given Untested and Experimental Vaccines
VacTruth - In October 2000 a letter was written to the editor of JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) from the Ministry of Defense in Italy. The Italian Military wrote that they had decided to introduce the MMR vaccination containing the Schwarz measles, Urabe Am9 mumps and Wistar RA27/3 rubella strains, as mandatory in 1998 to examine the vaccines efficiency. (1) However, they were in for more than they bargained for because within one month of the soldiers receiving the vaccine the incidence of mumps had increased significantly.

Mystery meat in America? WTO strikes down country-of-origin labeling in U.S. grocery stores
(NaturalNews) Mexico and Canada have succeeded in a joint effort to strike down an American regulatory policy passed in 2008 that requires country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on meat sold in the U.S. Public Citizen reports that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against the U.S. in a case regarding the matter, a move that will potentially expose millions of Americans to "mystery" meat from unknown origins.

Your vitamin B-12 could contain cyanide
(NaturalNews) What's in your vitamin B-12? If your vitamin label says cyanocobalamin, it is a cheap, synthetic chemical made in the laboratory that is produced with cyanide. Low-end vitamin manufacturers use this to claim that their product "contains vitamin B-12." They won't tell you that this form of B-12 is bound to a toxic cyanide molecule that must then be detoxified from your body by your liver. Curiously, cyanide is a known poison. Cyanide causes a chemical change that keeps the oxygen from getting into your red blood cells.

Popular Big Pharma blood pressure drug linked to gluten sensitivity, Celiac disease
(NaturalNews) Is it possible that the massive rise in diagnoses of gluten insensitivity and Celiac disease is in some way linked to the medications people are taking? A new study published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings seems to suggest so, having found that the popular blood pressure drug Benicar (olmesartan) often causes patients to develop symptoms of Celiac disease that later subside when the medication is ceased.

Germination and fermentation - The secret to easily digestible grains
(NaturalNews) For many, improperly prepared grains can cause a variety of health issues ranging from digestive upset to serious malabsorption and deficiency. The problem is not necessarily the grain itself, but how it is handled before consumption. Through soaking, sprouting, and fermentation, this potentially harmful food is transformed into highly digestible and nutritious fare.

Wanna get fat fast? Stay vitamin D deficient!
(NaturalNews)Kaiser Permanente, which conducted the study that was published online recently in the Journal of Women's Health, tracked more than 4,600 women aged 65 and older for about 54 months. Researchers with the company found that women who had lower levels of vitamin D in their blood gained about two pounds more than women who maintained adequate levels. Doesn't sound like much of a big deal, right? Well, maybe not at first blush, but over time, it could definitely make more of a difference, researchers said.

DHA/ARA-Enhanced Baby Formula Shown to be Toxic, Still on the Market
Natural Society - DHA and ARA are long-chain fatty acids that are naturally present in human breast milk. However, the DHA and ARA in baby formula is synthetic – not natural. Instead, they are produced by a company called Martek Biosciences Corp. They are made in a lab with algae and fungus, and then extracted with hexane, a neurotoxin. Since the DHA/ARA formulas began showing up on shelves, the FDA has been flooded with complaints from consumers. Letter after letter found parents dealing with sick and unhappy babies – babies who did a complete 180-degree turnaround when taken off the formula.

Phthalates in PVC Floors Taken Up by the Body in Infants
Science Daily - A new study at Karlstad University in Sweden shows that phthalates from PVC flooring materials is taken up by our bodies. Phthalates are substances suspected to cause asthma and allergies, as well as other chronic diseases in children. The study shows that children can ingest these softening agents with food but also by breathing and through the skin.

Science & Technology

Having trouble getting online? Call your provider
AP - In a highly unusual move, the FBI set up the safety net. They brought in a private company to install two clean Internet servers to take over for the malicious servers so that people would not suddenly lose their Internet. And they arranged for a private company to run a website, http://www.dcwg.org , to help computer users determine whether their computer was infected and find links to other computer security business sites where they could find fixes for the problem.

UPDATE: Thousands Could Lose Internet Monday
AP - Thousands of people around the country whose computers were infected with malicious software more than a year ago faced the possibility of not being able to get online after midnight EDT. At 12:01 a.m. EDT, the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned to shut down the Internet servers set up as a temporary safety net to keep infected computers online for the past eight months. The court order the agency obtained to keep the servers running expired, and it wasn't renewed.

VIDEO: Maple Seed ‘Samarai’ Drones Will Swarm The Future
TPM.com - Imagine a cheap, tiny, hovering aerial drone capable of being launched with the flick of a person’s wrist and able to provide manipulable 360-degree surveillance views. It’s real, it’s inspired by maple seeds, and the company behind it, Lockheed Martin, envisions a future in which swarms of the new drones can be deployed at a fraction of the cost and with greater capabilities than drones being used today by the military and other agencies.

‘Britain’s Atlantis’ found at bottom of North sea - a huge undersea world swallowed by sea in 6500 BC
dailymail.co.uk - 'Britain's Atlantis' - a hidden underwater world swallowed by the North Sea - has been discovered by divers working with science teams from the University of St Andrews. Doggerland, a huge area of dry land that stretched from Scotland to Denmark was slowly submerged by water between 18,000 BC and 5,500 BC.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

VIDEO: Ron Paul Featured in New Documentary 'Farmageddon' About Government Attacks On Small Family Farms
Daily Paul - This is a troubling documentary about the governments war on small family family farms. Joel Salitan (Poly Face Farms), featured in this & many other documentaries about food freedom, spoke at a University near me about 2 years ago. After he spoke to a packed crowd about government invasion on small family farms, someone from the crowd asked him "is there anyone in Washington DC who understands what is going on, & who will take a stand?"..to which, without missing a beat. Joel Salitan quickly replied "Ron Paul, he is the only one who "gets it".

VIDEO: Utah Garden Challenge Actually Government Registration In Disguise
Alt-Market - The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is promoting the Utah Garden Challenge in order to collect information about independent food production for the USDA. The Utah Garden Challenge is a voluntary contest to register 10,000 gardens. The data mining project has a broad interest in any "resource" who is growing food... While the contest paints a proud face on independent food production, it is important to remember that registering with the government sets up a system to track, tax, permit or confiscate the registered item. Article related to video here.

Taxpayers Paid $6.2 Million in Farm Subsidies to Members of Congress, Families
EWG -The distribution of subsidies among lawmakers reflects the highly distorted distribution of farm subsidies in the U.S. Just five crops – corn, cotton, rice wheat and soybeans – account for 90 percent of all farm subsidies. Since 1995, just 10 percent of subsidized farms have raked in 75 percent of all subsidy payments. “These farm payments are not improper or illegal, but they do create a conflict of interest for these members of Congress,” said Cox. “Some of them are major players in the 2012 farm bill debate and all of these lawmakers will be forced to cast a vote on the final bill.”

Pet News

The truth about senior pet food marketing
Susan Thixton - There are no 'specific' regulations that guide pet food manufacturers to address the nutritional requirements of senior pets. There are minimal regulations guiding claims made for weight loss pet foods, tartar control pet foods and even hairball pet foods. But there are no 'specific' regulations guiding the claims made for senior pet foods.

 


Today in History - Tuesday - July 3, 2012
1775 - U.S. Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, MA.
1790 - In Paris, the marquis of Condorcet proposed granting civil rights to women.
1863 - The U.S. Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, PA, ended after three days. It was a major victory for the North as Confederate troops retreated.
1871 - The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company introduced the first narrow-gauge locomotive. It was called the "Montezuma."
1890 - Idaho became the 43rd state to join the United States of America.
1898 - During the Spanish American War, a fleet of Spanish ships in Cuba's Santiago Harbor attempted to run a blockade of U.S. naval forces. Nearly all of the Spanish ships were destroyed in the battle that followed.
1903 - The first cable across the Pacific Ocean was spliced between Honolulu, Midway, Guam and Manila.
1922 - "Fruit Garden and Home" magazine was introduced. It was later renamed "Better Homes and Gardens."
1930 - The U.S. Congress created the U.S. Veterans Administration.
1944 - The U.S. First Army opened a general offensive to break out of the hedgerow area of Normandy, France.
1944 - During World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk.
1945 - U.S. troops landed at Balikpapan and take Sepinggan airfield on Borneo in the Pacific.
1945 - The first civilian passenger car built since February 1942 was driven off the assembly line at the Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit, MI. Production had been diverted due to World War II.
1950 - U.S. carrier-based planes attacked airfields in the Pyongyang-Chinnampo area of North Korea in the first air-strike of the Korean War.
1954 - Food rationing ended in Great Britain almost nine years after the end of World War II.
1962 - Jackie Robinson became the first African American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
1974 - The Threshold Test Ban Treaty was signed, prohibiting underground nuclear weapons tests with yields greater than 150 kilotons.
1981 - The Associated Press ran its first story about two rare illnesses afflicting homosexual men. One of the diseases was later named AIDS.
1986 - U.S. President Reagan presided over a ceremony in New York Harbor that saw the relighting of the renovated Statue of Liberty.
1986 - Mikhail Baryshnikov became a U.S. citizen at Ellis Island, New York Harbor.
1991 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush formally inaugurated the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.
 

World News

Already Plagued by Inflation, Iran Is Bracing for Worse
Bedeviled by government mismanagement of the economy and international sanctions over its nuclear program, Iran is in the grip of spiraling inflation. Just ask Ali, a fruit vendor in the capital whose business has been slow for months. “Who in Iran can afford to buy a pineapple costing $15? Nobody.”

2 million displaced from homes as monsoon floods kill 81 in India’s northeastern Assam state
The worst monsoon floods in a decade to hit a remote northeastern Indian state have killed more than 80 people and forced around 2 million to leave their homes, officials said
Monday.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

“Everygreen” CIA Owned Airline: Dropping Poison On You And Your Family
Confirmed suspicions that Evergreen (International Aviation) is part of the major crap dump on the planet. Chemtrails made up aluminum, barium and other ingredients contribute to respiratory ills and change the acidity of the soil.

Feds label liberty lovers 'terrorists' ... again!
The government is once again promoting the idea of “those who are reverent of individual liberty” being terrorists with a new study funded by the Department of Homeland Security.

US sends ships, planes to Persian Gulf as tension mounts
The United States has quietly moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf to deter the Iranian military from any possible attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz and to increase the number of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran if the standoff over its nuclear program escalates.

U.S. building Afghanistan a huge $92 million military headquarters
The United States is spending $92 million to build Afghanistan a new "Pentagon," a massive five-story military headquarters with domed roofs and a high-tech basement command center that will link Afghan generals with their troops fighting the Taliban nationwide.

Millions still without power as stifling heat wave hammers eastern US
Nearly 2 million people are still without power Monday, with the biggest concentration of outages in the Washington, D.C. area. Power companies warned it could take several days to restore electricity completely in some areas.

Power Outages From Storms Across Mid-Atlantic Could Last For Days
Two days after storms slammed the mid-Atlantic region, power outages were forcing people to get creative to stay cool in dangerously hot weather. Temperatures approached 100 degrees in many storm-stricken areas, and utility officials said the power will likely be out for several more days.

Texas college hacks drone in front of DHS
A group of researchers led by Professor Todd Humphreys from the University of Texas at Austin Radionavigation Laboratory recently succeeded in raising the eyebrows of the US government. With just around $1,000 in parts, Humphreys’ team took control of an unmanned aerial vehicle owned by the college, all in front of the US Department of Homeland Security.

Whistleblowers win $46.5 million in foreclosure settlement
Getting served with foreclosure papers made Lynn Szymoniak rich. While she couldn't have known it at the time, that day in 2008 led to her uncovering widespread fraud on the part of some of the country's biggest banks, and ultimately taking home $18 million as a result of her lawsuits against them.

U.S. researchers create 30 genetically modified human babies
US fertility researchers from the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of Saint Barnabas in New Jersey have created 30 healthy babies who have been genetically altered. It has been confirmed that two of these children have the DNA of three parents.

2012 Election News

Romney losing ground to Obama without support from Paul Nation
Governor Romney has lost ground to President Obama and is now trailing in all of the national polls with the exception of the Rasmussen Reports poll which has been the poll most favorable to Governor Romney. Governor Romney is now tied with President Obama in the latest Rasmussen poll, which is a steep decline in that poll for Governor Romney relative to President Obama since early June.

Ron Paul Opposition to Obamacare Highlights Libertarian Alternatives in Medicine
Ron Paul says: “Today we should remember that virtually everything government does is a ‘mandate.’ The issue is not whether Congress can compel commerce by forcing you to buy insurance, or simply compel you to pay a tax if you don’t,” said Paul. “The issue is that this compulsion implies the use of government force against those who refuse. The fundamental hallmark of a free society should be the rejection of force. In a free society, therefore, individuals could opt out of ‘Obamacare’ without paying a government tribute.”

Tea Party and Occupy phonies: Ron Paul's Liberty Movement is the real deal
Ron Paul has lived and dreamed his simple message of liberty for thirty years, a message of free markets, sound money, ending the Federal Reserve, ending our wars overseas, and restoring our liberties.

Veteran News

William C. Stacey dies at 23; Marine sergeant from Seattle
'If my life buys the safety of a child who will one day change the world, then I know that it was all worth it,' Marine Sgt. Will Stacey wrote in a final letter to his family.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

New York judge orders Twitter to hand over OWS messages
In a flashpoint for online privacy and free speech in the United States, micro-blogging platform Twitter has been ordered by a court to release tweets relating to an Occupy Brooklyn Bridge march last year, which resulted in more than 700 arrests. New York's district attorney ruled that Twitter should hand over three months’ worth of Occupy activists’ messages connected with an OWS protester arrested last year.

Economy

US Economy May Be Bottoming Out says Economist
A surprise contraction in U.S. manufacturing activity in June has raised the prospects of a worsening slowdown in the U.S., but one economist says the economy may actually be showing signs of bottoming out.

Spain bank could get bailout money within weeks
Spain's ailing banks could get their rescue money within weeks as talks over the terms of their bailout from a European fund are moving swiftly, the economy minister said Tuesday. Spain will have access to up to €100 billion ($126 billion) in rescue loans from the 17-country eurozone's bailout fund for its banks, many of which were stung by the collapse of a real estate bubble and left holding billions in bad loans and foreclosed property.

Energy & Environment

Solar fireworks might be heading our way for the 4th
The sun sent out a flare powerful enough to disrupt radio communications over Europe today, along with an eruption of electrically charged particles that just might sweep past Earth's magnetic field in time to spark a Fourth of July show of auroral fireworks.

Record high radiation levels detected at Fukushima reactor
Measurements taken recently at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear complex in northern Japan have revealed record levels of radiation contamination, officials with the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, said.

10 sobering realizations the Eastern U.S. power grid failure is teaching us about a real collapse
In the wake of violent storms, the power remains out today for millions of Americans across several U.S. states. Governors of Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio have declared a state of emergency. Over a dozen people are now confirmed dead, and millions are sweltering in blistering temperatures while having no air conditioning or refrigeration. As their frozen foods melt into processed goo, they're waking up to a few lessons that we would all be wise to remember. Read More...

Health

Shocking Anatomy of a Hot Dog - What’s Really Inside?
Without further ado, before the Fourth of July grills are aflame, read the skinny on America’s winning wiener, the Original Ball Park frank!

This exercise lowers diabetes risk, study finds
Among people at high risk for diabetes who get very little exercise, those who manage to walk more throughout the day are less likely to actually develop the blood sugar disorder, according to a U.S. study. Earlier studies have shown that walking more is tied to a lower risk of diabetes, but few studies have looked into precise measures of how many steps people take each day, said Amanda Fretts, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Popular Big Pharma blood pressure drug linked to gluten sensitivity, Celiac disease
Is it possible that the massive rise in diagnoses of gluten insensitivity and Celiac disease is in some way linked to the medications people are taking? A new study published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings seems to suggest so, having found that the popular blood pressure drug Benicar (olmesartan) often causes patients to develop symptoms of Celiac disease that later subside when the medication is ceased.

Pet News

What to Do When You See A Dog in a Hot Car
RedRover advises that if you see a dog in distress in a hot car, you should call the local animal control agency, police or 911 right away and, if possible, you can also try to find the dog’s owner by going into the adjacent business and making an announcement.


Today in History - Monday - July 2, 2012
1776 - Richard Henry Lee’s resolution that the American colonies "are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States" was adopted by the Continental Congress.
1850 - Prussia agreed to pull out of Schlewig and Holstein, Germany.
1850 - B.J. Lane patented the gas mask.
1857 - New York City’s first elevated railroad officially opened for business.
1881 - Charles J. Guiteau fatally wounded U.S. President James A. Garfield in Washington, DC.
1890 - The U.S. Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act.
1926 - The U.S. Congress established the Army Air Corps.
1937 - American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart disappeared in the Central Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world at the equator.
1939 - At Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt's face was dedicated.
1944 - American bombers, as part of Operation Gardening, dropped land mines, leaflets and bombs on German-occupied Budapest.
1947 - An object crashed near Roswell, NM. The U.S. Army Air Force insisted it was a weather balloon, but eyewitness accounts led to speculation that it might have been an alien spacecraft.
1964 - U.S. President Johnson signed the "Civil Rights Act of 1964" into law. The act made it illegal in the U.S. to discriminate against others because of their race.
1967 - The U.S. Marine Corps launched Operation Buffalo in response to the North Vietnamese Army's efforts to seize the Marine base at Con Thien.
1976 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was not inherently cruel or unusual.
1976 - North Vietnam and South Vietnam were reunited.
1979 - The U.S. Mint officially released the Susan B. Anthony coin in Rochester, NY.
1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter reinstated draft registration for males 18 years of age.
1985 - General Motors announced that it was installing electronic road maps as an option in some of its higher-priced cars.
1995 - "Forbes" magazine reported that Microsoft's chairman, Bill Gates, was the worth $12.9 billion, making him the world's richest man. In 1999, he was worth about $77 billion.
1998 - CNN retracted a story that alleged that U.S. commandos had used nerve gas to kill American defectors during the Vietnam War.
2000 - In Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada of the National Action Party (PAN) defeated Francisco Labastida Ochoa of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in the presidential election. The PRI had controlled the presidency in Mexico since the party was founded in 1929
 

World News

Turkey scrambles jets as Syria aircraft near border
Turkey scrambled six F-16 fighter jets in three separate incidents responding to Syrian military helicopters approaching the border on Sunday, its armed forces command said on Monday.

Mohamed Morsi Sworn in as Egypt's President Under Generals' Eyes
60-year-old Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, an American-educated engineer who had won 52% of the vote in Egypt’s first post-Mubarak democratic election, was formally sworn in on Saturday at the Supreme Constitutional Court in Cairo.

Top Egyptian presidential candidate doubts al Qaeda role in 9/11
Egypt's likely next president has long called for the U.S. to hold a "scientific conference" to determine the real culprits of the Sept. 11 attacks, having cast doubt on al Qaeda's role in 9/11 for years.

Japan restarts first reactor since Fukushima crisis
Dozens of protesters shouted and danced at the gate of a nuclear power plant as it restarted Sunday, the first to go back online since Japan shut down all of its reactors for safety checks following the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Japan Resident: News blackout of massive protest — This is not normal what is happening (VIDEO)
"Today is just an unbelievable day… yesterday we had massive, massive protests in front of PM Noda’s… and the news, nothing. There was very short news on Miyagi TV… not even 1 minute… nothing about size… just tried to ‘mild up’ why the people were protesting…" - Be sure to watch the video.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Reconciliation Act H.R.4872 Brings Microchipping to America
During the thorough coverage of H.R.3590 America thought it was free of a ‘Healthcare System’ that allowed a national medical registry to be created and the population to be tagged with implantable RFID chips. But a second heath care related bill called “The Reconciliation Act of 2010” (2300 pages) was recently passed by the Senate on March 25th after being passed by the House on March 21st.

Behind Washington, D.C.’s destructive thunderstorm outbreak, June 29, 2012
Between 9:30 and 11 p.m. Friday night, one of the most destructive complexes of thunderstorms in memory swept through the entire D.C. area. Packing wind gusts of 60-80 mph, the
storm produced extensive damage, downing hundreds of trees, and leaving more than 1 million area-residents without power.

Eastern US continues to swelter; power outages could last days
Two days after storms tore across the region, power outages were forcing people to get creative to stay cool in dangerously hot weather. Temperatures were forecast to top 100 degrees in many storm-stricken areas, and utility officials said the power will likely be out for several more days. The storm was blamed for 17 deaths, most from trees falling on homes and cars. Meanwhile, Coast Guard officials say they have suspended the search for a man who went missing early Saturday while boating during the storm off Maryland.

Power outages drag on in D.C. region; officials fuming at utility companies
With much of Montgomery County still without power and ongoing 911 problems continuing across Northern Virginia on Sunday afternoon, local officials vowed to press utilities to restore service more quickly. “I will not accept the timetable of July the 6th, said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), shortly after Pepco announced some homes would not have their power restored until Friday or even later. “Having our citizens go seven days without utilities in my opinion is not the kind of service we should expect.”

Power grid goes down for millions of Americans as Mother Nature reminds us all to get prepared
"Millions of people across nine states were reeling without power Saturday to deal with thermostat-popping temperatures after fierce thunderstorms pounded parts of the Midwest and Atlantic Seaboard," reports CNN.

Listeria fears trigger recall of 2,598 cases of Dole salad
Dole Fresh Vegetables has recalled 2,598 cases of bagged salads due to a possible risk from listeria, the Food and Drug Administration announced Sunday. The salads were distributed in nine states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Recalled bags have a product code of 0540N165112A or B, with Use-by date of June 26 and a UPC code of UPC 7143000956.

Children's sleepwear recalled on flammability fears
Three U.S. companies are recalling about 228,000 items of children's sleepwear because of concerns they could catch fire, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. Rigo International Inc, of Los Angeles, is recalling about 210,000 Boys and Girls Pull-On Lounge Pants and Girls Boxers, the CPSC said in a statement.

Detroit To Lay Off 164 Firefighters
According to a statement from Mayor Dave Bing’s office, 164 firefighters will be pink-slipped by the end of next month. That’s more than one-fifth of the current force.

World Trade Organization rules on U.S. policy of country-of-origin labels on meat
WTO said the labeling requirement itself is legal, but the way it is administered unfairly makes beef and pork from livestock born in Canada and Mexico more expensive to produce. The process requires extensive record keeping, and the animals must be kept separate from American-born cows and pigs.

Insight: Oohlalabama! Airbus finally goes American
Plans to build a $600 million plant in Mobile, Alabama to produce A320 passenger planes will give Europe's jet maker a strategic foothold on U.S. soil while breathing life into American manufacturing.

Mexico's old rulers claim presidential election victory
Mexico's old rulers claimed victory in a presidential election on Sunday, ending 12 years in opposition after a campaign dominated by a sputtering economy and rampant drug violence.

Brave Minnesota mother risks going to prison for continuing to facilitate raw milk distribution
A Minnesota mother has decided that her state's health department is completely out of line in demanding that she stop distributing raw milk to members of her buying club, and has chosen instead to continue helping these families in her area access this highly medicinal food even if it means going to jail.

2012 Election News

Ron Paul to Hold Major Rally in Tampa Ahead of RNC
2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul will hold a major rally with thousands of supporters ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa. The event will take place at noon on Sunday, August 26th at the University of South Florida’s 11,000-seat Sun Dome. Yesterday the Ron Paul campaign signed a contract to secure the venue with the approval of the Republican National Committee.

VIDEO: Ron Paul inducted into congressional baseball hall of fame
Jun. 29, 2012 - Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, on Thursday night was named the newest inductee into the congressional baseball hall of fame. Sporting the same retro, neon orange-and-yellow Astros jersey he wore when he hit his famous home run in 1979, Paul threw out the first pitch of the 51st annual CQ-Roll Call game to his son, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. "Reagan said, 'Paint in bold colors, not pastels,'" Rand joked about his dad's uniform.

Ron Paul: Problem With Healthcare is Too Much Government
Ron Paul’s op-ed explaining what the root problems of America’s healthcare crisis actually are.

Romney losing ground to Obama without support from Paul Nation
National Republicans may have some serious thinking to do. Their presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney looks to be in serious trouble on multiple fronts today.

Polls: All Polls
All the latest polls on the 2012 races are listed below by date. Click on the race to get the past results for that contest.

Veteran News

VIDEO: 'We've Got 18 Vets a Day Who Are Killing Themselves in the United States'
Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen describes, in dramatic detail, the stresses put on soldiers and their families since 9/11.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

National Occupy gathering set for July 4 in Philly
Get ready for Occupy Fourth of July in the cradle of liberty. Occupy groups from across the country are headed to Philadelphia for a national gathering on Independence Mall, seeking to unify their far-flung movement against economic inequality a half-year after police evicted protesters from encampments in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York and other cities. The event, which starts Saturday and runs through July 4, is expected to bring about 1,500 protesters for marches, speakers and camping during the city's annual Independence Day festivities.

Economy

Postal plant consolidations start next month
The U.S. Postal Service will begin consolidating and closing parts of some 48 mail processing plants, beginning as early as next week, after a last-minute effort to halt the
consolidations failed Friday.

Financial Giants Are Moving Jobs Off Wall Street
New York’s biggest investment houses are shifting jobs out of the area and expanding in cheaper locales in the United States, threatening the vast middle tier of positions that form the backbone of employment on Wall Street.

Unemployment benefits whittled down
Many long-term unemployed will begin seeing their federal jobless benefits disappear starting this week. Although Congress reauthorized federal emergency unemployment benefits earlier this year, lawmakers reduced the weeks the jobless can collect payments. The cutbacks come in two phases -- one now and another in September.

Housing Market

Trudie Crutchfield Gets $300,000 Settlement From Bank Of America, 4 Years After Wrongful Foreclosure
Trudie Crutchfield of Beaumont, Texas, sued BofA in 2008 after the bank foreclosed on her hurricane-wrecked house. That natural disaster forced Crutchfield to miss a few mortgage payments, which Countrywide, her loan servicer, said was fine. Then the lender reversed itself, sending a letter saying she owed all that money right away (h/t Consumerist).

Health

Healthy Diet, Not Prescription Drugs
A woman who turned 104 in June, newspaper reporters wanted to know her secret for a long lifei. Her answer consisted of just two simple rules that she's always lived by: Watching what she eats, and Staying away from doctors

Consumer Questions on Health Care Act, and the Answers
Read some 'Frequently asked questions' about the health Care act.

Popular Big Pharma blood pressure drug linked to gluten sensitivity, Celiac disease
A new study published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings seems to suggest so, having found that the popular blood pressure drug Benicar (olmesartan) often causes patients to develop symptoms of Celiac disease that later subside when the medication is ceased.

How Diet Foods and Drinks Can Actually Cause, NOT Prevent Diabetes
Imagine the irony if these diet products which actually contained substances that cause an increase in fasting blood glucose levels and contribute to the onset of diabetes.

Improve your digestion naturally
Digestive problems are a modern day epidemic in Westernized cultures. Major disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diarrhea and constipation are all too frequent. The modern day diet and lifestyle is loaded with toxins and deficient in high quality live foods full of enzymes and probiotics. Improve your digestive health naturally with an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. Read More...

YouTube - Reality Check: If Healthcare Law Is A Tax Is It Now Invalid?
Ben Swann Reality Check breaks down the Affordable Care Act ruling by the Supreme Court and looks at why the determination that the law is a tax, may make it invalid

Brain device linked to 9 deaths, FDA warns
A Covidien device for rare malformed blood vessels can get stuck in the brain and has been linked to nine patient deaths, U.S. regulators warned. The device, made by Covidien unit ev3, uses a spongy material to block off blood flow to abnormal tangles of blood vessels before they are removed by surgery. The material is delivered to the brain through a tube inserted into a groin artery, known as a catheter.

Here's a Map of the Countries That Provide Universal Health Care
The above map shows, in green, countries that administer some sort of universal health care plan.

Science & Technology

Apple pays $60M in China iPad dispute
Apple has agreed to pay a Chinese company $60 million to settle a dispute over ownership of the iPad name, a court announced Monday, removing a potential obstacle to sales of the popular tablet computer in the key Chinese market.

"Leap second" time glitch brings down big websites
After an extra second was added to the clock on Saturday to better align it with the Earth's rotation schedule, a whole slew of websites from LinkedIn, Foursquare and Reddit to Mozlila, Yelp and Gawker sites experienced technical issues. Known as a "leap second," which is a basic one-second adjustment applied to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to keep it up-to-date with solar time, the additional second added didn't sit well with various web servers.

PAST NEWS
 

 

 
The Power Hour:
Show-Schedule
(7-10am CST)
···Listen Live

Listen FREE thru Global Star Satellite Feed

 

 
 
 

 

   

 
         


All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Copyright © 2007. The Power Hour. All rights reserved.