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| 2/19/2012 |
Is This the End of Market Democracy? The 2012 election will offer voters a stark choice between right and left alternatives. President Obama is calling for: investing in things like education that gives everybody a chance to succeed. A tax code that makes sure everybody pays their fair share. And laws that make sure everybody follows the rules. That’s what will transform our economy. That’s what will grow our middle class again. Republicans, in turn, are denouncing the expansion of a Democratic “entitlement society” and what they see as a trend toward European social democracy. They are calling for sharply reduced taxes, regulation and government spending to free market forces and revive private sector economic growth. While Americans are going to be able to choose between two contrasting ideologies, what if both choices are off the mark? What if the legitimacy of free market capitalism in America is facing fundamental challenges that the candidates and their parties are not addressing? Here are some of the issues that are making some politicians and political thinkers uneasy: Are large segments of the American workforce — millions of people — at a structural disadvantage in the face of global competition, technological advance and ever more sophisticated forms of automation? Is this situation permanent? Will the share of profits from improving corporate productivity flowing to capital and to high-earning C.E.O.s continue to grow, while the income of wage earners stagnates and their share of profits declines? Has the surging wealth and income of the top one percent and of the top 0.1 percent reached a tipping point at which the political leverage of the very affluent decisively outweighs the influence of the electorate at large? Is it possible that in the United States and Europe, democratic free market capitalism is no longer capable of providing broadly shared benefits to a solid majority of workers? (New York Times) | |||
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keywords: Austria, Barack Obama, Campaign Finance Reform, China, Columbia University, Council On Foreign Relations, David Autor, Denmark, Education, Elections, European Union, Financial Crisis, Foreign Affairs, Francis Fukuyama, Germany, Globalization, Harvard University, Health Care, Income Tax, Japan, Jeffrey Sachs, Larry Summers, Lawrence Katz, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Michael Spence, Mitt Romney, National Economic Council, Netherlands, Nobel Prize, Norway, Pollution, Richard Freeman, Sandile Hlatshwayo, Simon Johnson, Stanford University, Sweden, Thomas Edsall, US Department Of The Treasury, Unemployment, United States
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| 11/27/2011 |
Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks $13 Billion Banks worldwide earned an estimated $13 billion by taking advantage of below-market rates on emergency U.S. Federal Reserve loans from August 2007 through April 2010. Roll over the bars below to explore details for each. To compare results with banks' net income or losses for the same timeframes, click the corresponding button. Worldwide total is the sum for 190 firms with available data; those banks lost a combined $21.6 billion. The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing. The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers didn’t mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy. And no one calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed’s below-market rates, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its January issue. (Bloomberg) | |||
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keywords: American Bankers Association, Ancel Martinez, Andrea Priest, Anil Kashyap, Anthony Coley, Bailouts, Bank Of America, Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Basel, Bear Stearns, Ben Bernanke, Berkeley, Bloomberg Lp, Brad Miller, Byron Dorgan, California, Center For Economic And Policy Research, Center For Responsive Politics, Charlotte, Citigroup, Clearing House Association, Countrywide Financial, Dallas, David Jones, Dean Baker, Dodd-frank Wall Street Reform Act, Dow Jones, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Financial Services Forum, Financial Stability Oversight Council, Gary Stern, George Mason University, George W Bush, Gerald Hanweck, Glass-steagall Act, Goldman Sachs, Government Transparency, Graham Fisher & CO, Henry Paulson, Howard Opinsky, Jamie Dimon, Jerry Dubrowski, John Dearie, Jon Diat, Joshua Rosner, Jpmorgan Chase, Judd Gregg, Kenneth Lewis, Lehman Brothers, Mark Lake, Merrill Lynch, Minneapolis, Morgan Stanley, Neil Barofsky, New York, New York City, New York University, Nobel Prize, North Carolina, Occupy Boston, Occupy California, Occupy Oakland, Occupy Seattle, Occupy Wall Street, Oliver Williamson, Phillip Swagel, Police, Realtytrac, Richard Fisher, Richard Shelby, Scott Alvarez, Sherrill Shaffer, Sherrod Brown, Switzerland, Tea Party, Ted Kaufman, Timothy Geithner, US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, US Freedom Of Information Act, US Supreme Court, United States, University Of California, University Of Chicago, University Of Maryland, University Of Wyoming, Vikram Pandit, Viral Acharya, Wachovia, Wall Street, Washington DC, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo, William English
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| 3/31/2011 |
Why is the Federal Reserve Propping Up the Bank of Libya? Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has for months been leading the charge to expose the sweetheart deals the Federal Reserve has worked out for multinational banks and corporations at the same time that working Americans, small businesses, local governments and schools boards struggle to stay afloat financially. Sanders has tried to make the point that it is simply absurd for the Fed to bail out foreign firms and bad banks and to provide them with low-interest loans at the same time that they are reaping massive profits – and at the same time that federal, state and local governments are supposedly broke. (The Nation) | |||
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keywords: Arab Banking Corp, Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke, Bernie Sanders, Central Bank Of Libya, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Libya, Moammar Gaddafi, New York City, Timothy Geithner, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Vermont, Wall Street, White House
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| 3/10/2011 |
Red flag: Biggest bond fund dumps U.S. Treasuries Last fall Jason Thomas, writing in National Affairs, explained the danger of our increasing debt: The government borrows in a currency that it prints, and it is difficult to conceive of a situation in which it would be more advantageous for the United States to renounce obligations than to print whatever amount of dollars would be necessary to meet them. The real problem is that bond-market investors are not oblivious to this flexibility. When it appears likely that a country will print money to inflate away unsustainable debt burdens, interest rates rise to incorporate an inflation risk premium -- thus increasing the burden on the government and on private borrowers. The danger, then, is that excessive borrowing will bring investors' hunger for Treasury securities to an end, causing a spike in interest rates that could crush the American economy and send it into a debt spiral we would find very difficult to escape. Treasury securities have continued to sell, as Thomas explained, because of "the weakness of other countries' fiscal positions, and the power of inertia and familiarity." But that can change. Thomas warned: The Treasury market's status as a safe haven is not an immutable feature of economic life: It is a function of institutional credibility that took generations to build, but that would take just a fraction of that time to destroy. Were Treasury securities to lose their status as the global reserve asset of choice to gold, other commodities, or a different currency, the consequences for the American economy would be disastrous. Unlikely as such a scenario might seem at the moment, today's fiscal policies unquestionably increase the probability of its coming to pass. (Washington Post) | |||
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keywords: Bill Gross, Bloomberg Lp, Erskine Bowles, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Gold, Jason Thomas, National Affairs, Pacific Investment Management, Pimco, Rob Portman, Stimulus Package, US Department Of The Treasury, US Small Business Administration, United States
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| 3/2/2011 |
Why the Dollar's Reign Is Near an End For decades the dollar has served as the world's main reserve currency, but, argues Barry Eichengreen, it will soon have to share that role. Here's why--and what it will mean for international markets and companies. The single most astonishing fact about foreign exchange is not the high volume of transactions, as incredible as that growth has been. Nor is it the volatility of currency rates, as wild as the markets are these days. Instead, it's the extent to which the market remains dollar-centric. Consider this: When a South Korean wine wholesaler wants to import Chilean cabernet, the Korean importer buys U.S. dollars, not pesos, with which to pay the Chilean exporter. Indeed, the dollar is virtually the exclusive vehicle for foreign-exchange transactions between Chile and Korea, despite the fact that less than 20% of the merchandise trade of both countries is with the U.S. Chile and Korea are hardly an anomaly: Fully 85% of foreign-exchange transactions world-wide are trades of other currencies for dollars. What's more, what is true of foreign-exchange transactions is true of other international business. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries sets the price of oil in dollars. The dollar is the currency of denomination of half of all international debt securities. More than 60% of the foreign reserves of central banks and governments are in dollars. (Wall Street Journal) | |||
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keywords: Australia, Bank Of China, Barry Eichengreen, Beijing, Chile, China, Derivatives, Dollar, Dow Jones, Euro, European Union, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, G20, Hong Kong, Jose Angel Gurria, Lehman Brothers, New York, Organization Of The Petroleum Exporting Countries, Paris, Peso, Shanghai, South Korea, Switzerland, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, University Of California, Yuan
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| 2/16/2011 |
Sen. Leahy on anthrax case: 'It's not closed' After the deadly shooting rampage in Tucson, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) was asked to reflect on his own experience as the would-be target of an assassin. That's when he let slip something that he rarely talks about publicly: He has never accepted the FBI's decision to close the case in the series of anthrax-laced letters mailed to public officials in fall 2001. "I still wonder who sent it and why they sent it," the Judiciary Committee chairman told a crowd gathered last month at the Newseum in Northwest Washington to hear his 2011 legislative agenda. More than a month later, Leahy was given fresh evidence this week that the science in the case was not airtight, reopening emotional wounds 91/2 years after letters sent to him and then-Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) helped cause the deaths of five people and sickened 17 others. On Tuesday, the National Research Council questioned the efficacy of the genetic testing used by the FBI to allege that a Fort Detrick scientist had acted alone in mailing the deadly letters to Capitol Hill and media outlets. (Washington Post) | |||
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keywords: Anthrax, Barack Obama, Bruce Ivins, Charles Grassley, Federal Bureau Of Investigation, Florida, Fort Detrick, George W Bush, Laura Petrou, Mark Patterson, Maryland, National Enquirer, National Research Council, Newseum, Patrick Leahy, Pete Rouse, Robert Mueller, Rush Holt, Terrorists, Thomas Daschle, Tom Brokaw, Tucson AZ, US Army, US Congress, US Department Of Health And Human Services, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Washington DC
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| 2/11/2011 |
Feds slap Zions over billions in illegal money transfers Two federal agencies have slapped Zions Bank with multimillion-dollar civil penalties for failing to monitor suspicious wire transfers of billions of dollars related to transactions that may have involved drug trafficking and other crimes. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday said it imposed an $8 million penalty against Zions for shortcomings in its anti-money laundering controls — violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA Patriot Act. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — a Treasury Department agency involved in fighting money laundering — also fined Salt Lake City-based Zions $8 million but said the government would be satisfied by a single payment of $8 million. “The bank is supposed to file suspicious activity reports if they find suspicious activity, and the bank failed to file those on a timely basis,” OCC spokesman Dick DeBuck said. “The regulations also require the bank to monitor this wire activity, and the bank did not do that, either.” (The Salt Lake Tribune) | |||
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keywords: Bank Secrecy Act, Dick Debuck, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, John Walsh, Mexico, Money Laundering, Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency, Peso, Salt Lake City, Scott Anderson, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Usa Patriot Act, War On Drugs, Zions Bank
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| 1/1/2011 |
Jefferson Spurious Quotations: Private Banks Quotation: "If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered...I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." Earliest known appearance in print: 1937 Status: This quotation is at least partly spurious; see comments below. (The Jefferson Encyclopedia) | |||
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keywords: Albert Gallatin, First Bank Of The United States, John Taylor, John Wayles Eppes, Thomas Jefferson, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 9/17/2010 |
Europeans Push Global Tax to Fund Poverty-Reduction, Climate Change Causes A group of 60 nations will meet next week at the United Nations to push for a tax on foreign currency transactions as a way to generate revenue to meet global poverty-reduction goals, including “climate change” mitigation. Spearheaded by European Union countries, the so-called “innovative financing” proposal envisages a tax of 0.005 percent (five cents per $1,000), which experts estimate could produce more than $30 billion a year worldwide for priority causes. (CNS News) | |||
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keywords: AIDS, Belgium, Bernard Kouchner, Canada, Climate Change, European Union, Financial Crisis, France, G20, Gordon Brown, Ira Stoll, James Tobin, Japan, Pete Stark, Russia, Scotland, Timothy Geithner, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States
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| 9/5/2010 |
No defence left against double-dip recession, says Nouriel Roubini The United States, Japan and large parts of Europe have exhausted their policy arsenal, leaving them defenceless against a double-dip recession as recovery slows to ‘stall speed’. “The US has run out of bullets,” said Nouriel Roubini, professor at New York University, and one of a caste of luminaries with grim forecasts at the annual Ambrosetti conference on Lake Como. “More quantitative easing (bond purchases) by the Federal Reserve is not going to make any difference. Treasury yields are already down to 2.5pc yet credit spreads are widening again. Monetary policy can boost liquidity but it can’t deal with solvency problems,” he told Europe’s policy elite. Dr Roubini said the US growth rate was likely to fall below 1pc in the second half of the year, despite the biggest stimulus in history: a cut in interest rates from 5pc to zero, a budget deficit of 10pc of GDP, and $3 trillion to shore up the financial system. The anaemic pace compares with rates of 4pc-6pc at this stage of recovery in normal post-war recoveries. “We have reached stall speed. Any shock at this point can tip you back into recession. With interbank spreads rising, you can get a vicious circle like 2008-2009,” he said, describing a self-feeding process as the real economy and the credit system hurt each other. “There is a 40pc chance of double-dip recession in the US, and worse in Japan. Even if it is not technically a recession it will feel like it,” he added. (London Telegraph) | |||
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keywords: China, Congressional Budget Office, European Union, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Germany, Hans-werner Sinn, Harvard University, Ifo Institute, Japan, New York University, Niall Ferguson, Nouriel Roubini, Stimulus Package, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 7/27/2010 |
SIGIR: Defense can't account for $8.7 billion The Defense Department is unable to account for $8.7 billion of the $9.1 billion in Development Fund for Iraq monies in received for reconstruction in Iraq. This according to a study published today by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. "This situation occurred because most DoD organizations receiving DFI (Development Fund for Iraq) funds did not establish the required Department of the Treasury accounts and no DoD organization was designated as the executive agent for managing the use of DFI funds," the report states. (Federal News Radio) | |||
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keywords: Development Fund For Iraq, Iraq, Military, Special Inspector General For Iraq Reconstruction, US Department Of Defense, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 6/16/2010 |
Obama Adds To Iran Sanctions The penalties were aimed at entities tied to Iran's nuclear and missile program, including one bank, five front companies, 22 energy and insurance concerns, and two individuals and four groups tied to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The move was important primarily for its symbolic significance: It was intended to signal other countries that the United States would build vigorously on the UN sanctions, and wanted other countries to do the same. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, announcing the sanctions at the White House, said that to be effective "we need to have in place a concerted international approach. This is not something the United States can do alone." (Los Angeles Times) | |||
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keywords: Bank Sepah, Barack Obama, European Union, Federation Of American Scientists, Iran, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ivan Oelrich, Nuclear Power Plants, Nuclear Weapons, Post Bank, Robert Einhorn, Stuart Levey, Tehran, Timothy Geithner, UN Security Council, US Department Of State, US Department Of The Treasury, United Nations, United States, White House
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| 6/15/2010 |
Internet 'kill switch' proposed for US A new US Senate Bill would grant the President far-reaching emergency powers to seize control of, or even shut down, portions of the internet. The legislation says that companies such as broadband providers, search engines or software firms that the US Government selects "shall immediately comply with any emergency measure or action developed" by the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone failing to comply would be fined. That emergency authority would allow the Federal Government to "preserve those networks and assets and our country and protect our people," Joe Lieberman, the primary sponsor of the measure and the chairman of the Homeland Security committee, told reporters on Thursday. Lieberman is an independent senator from Connecticut who meets with the Democrats. (CNet News) | |||
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keywords: 9/11, Barack Obama, Cato Institute, Center For Democracy And Technology, Cyber 9/11, Cybersecurity, George W Bush, Internet, Jim Harper, John D Rockefeller IV, Joseph Lieberman, Mcafee, National Center For Cybersecurity And Communications, Olympia Snowe, Privacy, Techamerica, Terrorists, Tom Gann, US Congress, US Department Of Commerce, US Department Of Defense, US Department Of Homeland Security, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, White House
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| 6/3/2010 | Participants: Bilderberg Meetings Sitges, Spain 3-6 June 2010 (Bilderberg Meetings) | |||
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keywords: Acciona, Adrian Wooldridge, Advent International, Afghanistan, Airbus, Akbank, Alcoa, Alexander H G Rinnooy Kan, Alfa Laval, American Enterprise Institute, Ana Botín, Anadolu Group, Anders Eldrup, Anne Lauvergeon, Antti Blåfield, Areva, Austria, Axa Group, Banesto, Barclays, Belgium, Bernard Ramanantsoa, Bernardino León Gross, Bilderberg Group, Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Birger Magnus, Björn Stigson, Björn Wahlroos, Bocconi University, Broad Institute Of Mit And Harvard, Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Carl Bildt, Carnegie Endowment For International Peace, Charlie Rose, Christine Varney, Cisneros Group Of Companies, Clarium Capital Management, Coca Cola, Confederation Of Swedish Enterprise, Council Of The European Union, Council On Foreign Relations, Craig Mundie, Czech Republic, César Alierta, Daimlerchrysler, Dambisa Moyo, Daniel Vasella, Denmark, Der Standard, Deutsche Bank, Dieter Zetsche, Donald Graham, Dong Energy, Economic Recovery Advisory Board, Egil Myklebust, Eliamep, Enel, Eni S.p.a., Eric Lander, Eric Schmidt, Etienne Davignon, European Central Bank, European Commission, European Parliament, European Union, Evercore Partners Inc, F J Bing West, Fernando Teixeira Dos Santos, Fiat, Finland, Foreign Policy, Founders Fund, France, Francis Waldvogel, Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Franco Bernabè, Frank Mckenna, Frank Pearl, French Institute For International Relations, Fulvio Conti, George A David, George F Baker, George Papaconstantinou, Gertrude Tumpel-gugerell, Gianfelice Rocca, Goldman Sachs, Google, Gordon Campbell, Greece, Grupo Prisa, Grupo Santander, Gustavo Cisneros, Haldor Topsoe, Harvard University, Heather Reisman, Hec Paris Group, Heinz Fischer, Helsingin Sanomat, Henri De Castries, Henry Kissinger, Henry Kravis, Hudson Institute, Ignacio Polanco, Impresa, Indigo Books, Ing Group, Investor Ab, Ireland, J Robert Prichard, Jacob Wallenberg, Jaime Carvajal Urquijo, James Johnson, James Steinberg, James Wolfensohn, Jan H M Hommen, Jan Huyghebaert, Javier Solana, Jessica Mathews, Joaquín Almunia, John Elkann, John Keane, John Kerr, John Micklethwait, John Oldham, Jorma Ollila, Josef Ackermann, Josette Sheeran, José Entrecanales Ibarra, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Juan Luis Cebrián, Juan María, Jyrki Katainen, Karel De Gucht, Kbc Group, Kissinger Associates, Klaus Kleinfeld, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & CO, Koç Holding A.Ş, LA Caixa, Larry Summers, Lars Renström, Laurence Tisch, Leiden University, Loukas Tsoukalis, Marcus Agius, Marie-josée Kravis, Mario Monti, Martin S Feldstein, Martin Taylor, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Matías Rodriguez Inciarte, Metrolinx, Microsoft, Moisés Naím, Mustafa V Koç, National Clinical Lead For Quality And Productivity, Nederlandsche Bank, Neelie Kroes, Netherlands, Niall Ferguson, Nin Génova, Norsk Hydro, Norway, Notre Europe, Nout Wellink, Novartis, Novartis Venture Fund, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank, Olaf Scholz, Oscar Bronner, Pakistan, Paolo Scaroni, Paul Gallagher, Paul Volcker, Paulo Rangel, Perseus, Peter Löscher, Peter Mansbridge, Peter Orszag, Peter Sutherland, Peter Thiel, Peter Voser, Philip Gordon, Portugal, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Prisa, Queen Beatrix, Queen Sofía, Richard Holbrooke, Richard Perle, Ripplewood Holdings, Robert Hormats, Robert Rubin, Robert Zoellick, Roger Altman, Rose Communications, Royal Dutch Shell, Ruşen Çakir, Rudolf Scholten, Sampo Plc, Scp Partners, Sean Parker, Shirley Williams, Siemens, Sitges, Social And Economic Council Of The Netherlands, Sonia Arrison, Spain, Spd, Storebrand, Suez-tractebel, Suzan Sabanci Dinçer, Svein Richard Brandtzæg, Sweden, Syngenta, Td Bank Financial Group, Techint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, The Economist, Thierry De Montbrial, Thomas Enders, Timothy C Collins, Tommaso Padoa-schioppa, Tuncay Özilhan, Turkey, UK Parliament, UN World Food Programme, US Department Of State, US Department Of The Treasury, US National Economic Council, Ulrik Federspiel, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States, Urban Bäckström, Vendeline Von Bredow, Victor Halberstadt, W Edmund Clark, Washington Post, Wolfensohn & Company, World Bank, World Business Council For Sustainable Development, Z Damla Gürel
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| 6/2/2010 |
Bilderberg 2010: Plutocracy with palm trees The shadowy global elite is meeting in Sitges – and Charlie Skelton is there, hoping for a new spirit of CamCleggian openness Police are already stretching their red stripy tape around the hotel, and zipping up and around the local roads in their squad cars, sniffing for trouble. I'm really hoping there's none to find. The Spanish are promising a beach party and an "awareness camp", with political discussion forums and meditation zones. (London Guardian) | |||
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keywords: Afghanistan, Aib, Athens, BBC, Barack Obama, Barclays, Bilderberg Group, Catalan, Charlie Skelton, Chase Manhattan Bank, David Rockefeller, Deutsche Bank, EU Commission, European Union, Federal Reserve, George Osborne, Goldman Sachs, Greece, Kenneth Clarke, London Guardian, Madrid, Marcus Agius, Microsoft, National Bank Of Greece, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Pakistan, Queen Sofía, Richard Holbrooke, Royal Dutch Shell, Spain, Timothy Geithner, US Department Of State, US Department Of The Treasury, Vouliagmeni, World Bank
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| 5/28/2010 |
Geithner tells Europe to emulate China on growth US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday Europe should follow China's lead and boost growth since US consumers can no longer support the global economy alone. (Agence France-Presse) | |||
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keywords: Axel Weber, Bundesbank, Canada, China, European Central Bank, European Union, Financial Crisis, France, Frankfurt, G20, George Osborne, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jean-claude Trichet, London, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Timothy Geithner, Toronto, US Department Of The Treasury, United Kingdom, United States, Wolfgang Schaeuble
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| 5/12/2010 |
Alan Grayson On The Passage Of The Partial "Audit The Fed" Amendment But our work isn't quite done. The Senate audit provision isn't as strong as what we passed in the House. The Senate provision has only a one-time audit, whereas what we passed in the House would allow audits going forward. There will be a conference committee that will merge the provisions from the two bills. (Zero Hedge) | |||
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| 5/10/2010 |
Justice Elena Kagan, and President Larry Summers Kagan's connections to Summers are interesting. She was a professor there when Summers arrived from his work at Treasury, under Bill Clinton, to deregulate banks and derivatives to get the gambling moving...guaranteed by the taxpayer. As President Summers of Harvard from 2001 to 2006, Kagan thrived. She was made a full professor, then Summers tapped her to be the Dean of Harvard Law. Her pet peeve there was to keep the American military and ROTC off campus because she disputes the "don't ask, don't tell" provisions put in place by Clinton. (NJ.com) | |||
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keywords: Animal Rights, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Cass Sunstein, D E Shaw & CO, Derivatives, Elena Kagan, Goldman Sachs, Harvard University, Larry Summers, Lgbt, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Wall Street
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| 5/8/2010 |
An Updated List of Goldman Sachs Ties to the Obama Government Including Elena Kagan From 2005 to 2008, according to USA Today and other sources, Kagan served as a member of the Research Advisory Council of the Goldman Sachs Global Markets Institute. (Fire Dog Lake) | |||
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keywords: Alexander Hamilton, American International Group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Anne Fudge, Bailouts, Barack Obama, Blackrock Financial Management Inc, Blair Effron, Brookings Institution, Citigroup, Duncan Niederauer, Edward Michael Liddy, Elena Kagan, Federal Open Market Committee, Federal Reserve, G20, G7, G8, Gephardt Group, Germany, Goldman Sachs, Hamilton Project, Harvard University, Health Care, Henry Kissinger, Henry Paulson, Howard Berkowitz, Internal Revenue Service, John Thain, Joseph Biden, Laura Tyson, Lawrence Eagleburger, Matt Taibbi, Michael Froman, Michael Granoff, Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, National Economic Council, New York Stock Exchange, North American Free Trade Agreement, Oxford University, Phillip Murphy, Pomona Capital, Princeton University, Richard Gephardt, Richard Perle, Richard Perry, Robert Benmosche, Robert Rubin, Social Security, Steven Shafran, Thomas Daschle, Timothy Geithner, US Department Of The Treasury, US National Security Council, US Supreme Court, United States, Visa, Warren Christopher, Washington Institute For Near East Policy, White House, William Dudley
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| 5/3/2010 |
Usama Bin Laden Is Living Comfortably in Iran, Documentary Asserts The idea that Bin Laden is in Iran got a strong boost recently with the premiere of a documentary called “Feathered Cocaine.” In it, Alan Parrot, the film’s subject and one of the world’s foremost falconers, makes a case that Bin Laden, an avid falcon hunter, has been living comfortably in Iran since at least 2003 and continues to pursue the sport relatively freely. (FOX) | |||
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keywords: 9/11 Commission, Aerial Drones, Afghanistan, Al-qaeda, Alan Parrot, Central Intelligence Agency, Dubai, Iran, Kandahar, Middle East, Osama Bin Laden, Pentagon, Richard Clarke, Robert Baer, Saudi Arabia, Sean Turner, Syriana, Tehran, Terrorists, Tora Bora, US Department Of The Treasury, United Arab Emirates, United States, White House
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| 4/27/2010 |
A List of Goldman Sachs People in the Obama Government: Names Attached to the Giant Squid’s Tentacles Here you will find, I believe, the most comprehensive list of people-groups yet available to show how Obama’s administration has really become the Goldman Sachs administration. The Obama administration is not the first administration that Goldman has infiltrated, although it is perhaps the one that has been most completely co-opted from top to bottom. (Fire Dog Lake) | |||
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keywords: Adam Storch, Alan Greenspan, Alexander Hamilton, Alice Rivlin, American International Group, Anne Fudge, Asia, Bailouts, Barack Obama, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Bill Clinton, Bill Dudley, Brookings Institution, Business Intelligence Group, California, Citigroup, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Commonwealth Edison, Congressional Budget Office, Council On Foreign Relations, David Lipton, Desmond Lachman, Diana Farrell, Douglas Elmendorf, Eric Mindich, Evercore Partners, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Galleon Group, Gary Gensler, Gene Sperling, George W Bush, Goldman Sachs, Great Depression, Gregory Craig, Hamilton Project, Harold Ford, Health Care, Henry Paulson, Hillary Clinton, Illinois, International Monetary Fund, Jacob Lew, James Rubin, Jason Furman, Jesse Unruh, John Kenneth Galbraith, Joseph Biden, Karen Kornbluh, Lael Brainard, Larry Summers, Lehman Brothers, Mark Gallogly, Mark Patterson, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Matt Taibbi, Medicare, Mexico, Michael Frohman, Michael Greenstone, Military, Neel Kashkari, New York Stock Exchange, North American Free Trade Agreement, O'melveny And Myers, Ohio, Peco Energy CO, Pennsylvania, Penny Pritzker, Peter Orszag, Quadrangle Group, Rahm Emanuel, Raj Rajaratnam, Robert Hormats, Robert Reischauer, Robert Rubin, Roger Altman, Salomon Smith Barney, Securities And Exchange Commission, Social Security, Stanford Group, Stephen Friedman, Steve Rattner, Thomas Donilon, Timothy Geithner, US Congress, US Department Of State, US Department Of The Treasury, Unicom Corp, United States, University Of Minnesota, Vietnam War, Warren Buffett, White House
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| 4/25/2010 |
US prepares to push for global capital rules The G20 communiqué on Friday said: “We recommitted to developing by end-2010 internationally agreed rules to improve both the quantity and quality of bank capital and to discourage excessive leverage.” (Financial Times) | |||
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| 4/20/2010 |
Goldman Sachs: Master of the Universe The status applies to all Wall Street giants, none, however, the equal of Goldman, the Grand Master. Like the fabled comic book Superman hero, it's: * faster than its competitors, thanks to its proprietary software ability to front run markets (illegal, but no matter); * more powerful than the government it controls; and * able to leap past competitors, given its special status. (Baltimore Chronicle) | |||
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keywords: Alaska, Asset-backed Securities, Bernie Madoff, Bill Clinton, California, Collateralized Debt Obligation, Credit Default Swaps, Dan Jester, Ed Liddy, Edward Forst, Enron, Exxon Valdez, Fabrice Tourre, Fannie Mae, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Freddie Mac, Gene Sperling, George Herbert Walker, George W Bush, Glass-steagall Act, Goldman Sachs, Great Depression, Greece, Gus Levy, Henry Paulson, J Arons & CO, Jeffrey Reuben III, John Kenneth Galbraith, John Paulson, John Thain, John Weinberg, Joshua Bolten, Kendrick Wilson III, Lloyd Blankfein, Lower Cook Inlet, Mark Patterson, Mary Schapiro, Merrill Lynch, National Association Of Securities Dealers, Neel Kashkari, New Jersey, Prince William Sound, Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act, Rajat Gupta, Residential Mortgage-backed Securities, Robert Hormats, Robert K Steel, Robert Rubin, Robert Zoellick, Securities And Exchange Commission, Sidney Weinberg, Stephen Friedman, Steven Shafran, Timothy Geithner, US Congress, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of State, US Department Of The Treasury, US Supreme Court, United States, Wall Street
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| 3/5/2010 |
A Guide to the 9/11 Whistleblowers When losing a discussion on the facts of 9/11, a so-called 9/11 "debunker" will often rely on an old canard to "prove" that 9/11 could not have been an inside job: "So many people want their quarter hour of fame that even the Men in Black couldn't squelch the squealers from spilling the beans," write self-satisfied defenders of the government story. According to the logic of this argument, if there are no 9/11 whistleblowers then 9/11 was not an inside job. So what if there are 9/11 whistleblowers? What if these whistleblowers come from every level of government and private industry, individuals who have even had their cases vindicated by internal government reports? As you are about to see, there are numerous such whistleblowers and each one is a thorn in the side of those who want to pretend that the 9/11 Commission represents the sum total of knowledge on the 9/11 attacks. That is precisely why these whistleblowers are not lauded by legislators or trumpeted by the media, but actively suppressed by government officials and the corporate media alike. These courageous insiders have been sidelined, gagged, hounded from their positions and ignored to the point where their stories are virtually unknown among the general public. And that is exactly why it is vital for the alternative media to make these stories known by bypassing the filters and control of the establishment media. (Corbett Report) | |||
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keywords: 9/11, 9/11 Commission, Barry Jennings, Bob Kerrey, Boston, Central Intelligence Agency, Chicago, Coleen Rowley, Federal Bureau Of Investigation, Federal Reserve, Indira Singh, Internal Revenue Service, J Michael Springmann, JP Morgan Chase, James Corbett, Jeddah, John F Lehman, Lee Hamilton, Marsh & Mclennan, Max Cleland, Michael Hess, Minneapolis, New York City, Osama Bin Laden, Richard Grove, Robert Wright, Saudi Arabia, Sibel Edmonds, Silverstream Software, Stephen Kohn, Terrorists, Thomas Kean, Timothy Roemer, US Department Of Defense, US Department Of State, US Department Of The Treasury, US Navy, United States, Whistleblowers, Whistleblowers Center, White House, William Bergman, World Trade Center, World Trade Center 7, Yassin Al-qadi, Zaccharias Moussaoui
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| 1/31/2010 |
Geithner: 'I had no role' in an AIG cover up Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers Wednesday that he had no involvement in an apparent attempt by government regulators to withhold crucial information about AIG's bailout from the public. "I had no role in making decisions regarding what to disclose," Geithner testified at a hearing held by the House Oversight Committee Wednesday. * Facebook * Digg * Twitter * Buzz Up! * Email * Print * Comment on this story AIG payouts: Who got what Counterparties that got more than $1 billion from the government and AIG. AIG counterparty Total payment Societe Generale $16.5 billion Goldman Sachs $14 billion Deutsche Bank $8.5 billion Merrill Lynch $6.2 billion Calyon $4.3 billion UBS $3.8 billion Deutsche Zentral Genossenschaftsbank $1.8 billion Barclays $1.5 billion Bank of Montreal $1.4 billion Royal Bank of Scotland $1.1 billion Wachovia $1 billion Source:Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. New York Fed officials instructed AIG (AIG, Fortune 500) not to disclose more than a dozen controversial transactions to the Securities and Exchange Commission in November 2008. At the time, Geithner was the president of the New York Fed, but he said he had recused himself from the day-to-day operations at that time because of his nomination to be Treasury secretary. At least two lawmakers weren't buying Geithner's denial. "Why shouldn't we ask for your resignation?" Mica asked Geithner. "We're not getting the whole story, we're getting the blame story. You're either incompetent on the job or you knew what was taking place and you tried to conceal it, and I think that's grounds for your review." Geithner angrily responded to Mica, "You don't know me very well." He then more calmly said, "That is your right to have that opinion. I have served my country as carefully and ably as I can." AIG's bailout has incited furor among lawmakers and the public, as the troubled insurer has come to symbolize the corporate greed, risky behavior and lack of regulation that many believe caused the Great Recession. The issue at hand on Wednesday was one of the bailout's most contentious: a decision by the New York Fed to pay counterparties 100 cents on the dollar for the underlying assets that AIG has insured through so-called credit default swap agreements. As a result, $62.1 billion of taxpayer and AIG funds were essentially funneled to 16 banks that were counterparties to AIG insurance contracts. Due to many New York Fed employees' ties to Wall Street investment banks -- including Geithner -- many lawmakers and members of the public have implied that the regulator's decisions may have been made for personal gain. "I think your commitment to Goldman Sachs trumped your commitment to the American people," said Rep. Steven Lynch, D-Mass. (CNN) | |||
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keywords: American International Group, Bailouts, Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke, Darrell Issa, Edolphus Towns, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Henry Paulson, John Mica, Neil Barofsky, Securities And Exchange Commission, Steven Lynch, Timothy Geithner, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Wall Street
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| 1/25/2010 |
Darrell Issa's Special Report On AIG Could Be The End Of Geithner GEITHNER’S ROLE IN THE AIG COVER UP REMAINS UNCLEAR When asked directly if he was involved in the efforts by the FRBNY to prevent disclosure of the AIG counterparty payments, Secretary Geithner responded, “I wasn’t involved in that decision.” On January 8, 2010, FRBNY General Counsel Thomas Baxter wrote Ranking Member Issa to clarify the role of then-President Geithner: [M]atters relating to AIG securities law disclosures were not brought to the attention of Mr. Geithner …. In my judgment as the New York Fed’s chief legal officer, disclosure matters of this nature did not warrant the attention of the president. Mr. Baxter reiterated this claim in an interview with Committee staff. Questions of securities disclosure, Baxter said, were “legal stuff,” and Baxter did not bring legal stuff to the attention of then-President Geithner. However, Baxter said that “on significant policy issues, of course I would go” to Geithner. However, documents received by the Committee suggest that Secretary Geithner was, at a minimum, engaged personally in reviewing what information about the AIG bailout would be revealed to Congress and the public. On November 6, 2008, SarahDahlgren, the FRBNY’s lead staff member in AIG’s operations, e-mailed Geithner with a proposed statement regarding AIG’s upcoming equity capital raise for Geithner’s approval: [I]n terms of saying something publicly about our intentions, we … think that saying something that conveys the following … makes sense: It is our (Federal Reserve/Treasury) continued intention to put the company in a sound capital position and exit the facility/preferred securities/common stock ownership as soon as practicable… [I]f you are good with this, …we would also make sure that the company sticks to this line (echo)…. [emphasis added] On November 13, 2008, Geithner received a report on AIG’s restructuring that would be sent to Congress, which Geithner had asked to personally review. Sophia Allison, a staff member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, e-mailed the draft congressional report to several Federal Reserve staff: Attached is a draft Congressional report for the restructuring package for AIG announced on Monday, November 10. …I tried to take everything in the report from publicly available documents, such as press releases, the prior AIG Congressional Report, and AIG’s most recent 10-Q. If there is anything in the report that you believe should not be publicly disclosed, please specifically point that out. [emphasis added] Michael Nelson, a staff member of the FRBNY, forwarded Allison’s email to Geithner with the following message: Tim – this is the draft EESA-required filing on AIG that the Board owes the Hill, as you requested. [emphasis added] In addition, Secretary Geithner’s meeting logs from his tenure as President of the FRBNY show that he was regularly engaged with top AIG officials and the FRBNY officials directly responsible for AIG’s disclosures to the SEC. Geithner’s schedule shows that he had at least six formal meetings with top FRBNY staff members about AIG-related issues between November 4, 2008, and November 21, 2008. It is unclear whether AIG’s disclosure obligations were discussed in these meetings. At a minimum, the cover-up of the details about AIG’s counterparty payments began on Secretary Geithner’s watch, and the culture of the FRBNY in which this behavior occurred reflected his leadership. Secretary Geithner needs to explain his role in the cover-up, and if he thinks the behavior of his staff at the FRBNY was appropriate. GEITHNER’S CLAIMS RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT PURPOSE OF AIG BAILOUT Secretary Geithner’s claim to SIGTARP that the backdoor bailout of AIG’s counterparties had nothing to do with the health of AIG’s counterparties also raises questions about why AIG was bailed out in the first place. As the Wall Street Journal notes: [I]f Mr. Geithner now says the AIG bailout wasn’t driven by a need to rescue CDS counterparties, then what was the point? Why pay Goldman [Sachs] and even foreign banks like Societe Generale billions of tax dollars to make them whole? Secretary Geithner now claims that the point of AIG’s bailout was to protect AIG’s insurance policy holders: AIG was providing a range of insurance products to households across the country. And if AIG had defaulted, you would have seen a downgrade leading to the liquidation and failure of a set of insurance contracts that touched Americans across this country and, of course, savers around the world. However, as the Wall Street Journal further explains: Yet, if there is one thing that all observers seemed to agree on last year, it was that AIG’s money to pay policyholders was segregated and safe inside the regulated insurance subsidiaries. If the real systemic danger was the condition of these highly regulated subsidiaries – where there was no CDS trading – then the Beltway narrative implodes. Secretary Geithner’s inconsistent statements and apparent contradictions raise important questions about the decision to not only funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to AIG’s counterparties, but also the decision to bail out AIG itself. The FRBNY and its attorneys at Davis Polk interfered with AIG’s securities disclosures in several ways. They edited AIG’s SEC filings in ways that made it more difficult for investors and the public to understand the ML3 transactions. They contacted the SEC directly and pressured it to treat AIG’s filings differently from other companies’ filings. In addition, they appear to have forced AIG to cancel a compensation-related filing that it was required to make. The FRBNY’s edits of AIG’s filings and the FRBNY’s pressure on the SEC were intended to serve the Fed’s interests by obscuring embarrassing details about the FRBNY’s backdoor bailout of AIG’s counterparties. Investors cannot be protected by a disclosure system that only requires full transparency when the Federal Reserve’s embarrassment is not at stake. The special SEC procedures established via FRBNY pressure also demonstrate that bailouts lead to enforced favoritism. Finally, the secrecy, concealment, and lack of transparency in the conduct of the Federal Reserve have serious implications for the continued health of democracy and free markets. The Federal Reserve’s payment of par to AIG’s counterparties and the subsequent cover-up of information about these payments raise concerns about the accountability of the unelected bureaucrats within the Federal Reserve System. The fact that a quasi-government agency, unaccountable to the American people, likely wasted billions of taxpayer dollars and went to great lengths to prevent Congress and the American people from learning about these actions demonstrates the threat that the Federal Reserve poses to basic principles of American democracy. (quotes selected by Zero Hedge) (US House of Representatives) | |||
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keywords: American International Group, Darrell Issa, Davis Polk, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Goldman Sachs, Michael Nelson, Sarah Dahlgren, Securities And Exchange Commission, Sophia Allison, Thomas Baxter, Timothy Geithner, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Wall Street, Wall Street Journal
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| 1/1/2010 |
Robert Rubin Economic record and the 2008 global financial crisis Rubin's assistance to Citigroup's lobbying efforts were successful in getting the Glass-Steagall Act repealed in October 1999. (Wikipedia) | |||
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keywords: Alan Greenspan, Alexander Hamilton, Arthur Levitt Jr, Bill Clinton, Brooksley Born, Chuck Hagel, Citigroup, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Derivatives, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Glass-steagall Act, Residential Mortgage-backed Securities, Robert Rubin, Securities And Exchange Commission, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 12/2/2009 |
EFF sues feds for info on social-network surveillance / EFF sues CIA, DOJ, others over Facebook surveillance The Electronic Frontier Foundation sued the CIA, the US Department of Defense, Department of Justice and three other government agencies on Tuesday for allegedly refusing to release information about how they are using social networks in surveillance and investigations. (CNet News) | |||
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keywords: Central Intelligence Agency, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Facebook, Flickr, Freedom Of Information Act, G20, Internet, Linkedin, Police, Privacy, San Francisco, Twitter, US Congress, US Department Of Homeland Security, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, University Of California, Youtube
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| 9/23/2009 |
Even the Part-Time Jobs are Disappearing -- The Economy is a Lie, Too Americans cannot get any truth out of their government about anything, the economy included. Americans are being driven into the ground economically, with one million school children now homeless, while Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke announces that the recession is over. The spin that masquerades as news is becoming more delusional. Consumer spending is 70% of the US economy. It is the driving force, and it has been shut down. Except for the super rich, there has been no growth in consumer incomes in the 21st century. Statistician John Williams of shadowstats.com reports that real household income has never recovered its pre-2001 peak. The unemployment rate, as reported, is a fiction and has been since the Clinton administration. The unemployment rate does not include jobless Americans who have been unemployed for more than a year and have given up on finding work. The reported 10% unemployment rate is understated by the millions of Americans who are suffering long-term unemployment and are no longer counted as unemployed. As each month passes, unemployed Americans drop off the unemployment role due to nothing except the passing of time. The inflation rate, especially “core inflation,” is another fiction. “Core inflation” does not include food and energy, two of Americans’ biggest budget items. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) assumes, ever since the Boskin Commission during the Clinton administration, that if prices of items go up consumers substitute cheaper items. This is certainly the case, but this way of measuring inflation means that the CPI is no longer comparable to past years, because the basket of goods in the index is variable. The Boskin Commission’s CPI, by lowering the measured rate of inflation, raises the real GDP growth rate. The result of the statistical manipulation is an understated inflation rate, thus eroding the real value of Social Security income, and an overstated growth rate. Statistical manipulation cloaks a declining standard of living. (Counter Punch) | |||
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keywords: Alan Greenspan, Alternative Media, Bailouts, Ben Bernanke, Bill Clinton, Brazil, Canada, Consumer Price Index, Dollar, Euro, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, George W Bush, Goldman Sachs, Great Depression, Henry Paulson, Japan, John Williams, Larry Summers, Paul Craig Roberts, Ronald Reagan, Russia, Securities And Exchange Commission, Social Security, Switzerland, US Department Of The Treasury, United Kingdom, United States, Wall Street
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| 8/25/2009 |
Geithner: Auditing the Fed is a "line that we don't want to cross" In an interview released today by Digg and the Wall Street Journal, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was pressured about the growing popular movement to Audit the Fed spearheaded by Texas Congressman Ron Paul. A visibly uncomfortable Geithner attempts to dismiss the question by stating "I'm sure people understand that you want to keep politics out of monetary policy." (The Corbett Report) | |||
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| 8/25/2009 |
Tim Geithner evades questions about bank bailouts Part 1 of 2 (Wall Street Journal) | |||
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| 8/25/2009 |
Tim Geithner evades questions about bank bailouts Part 2 of 2 (Wall Street Journal) | |||
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| 8/6/2009 |
The Fed Buys Last Week's Treasury Notes This $14 billion plus buying activity by the Fed represents fresh money created out of this air that was exchanged for the sovereign debt of the US (Chris Martenson) | |||
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| 8/3/2009 |
Federal tax revenues plummeting The recession is starving the government of tax revenue, just as the president and Congress are piling a major expansion of health care and other programs on the nation's plate and struggling to find money to pay the tab (Associated Press) | |||
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keywords: Barack Obama, Eugene Steuerle, Federal Aviation Administration, Financial Crisis, George H W Bush, Great Depression, Health Care, Herb Kohl, Peter G Peterson Foundation, Richard Neal, Social Security, Tax Policy Center, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 8/3/2009 |
Laundering Money through the Big Banks: Bernanke's Quid Pro Quo Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is a man who knows how Washington works and uses that knowledge to great effect (Global Research) | |||
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keywords: Andy Kessler, Ben Bernanke, China, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States, Wall Street
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| 7/21/2009 |
Alan Grayson: "Which Foreigners Got the Fed's $500,000,000,000?" Bernanke: "I Don't Know." (CSPAN) | |||
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| 7/21/2009 |
Kucinich: 'Is the Fed paying banks not to loan money?' Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich wants to know: “If [the Troubled Asset Relief Program] isn’t about keeping people in their homes or providing credit to businesses, what is it for?” (The Raw Story) | |||
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| 7/20/2009 |
Watchdog sees huge U.S. bill for banks bailout Financial bailout's cost to U.S. could total almost $24 trillion (Associated Press) | |||
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| 7/16/2009 |
Congressman Stearns: Mr Paulson How Do You Have Any Credibility? (CSPAN) | |||
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keywords: American International Group, Bailouts, Bank Of America, Cliff Stearns, Financial Crisis, Goldman Sachs, Henry Paulson, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 7/10/2009 |
AIG Seeks Clearance For More Bonuses $2.4 Million in Executive Payments Due Next Week (Washington Post) | |||
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| 7/9/2009 |
The Great American Bubble Machine From tech stocks to high gas prices, Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression — and they're about to do it again But then, any attempt to construct a narrative around all the former Goldmanites in influential positions quickly becomes an absurd and pointless exercise, like trying to make a list of everything. What you need to know is the big picture: If America is circling the drain, Goldman Sachs has found a way to be that drain — an extremely unfortunate loophole in the system of Western democratic capitalism, which never foresaw that in a society governed passively by free markets and free elections, organized greed always defeats disorganized democracy. (Rolling Stone) | |||
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keywords: Al Gore, Alan Greenspan, Alternative Energy, American International Group, Arjun Murti, Bailouts, Bank Of America, Barack Obama, Bart Stupak, Bear Stearns, Big Oil, Bill Clinton, Blue Ridge Corporation, Blue Source Llc, British Petroleum, British Petroleum, Brooksley Born, California, California Public Employees' Retirement System, Canada, Carbon Dioxide, Changing World Technologies, Chicago Climate Exchange, Citigroup, Climate Change, Collateralized Debt Obligations, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Countrywide, Cramer & CO, Credit Default Swaps, Daimlerchrysler, David Blood, David Viniar, Dennis Kozlowski, Derivatives, Ebay, Ed Liddy, Electric Vehicles, Eliot Spitzer, Enron, Eric Salzman, Etoys, Fannie Mae, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, Freddie Mac, Gary Gensler, Generation Investment Management, George W Bush, Germany, Gibson Greetings, Goldman Sachs, Great Depression, Green Growth Fund, Gsamp Trust, Henry Paulson, Horizon Wind Energy, International Monetary Fund, Internet, Internet Bubble, Ipos, Italy, J Arons & CO, Jay Ritter, Jerry Yang, Jim Cramer, Jmp Securities, John Kenneth Galbraith, John Mccain, John Thain, Jon Corzine, Joshua Bolten, Kansas, Keith Olbermann, Ken Lay, Ken Newcombe, Larry Summers, Lehman Brothers, Lloyd Blankfein, Lloyd Doggett, Marcus Goldman, Mark Ferguson, Mark Patterson, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Meg Whitman, Merrill Lynch, Michael Greenberger, Michael Hecht, Michael Masters, Moody's, Nasdaq, National Economic Council, Neel Kashkari, Neil Levin, Netzero, New Jersey, New York, New York City, New York Stock Exchange, New York Times, Nicholas Maier, Oil Bubble, Orange County, Peter Harris, Procter & Gamble, Residential Mortgage-backed Securities, Robert Rubin, Robert Steele, Samuel Sachs, Securities And Exchange Commission, Shenandoah Corporation, Sidney Weinberg, Simon Johnson, Standard & Poor's, Stephen Friedman, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Texas, Tyco International, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, US Energy Information Administration, US Government Accountability Office, United States, University Of Florida, University Of Maryland, Wachovia, Wall Street, Webvan, White House, William Dudley, World Bank, Yahoo
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| 7/9/2009 |
Two Authorities on Fed Advise Congress Against Expanding Its Power “I do not know of any single clear example in which the Federal Reserve acted in advance to head off a crisis or a series of banking or financial failures,” said Allan H. Meltzer (New York Times) | |||
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keywords: Alan Greenspan, Allan Meltzer, American Enterprise Institute, Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Donald Kohn, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, George W Bush, John Taylor, Ron Paul, US Congress, US Department Of The Treasury, US Government Accountability Office, United States, Wall Street
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| 6/26/2009 |
Obama administration seeks to quash suit by 9/11 families The suit seeks to hold the Saudi royal family liable, charging that it provided financial and other support to Al Qaeda and was thereby complicit in the hijack bombings that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York and Washington DC (World Socialist Web Site) | |||
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keywords: 9/11, Afghanistan, Al-qaeda, American Airlines, Barack Obama, Bob Graham, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau Of Investigation, Flight 77, George W Bush, Inter-services Intelligence, Khalid Al-mihdhar, Middle East, Nawaf Al-hazmi, Omar Al-bayoumi, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pentagon, Religion, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Terrorists, US Congress, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of The Treasury, US Supreme Court, United States
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| 6/26/2009 |
Obama issues signing statement on $106B war bill The Obama administration announced in the statement it would disregard provisions of the legislation that, among other things, would compel the Obama administration to pressure the World Bank to strengthen labor and environmental standards and require the Treasury department to report to Congress on the activities of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) (The Hill) | |||
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| 6/23/2009 |
Bank Data Is Sifted by U.S. in Secret to Block Terror Under a secret Bush administration program initiated weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, counterterrorism officials have gained access to financial records from a vast international database and examined banking transactions involving thousands of Americans and others in the United States, according to government and industry officials (New York Times) | |||
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keywords: 9/11, Al-qaeda, Alan Greenspan, Belgium, Central Intelligence Agency, Database, Dick Cheney, Federal Bureau Of Investigation, Federal Reserve, George W Bush, National Security Agency, Pakistan, Privacy, Society For Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, Stuart Levey, Terrorists, US Congress, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of The Treasury, US Supreme Court, United States, Western Union, White House, World Trade Center
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| 6/23/2009 |
Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists Documents gathered by lawyers for the families of Sept. 11 victims provide new evidence of extensive financial support for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups by members of the Saudi royal family, but the material may never find its way into court because of legal and diplomatic obstacles (New York Times) | |||
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keywords: 9/11, Afghanistan, Al-qaeda, Barack Obama, Bosnia, Extremists, Freedom Of Information Act, Germany, International Islamic Relief Organization, Muhammad Al-faisal Al-saud, Osama Bin Laden, Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi Arabia, Taliban, Terrorists, Turki Al-faisal, US Department Of Justice, US Department Of The Treasury, United States
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| 6/19/2009 |
Obama’s Insurance Proposal May Grab Power From States Obama called for the creation of a federal Office of National Insurance within the Treasury Department to monitor the industry, represent U.S. interests in international insurance agreements, and look for gaps in state oversight (Bloomberg) | |||
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keywords: Allstate, American International Group, Bailouts, Barack Obama, Federal Reserve, Financial Crisis, George W Bush, Goldman Sachs, Hartford Financial Services Group, Henry Paulson, Kevin Mccarty, Lincoln National, Melissa Bean, National Association Of Insurance Commissioners, National Association Of Mutual Insurance Companies, Travelers Cos, United States, US Department Of The Treasury
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| 6/17/2009 |
Dollar drops on reserve currency doubts The dollar fell against the euro and yen on Wednesday after major emerging economies cast doubt on its long-term future as the world's main reserve currency (Agence France-Presse) | |||
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| 6/17/2009 | Financial protection agency: Monster, savior or muddle? (Los Angeles Times) | |||
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| 6/17/2009 |
Plan for More Fed Power Could Become a Lightning Rod The plan envisions a new regulatory regime for systemically important payment, clearing and settlement systems, a "clear and comprehensive federal authority for oversight" focused on the risk management of settlement systems (Wall Street Journal) | |||
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