AFP 528221876USA Today – by Aamer Madhani

WASHINGTON — President Obama announced on Thursday that he is levying additional sanctions against 20 high-level Russian officials as well as a bank in response to Moscow’s move to annex the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Obama spoke just hours after Russia’s lower parliament ratified a treaty to make Crimea a part of the Russian Federation. Crimeans voted overwhelmingly in a hastily arranged referendum earlier this week to join Russia.   Continue reading “Obama announces more sanctions against Russia”

The Hill – by Tim Devaney

The Interior Department is delaying a rule that would raise the penalties on offshore facilities that are responsible for oil spills amid pressure from industry groups.

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) both wrote to the Interior Department requesting an extension of the comment period, which the agency granted Tuesday, so these groups will have more time to review and respond to the rule.   Continue reading “Interior delays hike in oil spill fines”

Philly.com – by Andrew M. Seaman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – About half of American adults believe in at least one medical conspiracy theory, according to new survey results.

Some conspiracy theories have much more traction than others, however.

For example, three times as many people believe U.S. regulators prevent people from getting natural cures as believe that a U.S. spy agency infected a large number of African Americans with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).   Continue reading “You’re not alone: Medical conspiracies believed by many”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

One of the primary drivers of the real estate bubble in the past several years, particularly in the ultra-luxury segment, were megawealthy Chinese buyers, seeking to park their cash into the safety of offshore real estate where it was deemed inaccessible to mainland regulators and overseers, tracking just where the Chinese record credit bubble would end up. Some, such as us, called it “hot money laundering”, and together with foreclosure stuffing and institutional flipping (of rental units and otherwise), we said this was the third leg of the recent US housing bubble. However, while the impact of Chinese buying in the US has been tangible, it has paled in comparison with the epic Chinese buying frenzy in other offshore metropolitan centers like London and Hong Kong. This is understandable: after all as Chuck Prince famously said in 2007, just before the first US mega-bubble burst, “as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance.” In China, the music just ended.   Continue reading “The Music Just Ended: “Wealthy” Chinese Are Liquidating Offshore Luxury Homes In Scramble For Cash”

Wall Street Journal – by ROSS KELLY and JAMES GLYNN

SYDNEY—An Australian-led operation is under way to determine whether objects located by satellite imagery in the southern Indian Ocean belong to missing Malaysia Airlines3786.KU -2.08% Flight 370.

“New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search,” Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott during a regular sitting of Parliament.   Continue reading “Satellites Spot Possible Debris From Malaysia Airlines Flight”

Wall Street Journal – by Joe Palazzolo

Encouraging someone to commit suicide is not a crime, Minnesota’s high court ruled Wednesday, reversing the conviction of a nurse who urged people to hang themselves and let him watch via webcam.

William Francis Melchert-Dinkel had been found guilty under a law that made it illegal to “advise, encourage, or assist” in a suicide.   Continue reading “Minnesota’s High Court Rules Encouraging Suicide Isn’t a Crime”

colePJ Media – by J. Christian Adams

When it comes to the Tea Party, Obama’s IRS probes private citizens beyond the legal limits. But when it comes to Swiss banks engaged in widespread criminal conduct, Eric Holder’s Justice Department turns a blind eye.

Swiss bank Credit Suisse has perpetrated a criminal enterprise on American soil by intentionally fleecing the federal government of billions of dollars in taxes, yet top political leaders at the U.S. Department of Justice refuse to pursue criminal charges against all of the bank officials engaged in the scheme.   Continue reading “Eric Holder Gives Pass to Banking Criminals at Credit Suisse”

Morning Sentinel – by Rachel Ohm

NORRIDGEWOCK — Michael Smith went outside shirtless after being awakened Tuesday morning, yelling at a tree removal company to get off his property.

The workers thought they saw a gun in his waistband and called police.

Smith, who’d gone back to bed, was awakened again minutes later — this time by Maine State Police at his front door, backed up by a group of troopers with assault rifles in his driveway. They were asking him via a megaphone to come out of his house.   Continue reading “Norridgewock, Maine man with gun tattoo wakes up to armed police”

Courtesy: Facebook12 News – by Jared Hinson

12News has learned that an officer with the Beaumont Independent School district has been placed on administrative leave without pay following an incident at West Brook High School in which a student’s arm was broken.

BISD Police Chief Clydell Duncan says Officer Steve Rivers was placed on leave following an investigation of the incident.   Continue reading “Beaumont ISD officer placed on leave after student’s arm breaks while being restrained after fight”

Bloomberg – by Calev Ben-David

Israel launched air strikes against Syrian military positions overnight in response to a border bomb attack on its troops, as officials in Jerusalem warned that fallout from Syria’s civil war is escalating tensions along the frontier.

Israeli jets struck a Syrian army training facility, a military headquarters building and artillery batteries, the army said in a e-mailed statement. The strikes were a response to the wounding of four Israeli soldiers by the explosion of a device on the Golan Heights frontier with Syria yesterday, the third such incident along Israel’s northern border this month.   Continue reading “Israel Hits Syria Targets as Officials Warn of Escalation”

453453NEO – by Tony Cartalucci

The United States has officially told the Syrian government to immediately suspend its diplomatic and consular missions in the country, and ordered its diplomats to leave the country if they are not US citizens.

“We have determined it is unacceptable for individuals appointed by that regime to conduct diplomatic or consular operations in the United States,”US special envoy for Syria, Daniel Rubinstein, said in a statement issued on Tuesday.   Continue reading “US Expels Syrian Diplomats – Dangerous Desperation in the Air”

Terry Robinson recorded police threatening to set him up. (Source: KMOV)Police State USA

ST. LOUIS, MO — A man has brought forth evidence that a team of police officers repeatedly intimidated him with prison time if he didn’t find someone to frame up with a weapons charge.

Terry Robinson, 21, is currently on probation from a previous offense and working to stay out of trouble and finish school, according to KMOV.  Should he get arrested again, he will face at least 9 years in prison.  Police officers used his precarious position as a way to leverage him into being their pawn in setting up innocent people with undeserved charges.   Continue reading “Cops force man to frame someone or face prison”

Emergency vehicles and law enforcement personnel respond to a shooting at an entrance to the Washington Navy Yard, Sept. 16, 2013 in Washington, DC.Time – by Denver Nicks

Last year’s deadly shooting at the Washington Navy Yard could have been prevented with better oversight of security clearances and improved on-site security, according to an internal Pentagon investigation released Tuesday.

“Had proper procedures been followed [in vetting personnel for access to secure facilities], the chain of events that led to the incident on September 16,2013, would have been interrupted,” the report says.   Continue reading “Navy Yard Shooting Review Recommends Security Clearance Reforms”