Trucks of soldiers from the Kenya Defense Forces arrive after dawn outside the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013. Islamic extremist gunmen lobbed grenades and fired assault rifles inside Nairobi's top mall Saturday, killing dozens and wounding over a hundred in the attack. Early Sunday morning, 12 hours after the attack began, gunmen remained holed up inside the mall with an unknown number of hostages. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)Yahoo News

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Helicopters circling overhead, Kenya’s military launched a major operation Sunday at an upscale Nairobi mall and said it had rescued “most” of the hostages being held captive by al-Qaida-linked militants during a two-day standoff that killed at least 68 people and injured 175.

The military assault began shortly before sundown, with one helicopter skimming very close to the roof of the shopping complex as a loud explosion rang out, far larger than any previous grenade blast or gunfire volley.   Continue reading “Kenyan forces say they rescued ‘most’ hostages”

Intelligence Briefings – by Tom Heneghan

UNITED STATES of America  –   It can now be reported that the U.S. Federal Reserve remains trapped in a toxic derivative box.

The derivative holdings of major worldwide banks are about to go binary. Derivative separation will lead to more asset deleveraging as a major 2008-style liquidity crisis beckons.   Continue reading “Gary Best Inc is Back as the Fed Goes Broke”

Top StoriesKEYE TV

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says he’s open to sending National Guard troops or state police to assist Chicago police with curbing violence if city officials want the help.

He says state police have helped in places like East St. Louis, but only when local authorities coordinate things.   Continue reading “Illinois Governor Open To Send State Troops To Combat Chicago Violence”

People wait in line as they buy toilet paper in a supermarket in Caracas 17 May, 2013.BCC News

The Venezuelan government has taken over a toilet paper factory to avoid any scarcity of the product.

The National Guard has taken control of the plant, and officers will monitor production and distribution.

Earlier this year officials ordered millions of toilet rolls to be imported to counter a chronic shortage. Continue reading “Venezuela seizes toilet paper factory to avoid shortage”

Defence Minister Senator David Johnston.The Age – by David Wroe

Australia’s new Defence Minister, David Johnston, says he wants to keep the military battle-ready for further possible conflicts in the unstable Middle East and south Asia.

Senator Johnston said that after 14 years of involvement in overseas conflicts from East Timor to Afghanistan, the Australian Defence Force had a strong fighting momentum that should not be lost as troops return from Afghanistan.  Continue reading “Australia’s defence forces to be maintained at battle-ready status”

The Dissenter – by Kevin Gosztola

The National Security Agency sent out a letter to all of its employees and affiliates, including contractors, that could be printed and shared with family, friends and colleagues. It was intended to reassure them that the NSA is not really the abusive and unchecked spying agency engaged in illegal activity that someone reading former NSA contractor Edward Snowden’s disclosures might think it happens to be.

The letter, sent on September 13, is signed by NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander and NSA Deputy Director John Inglis, begins, “We are writing to you, our extended NSA/CSS family, in light of the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by a former contractor employee.”  Continue reading “NSA Sends Letter to Its ‘Extended’ Family to Reassure Them That They Will ‘Weather’ This ‘Storm’”

Maryland Parent Manhandled, Arrested While Speaking Out Against Common Core at Public ForumThe Blaze – by Jason Howerton

A parent in Towson, Md., was arrested Thursday night at a public forum after vocally expressing his concerns about the Baltimore County School District’s plan to use Common Core standards in its curriculum.

Robert Small, a concerned father, was forcefully removed from the meeting by a police officer after he interrupted Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance during the question-and-answer portion of the forum.  Continue reading “‘Is this America?’: Parent Manhandled, Arrested While Speaking Out Against Common Core at Public Forum”

Common Dreams – by Sarah Lazare

The UN nuclear agency crushed an effort of Arab states to reign in nuclear Israel, rejecting a non-binding resolution on Friday that would have compelled Israel to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and place its arsenal under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.

“Israel has once again become the exception to international norms to reduce the potential of nuclear war and reduce nuclear weapons,” Deborah Agre from the Middle East Children’s Alliance told Common Dreams.   Continue reading “UN Stamps Out Measure to Reign In Nuclear Israel”

Before It’s New – by Mort Amsel

Tony Rooke refused to pay a TV license fee because the BBC intentionally misrepresented facts about the 9/11 attacks, he alleged. It is widely known that the BBC reported the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 over 20 minutes before it occurred. WTC 7 was a 47-story skyscraper that was not hit by a plane on 9/11 but collapsed at free-fall speed later that day.    Continue reading “UK Man Wins Court Case Against BBC For 9-11 WTC 7 Cover Up”

It is becoming more and more meaningless to compare the performance of the Dow 30 from one period to another with the continuing replacement of constituent companies with underperforming and lower priced stocks (losers out) with companies with higher priced stocks with greater future prospects for price appreciation (winners in). We explain below exactly what this reconfiguring (and the further change in the Dow Divisor) encompasses and exactly how it will affect the performance of the index. Read on, its significance is absolutely dramatic! This manipulation of the performance of the Dow 30 has been going on since 1928 and it was further denigrated this week with a 3 constituent swap which will, in effect, assure that the Dow 30 continues to rise in the long term.   Continue reading “Dow Jones Index injected again with epo and growth hormones”

Detroit Free Press – by Kathleen Gray

LANSING — Bills that would deny unemployment benefits to people who refuse to take drug tests required by employers and that would mandate community service for people receiving public assistance were approved in the state Senate and a House committee Wednesday.

The drug-testing bill, which passed the House Commerce Committee on a 12-4 vote with three Democrats passing on the issue, would deny unemployment benefits for people who either refused to take a drug test required by an employer or tested positive.   Continue reading “Michigan State lawmakers pass bill requiring drug tests, community service for those on welfare”

Oklahoma chemical fireUSA Today

A fire and early morning explosion Thursday at an industrial facility rocked the area around the small town of Thomas, Okla., in Custer County, but caused no injuries, according to local media.

KWTV News 9, citing police, said about 10 families living near the Danlin plant were evacuated. KOCO reports that a four-mile area around the plant was cleared.   Continue reading “Fire, explosion rock Okla. chemical plant”

The Columbus Dispatch – by Martin Crutsinger

WASHINGTON — In a surprise, the Federal Reserve has decided against reducing its stimulus for the U.S. economy because its outlook for growth has dimmed in the past three months.

The Fed said yesterday that it will continue to buy $85 billion a month in bonds while it awaits conclusive evidence that the economy is strengthening. The Fed’s bond purchases are intended to keep long-term borrowing rates low to boost spending and economic growth.   Continue reading “Stocks soar as the Fed continues its stimulus”

atf policeIntellihub – by Andrew Pontbriand

Officials involved in the investigation of the Navy Yard shooting, have come forward with new insights on the weapon that was used in the shooting. Alexis had carved the words ‘My ELF weapon’ on his Remington 870-Express-Tactical shotgun. ELF stands for ‘extremely low frequency’, and usually refers to communications or weather.[1]

For those who are familiar with this technology, it is well understood that this is used in programs such as H.A.A.R.P. It has also been reported by several government whistle blowers, and even political activists that they suspected a ‘ELF weapon’ was being used on them.   Continue reading “Aaron Alexis Carved ‘My ELF Weapon’ on the Stock of his Shotgun”

FOI Lawyer: Newtown Broke Law By Withholding Sandy Hook 911 CallsThe Hartford Courant – by MATTHEW KAUFFMAN

State prosecutors seeking to block the release of 911 calls made during the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School say a preliminary order to disclose the calls could put police “at the mercy” of criminals eager to determine what evidence investigators had collected.

Prosecutors will make their case Sept. 25, when the state Freedom of Information Commission considers a proposed order that tapes of the calls be made public. The Associated Press asked Newtown police for copies of the 911 tapes on Dec. 14, the same day Adam Lanza shot his way into the school and killed 20 children and six women.   Continue reading “Sandy Hook Prosecutor: Releasing 911 Calls Could Aid Criminals”

Senator Richard Blumenthal (AFP Photo / Brendan Smialovsky)RT News

In cold war style, US Senators have urged the Obama administration to freeze assets of three major Russian banks, ban their activities in the US, and deny employees’ entry into the country on the suspicion they are doing business with the Assad regime.

Having failed to galvanize allies for military action, and politically trumped by President Putin’s proposal for peaceful intervention in Syria, American congressmen have now turned to soft power to regain a grip on the Syria conflict.  The senators are blaming Russia’s banking giants VTB, Gazprombank, and Vnesheconombank -the state development bank known as VEB– for ‘undermining’ UN sanctions by ‘aiding Assad’.    Continue reading “Sour over Syria: American senators attack Russian banks”

Mint Press

Cooperatively run credit unions used by 96 million Americans could lose their tax exempt status if Congress approves a proposal from big banks to tax the not-for-profit financial institutions. Behind the push to impose a tax on credit unions is the American Bankers Association (ABA), an lobbyist organization representing the $13 trillion U.S. banking industry.   Continue reading “Big Banks Push To End Credit Unions’ Tax-Exempt Status”