Mexico Heroin TradeYahoo News – by Mark Stevenson

SIERRA MADRE DEL SUR, Mexico (AP) — Red and purple blossoms with fat, opium-filled bulbs blanket the remote creek sides and gorges of the Filo Mayor mountains in the southern state of Guerrero.

The multibillion-dollar Mexican opium trade starts here, with poppy farmers so poor they live in wood-plank, tin-roofed shacks with no indoor plumbing.   Continue reading “Mexican opium farmers expand plots to supply US heroin boom”

Politico – by Adam B. Learner

Sen. Rand Paul told CNN on Wednesday that if a drone flies over his house, “they better beware, because I’ve got a shotgun.”

Referring to a drone found Monday on the White House lawn, CNN’s Ashley Codianni asked the Kentucky Republican whether all drones should be banned outright. “Drones should only be used according to the Constitution,” Paul responded, before warning anyone who plans to fly a drone into his neighborhood.   Continue reading “Rand Paul: I’d shoot a drone out of the sky”

Private JetThe Mirror – by Alex Wellman

Super rich hedge fund managers are buying ‘secret boltholes’ where they can hideout in the event of civil uprising against growing inequality, it has been claimed.

Nervous financiers from across the globe have begun purchasing landing strips, homes and land in areas such as New Zealand so they can flee should people rise up.   Continue reading “Panicked super rich buying boltholes with private airstrips to escape if poor rise up”

ABC News – by AARON KATERSKY and LEE FERRAN

An alleged Russian spy posing as a banker in Manhattan has been arrested, federal officials said today.

The banker, identified in a criminal complaint as Evgeny Buryakov, is accused of working with agents of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, as a “non-official cover” agent.

“Specifically, Buryakov is posing as an employee in the Manhattan office of a Russian bank,” the complaint, unsealed today, says.   Continue reading “Feds: Russian Spy Posing as Banker Nabbed in NYC”

Yahoo News – by AUDREY HOROWITZ

REHOVOT, Israel (AP) — An Israeli barber has fashioned what he calls “magic” yarmulkes out of hair, designed to allow religious Jews to cover their heads without attracting unwanted attention from anti-Semites.

Shalom Koresh said his skullcap, known as a yarmulke in Yiddish and a kippa in Hebrew, was inspired by rising anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere. He said he has seen particular interest from buyers in France and Belgium.   Continue reading “Israeli’s ‘magic’ yarmulke made to protect Jews from attacks”

Washington Post – by Dan Lamothe

The new top general in the Marine Corps released a 16-page plan on Friday detailing his vision for the service, emphasizing a realignment of troops to meet demands in the Pacific and Africa, better coordination with Special Operations units, and new psychological testing to assess resiliency in recruits.

Commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford’s planning guidance is intended to outline how the Marine Corps “will set the conditions to fight and win against future enemies,” he wrote. He took over as the service’s top officer on Oct. 17, replacing the retiring Gen. James F. Amos.   Continue reading “New top Marine Corps general releases plan to shake up the service”