Blacklisted News – by Andre Damon

Five major international banks are expected to plead guilty as soon as next week to criminal charges in the US related to their deliberate manipulation of global foreign exchange markets, which allowed them to rake in billions of dollars at the expense of retirees, university endowments and municipalities.

Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Barclays and UBS are expected to plead guilty to felony fraud and antitrust charges. They will pay fines totaling several billions of dollars, according to bank and regulatory officials who spoke anonymously with the New York Times, Bloomberg and Reuters.   Continue reading “Five Major Banks To Plead Guilty To Rigging Currency Markets”

Wolf Street – by Wolf Richter

I was forewarned. On April 25, Julian the trucker posted this comment on WOLF STREET:

Have been trapped on the West Coast for the last week. Freight has slowed to a crawl, with way too much time on the loads, and the truck stops are filling up too early in the day. I had to pay for a parking place in Castaic, CA, night before last because the Pilot was full at 4:30 in the afternoon. Finally got a load to Little Rock. But it doesn’t load till late tonight and has more time on it than usual. We usually experience slowdowns before the rest of the country becomes aware of them.

Continue reading “Why the Heck Is the Trucking Business Slowing Down?”

Image from Facebook (Mikheil Saakashvili's Page)RT

Georgia’s fugitive ex-president Mikhail Saakashvili and hawkish US Senator John McCain have been approved as members of the newly-formed International Advisory Group that will help Ukraine’s president in “conducting reforms.”

Saakashvili has been appointed as head of the new advisory group, says the statement on Ukraine’s presidential website.   Continue reading “McCain appointed to Ukraine reform advisory team headed by fugitive Georgian ex-leader”

obeyThe Daily Sheeple – by Lily Dane

“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.”

― Oscar Wilde

Ridiculous laws. Oppressive regulations. Widespread government corruption. Rampant police brutality. Excessive taxation.

Abuses of personal liberty have become commonplace in America, a country once known as the “land of the free.”   Continue reading “Is It Time for Civil Disobedience?”

It was entertainment night at the senior citizens’ center. After the community sing along led by Alice at the piano, it was time for the star of the show – Claude the Hypnotist!

Claude explained that he was going to put the whole audience into a trance. “Yes, each and every one of you and all at the same time.” said Claude.

The excited chatter dropped to silence as Claude carefully withdrew from his waistcoat pocket a beautiful antique gold pocket watch and chain. “I want you to keep your eyes on this watch” said Claude, holding the watch high for all to see. “It is a very special and valuable watch that has been in my family for six generations” said Claude.   Continue reading “The Hypnotist at a Seniors Home”

Information Liberation – by M. David and Jackson Marciana

The police simply weren’t moving fast enough for a man looking for his abducted cousin. In spite of the fact that officers had been called, they were not taking the kidnapping seriously.

That’s why the victim’s cousin kicked in the back door of an abandoned house where his kidnapped relative had been taken and shot and killed her kidnapper, according to law enforcement representatives in Louisiana.   Continue reading “Police Wouldn’t Do It, So Kidnap Victim’s Family Kicked Down Door and Killed Abductor”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

In early March, we discussed the rather deplorable state of Illinois’ public pension plans which, we noted, are underfunded by some 60%. On a statewide basis, making up the deficit would cost around $22,000 per household, which gives you an idea of the cost to taxpayers of the grossly underfunded pension liabilities.   Continue reading “Chicago “Junking” Triggers $2.2 Billion Payment, Deepening Financial Crisis”

Dismounted patrolOld-Thinker News – by Daniel Taylor

Special Ops Command seeks to “Operationalize” the homeland; “…informationally aware, smartphone‐enabled urban populations and their satisfaction—or lack of satisfaction—with local, regional, and even global conditions…” presents challenge to military.

Is Jade Helm part of the plan to “Operationalize the CONUS base”?

Recent military exercises across the country have stirred concern among American citizens rightly concerned about expanding federal power.Rasmussen reports that 45% of voters are concerned that the government “…will use U.S. military training operations to impose greater control over some states…”   Continue reading “Document: Jade Helm Commander Plans to “Operationalize the CONUS Base””

The Anti-Media – by Carey Wedler

Buffalo, NY — Last week, a former Buffalo police officer was awarded nearly $200,000 after being fired for running a cannabis grow operation. You read that correctly.

Jorge L. Melendez was terminated in 2012 after a year-long investigation found that he was supervising a grow operation with over 100 plants. Last August, he plead guilty in a U.S. district court and is currently serving four years in prison for his violations (the minimum sentence is 5-40 years).   Continue reading “Cop Caught in Weed Growing Operation Awarded $200,000 by Department”

Public Intelligence

The following documents were produced by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)Assessing Revolutionary and Insurgent Strategies (ARIS) studies program which features research conducted by the National Security Analysis Department of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.  The research follows along the tradition of the “Special Operations Research Office (SORO) of American University in the 1950s and 1960s.”  Along with these casebooks and studies, individual histories of revolutionary and counterrevolutionary activities in Greece, Guatemala, Algeria and Cube are also available from their website.   Continue reading “U.S. Army Special Operations Command Revolutionary and Insurgent Strategy Studies and Casebooks”

shutterstock_108664646Threat Post – by Michael Mimoso

In the three years since its inception, the Open Smart Grid Protocol has found its way into more than four million smart meters and similar devices worldwide.

And like its SCADA, industrial control system, and embedded system brethren, it’s rife with security issues.   Continue reading “Weak Homegrown Crypto Dooms Open Smart Grid Protocol”

Photo - Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell answers questions from the media following the Senate policy luncheons at the U.S. Capitol on April 21, 2015 in Washington. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Washington Examiner – by Kelly Cohen

Mitch McConnell defended his support for the Patriot Act — specifically, a measure allowing a National Security Agency program to collect phone data of Americans.

The Senate majority leader called the measure “an important tool to prevent the next terrorist attack,” while pledging to continue fighting for it amid calls for it to be changed.   Continue reading “Mitch McConnell: Nation is ‘better off’ with Patriot Act”

gapGovt Slaves

(Phil Wahba)  The fashion retailer reported another quarter of weak sales at its namesake brand, suggesting Gap’s turnaround could take longer than expected.

For many Americans, Gap Inc.’s GPS -3.41% namesake stores were once a go-to shopping destination for t-shirts and jeans.

But now the Gap brand is in a deep funk that only seems to be worsening because of fashion miscues and nimble rivals that have eaten into its business.   Continue reading “GAP Makes The List of Retailers Facing Extinction”