Opponents of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, demonstrate, as the commissioner of the New York State Department of Health testifies on Jan. 30 in AlbanyBusiness Week -by Matthew Philips

Back in 2000, men from Chesapeake Energy (CHK) started showing up on people’s doorsteps around Broome County, New York, a few miles north of the Pennsylvania border. Once a hub of manufacturing and technology jobs (IBM (IBM) was founded there), Broome had long since peaked by the year 2000 and was now on the same downward trajectory as other Rust Belt towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Strangers didn’t typically show up offering cash to lease the drilling rights for people’s land. Sure, Broome was right on top of the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale, but only geologists really knew what that meant, and back then, no one had ever heard of fracking.   Continue reading “A Fracking Pioneer Abandons One of Its Earliest Land Grabs”

US debt crisis, Capitol HillThe Guardian

Bipartisan Policy Center says default could come unless Washington agrees new legislation to raise borrowing limit

The United States could default on its obligations as early as October 18 if Washington fails to agree on legislation to raise the government’s borrowing cap, a new study predicted Tuesday.

The Bipartisan Policy Center analysis says the default date would come no later than November 5, and that the government would quickly fall behind on its payments, including social security benefits and military pensions.   Continue reading “US could default on its debt obligations by mid-October, thinktank warns”

Patricia GanzMail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is facing a crisis in how to deliver cancer care, as the baby boomers reach their tumor-prone years and doctors have a hard time keeping up with complex new treatments, government advisers reported Tuesday.

The caution comes even as scientists are learning more than ever about better ways to battle cancer, and developing innovative therapies to target tumors. And while doctors try to optimize treatment, the Institute of Medicine found “daunting” barriers to achieving high-quality care for all patients. Overcoming those challenges will require changes to the health care system, and savvier consumers.   Continue reading “Report finds aging US faces crisis in cancer care”

Joan CrawfordMail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The gulf between the richest 1 percent and the rest of America is the widest it’s been since the Roaring ’20s.

The very wealthiest Americans earned more than 19 percent of the country’s household income last year — their biggest share since 1928, the year before the stock market crash. And the top 10 percent captured a record 48.2 percent of total earnings last year.   Continue reading “Richest 1 percent earn biggest share since ’20s”

fd83a23439a16913565411bb0ac30ace.jpgSouth China Morning Post, September 8, 2013

Three PLA Navy ships carrying hundreds of sailors arrived in Hawaii on Friday to join a search and rescue exercise with the US Navy during a rare visit intended to foster familiarity.

The guided missile destroyer Qingdao, a frigate and a supply ship were welcomed with performances by lion dancers and a children’s hula group. The ships carrying 680 officers and sailors will participate in the exercise tomorrow with the USS Lake Erie in waters off Waikiki and Diamond Head. The exercise was an important way for the two navies to share information about operations, so they do not misinterpret movements and potentially start a conflict, said Brad Glosserman, executive director of the Pacific Forum at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.   Continue reading “Chinese naval vessels in rare visit to Hawaii for exercises with US”

ABC News – by ANDREW MIGA Associated Press

House and Senate leaders are formally awarding Congress’ highest civilian honor to four girls killed in an Alabama church bombing nearly 50 years ago.

The Congressional Gold Medal is being awarded Tuesday to 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, and 11-year-old Denise McNair. The ceremony comes five days before the 50th anniversary of their deaths inside the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.   Continue reading “Congress Honors Birmingham Church Bombing Victims – As Rome Burns”

I talked to Mark just a little while ago and he is finally feeling better.  He is eating and up and moving around.  He opened a closet and there were all the cards you people had been sending.  He said the stack was about a foot thick and he was very happy that so many of you cared enough to send him a card.

I can’t give you a room number right now because Mark is once again in a transition phase.  But I can tell you his condition is greatly improved and he is in the highest of spirits, asserting confidently that he will beat the cancer.   Continue reading “Update on Mark Schumacher”

‘al CIA Duh’ is going to investigate ‘al CIA Duh?’

Homeland Security Newswire

Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations have repeatedly sought to infiltrate the U.S. intelligence community by having supporters apply for intelligence jobs, according to a classified budget document. The U.S government investigates thousands of employees a year to make sure such infiltration does not happen. The CIA says that 20 percent of job applicants whose backgrounds raised questions had “significant terrorist and/or hostile intelligence connections.”   Continue reading “U.S. pays growing attention to insider threats”

Key Ariz. Republicans: Sen. McCain Has Abandoned Core GOP PrinciplesThe New American – by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.

Although he’s usually busy playing poker on his smartphone or supplying arms and money to known agents of al-Qaeda to help them wage war in the Arab world, Republican Arizona Senator John McCain (shown on right) might want to pay more attention to the battle brewing in his own backyard.   Continue reading “Key Ariz. Republicans: Sen. McCain Has Abandoned Core GOP Principles”

Destroy Zionism

Well, it’s a trick, we always use it. When from Europe somebody is criticizing Israel, then we bring up the Holocaust. When in this country people are criticizing Israel, then they are anti-Semitic. And the [Jewish] organization is strong, and has a lot of money, and the ties between Israel and the American Jewish establishment are very strong and they are strong in this country, as you know. And they have power, which is OK. Continue reading “What do Jewish supremacists say about us Gentiles?”

Russian fleetMiddle East Monitor

For the first time since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a large number of ships from the Russian fleet are gathering along the Syrian coast of the Mediterranean. In the midst of a potential US-led strike on the Al-Assad regime, many wonder what is the reason behind the unprecedented Russian presence in the region?

More than ten ships and an unknown number of Russian submarines are now in Mediterranean waters, amassing a presence for first time since the dissolution of the fifth military fleet of the Soviet Union in 1992.   Continue reading “The largest Russian fleet in Mediterranean waters since Soviet dissolution”

safety-deposit-boxesArmstrong Economics – by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Is it now illegal to store cash and gold in a safety deposit box?

ANSWER: They have not yet enacted an actual law prohibiting the storage of “money” in a safe deposit box. The problem is surfacing because of “interpretation” of laws with broad scopes. If you have $5,000 in cash in your pocket, they are now seizing it saying it is presumed to be illegal. Confiscation of money is becoming an epidemic and the burden is then yours to prove you paid taxes on it an where it came from (see NPR).   Continue reading “Are They Going After Safe Deposit Boxes?”