Mourn On The 4th of July

By John Pilger

Liberals say that the United States is once again a "nation of moral ideals", but behind the façade little has changed. With his government of warmongers, Wall Street cronies and polluters from the Bush and Clinton eras, Barack Obama is merely upholding the myths of a divine America. Continue

Tehran and Tegucigalpa: A Tale of Two Capitals
By Barry Grey

Nothing so clearly demonstrates the decay of American democracy and the “free press” in the United States than the manner in which it lines up behind phony “color revolutions” against regimes deemed inimical to US interests and ignores flagrantly antidemocratic measures by regimes backed by the CIA, the military and the State Department. Continue

Obama’s Rollback Strategy

Honduras, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan (and the Boomerang Effect)

By James Petras

The recent events in Honduras and Iran, which pit democratically elected regimes against pro-US military and civilian actors intent on overthrowing them can best be understood as part of a larger White House strategy designed to rollback the gains achieved by opposition government and movements during the Bush years. Continue

China: Xinjiang Crisis Deepens

By John Chan

So far no world leader has publicly condemned the massive crackdown by Chinese security forces in Urumqi or challenged Beijing’s claim that its heavily-armed troops are there to maintain social order and prevent further ethnic conflict. Continue

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya Discusses Coup, Costa Rica Talks

By Democracy Now! - Audio and Transcript

Zelaya said he is seeking the resignation of the interim Honduran government within 24 hours. He emphasized he was in Costa Rica for talks but not for negotiations with the forces that ousted him. Citing widespread international support Zelaya added that he expects to be shortly reinstated as president. Continue

Are Our Markets Being Manipulated By "Rogues" Or Firms?

By Danny Schechter

There’s New Evidence to Suggest that Crime In The Financial Markets is Rife. Continue

The Great American Bubble Machine

By Matt Taibbi

All that money that you're losing, it's going somewhere, and in both a literal and a figurative sense, Goldman Sachs is where it's going: The bank is a huge, highly sophisticated engine for converting the useful, deployed wealth of society into the least useful, most wasteful and insoluble substance on Earth - pure profit for rich individuals. Continue

The Two-state Solution, Israeli-style
Charity, checkpoints and client rulers

By Jonathan Cook in Ramallah

While Israel has been buying yet more time with Washington in bickering over a paltry settlement freeze, it has been forging ahead with the process of creating two Palestinian territories, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, that, despite supposedly emerging from occupation, are in reality sinking ever deeper into chronic dependency on Israeli goodwill. Continue

Congress’s $1.2 Million a Day Drug Habit

By Unsilent Generation

Last year alone the drug industry spent $234 million on lobbying. In the first three months of this year, it spent more than $66.5 million–$1.2 million a day. Continue

US attack on Pakistan kills 45: Suspected US drones launched two missile attacks on Taliban targets in the South Waziristan tribal region yesterday, killing at least 45 militants in the latest in a barrage of strikes close to the Afghan border, intelligence officials said.

Twelve killed as troops attack militants in South Waziristan: The jets pounded suspected Taliban hideouts in four villages Thursday in Ladha and Kani Guram areas of the South Waziristan tribal region, near the Afghan border, four intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity.

Remotely controlled blast kills 25 near Kabul: At least 25 people were killed Thursday in a remotely detonated explosion south of the Afghanistan capital in what was apparently a booby-trapped vehicle.

2 NATO occupation force soldiers killed in S Afghanistan: Two soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed on Wednesday in south Afghanistan, a press release of the alliance said Thursday.

Iraq: At least 40 killed in new attacks: 33 people have been killed in two suspected suicide attacks in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, police have said. Elsewhere, at least seven civilians were killed and 20 injured by two bombs hidden in piles of rubbish in a market in Baghdad's Sadr city.

US frees 5 Iranian diplomats held since 2007 in Iraq: Iran's ambassador to Baghdad says five Iranian diplomats who were kidnapped by US forces have been handed over to the government of Nouri al-Maliki.

Iranian police disperse protest: Iranian police have dispersed hundreds of protesters who staged a march to commemorate the anniversary of student unrest in 1999, witnesses have said.

G8 issues Iran nuclear 'deadline': Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) nations have deplored post-election violence in Iran, and said the Islamic Republic had until September to negotiate with the West over its nuclear programme.

Clinton calls for 'even stricter' Iran sanctions: Is window of opportunities given by Washington to Tehran about to close? The United States will call for "even stricter sanctions on Iran to try to change the behavior of the regime," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a TV interview broadcast in Venezuela.

Is Israel Already at War With Iran?: Israel may have already started a war against Iran's nuclear program – not with bunker busting bombs and cruise missiles, but with computers.

UN: Israel must tear down West Bank barrier: Israel must tear down its West Bank separation barrier, a senior U.N. official said Wednesday, marking five years since the International Court of Justice declared the barrier illegal and a violation of Palestinian rights.

EU retracts criticism of Israeli settlements: The European Commission on Thursday backtracked on its unusually harsh criticism of Israeli settlements, declaring that a statement released earlier this week did not reflect the commission's position.

Democrats Say Panetta Admits CIA Misled Them: Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon E. Panetta has told lawmakers that the agency "concealed significant actions" from Congress, according to a letter released Wednesday from seven Democratic lawmakers.

FBI: Mortgage fraud on the rise: Mortgage fraud is increasing throughout the U.S., as distressed homeowners look for answers to troubled mortgages and find little help from their banks, according to a new FBI report.

The Top 10 Mortgage Fraud States For 2008: Here's a look at the top 10 mortgage fraud states for 2008:

13 Real Estate Professionals Are Indicted on Mortgage Fraud Charges: The 13, employed in nearly every profession in the real estate industry — including lawyers, real estate agents, appraisers and bank workers — were accused of participating in 19 sham real estate transactions.

July 08, 2009

Extrajudicial Killing:
US Attacks Kill 45 People in Pakistan

By ISHTIAQ MAHSUD

The first attack took place before dawn. A suspected U.S. drone fired six missiles at an alledged mountaintop training camp in the Karwan Manza area of South Waziristan, killing 10 suspected militants. Hours later, 12 miles (20 kilometers) to the east, missiles believed fired from a U.S. drone hit four vehicles carrying suspected Taliban militants, killing at least 35, including an alledged key Taliban commander, one intelligence official said. Continue

Revealed – the Secret Torture Evidence MI5 Tried to Suppress

By Ian Cobain

At one point three fingernails were ripped out of his left hand. He says this was done slowly, over a period of days, while he was being asked questions which he believes were handed to the ISI by British and US authorities. Continue

So This Is What Victory Looks Like?

By Scott Ritter

America will have to deal with the reality that, no matter how we spin facts, President Bush’s ill-advised Iraqi adventure has ended in defeat. Continue

Full Spectrum Dominance
Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order

Video interview

William Engdahl on his book Full Spectrum Dominance: Continue

Micheletti Blinks
Zelaya's Return Not Barred from Costa Rica Mediation

By Kristin Bricker

Both Zelaya and coup-imposed President Roberto Micheletti have agreed to mediations led by Costa Rican President Óscar Arias Sánchez.  The mediation will begin on Thursday in President Arias' house in Costa Rica. Continue

A Class Struggle Unfolds
High Stakes in Honduras

By BENJAMIN DANGL

When rallying in the streets of Tegucigalpa for the ousted President Manuel Zelaya, Alejandra Fernandez, a 23-year-old university student told a journalist why she supported Zelaya: "He raised the minimum wage, gave out free school lunches, provided milk for the babies and pensions for the elderly, distributed energy-saving light bulbs, decreased the price of public transportation, made more scholarships available for students." Continue

The Honduras Coup
Is Obama Innocent?

By Michael Parenti

Obama has denounced the coup and demanded that the rules of democracy be honored. Still, several troubling questions remain. Continue

The Man Who Crashed the World

By Michael Lewis

Almost a year after A.I.G.'s collapse, despite a tidal wave of outrage, there still has been no clear explanation of what toppled the insurance giant. The author decides to ask the people involved-the silent, shell-shocked traders of the A.I.G. Financial Products unit-and finds that the story may have a villain, whose reign of terror over 400 employees brought the company, the U.S. economy, and the global financial system to their knees. Continue

'This Is How They Tortured Me'

By Christine McLaren

The stories force the reader to imagine what it would be like to learn about suicide for the first time when a 10-year-old boy hangs himself in the basement of your school. Or for nuns to come into your room at night to rape you, or to strangle you and the other kids until you black out, just for entertainment. Continue

27 alledged militants killed as massive operation going on in S Afghanistan: As the joint U.S.-Afghan military operation entered its sixth day, over two dozen suspected insurgents were killed in a single day Tuesday in the troubled Helmand province, commander of Afghan 205th Corps in the southern region said.

Taliban kill 8 police, surround east Afghan office: A district in Afghanistan's restive east was in danger of falling into Taliban hands after pitched gunbattles with insurgents killed at least eight police, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Where's Pentagon 'terrorism suspect'? Talking to Karzai: The Pentagon says that Wakil is among 74 former Guantanamo Bay detainees who've returned to or are suspected of returning to terrorism after their release from the island prison camp. Wakil scoffs at the suggestion. So do those who know him.

4 militants killed in NW Pakistan operation: Four militants were killed including two commanders and 34 others were apprehended in northwest Pakistan in the military operation during last 24 hours, an army press release said on Wednesday.

Anti-Taliban tribal leader shot dead in Pakistan: official: - A Pakistani tribal elder who was raising a militia against the Taliban has been killed, an official said Wednesday, in the latest attack against figures opposing the Islamist rebels.

Britain "outsourced" torture to Pakistan: MP: A British opposition politician has accused the government and intelligence agents of colluding in the torture of a British terrorism suspect whose interrogation was "outsourced" to Pakistan.

At least 12 killed as deadly car bombs hit Iraqi city: The first blast went off in a residential area of northern Mosul, home to minority Shabaks, killing one person and wounding six people, a police official told Reuters news agency. The second exploded about 10 minutes later near a Shia mosque

Four policemen, gunman killed in N Iraq: Four policemen and a gunman were killed in two attacks in the city of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, on Tuesday, a well-informed provincial police source said.

Iraq group calls for further attacks on US troops: "Even if the Americans remain nowhere but a small spot in the Iraqi desert ... so every Muslim should battle them until they are expelled," the voice, reported to be Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, head of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq, said in the recording posted on a website used by "jihadists".

Were Iraqis tortured and killed by UK occupation force soldiers?: Five years after Tony Blair was informed of damaging evidence of abuse, Government finally agrees to inquiry into the alleged massacre of 20 civilians

Iraq Warns Israel Not to Use Airspace in Iran Attack: Iraqi legislator Hassan al-Senied warned Israel Wednesday not to use its airspace to attack Iran. “Any Israeli violoation of Iraqi national airspace would be considered an offense against Iraq,” he said.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Mullen: Iran is very focused on developing nuclear capability: "I believe Iran is very focused on developing this capability, and I think when they get it, or should they get it, it will be very destabilizing," Mullen told the Center for Strategic and International Studies Tuesday, in an address on military challenges in the Middle East, sponsored in connection with the embassy of the United Arab Emirates.

Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Time running out for Iran dialogue, top U.S. soldier says: The top U. S. military officer warned yesterday that time is running out for dialogue with Tehran to avoid either a nuclear-armed Iran or a possible military strike against the Islamic Republic.

Israel and U.S. groups push forward on Iran: Israel, the Obama administration and the organized U.S. Jewish community for a few weeks put on hold their plans to ratchet up confrontation with Iran over its putative nuclear weapons program to see how clashes between the government and protesters who say the June 12 election was stolen would play out.

Another sick child dies in Gaza, siege death toll at 349: The Palestinian Ministry of Health said Wednesday that the number Palestinians who died as a direct result of the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip in two years stands at 349, after the death of a sick child banned from travelling abroad for treatment.

Viva Palestina activists stranded on Gaza border: At least 100 US activists, said to be carrying $1 million worth of medical supplies for the suffering Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, have been stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing since Sunday, waiting for the Zionist regime to grant them permission to enter the besieged territory.

Interview: Mairead Maguire on Irish nightly news : Máiread Corrigan Maguire, Irish peace prize winner, who is just back from jail in Israel

Israeli report: U.S. and Israel strike illegal settlement deal: An Israeli newspaper said on Wednesday Israel had won agreement from the United States for the continued construction of illegal 2,500 housing units in "Jewish" settlements in the West Bank, despite U.S. calls for a freeze.

Deadly protests hit Yemen: At least two people have been killed in southern Yemen after police opened fire to break up protests in several neighbourhoods.

China may 'execute' protesters: Li Zhi, the Communist party chief for the city of Urumqi, said "to those who committed crimes with cruel means, we will execute them".

Hypocrisy knows no shame: : Barack Obama urges Russia not to interfere in neighbouring states: "In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonising other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chessboard are over," he said, speaking to graduates from Moscow's New Economic School.

White House among targets of sweeping cyber attack: The powerful attack that overwhelmed computers at U.S. and South Korean government agencies for days was even broader than initially realized, also targeting the White House, the Pentagon and the New York Stock Exchange.

Demonizing N. Korea: Officials: N. Korea believed behind cyber attacks: – South Korean intelligence officials believe North Korea or pro-Pyongyang forces committed cyber attacks that paralyzed major South Korean and U.S. government Web sites, aides to two lawmakers said Wednesday.

The headscarf martyr: murder in German court sparks Egyptian fury: Her three-year-old son Mustafa was forced to watch as his mother slumped to the courtroom floor.

Detainees, Even if Acquitted, Might Not Go Free: -- The Obama administration said Tuesday it could continue to imprison non-U.S. citizens indefinitely even if they have been acquitted of terrorism charges by a U.S. military commission.

Rove deposed in U.S. attorney probe: Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove was deposed Tuesday by attorneys for the House Judiciary Committee, according to Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the panel’s chairman. Rove’s deposition began at 10 a.m. and ended around 6:30 p.m, with several breaks, Conyers said.

New Charges Added to Blackwater Lawsuit: - New charges filed against private security contractor Blackwater accuse the company of murder, destruction of audio and videotaped evidence, distribution of controlled substances, tax evasion, child prostitution, and weapons smuggling.

Court Upholds Dismissal of Colorado Professor: Three months after a jury ruled that Ward L. Churchill, a former University of Colorado professor, was wrongfully terminated for his political views, a judge on Tuesday refused to give him his job back.

Australia: People's bank to break the Big Four: The so-called people's bank would be similar to New Zealand's successful Kiwibank, which was set up to break the dominance of the Australian-owned majors.

Big Banks Don't Want California's IOUs: A group of the biggest U.S. banks said they would stop accepting California's IOUs on Friday, adding pressure on the state to close its $26.3 billion annual budget gap.

Unemployment, Not the Stock Market, Distinguishes a Recession From a Depression: What are the most important and enduring characteristics of the Great Depression? And what should we monitor to determine how severe today’s situation really is?

Apartment Vacancy at 22-Year High in U.S., Says Reis : Job losses and falling wages are shrinking the pool of potential renters, defying forecasts that prospective homebuyers would rent rather that purchase as house prices decline.

True unemployment rate already at 20%: Not to scare you, but the situation is actually worse than it seems.

Scientists create test-tube sperm: The sperm were created in a test tube, from stem cells derived from a five-day-old male embryo. The advance raises ethical questions over the safety of the procedure and the threat it poses to the future role of men. It was also challenged by experts who claimed the sperm-like cells produced in the experiment were not genuine sperm.

July 07, 2009

A Coup is Not a Coup. A Not-Coup is a Coup

By Kevin Coleman

As the Presidential Palace was peopled for the first time by indigenous and black Hondurans, the disconnect between the urbane, who for so long had enjoyed ruling the country, and the hitherto invisible governed became more pronounced. Continue

In Case You Missed It
The Fog of War

Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

Errol Morris's Oscar-winning 2003 documentary

This brilliant work by director Morris is the stuff of life. And death. It arouses the most basic moral and immoral questions of being human through an enormously complex and yet simple man, Robert Strange McNamara. Continue

Biden’s Situational Sovereignty

By Benjamin H. Friedman

An Israeli attack on Iran would be likely to produce blowback, diplomatic or otherwise, that would damage us. Given that, our position should be that attacks on Iran are unacceptable, and would cost Israel our support. Continue

No Comment on Kidnapping of McKinney

Black Caucus Muzzled

By Russell Mokhiber

I’m going to quote you as saying – We’re so freaked out about pissing off AIPAC, that of course, we’re not going to issue a statement condemning the hijackers. Who gives a rat’s ass whether Cynthia McKinney is being held in a jail in the Israeli port city of Ashdod? Continue

US Lurching Towards 'Debt Explosion'
Long-term Interest Rates on Course to Double

By Philip Aldrick, Banking Editor

The US economy is lurching towards crisis with long-term interest rates on course to double, crippling the country’s ability to pay its debts and potentially plunging it into another recession, according to a study by the US’s own central bank. Continue

How the FBI and 9/11 Commission Suppressed Key Evidence
About Hani Hanjour, Alleged Hijack Pilot of AAL 77

By Mark H. Gaffney

The evidence was crucial because it undermined the official explanation that Hani Hanjour crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at high speed after executing an extremely difficult top gun maneuver. But to understand how all of this played out, let us review the case in bite-size pieces... Continue

27 "militants" killed as massive operation going on in S Afghanistan: As the joint U.S.-Afghan military operation entered its sixth day, over two dozen insurgents were killed in a single day Tuesday in the troubled Helmand province, commander of Afghan 205th Corps in the southern region said.

Militants kill 7 US occupation troops in Afghanistan: Taliban attacks across Afghanistan have killed at least seven US soldiers, marking the deadliest day for US forces in the war-ravaged country in nearly a year.

2 occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan 'copter crash: Two Canadian soldiers and one other coalition soldier died Monday in southern Afghanistan when the Griffon helicopter they were aboard crashed during a mission.

Taliban Announces Capture Of “Drunk” US Soldier Missing in Afghanistan": His statement made from an undisclosed location via telephone, also gives some insight as to perhaps why there has been no explanation for the soldier mysteriously leaving the base. Sagin said the men were arrested Thursday morning in Yusuf Khil district while they were apparently drunk. U.S. defense sources have previously said the soldier “just walked off” post with three Afghans after he finished working.

US Attack On Pakistan Kills 16: At least 16 people have been killed in a suspected US missile strike on a training camp run by Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban leader, in South Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, intelligence officials say.

Deaths in Pakistan missile strike : The newspaper said a notification issued by the Pakistani Interior Ministry stating that suicide bombers along with the vehicles had entered Peshawar, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi.

Four policemen, gunman killed in N Iraq: Four policemen and a gunman were killed in two attacks in the city of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, on Tuesday, a well-informed provincial police source said.

Iraq bans visits to Saddam's grave: The government issued the order on Monday after some schools began arranging trips for their pupils to visit the site in Saddam's native village of Al-Awja, outside the northern town of Tikrit, a government statement said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard acknowledges taking a bigger role in nation's security: The top leaders of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard publicly acknowledged they had taken over the nation's security during the post-election unrest and warned late Sunday, in a threat against a reformist wave led by Mir-Hossein Mousavi, that there was no middle ground in the ongoing dispute over the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Khamenei ordered Iran election fraud, says ex-president: "The regime is edging closer to the abyss and is holding on to power solely by means of violence and terror," said Banisadr, who was Iran's first elected president following the 1979 Islamic revolution.

U.S. denies giving Israel 'green light' to strike Iran: "We share the Israelis' deep concerns about Iran's nuclear program," Kelly said. "But you have to ask Israel if they are going to make a strike.

'Israel hesitant to seek U.S. okay to strike Iran': Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told The Washington Times that the premier is hesitant to request formal U.S. approval to launch military operations against Iran for fear that Washington would turn him down, according to a report which appeared in Tuesday editions.

Iran attacks Biden's Israel remarks: Iran will hold the US responsible for any Israeli attack against the country, Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran's parliament, has said.

Wary of naked force, Israelis eye cyberwar on Iran: The appeal of cyber attacks was boosted, Israeli sources say, by the limited feasibility of conventional air strikes on the distant and fortified Iranian atomic facilities, and by U.S. reluctance to countenance another open war in the Middle East.

The Iranian "Revolution" has failed: So it's back to the ‘Iran has nuclear weapons’ meme in order to pave the way for an attack against Iran in the hope that regime change can be affected that way.

European Commission: Settlements strangling Palestinian economy: The European Commission said Israel's policy of refusing to dismantle settlements is strangling the Palestinian economy and forcing the Palestinian Authority to rely on foreign aid.

Efforts to break siege on Gaza unceasing: It is being led by American activist Ron Kovic, and includes British MP George Galloway and activist Kevin Aovindn along with the support of more than 46 institutions organization in America.

Report: Israel releases former U.S. congresswoman McKinney: Israel has allowed a former U.S. congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, to return home days after detaining her and other activists on board a ship carrying relief supplies for Gaza, a pro-Palestinian group said on Monday.

Human rights group calls for arms embargo after unlawful attacks in Gaza conflict: Its report says: "Israel’s failure to properly investigate its forces’ conduct in Gaza, including war crimes, and its continuing refusal to cooperate with the United Nations’ independent fact-finding mission headed by [the former South African Constitutional Court judge] Richard Goldstone, is evidence of its intention to avoid public scrutiny and accountability."

In military race, US forces Israel out of India bid: The United States has forced Israel to withdraw from a multi-billion dollar tender to sell advanced multi-role fighter jets to the Indian Air Force.

Tensions high in riot-hit Urumqi: Al Jazeera's correspondent Melissa Chan, reporting from Urumqi, said one group of Han Chinese, some armed with sticks, shovels and knives, were trying to break through police lines to reach a Uighur area of the city.

Fighting forces 204,000 to flee Mogadishu: At least 105 people have been killed in the past week alone. Almost half a million people are living in temporary shelters made from sticks and plastic sheeting along the road to Afgooye, west of Mogadishu.

Aid workers kidnapped in Darfur: The two women, one Irish and one Ugandan, both working for the Irish aid croup Goal, were abdutced late on Friday from their compound in the northern Darfur town of Kutum, officials from the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur said

Straight Talk: Revealing the Real US Africa-Policy: It's time for some straight talk on U.S. foreign policy as it relates to Africa. While Obama administration officials and African Military Command (AFRICOM) representatives insist that U.S. foreign policy towards Africa isn't being militarized, the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.

Honduran Teachers Defy Coup Government, Maintain Strike: The Teachers Union Won't Return to Classes Until Zelaya is Back in Office; Street Protests Continue

Ousted Zelaya gets unlikely US support: The US boosted ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya today when President Barack Obama called for his reinstatement even though he had opposed US policies.

MI5 accused of bribe offer in Rangzieb Ahmed torture case: Exclusive: Jailed torture victim says he was offered cash to drop collusion claim

UK weapons inspector who was found dead was writing expose: paper: British weapons inspector Dr. David Kelly was writing an expose about his work with anthrax and his warnings that Iraq possessed no weapons of mass destruction at the time of his death in July 2003

Calls grow to supplant dollar as global currency: The call to find an alternative to the U.S dollar as the global reserve currency is gaining momentum as France joined calls by China, India and Russia for a review of the world's currency practices.

US dollar focus of G8 summit: A sliding dollar would have massive repercussions for the world economy as it looks to emerge from one of the most savage recessions in generations, which has seen global trade collapse by up to 20 percent.

Delinquencies on U.S. Home-Equity Loans Reach Record: Late payments on home-equity loans rose to a record in the first quarter as 18 straight months of job losses and a slumping economy left more borrowers unable to pay their debts, the American Bankers Association reported.

Consumer loan delinquencies rise to record high: The number of people delinquent on their loans rose to a record high in the first quarter, according to the American Bankers Association.

California Hotel Foreclosures Double in Last Three Months: The number of California hotels in default or foreclosed on has jumped 125% in the last 60 days. The state now has 31 hotels that have been foreclosed on and 175 in default.

As California struggles, Fitch cuts debt rating: California suffered a new setback in its financial crisis on Monday when Fitch Ratings cut its rating on the state's general obligation debt to just two notches above junk status

Who Killed California's Economy?: . Unable to pay its bills, the state is issuing IOUs; its once strong credit rating has collapsed. The state that once boasted the seventh-largest gross domestic product in the world is looking less like a celebrated global innovator and more like a fiscal basket case along the lines of Argentina or Latvia.

July 06, 2009

Iran: Much Ado About Nothing?
By William Blum

So why the big international fuss over the Iranian election and street protests? There's only one answer. The obvious one. The announced winner, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a Washington ODE, an Officially Designated Enemy, for not sufficiently respecting the Empire and its Israeli partner-in-crime. Continue

A Few Facts About the Honduran Military Coup

By Ken Silverstein

There’s very little truth to anything you’ve read about the coup in American newspapers. Continue

John Pilger on Honduras, Iran, Gaza, the Corporate Media, Obama’s Wars and Resisting the American Empire

By Democracy Now!

Award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker, John Pilger, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on on Honduras, Iran, Gaza, the media, health care, and Obama’s wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pilger has has written close to a dozen books and made over 50 documentaries on a range of subjects including struggles around the world for a more just and peaceful society and against Western military and economic intervention. Continue

Our IDF

By Gideon Levy

It's a good thing we have Shayetet 13. Operating at the crack of dawn - or was it before nightfall? - the daring naval commandos fearlessly took control of a rusty, rickety, unarmed boat bobbing in the middle of the sea. That's exactly why we have a naval commando force - to take control of ships offering humanitarian aid. Behold, the guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Continue

Its Not Just Our 21 Kidnapped Passengers.:

By Free Gaza

The kidnapping of 21 international human rights workers attempting to deliver needed aid to a besieged people is an outrage, but it is hardly an isolated one. Continue

What if the Uighurs were Christian Rather than Muslim?

By Glenn Greenwald

Muslims generally -- not just Al Qaeda -- replaced Communists as our New Enemy and became the new enabling force for our endless state of War and never-ending expansions of executive power. Rather obviously, the Uighurs were swept into the Enemy category solely by virtue of their status as Muslims. Continue

Untold Truths About the American Revolution

By Howard Zinn

Why do we assume that we had to fight a bloody revolutionary war to get rid of England? Continue

Obama Takes Bush’s Plutocratic-Socialism to the Next Level
By Chris Moore

As the federal government and the two-party regime running it have become ever more corrupt, the bubbles have become ever larger and more frequent. And it is these successively more frequent bubbles that have destroyed the American economy, bankrupted Americans, and simultaneously made these revolving-door federal government elite/plutocrat-socialists in both parties rich. Continue

Headlines Continued

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