tagged w/ news.
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Mr. Popular? Ron Paul Wins Supporters to Fed Sunshine Bill
Rep. Ron Paul so far has won 245 co-sponsors to a bill that would require a full-fledged audit of the Federal Reserve by the end of 2010.
By Judson Berger
Tuesday, June 30,2009
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Rep. Ron Paul, shown here speaking to the American Conservative Union last February, is winning supporters to a new bill. (Reuters Photo)
. The feisty congressman from Texas, whose insurgent "Ron Paul Revolution" presidential campaign rankled Republican leaders last year, now has the GOP House leadership on his side -- backing a measure that generated paltry support when he first introduced it 26 years ago.
Paul, as of Tuesday, has won 245 co-sponsors to a bill that would require a full-fledged audit of the Federal Reserve by the end of 2010.
Paul attracted just 18 co-sponsors when he authored a similar bill, which died, in 1983. While the impact Fed policies have on inflation is once again a concern, fears about loose monetary policy and excessive federal spending appear even more widespread in 2009.
"In the past, I never got much support, but I think it's the financial crisis obviously that's drawing so much attention to it, and people want to know more about the Federal Reserve," Paul told FOXNews.com.
With the Federal Reserve holding interest rates at rock-bottom levels, pumping trillions into the economy and now poised to have new powers to oversee the financial system under President Obama's proposed regulatory overhaul, Paul said lawmakers want transparency.
"If they give them a lot more power and there's no more transparency, that'll be a disaster," he said.
The bill would call for the comptroller general in the Government Accountability Office to audit the Fed and report those findings to Congress. The GAO's ability to conduct such audits now is severely restricted.
. "Ron Paul has the right idea on this," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who supports similar legislation in the Senate. "I'm just hoping we can get a clear audit. ... We need to know what they're up to."
House Republican Leader John Boehner, who signed on as a co-sponsor this month, wrote in a recent blog post that the "lack of transparency and accountability" regarding federal dollars committed by the Fed and Treasury Department raise "serious concerns" and make an audit critical.
"The Federal Reserve Transparency Act would remove all of these restrictions, and allow GAO to get real answers from the Federal Reserve to protect American taxpayers," Boehner wrote.
Unfortunately for Paul, the bill appears to be idling in the House Financial Services Committee, which is chaired by Barney Frank, D-Mass. The bill has been sitting there, gathering co-sponsors, since Paul introduced it in late February.
"You've kind of got to rely on the Democratic leadership (to move the bill along)," a Boehner aide said. "I haven't heard a lot of support from Chairman Frank."
Calls to Frank's office were not returned.Mr. Popular? Ron Paul Wins Supporters to Fed Sunshine Bill
Rep. Ron Paul so far has... more
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Henry Waxmen tries to cut the minority whip's time at the dias. The minority whip has unlimited time to speak. John Boehner is asking question about mistakes in the bill and clarification of what the wording means. How can anyone vote on a bill without reading it let alone knowing what exactly it means by ambiguous statements, PLUS Waxmen through a 300 page ammendment into the mix at 3:09am so know one could report on it.
Watch this video, Waxmen doesn't even know the rules in the house of representatives and he's been there 30yrs.???Henry Waxmen tries to cut the minority whip's time at the dias. The minority whip... more
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Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:20pm EDT
*Accutane been losing market share to generic alternatives
*Withdrawal unlikely to have any impact on earnings (Adds background, generic company comments)
ZURICH, June 26 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) is no longer selling its acne drug Accutane as it has reached the end of its life cycle and is losing ground to generic alternatives, the company said on Friday.
Generics of the powerful medicine have been available since 2002 and now dominate the market, Roche said. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA.TA) and Mylan Inc (MYL.O) said they will continue to sell generic versions.
"As always when you have generics around your market share drops," Roche spokeswoman Martina Rupp said. "This was an economical decision driven by falling market share." Accutane's market share was between 4 and 5 percent.
Roche said the move was not done for safety or efficacy reasons and was unlikely to have any impact on earnings.
The last date for distribution in the United States was June 25. Accutane is now no longer available from Roche directly but patients may still be able to get it from pharmacies, she said.
Accutane, known generically as isotretinoin, has had a controversial history since it began sale in 1982. While powerful at clearing acne, the drug is linked to severe birth defects if taken during pregnancy, so physicians and patients must abide by a strict risk management program.
Accutane has also been suspected of other side effects, such as causing depression and suicidal thinking.
The Swiss drugmaker noted on Friday it has been faced with high costs from personal injury lawsuits that it continues to defend against vigorously.
Roche shares rose 1.7 percent.
(Reporting by Katie Reid and Lewis Krauskopf in New York; Editing by David Cowell and Richard Chang)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reservedFri Jun 26, 2009 1:20pm EDT
*Accutane been losing market share to generic... more
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IRAN Break the Blackout
IRAN Break the Blackout
he brutal crackdown on Iran’s streets is succeeding. Lethal shooting, beatings and mass arrests have driven millions off the streets, and a communications blackout is preventing them from communicating with each other and the world.1
Ruling clerics are in crisis talks -- many are criticising the crackdown and calling for reform.2
We urgently need to help Iranians get back on the internet to have their voices heard in Iran and the world. Secure and anonymous "proxy services" are helping people to bypass regime controls and get online -- but they're overloaded and running out of funds.3 A small donation of just $10 can provide bandwidth for hundreds of secure emails - if 10,000 of us donate in the next 72 hours, we can help break the blackout:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_break_the_blackoutIRAN Break the Blackout
IRAN Break the Blackout
he brutal... more
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SO IS THIS WHAT IS HAPPENING?
A DISGRACE....SELLING OUT iRAN TO THE zIONISTS.
BREAKING NEWS
LONDON (Herald de Paris) - Ali Reza Pahlavi, the exiled Crown Prince of Iran, son of the former Shah of Iran, is reported to have sought the assistance of the Israeli government to back the rioting opposition in his homeland, according to Iranian sources. Reza Pahlavi claims that any military attack against Tehran could push the Iranian opposition to be part of the government, therefore resuming the ties between Iran and Israel that had been forged by his father, prior to the 1979 overthrow.
News of the former government of Iran’s involvement further clouds the ever-evolving picture of the Iranian Green-Wave liberation movement. While internal details of the struggles of Iran remain sketchy at times, the reports and pictures of untoward violence towards the opposition, at the hands of government forces and police, remain a most disturbing legacy for an allegedly peace-loving nation.
Meanwhile, the Guardians Council claims to have confirmed Mr Ahmadinejad’s victory and re-election as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
A Circulating Middle-Eastern Perspective Seldom Reported in the West
The main rival to the re-elected president was Mr. Hossein Mousavi, former Prime Minister of Iran in the 1980s who, before the polling closed declared he haSO IS THIS WHAT IS HAPPENING?
A DISGRACE....SELLING OUT iRAN TO THE zIONISTS.... more
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Israel to register 34,348 acres near WB settlement:
The sparsely populated desert region is mostly inhabited by Arab Bedouin tribes, who have been expelled during previous expansions of the settlement, the boundaries of which already extend to the Jordan Valley.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\06\28\story_28-6-2009_pg4_7
The sparsely populated desert region is mostly inhabited by Arab Bedouin tribes, who have been expelled during previous expansions of the settlement, the boundaries of which already extend to the Jordan Valley.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\06\28\story_28-6-2009_pg4_7Israel to register 34,348 acres near WB settlement:
The sparsely populated desert... more
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Israeli ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children - a report:
DCI-Palestine* released a report which documents the widespread ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children at the hands of the Israeli army and police force - Palestinian Child Prisoners: The systematic and institutionalized ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children by Israeli authorities.Israeli ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children - a report:... more
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Bound, blindfolded and beaten - by Israeli troops:
Children among Palestinian detainees abused during West Bank operation, according to soldiers' confessionsBound, blindfolded and beaten - by Israeli troops:
Children among Palestinian... more
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UN public hearing in Gaza broadcasts accounts of war victims:
"In a single instant we had all of our joys replaced with blood," he said. "There was a severe whistling in my ears and a pillar of smoke and dust and that obliterated what happened. When I looked up I found I had lost both my legs. I was sprawled over the body of my own brother. I looked for my father and others, and I found them motionless. Most of them were dead."UN public hearing in Gaza broadcasts accounts of war victims:
"In a single... more
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Top Obama advisor sees room for Iran 'dialogue'
A senior Obama advisor hints that the White House will not rule out the option of diplomatic dialogue with Iran despite the post-election developments in the country.
David Axelrod, President Barack Obama's top adviser, on Sunday bared thinly veiled threats that Iran would face 'some very stark consequences,' if it did not take the desired path 'offered' by the US in nuclear talks.
“We are not looking to reward Iran. We are looking to ... sit down and talk to the Iranians and offer them two paths. And one brings them back into the community of nations, and the other has some very stark consequences,'' Axelrod said on ABC's "This Week" show.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has condemned Western 'interferences' in the country's internal affairs, blaming Britain and the US for fueling the unrest following the 10 presidential election in Iran on June 12.
The historic vote showed a turnout of 85%, but Ahmadinejad's chief rivals cried fTop Obama advisor sees room for Iran 'dialogue'
A senior Obama... more
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Iran releases 'some British Embassy staff'
Iran says certain members of the British Embassy staff in Tehran have been released after preliminary investigations but others will remain in custody.
"The British Embassy played a crucial role in the recent (post-election) unrest both through its local staff and via media," IRNA quoted Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i as saying on Sunday.
"We have photos and videos of certain local employees of the British Embassy, who collected news about the protests," he added.
"The Embassy sent its local staff to rallies and inculcated ideas into the protestors and the society," said the minister.
Iranian security officials on Saturday arrested eight of the British Embassy's local staff members for 'inflaming post-election tensions' in the country.
Following the June 12 election, which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected to a second four-year term, Iran became the scene of rallies with defeated candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi rejecting the result as fraudulent and demanding a re-run.Iran releases 'some British Embassy staff'
Iran says certain members of... more
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Leader warns West, says Iran sees solution in law:
The Leader said Sunday that legal measures were the only solution to the issues that the country has been facing since the 10th presidential elections on June 12. "The people's emotions, especially that of the youth, must not be toyed with and they should not be pitted against one another as the Iranian nation, regardless of the differences of opinion, is a united nation that has good relations with the [Islamic] establishment."
http://presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=99256§ionid=351020101Leader warns West, says Iran sees solution in law:
The Leader said Sunday that... more
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Iran militia raids 'target homes':
Human Rights Watch has accused Iran's volunteer Basij militia of carrying out night-time raids, destroying property in private homes and beating civilians. The New York-based group says the raids are an attempt to stop the nightly rooftop chants against the government.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8122263.stmIran militia raids 'target homes':
Human Rights Watch has accused... more
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Further violent clashes erupt in Iran:
Witnesses in Iran said police have clashed with up to 3,000 protesters near a mosque in north Tehran
-==============Further violent clashes erupt in Iran:
Witnesses in Iran said police have clashed... more
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U.S. forces to continue patrolling in Basra after June 30:
U.S. forces will continue their patrols in Basra even after the U.S. forces withdrawal from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, said the head of the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (P.R.T.) in the province, explaining that the patrols are essential for his team's protection.U.S. forces to continue patrolling in Basra after June 30:
U.S. forces will... more
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Afghan leader criticises US ambassador: -
President Hamid Karzai criticised Saturday the US ambassador's presence at a meeting calling for a decentralisation of his government, adding he would fight such moves "tooth and nail".Afghan leader criticises US ambassador: -
President Hamid Karzai criticised... more
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Obama must call off this folly before Afghanistan becomes his Vietnam:
Senseless slaughter and anti-western hysteria are all America and Britain's billions have paid for in a counterproductive war
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If good intentions ever paved a road to hell, they are doing so in Afghanistan. History rarely declares when folly turns to disaster, but it does so now. Barack Obama and his amanuensis, Gordon Brown, are uncannily repeating the route taken by American leaders in Vietnam from 1963 to 1975. Galbraith once said that the best thing about the Great Depression was that it warned against another. Does the same apply to Vietnam?
Vietnam began with Kennedy's noble 1963 intervention, to keep the communist menace at bay and thus make the world safe for democracy. That is what George Bush and Tony Blair said of terrorism and Afghanistan. Vietnam escalated as the Diem regime in Saigon failed to contain Vietcong aggression and was deposed with American collusion. By 1965, despite Congress scepticism, American advisers, then planes, then ground forces were deployed. Allies were begged to join but few agreed – and not Britain.
The presence of Americans on Asian soil turned a local insurgency into a regional crusade. Foreign aid rallied to the Vietcong cause to resist what was seen as a neo-imperialist invasion. The hard-pressed Americans resorted to ever more extensive bombing, deep inside neighbouring countries, despite evidence that it was ineffective and politically counterproductive.
No amount of superior firepower could quell a peasant army that came and went by night and could terrorise or merge into the local population. Tales of American atrocities rolled in each month. The army counted success not in territory held but in enemy dead. A desperate attempt to "train and equip" a new Vietnamese army made it as corrupt as it was unreliable. Billions of dollars were wasted. A treaty with the Vietcong in 1973 did little to hide the humiliation of eventual defeat.
Every one of these steps is being re-enacted in AfghaObama must call off this folly before Afghanistan becomes his Vietnam:
Senseless... more
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Pakistan At Least 33 Killed In Fighting In Kurram:
At least 33 people were killed and 65 others wounded in sectarian fighting in Pakistan's Kurram region bordering Afghanistan, local officials said.Pakistan At Least 33 Killed In Fighting In Kurram:
At least 33 people were killed... more
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A Bloodless Coup
The Transition From Democracy To A Bnk-run Society
By Mike Whitney
The banks created the financial crisis, and now they are its biggest beneficiaries. They don't need to worry about risk, because Bernanke has assured them that they will be bailed out regardless of the cost.
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The trouble started 24 months ago, but the origins of the financial crisis are still disputed. The problems did not begin with subprime loans, lax lending standards or shoddy ratings agencies. The meltdown can be traced back to the activities of the big banks and their enablers at the Federal Reserve. The Fed's artificially low interest rates provided a subsidy for risky speculation while deregulation allowed financial institutions to increase leverage to perilous levels, creating trillions of dollars of credit backed by insufficient capital reserves. When two Bear Stearns hedge funds defaulted in July 2007, the process of turbo-charging profits through massive credit expansion flipped into reverse sending the financial system into a downward spiral which has just recently begun to decelerate.
It is inaccurate to call the current slump a "recession", which suggests a mismatch between supply and demand that is part of the normal business cycle. In truth, the economy has stumbled into a multi-trillion dollar capital hole that was created by the reckless actions of the nation's largest financial institutions. The banks blew up the system and now the country has slipped into a depression.
Currently, the banks are lobbying congress to preserve the "fiA Bloodless Coup
The Transition From Democracy To A Bnk-run Society
By Mike... more
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