Despite billions pledged for reconstruction, practically none of it has come because of Israel's tight embargo on virtually everything needed. As a result, thousands of displaced and destitute families live in cramped quarters with relatives or in tents as their only other alternative.

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Feature-Article.htm?Info=0062651&From=News

 This OCC and OTS Mortgage Metrics Report for the first quarter of 2009 provides performance data on first lien residential mortgages serviced by national banks and federally regulated thrifts. 

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/06/occ-and-ots-prime-delinquencie...

A must-see video about the Federal Reserve by Robert Pollin on the Real News.

http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&It...

Just form your own bank.

http://www.webofdebt.com/articles/but_governor.php

As HR 1207 gains momentum and co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, the Federal Reserve is planning to fight the tide calling for an audit of its books by hiring a veteran lobbyist to “manage its relations with Congress,” according to Reuters.

http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-4418-0-5-5--.html 

A detailed analysis by the Financial Times of the General motors bankruptcy:

http://www.ft.com/cms/a491f060-b57f-11dd-ab71-0000779fd18c.htm?ftcamp=La...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2009-05-26-irs-tax-revenue-dow...

Video: a good overview of the case involving Jane Harman and two Israeli spies.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/42231

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html?_r=1&hp%3E%3Cfont%20colo...

Barry Eichengreen, an expert on the Great Depression, and Kevin O'Rourke, take issue with the notion that the current downturn is less severe than the Great Depression. While the slump in the US is not as bad, that mis-states the global picture.

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/04/world-economy-falling-faster-than...

Car Manufacturers Bailout: The United Senate Republicans Against The United Auto Workers.

By Richard Van Slyke
December 12, 2008

On December 11th, the Senate defeated a bill previously approved by the House to bailout the three major U.S. car manufacturers.  Whether the ill-managed companies deserved to be bailed-out is a relevant question, but what is interesting is the main argument that a united front of Senate Republicans used to reject the bill.  According to them, the main cause for the demise of the carmakers is the cost of labor.

Food, Oil, and Speculators

By Richard Van Slyke
May 12, 2008

The truth is slowly starting to trickle out.  Not thanks to the hard work of the U.S. mainstream media, but just because it’s so real that it can’t remain totally hidden. What is really causing the rise of food and oil prices?
Many reasons have been given over the past few months.
Shortage of oil production turned out to be a false pretext; there is more oil being produced now than in the 1970’s.
The use of corn and soybean for biofuels, a reason given by George Bush a few weeks ago, was retracted days later.  Biofuels do play a part in the rise of food prices, but absolutely not to an extent that would justify the rise that occurred.
So the major factor in food and oil prices jump is slowly emerging in the news: speculators.  Of course, the first reports came from outside the U.S.; then it was picked-up here by alternative medias here, citing foreign sources.  And now some major media are (probably reluctantly) bringing it up.

Grannies arrested for wanting to enlist.

By Richard Van Slyke
March 19th, 2008

Two days ago, 10 members of Grandmothers for Peace were arrested in Atlanta for trying to enlist at an Army recruiting station. I won’t go over all the details of the event as it is best related by Atlanta Progressive News (1), but this story definitely needs close attention. Despite the fact that it is quite hilarious, it is also definitely a serious matter.

The motto was: "We don’t want our grandchildren to go to war, so take us instead."

What started out as a reasonable, though not perfect, stimulus plan has been ruined by Republicans in Congress:

REPORTED STIMULUS PACKAGE WOULD PROVIDE LITTLE IMMEDIATE BOOST DUE TO REMOVAL OF MOST EFFECTIVE PROVISIONS

Changes reportedly made last night in the stimulus package would reduce its effectiveness as stimulus. Although the package includes a reasonably designed tax rebate, the two most targeted and economically effective measures under consideration — a temporary extension of unemployment benefits and a temporary boost in food stamp benefits — were zeroed out, apparently at the insistence of House Republican leaders.

If you live in the U.S., you're rich. Even if you are homeless and reading this article in a public library. How do we know that? Your GDP is high!

What is the GDP?
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is in economics the leading indicator of the wealth of a country.
It is calculated by adding-up private consumption, business investments, government expenditures, and the difference (positive or negative) between exports and imports.

By dividing that figure by the number of inhabitants, the GDP per capita is also usually used as an indicator of the standard of living in that country.

Help! Could someone please invade us and give us democracy.
By Richard Van Slyke

Democracy is one of the most cherished goods on this earth. It’s hard to find, and when we have it, it’s hard to keep. It appeared at one time that we had plenty of it and that we could relax, just have fun and enjoy it. We felt so secure that we even gave some away.

We gave some to Iran in 1953.
We tried to give some to Vietnam in the 1960’s, but they didn’t want any of it.
We gave some to Chile in 1973.
We gave some to Iraq in 1979.
And again to Iraq in 1991

CPA Officials Posing with $2 Million in Cash

 
Twenty billion dollars, you read it well! Even in military accounting terms, that’s a lot of toilet seats. A tale of total incompetence; as a script it probably would have been turned down by Hollywood for being totally unbelievable (until now).