http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091031/ts_nm/us_usbancorp
It's time to get real people because system failure is occurring, make sure you can provide for you and yours.
U.S. authorities seized nine failed banks on Friday, the most in a single day since the financial crisis began and the latest stark sign that substantial parts of the nation's banking industry are being crippled by bad loans.
The move brought the total number of failed banks in 2009 to 115 -- their highest annual level since 1992 -- with analysts expecting more to come.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Trick or treat?
Wal-Mart starts selling coffins
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8333198.stm
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, now plans to hold on to customers even after they die - by selling coffins.
Prices range from a "Mom" or "Dad Remembered" steel coffin for $895 (£540), to a bronze model at $2,899.
The retailer is allowing customers to plan ahead by paying for the caskets over 12 months for no interest. They can be dispatched within 48 hours.
Catering for cradle-to-grave needs, Wal-Mart already sells everything from baby wear to engagement rings.
A spokesman for the supermarket giant, Ravi Jariwala, said the new coffin range was "a limited beta test to understand customer response".
The retailer is offering caskets
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8333198.stm
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, now plans to hold on to customers even after they die - by selling coffins.
Prices range from a "Mom" or "Dad Remembered" steel coffin for $895 (£540), to a bronze model at $2,899.
The retailer is allowing customers to plan ahead by paying for the caskets over 12 months for no interest. They can be dispatched within 48 hours.
Catering for cradle-to-grave needs, Wal-Mart already sells everything from baby wear to engagement rings.
A spokesman for the supermarket giant, Ravi Jariwala, said the new coffin range was "a limited beta test to understand customer response".
The retailer is offering caskets
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Cluster bomb trade funded by world's biggest banks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...ter-bomb-trade
The deadly trade in cluster bombs is funded by the world's biggest banks who have loaned or arranged finance worth $20bn (£12.5bn) to firms producing the controversial weapons, despite growing international efforts to ban them.
HSBC, led by ordained Anglican priest Stephen Green, has profited more than any other institution from companies that manufacture cluster bombs. The British bank, based at Canary Wharf, has earned a total of £657.3m in fees arranging bonds and share offerings for Textron, which makes cluster munitions described by the US company as "leaving a clean battlefield".
Campaigners maintain the deadly weapons can explode years after combat, killing or maiming innocent people.
HSBC will face protests outside its London headquarters today. Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, JP Morgan and UK-based Barclays Bank are also named among the worst banks in a detailed 126-page report by Dutch and Belgian campaign groups IKV Pax Christi and Netwerk Vlaanderen.
Goldman Sachs, the US bank which made £3.19bn proft in just three months, earned $588.82m for bank services and lent $250m to Alliant Techsystems and Textron.
Of the banks named, only Barclays was prepared to comment. It said: "Barclays group provides financial services to the defence sector within a specific policy framework. It is our policy not to finance trade in nuclear, chemical, biological or other weapons of mass destruction.
The deadly trade in cluster bombs is funded by the world's biggest banks who have loaned or arranged finance worth $20bn (£12.5bn) to firms producing the controversial weapons, despite growing international efforts to ban them.
HSBC, led by ordained Anglican priest Stephen Green, has profited more than any other institution from companies that manufacture cluster bombs. The British bank, based at Canary Wharf, has earned a total of £657.3m in fees arranging bonds and share offerings for Textron, which makes cluster munitions described by the US company as "leaving a clean battlefield".
Campaigners maintain the deadly weapons can explode years after combat, killing or maiming innocent people.
HSBC will face protests outside its London headquarters today. Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, JP Morgan and UK-based Barclays Bank are also named among the worst banks in a detailed 126-page report by Dutch and Belgian campaign groups IKV Pax Christi and Netwerk Vlaanderen.
Goldman Sachs, the US bank which made £3.19bn proft in just three months, earned $588.82m for bank services and lent $250m to Alliant Techsystems and Textron.
Of the banks named, only Barclays was prepared to comment. It said: "Barclays group provides financial services to the defence sector within a specific policy framework. It is our policy not to finance trade in nuclear, chemical, biological or other weapons of mass destruction.
Where have all the jobs gone?
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou....a/content.html
Overseas
Here is a list of companies we've confirmed are "Exporting America." These are U.S. companies either sending American jobs overseas, or choosing to employ cheap overseas labor, instead of American workers
Overseas
Here is a list of companies we've confirmed are "Exporting America." These are U.S. companies either sending American jobs overseas, or choosing to employ cheap overseas labor, instead of American workers
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Care for seconds, try thirds
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Treasury-GMAC-in-talks-for-apf-1495891587.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=2&asset=&ccode=
Treasury, GMAC in talks for 3rd round of US aid
Treasury says auto lender GMAC in talks for billions more in taxpayer funds to boost capital
Treasury, GMAC in talks for 3rd round of US aid
Treasury says auto lender GMAC in talks for billions more in taxpayer funds to boost capital
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/world/asia/28intel.html?_r=1
Is there anybody we don't give a paycheck to?
KABUL, Afghanistan — Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former American officials.
The agency pays Mr. Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the C.I.A.’s direction in and around the southern city of Kandahar, Mr. Karzai’s home.
The financial ties and close working relationship between the intelligence agency and Mr. Karzai raise significant questions about America’s war strategy, which is currently under review at the White House.
Is there anybody we don't give a paycheck to?
KABUL, Afghanistan — Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former American officials.
The agency pays Mr. Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the C.I.A.’s direction in and around the southern city of Kandahar, Mr. Karzai’s home.
The financial ties and close working relationship between the intelligence agency and Mr. Karzai raise significant questions about America’s war strategy, which is currently under review at the White House.
Gardasil Researcher Drops A Bombshell
http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/10/25/top_stories/doc4ae4b76d07e16766677720.txt
Why has main stream media ignored this? Is the poisoning of our children for the sake of nothing more than sheer greed not news worthy enough for them?
This garbage is pushed on a world wide basis, and it's time to shut it down.
The CDC bought this crap in mass quantity and paid for it with your tax dollars.
It's time to say NO MORE!
Do it for the sake of the kids
Dr. Diane Harper, lead researcher in the development of two human papilloma virus vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, said the controversial drugs will do little to reduce cervical cancer rates and, even though they’re being recommended for girls as young as nine, there have been no efficacy trials in children under the age of 15.
Dr. Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the University of Missouri, made these remarks during an address at the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination which took place in Reston, Virginia on Oct. 2-4. Although her talk was intended to promote the vaccine, participants said they came away convinced the vaccine should not be received.
“I came away from the talk with the perception that the risk of adverse side effects is so much greater than the risk of cervical cancer, I couldn’t help but question why we need the vaccine at all,” said Joan Robinson, Assistant Editor at the Population Research Institute.
Dr. Harper began her remarks by explaining that 70 percent of all HPV infections resolve themselves without treatment within a year. Within two years, the number climbs to 90 percent. Of the remaining 10 percent of HPV infections, only half will develop into cervical cancer, which leaves little need for the vaccine.
She went on to surprise the audience by stating that the incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S. is already so low that “even if we get the vaccine
Why has main stream media ignored this? Is the poisoning of our children for the sake of nothing more than sheer greed not news worthy enough for them?
This garbage is pushed on a world wide basis, and it's time to shut it down.
The CDC bought this crap in mass quantity and paid for it with your tax dollars.
It's time to say NO MORE!
Do it for the sake of the kids
Dr. Diane Harper, lead researcher in the development of two human papilloma virus vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, said the controversial drugs will do little to reduce cervical cancer rates and, even though they’re being recommended for girls as young as nine, there have been no efficacy trials in children under the age of 15.
Dr. Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the University of Missouri, made these remarks during an address at the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination which took place in Reston, Virginia on Oct. 2-4. Although her talk was intended to promote the vaccine, participants said they came away convinced the vaccine should not be received.
“I came away from the talk with the perception that the risk of adverse side effects is so much greater than the risk of cervical cancer, I couldn’t help but question why we need the vaccine at all,” said Joan Robinson, Assistant Editor at the Population Research Institute.
Dr. Harper began her remarks by explaining that 70 percent of all HPV infections resolve themselves without treatment within a year. Within two years, the number climbs to 90 percent. Of the remaining 10 percent of HPV infections, only half will develop into cervical cancer, which leaves little need for the vaccine.
She went on to surprise the audience by stating that the incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S. is already so low that “even if we get the vaccine
Monday, October 26, 2009
Clock ticking on U.S. debt ceiling
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Clock-ticking-on-US-debt-cnnm-928428467.html?x=0
Roughly $211 billion separates what the country owes and its self-imposed credit limit.
And by Friday, after another week of massive debt sales by the Treasury Department, that gap will likely have narrowed considerably.
It is now expected that the $12.104 trillion debt ceiling could be breached by the end of November.
It is also expected that lawmakers will raise the ceiling, as they have done more than 90 times since 1940 -- eight of them since 2002.
If they don't, the government could be forced to shut down. But that's not the worst that could happen. In fact, the government did shut down for a spell in 1995 and life went on. The reason lawmakers will eventually approve an increase is because without one ultimately the value of U.S. bonds would sink, jeopardizing the portfolios of countries and investors around the world who invest in U.S. debt.
It makes life a whole lot easier for folks at Treasury if lawmakers take that vote before the ceiling is breached -- and they usually do. But there have been times when Congress voted to raise the limit after it was pierced, according to a recent Standard & Poor's report.
If they don't do so before the breach, "the U.S. Treasury must engage in some legerdemain to create additional headroom," wrote Standard & Poor's managing director John Chambers.
The department has a few options -- but all of them are limited and very short-term. One House Democratic leadership aide said Treasury told congressional staff the steps they can take "will only cover two weeks at most and potentially even less, depending on the timing
Roughly $211 billion separates what the country owes and its self-imposed credit limit.
And by Friday, after another week of massive debt sales by the Treasury Department, that gap will likely have narrowed considerably.
It is now expected that the $12.104 trillion debt ceiling could be breached by the end of November.
It is also expected that lawmakers will raise the ceiling, as they have done more than 90 times since 1940 -- eight of them since 2002.
If they don't, the government could be forced to shut down. But that's not the worst that could happen. In fact, the government did shut down for a spell in 1995 and life went on. The reason lawmakers will eventually approve an increase is because without one ultimately the value of U.S. bonds would sink, jeopardizing the portfolios of countries and investors around the world who invest in U.S. debt.
It makes life a whole lot easier for folks at Treasury if lawmakers take that vote before the ceiling is breached -- and they usually do. But there have been times when Congress voted to raise the limit after it was pierced, according to a recent Standard & Poor's report.
If they don't do so before the breach, "the U.S. Treasury must engage in some legerdemain to create additional headroom," wrote Standard & Poor's managing director John Chambers.
The department has a few options -- but all of them are limited and very short-term. One House Democratic leadership aide said Treasury told congressional staff the steps they can take "will only cover two weeks at most and potentially even less, depending on the timing
U.S. puts a stop to paying cash to contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/ss_iraq0822_10_21.asp
The U.S. military has ended transfers of U.S. dollars in cash to contractors in Iraq. ShareThis
Officials said U.S. Central Command has ordered a ban on cash transfers to private security and other contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. Centcom has been responsible for U.S. military activities throughout the Middle East and Central Asia.
"What we are going to do effective Oct. 1, is we will write the contracts in U.S. dollars and they will be paid through the Iraqi and Afghan banking system in local currency," U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Phillip McGhee said. "That's huge."
The U.S. military has ended transfers of U.S. dollars in cash to contractors in Iraq. ShareThis
Officials said U.S. Central Command has ordered a ban on cash transfers to private security and other contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. Centcom has been responsible for U.S. military activities throughout the Middle East and Central Asia.
"What we are going to do effective Oct. 1, is we will write the contracts in U.S. dollars and they will be paid through the Iraqi and Afghan banking system in local currency," U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Phillip McGhee said. "That's huge."
DEA Agents Among 14 Americans Dead In Afghanistan
http://wcbstv.com/national/DEA.agents.afghanistan.2.1272192.html
A U.S. military helicopter crashed Monday while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers in western Afghanistan, killing 10 Americans including three DEA agents in a not-so-noticed war within a war.
The casualties marked the Drug Enforcement Administration's first deaths since it began operations here in 2005. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium — the raw ingredient in heroin — and the illicit drug trade is a major source of funding for insurgent groups.
The U.S. has decided to target production and distribution networks after programs to destroy poppy fields did little except turn farmers against the American-led NATO mission.
In the past year, the DEA has launched an ambitious plan to increase its personnel in Afghanistan from about a dozen to nearly 80, greatly expanding its role.
A U.S. military helicopter crashed Monday while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers in western Afghanistan, killing 10 Americans including three DEA agents in a not-so-noticed war within a war.
The casualties marked the Drug Enforcement Administration's first deaths since it began operations here in 2005. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium — the raw ingredient in heroin — and the illicit drug trade is a major source of funding for insurgent groups.
The U.S. has decided to target production and distribution networks after programs to destroy poppy fields did little except turn farmers against the American-led NATO mission.
In the past year, the DEA has launched an ambitious plan to increase its personnel in Afghanistan from about a dozen to nearly 80, greatly expanding its role.
Health study links mobile phone use to four kinds of cancer
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/10/25/new-cancer-link-to-mobiles-115875-21771409/
A major international health study has shown that excessive mobile phone use can be linked to four different kinds of cancer.
The research, which has taken 10 years and cost £20million, found that heavy mobile users suffered up to 50 per cent more tumours.
Scientists now say there is a "significantly increased risk" of people developing three different kinds of brain tumour and one of the salivary gland. News of the findings, which are to be published within the next eight weeks, has led to calls for mobiles to carry health warnings.
Alasdair Philips, of campaign group Powerwatch, said: "Mobile companies hide the figures on how much radiation they give off in the back of manuals.
"But modern phones give out 217 electromagnetic pulses every minute into your head. Primary school children should not have them, secondary school children should be encouraged to text rather than call, and males should not keep them in a pocket because they drastically affect fertility."
The research has been done by the Interphone project, funded by the World Health Organisation and mobile phone companies
A major international health study has shown that excessive mobile phone use can be linked to four different kinds of cancer.
The research, which has taken 10 years and cost £20million, found that heavy mobile users suffered up to 50 per cent more tumours.
Scientists now say there is a "significantly increased risk" of people developing three different kinds of brain tumour and one of the salivary gland. News of the findings, which are to be published within the next eight weeks, has led to calls for mobiles to carry health warnings.
Alasdair Philips, of campaign group Powerwatch, said: "Mobile companies hide the figures on how much radiation they give off in the back of manuals.
"But modern phones give out 217 electromagnetic pulses every minute into your head. Primary school children should not have them, secondary school children should be encouraged to text rather than call, and males should not keep them in a pocket because they drastically affect fertility."
The research has been done by the Interphone project, funded by the World Health Organisation and mobile phone companies
Unregulated Credit Card Rates Are Breaking Down Consumers
Unregulated Credit Card Rates Are Breaking Down Consumers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minyanville.com/articles/.../index/a/25107
I’m hearing many stories about ridiculous rates, but this one takes the cake.
First Premier Bank Offers Card With 79.9% Rate
Consider “No, You're Reading That Right”.
Gordon Hageman couldn’t believe the credit card offer he got in the mail.
"My first thought, it was a mistake," Hageman said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minyanville.com/articles/.../index/a/25107
I’m hearing many stories about ridiculous rates, but this one takes the cake.
First Premier Bank Offers Card With 79.9% Rate
Consider “No, You're Reading That Right”.
Gordon Hageman couldn’t believe the credit card offer he got in the mail.
"My first thought, it was a mistake," Hageman said.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Obama declares swine flu a national emergency
http://www.thenewstribune.com/topstories/story/928074.html
President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.
The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government's initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.
Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the strain of flu known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.
Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission
President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.
The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government's initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.
Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the strain of flu known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.
Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission
Friday, October 23, 2009
Secret Service strained as leaders face more threats
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/wa...ats/?page=full
The unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama, a rise in racist hate groups, and a new wave of antigovernment fervor threaten to overwhelm the US Secret Service, according to government officials and reports, raising new questions about the 144-year-old agency’s overall mission.
Discuss
COMMENTS (167)
The Secret Service is tracking a far broader range of possible threats to the nation’s leaders, the officials said, even as it also investigates financial crimes such as counterfeiting as part of its original mandate.
The new demands are leading some officials, both inside and outside the agency, to raise the possibility of the service curtailing or dropping its role in fighting financial crime to focus more on protecting leaders and their families from assassination attempts and thwarting terrorist plots aimed at high-profile events.
“If there were an evaluation of the service’s two missions, it might be determined that it is ineffective . . . to conduct its protection mission and investigate financial crimes,’’ according to a inter nal report issued in August by the Congressional Research Service.
The report, which was provided to the Globe, said such a review should look at how money and staff are allocated, and whether some of the agency’s functions and workers should be transferred to the Treasury Department
The unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama, a rise in racist hate groups, and a new wave of antigovernment fervor threaten to overwhelm the US Secret Service, according to government officials and reports, raising new questions about the 144-year-old agency’s overall mission.
Discuss
COMMENTS (167)
The Secret Service is tracking a far broader range of possible threats to the nation’s leaders, the officials said, even as it also investigates financial crimes such as counterfeiting as part of its original mandate.
The new demands are leading some officials, both inside and outside the agency, to raise the possibility of the service curtailing or dropping its role in fighting financial crime to focus more on protecting leaders and their families from assassination attempts and thwarting terrorist plots aimed at high-profile events.
“If there were an evaluation of the service’s two missions, it might be determined that it is ineffective . . . to conduct its protection mission and investigate financial crimes,’’ according to a inter nal report issued in August by the Congressional Research Service.
The report, which was provided to the Globe, said such a review should look at how money and staff are allocated, and whether some of the agency’s functions and workers should be transferred to the Treasury Department
Gas Costs $400 a Gallon in Afghanistan
http://www.military.com/news/article...=1186032325324
The logic about how the war in Iraq would pay for itself from oil revenues never did pan out in spite of the fact that it’s an oil-rich country. How much worse is the situation in Afghanistan, then, where there is no oil industry and the very cost of getting fuel to U.S. forces – buying, shipping and hauling – has become embarrassingly high?
About $400 per gallon worse.
That’s the figure the Pentagon has come up with after crunching all the costs related to getting gasoline into the tanks, Humvees and helos operating in the Afghan theater, according to the Pentagon.
The number emerged after the Pentagon’s comptroller was directed to spell out why the Afghan war costs about $1 billion for every 1,000 Americans deployed there, according to a report in The Hill newspaper, which said the Obama administration uses that number in estimating costs of sending the up-to-40,000 new troops requested by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The reasons given for the overall high price for fuel – what the Pentagon calls the “fully burdened cost of fuel” – is the lack of infrastructure in Afghanistan and a geography that’s unforgiving of ground transport bound for remote bases in mountainous regions.
The logic about how the war in Iraq would pay for itself from oil revenues never did pan out in spite of the fact that it’s an oil-rich country. How much worse is the situation in Afghanistan, then, where there is no oil industry and the very cost of getting fuel to U.S. forces – buying, shipping and hauling – has become embarrassingly high?
About $400 per gallon worse.
That’s the figure the Pentagon has come up with after crunching all the costs related to getting gasoline into the tanks, Humvees and helos operating in the Afghan theater, according to the Pentagon.
The number emerged after the Pentagon’s comptroller was directed to spell out why the Afghan war costs about $1 billion for every 1,000 Americans deployed there, according to a report in The Hill newspaper, which said the Obama administration uses that number in estimating costs of sending the up-to-40,000 new troops requested by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The reasons given for the overall high price for fuel – what the Pentagon calls the “fully burdened cost of fuel” – is the lack of infrastructure in Afghanistan and a geography that’s unforgiving of ground transport bound for remote bases in mountainous regions.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wal-Mart and eBay Agree: This Christmas Will Stink
http://finance.yahoo.com/techticker/article/359123/Wal-Mart-and-eBay-Agree:-This-Christmas-Will-Stink
Oh it'll be OK Goldman Sachs gets their bonus
From The Business Insider, Oct. 22, 2009:
We're not seeing good noise on the Christmas front lately.
A gloomier than expected outlook hit Walmart (WMT) hard yesterday afternoon while eBay is currently down after reporting.
Bloomberg: Walmart plans to reduce prices as the season advances in areas including home, food and gifts, Fleming told analysts today at a conference in Rogers, Arkansas.
Consumers’ wallets "are challenged," Fleming said. The holiday season "is going to be tough, it is going to be late."
Oh it'll be OK Goldman Sachs gets their bonus
From The Business Insider, Oct. 22, 2009:
We're not seeing good noise on the Christmas front lately.
A gloomier than expected outlook hit Walmart (WMT) hard yesterday afternoon while eBay is currently down after reporting.
Bloomberg: Walmart plans to reduce prices as the season advances in areas including home, food and gifts, Fleming told analysts today at a conference in Rogers, Arkansas.
Consumers’ wallets "are challenged," Fleming said. The holiday season "is going to be tough, it is going to be late."
Dems seek cover to boost debt limit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28586.html
The Senate must soon increase the national debt limit to above $13 trillion — and Democrats are looking for political cover.
Knowing they will face unyielding GOP attacks for voting to increase the eye-popping debt, Democrats are considering attaching a debt increase provision to a must-pass bill, possibly the Defense Department spending bill, according to Democratic and Republican sources.
Adding it to the defense bill would allow Democrats to argue that they voted for the measure to help troops in harm’s way — and downplay that their vote also expanded the limit for how much money the country can borrow.
The strategy has not yet been finalized, aides and senators said. The House already approved a debt limit increase of $925 billion — above the $12.1 trillion ceiling Congress approved as part of the economic stimulus package last February — but Democrats may seek to increase the limit further so they don’t have to revisit the politically treacherous issue until after the 2010 midterm elections.
As of Tuesday, the debt stood at $11.95 trillion
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28586.html
The Senate must soon increase the national debt limit to above $13 trillion — and Democrats are looking for political cover.
Knowing they will face unyielding GOP attacks for voting to increase the eye-popping debt, Democrats are considering attaching a debt increase provision to a must-pass bill, possibly the Defense Department spending bill, according to Democratic and Republican sources.
Adding it to the defense bill would allow Democrats to argue that they voted for the measure to help troops in harm’s way — and downplay that their vote also expanded the limit for how much money the country can borrow.
The strategy has not yet been finalized, aides and senators said. The House already approved a debt limit increase of $925 billion — above the $12.1 trillion ceiling Congress approved as part of the economic stimulus package last February — but Democrats may seek to increase the limit further so they don’t have to revisit the politically treacherous issue until after the 2010 midterm elections.
As of Tuesday, the debt stood at $11.95 trillion
Monday, October 19, 2009
Bill Maher Meltdown
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bi...aher-meltdown/
Listen to Chris, he can't stand the fact that Bill won't condone the propaganda about the H1N1 flu vaccine.
Listen to Chris, he can't stand the fact that Bill won't condone the propaganda about the H1N1 flu vaccine.
State problems
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/daley.budget.deficit.2.1257259.html
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Faced with a $550 million budget deficit, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley on Monday said that all non-union city workers would take nearly five working weeks of unpaid leave next year to save the city money.
Daley announced plans Monday to save $114 million by requiring 3,600 non-union city workers to take 24 unpaid days off, eliminating 220 vacant jobs and cutting expenses like travel and supplies by $20 million.
It's about a nine percent pay cut next year for top city officials, administrators and middle managers at City Hall -- including the mayor himself. That will cost about $8,100 for a boss who usually makes $90,000
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BEATO00&show_article=1
HONOLULU (AP) - At a time when President Barack Obama is pushing for more time in the classroom, his home state has created the nation's shortest school year under a new union contract that closes schools on most Fridays for the remainder of the academic calendar.
The deal whacks 17 days from the school year for budget-cutting reasons and has education advocates incensed that Hawaii is drastically cutting the academic calendar at a time when it already ranks near the bottom in national educational achievement
http://cbs3.com/local/Pennsylvania.Layoffs.State.2.1258008.html
It appears likely that state government will announce another round of layoffs soon.
Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday that he might make an announcement on layoffs by the end of the week. The state has laid off more than 300 employees since July because of spending cuts.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Faced with a $550 million budget deficit, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley on Monday said that all non-union city workers would take nearly five working weeks of unpaid leave next year to save the city money.
Daley announced plans Monday to save $114 million by requiring 3,600 non-union city workers to take 24 unpaid days off, eliminating 220 vacant jobs and cutting expenses like travel and supplies by $20 million.
It's about a nine percent pay cut next year for top city officials, administrators and middle managers at City Hall -- including the mayor himself. That will cost about $8,100 for a boss who usually makes $90,000
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BEATO00&show_article=1
HONOLULU (AP) - At a time when President Barack Obama is pushing for more time in the classroom, his home state has created the nation's shortest school year under a new union contract that closes schools on most Fridays for the remainder of the academic calendar.
The deal whacks 17 days from the school year for budget-cutting reasons and has education advocates incensed that Hawaii is drastically cutting the academic calendar at a time when it already ranks near the bottom in national educational achievement
http://cbs3.com/local/Pennsylvania.Layoffs.State.2.1258008.html
It appears likely that state government will announce another round of layoffs soon.
Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday that he might make an announcement on layoffs by the end of the week. The state has laid off more than 300 employees since July because of spending cuts.
Armageddon in Alabama Proves Parable for Local U.S. Governments
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601015&sid=a6QpSf.s4NaA
The gaul of the Greed! The bank doesn't care at all about the impact it's decisions will have, they just want theirs
In August, Bank of New York Mellon Corp., as trustee for owners of about $3 billion in sewer warrants, filed suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court seeking an appointed receiver for the sewer system. The receiver should have authority to raise rates enough to meet the debt service, the bank said in the complaint, which is pending. A federal judge turned down a similar request in June, saying he lacked jurisdiction.
The sewer system is already charging customers about 300 percent more to drain bathtubs or flush toilets than a dozen years ago.
Above National Average
By one county estimate, average annual bills are now about $750, compared with the national average of $331, according to a 2007 survey by the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Clean Water Agencies, a coalition of utilities.
It’s impossible to boost them enough without putting them beyond the means of many residents, County Commissioner Jim Carns says. “We’re like a guy making $50,000 a year with a $1 million mortgage
The gaul of the Greed! The bank doesn't care at all about the impact it's decisions will have, they just want theirs
In August, Bank of New York Mellon Corp., as trustee for owners of about $3 billion in sewer warrants, filed suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court seeking an appointed receiver for the sewer system. The receiver should have authority to raise rates enough to meet the debt service, the bank said in the complaint, which is pending. A federal judge turned down a similar request in June, saying he lacked jurisdiction.
The sewer system is already charging customers about 300 percent more to drain bathtubs or flush toilets than a dozen years ago.
Above National Average
By one county estimate, average annual bills are now about $750, compared with the national average of $331, according to a 2007 survey by the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Clean Water Agencies, a coalition of utilities.
It’s impossible to boost them enough without putting them beyond the means of many residents, County Commissioner Jim Carns says. “We’re like a guy making $50,000 a year with a $1 million mortgage
Exploitation in Kansas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qQ8B...eature=related
WARNING this is extremely hard to listen to. I can't imagine living with it 24/7
This is the consequence of another slice of Corporate Greed.
An unregulated utility industry is dangerous. We call for Congress to adopt legislation that will mandate the Utility Industry shield the public from non-ionizing radiation, stray voltage, toxic noise, chemical exposure and aerosol pollutants emitting from Utility owned and operated equipment.
Research sponsored by the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) shows an increase in cancer in homes with higher stray voltage levels. Documented in IEEE 519-1992, utilities were advised to increase the size of their neutral wires by two and a half times larger than the power delivery wires.
Renowned Scientists Issue Wake-up Call on EMF and RF Radiation Hazards.The BioInitiative Report documents the scientific evidence that power line EMF exposure is responsible for hundreds of new cases of childhood leukemia every year in the United States and around the world.
In addition, we have been subjected to Chemical Trespass, of our bodies/land with No Corporate Accountability from Westar Energy, Inc. According to Kansas Statutes 21-3412. Battery is (1) Intentionally or recklessly causing bodily harm to another person; or (2) intentionally causing physical contact with another person when done in a rude, insulting or angry manner.
22-3902,60-908,21-3721, 21-3720,21-3701
We believe what has happened to our family, our home, our land is criminal. We have already received harassment, more intimidation, and threats for coming forward.
WARNING this is extremely hard to listen to. I can't imagine living with it 24/7
This is the consequence of another slice of Corporate Greed.
An unregulated utility industry is dangerous. We call for Congress to adopt legislation that will mandate the Utility Industry shield the public from non-ionizing radiation, stray voltage, toxic noise, chemical exposure and aerosol pollutants emitting from Utility owned and operated equipment.
Research sponsored by the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) shows an increase in cancer in homes with higher stray voltage levels. Documented in IEEE 519-1992, utilities were advised to increase the size of their neutral wires by two and a half times larger than the power delivery wires.
Renowned Scientists Issue Wake-up Call on EMF and RF Radiation Hazards.The BioInitiative Report documents the scientific evidence that power line EMF exposure is responsible for hundreds of new cases of childhood leukemia every year in the United States and around the world.
In addition, we have been subjected to Chemical Trespass, of our bodies/land with No Corporate Accountability from Westar Energy, Inc. According to Kansas Statutes 21-3412. Battery is (1) Intentionally or recklessly causing bodily harm to another person; or (2) intentionally causing physical contact with another person when done in a rude, insulting or angry manner.
22-3902,60-908,21-3721, 21-3720,21-3701
We believe what has happened to our family, our home, our land is criminal. We have already received harassment, more intimidation, and threats for coming forward.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
How Moody's sold its ratings -- and sold out investors
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/77244.html
-- As the housing market collapsed in late 2007, Moody's Investors Service, whose investment ratings were widely trusted, responded by purging analysts and executives who warned of trouble and promoting those who helped Wall Street plunge the country into its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
A McClatchy investigation has found that Moody's punished executives who questioned why the company was risking its reputation by putting its profits ahead of providing trustworthy ratings for investment offerings.
Instead, Moody's promoted executives who headed its "structured finance" division, which assisted Wall Street in packaging loans into securities for sale to investors. It also stacked its compliance department with the people who awarded the highest ratings to pools of mortgages that soon were downgraded to junk. Such products have another name now: "toxic assets
-- As the housing market collapsed in late 2007, Moody's Investors Service, whose investment ratings were widely trusted, responded by purging analysts and executives who warned of trouble and promoting those who helped Wall Street plunge the country into its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
A McClatchy investigation has found that Moody's punished executives who questioned why the company was risking its reputation by putting its profits ahead of providing trustworthy ratings for investment offerings.
Instead, Moody's promoted executives who headed its "structured finance" division, which assisted Wall Street in packaging loans into securities for sale to investors. It also stacked its compliance department with the people who awarded the highest ratings to pools of mortgages that soon were downgraded to junk. Such products have another name now: "toxic assets
READY TO REVOLT: Oath Keepers pledges to prevent dictatorship in United States
http://www.lvrj.com/news/oath-keeper...-64690232.html
Remember "The Minutemen" from long past and recent times, when our government refused to secure our southern border with Mexico. They are a group of very courageous men and women who took it upon themselves to do what our government and Homeland Security would not and still won't do. They are not racist or pushing any type of Aryan agenda, but rather they extraordinary Americans that will lay their lives on the line in defense of our country.
Things are rapidly changing in the United States to the point that the basic rights of it's citizens are almost unrecognizable to that of those laid down and guaranteed in the writing and signing of the Constitution, by men who with out a doubt would join the "Oath Keepers" today, to ensure the safety and freedom for which they themselves fought for so long ago.
Depending on your perspective, the Oath Keepers are either strident defenders of liberty or dangerous peddlers of paranoia.
In the age of town halls, talk radio and tea parties, middle ground of opinion is hard to find.
Launched in March by Las Vegan Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers bills itself as a nonpartisan group of current and retired law enforcement and military personnel who vow to fulfill their oaths to the Constitution.
More specifically, the group's members, which number in the thousands, pledge to disobey orders they deem unlawful, including directives to disarm the American people and to blockade American cities. By refusing the latter order, the Oath Keepers hope to prevent cities from becoming "giant concentration camps," a scenario the 44-year-old Rhodes says he can envision happening in the coming years.
It's a Cold War-era nightmare vision with a major twist: The occupying forces in this imagined future are American, not Soviet.
"The whole point of Oath Keepers is to stop a dictatorship from ever happening here," Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper and Yale-trained lawyer, said in an interview with the Review-Journal. "My focus is on the guys with the guns, because they can't do it without them.
"We say if the American people decide it's time for a revolution, we'll fight with you."
That type of rhetoric has caught the attention of groups that track extremist activity in the United States.
In a July report titled "Return of the Militias," the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center singled out Oath Keepers as "a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival."
Remember "The Minutemen" from long past and recent times, when our government refused to secure our southern border with Mexico. They are a group of very courageous men and women who took it upon themselves to do what our government and Homeland Security would not and still won't do. They are not racist or pushing any type of Aryan agenda, but rather they extraordinary Americans that will lay their lives on the line in defense of our country.
Things are rapidly changing in the United States to the point that the basic rights of it's citizens are almost unrecognizable to that of those laid down and guaranteed in the writing and signing of the Constitution, by men who with out a doubt would join the "Oath Keepers" today, to ensure the safety and freedom for which they themselves fought for so long ago.
Depending on your perspective, the Oath Keepers are either strident defenders of liberty or dangerous peddlers of paranoia.
In the age of town halls, talk radio and tea parties, middle ground of opinion is hard to find.
Launched in March by Las Vegan Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers bills itself as a nonpartisan group of current and retired law enforcement and military personnel who vow to fulfill their oaths to the Constitution.
More specifically, the group's members, which number in the thousands, pledge to disobey orders they deem unlawful, including directives to disarm the American people and to blockade American cities. By refusing the latter order, the Oath Keepers hope to prevent cities from becoming "giant concentration camps," a scenario the 44-year-old Rhodes says he can envision happening in the coming years.
It's a Cold War-era nightmare vision with a major twist: The occupying forces in this imagined future are American, not Soviet.
"The whole point of Oath Keepers is to stop a dictatorship from ever happening here," Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper and Yale-trained lawyer, said in an interview with the Review-Journal. "My focus is on the guys with the guns, because they can't do it without them.
"We say if the American people decide it's time for a revolution, we'll fight with you."
That type of rhetoric has caught the attention of groups that track extremist activity in the United States.
In a July report titled "Return of the Militias," the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center singled out Oath Keepers as "a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival."
Emanuel: Obama asking questions that have never been asked
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/18/emanuel-obama-asking-questions-that-have-never-been-asked/
Who are we to ask these kinds of questions of the Afghanistan government, as to whether they can provide peace and security for their own people?
The mission, as told to the American people, was to capture Osama Bin Laden, not to restructure Afghanistan's government into becoming a true partner of the United States.
If those parameters for invasion are considered just,then the only obvious question one can ask is who is next?
A top aide to President Barack Obama said Sunday that the administration’s thorough review of the U.S. military’s continued involvement in Afghanistan includes asking a number of questions about the Afghan government’s ability to function and provide peace and security on its own.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said the White House is not only looking at the question of how many troops are necessary to accomplish the American mission in Afghanistan but also: “Do you have a credible Afghan partner for this process — that can provide the security and the type of services that the Afghan people need?”
“This is a much more complex decision” than just determining the appropriate level of troops, Emanuel told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
“It’s clear that basically we had a war [in Afghanistan] for eight years that was going on, that’s adrift,” Emanuel also said, “that we’re beginning at scratch, just at the starting point, after eight years – and that there’s not an [Afghan] security force, an [Afghan] army, and the types of services that are important for the Afghans to become a true partner.”
Who are we to ask these kinds of questions of the Afghanistan government, as to whether they can provide peace and security for their own people?
The mission, as told to the American people, was to capture Osama Bin Laden, not to restructure Afghanistan's government into becoming a true partner of the United States.
If those parameters for invasion are considered just,then the only obvious question one can ask is who is next?
A top aide to President Barack Obama said Sunday that the administration’s thorough review of the U.S. military’s continued involvement in Afghanistan includes asking a number of questions about the Afghan government’s ability to function and provide peace and security on its own.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said the White House is not only looking at the question of how many troops are necessary to accomplish the American mission in Afghanistan but also: “Do you have a credible Afghan partner for this process — that can provide the security and the type of services that the Afghan people need?”
“This is a much more complex decision” than just determining the appropriate level of troops, Emanuel told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
“It’s clear that basically we had a war [in Afghanistan] for eight years that was going on, that’s adrift,” Emanuel also said, “that we’re beginning at scratch, just at the starting point, after eight years – and that there’s not an [Afghan] security force, an [Afghan] army, and the types of services that are important for the Afghans to become a true partner.”
Firefighter suspended for refusing to peel American flag sticker from locker
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/...-64647657.html
firefighter James Krapf wants to know what's wrong with Old Glory. The 11-year veteran was suspended without pay Thursday after he refused to peel a sticker of the American flag from his locker.
"It's pride…it's a matter of pride," Krapf said.
A new department rule mandates that all stickers and statements – union, cartoon and political – be stripped from lockers after several offensive and racist images showed up in the firehouse. But Krapf figured the red, white and blue was safe.
It seems he was wrong.
"The chief came out and said 'You have to remove your stickers,' I said 'No disrespect chief, but I'm not taking the flag off,'" Krapf recounted. He says the officer then asked him to leave
firefighter James Krapf wants to know what's wrong with Old Glory. The 11-year veteran was suspended without pay Thursday after he refused to peel a sticker of the American flag from his locker.
"It's pride…it's a matter of pride," Krapf said.
A new department rule mandates that all stickers and statements – union, cartoon and political – be stripped from lockers after several offensive and racist images showed up in the firehouse. But Krapf figured the red, white and blue was safe.
It seems he was wrong.
"The chief came out and said 'You have to remove your stickers,' I said 'No disrespect chief, but I'm not taking the flag off,'" Krapf recounted. He says the officer then asked him to leave
Child porn fears scupper airport ‘nude X-ray’ scans
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221111/Nude-X-ray-scans-scuppered-child-porn-fears.html
Airport security chiefs have been banned from subjecting children to a controversial new X-ray scanner that produces ‘naked’ pictures of passengers because of legal warnings the images may break child pornography laws.
The full-body scanner, which can spot weapons and explosives hidden under clothing, was launched with great fanfare at Manchester Airport last week.
But now – with the system due to begin operating at full capacity at Manchester’s Terminal 2 next week – security chiefs have been told no one under 18 can be subjected to the new checks.
Child protection experts have warned that the image produced by the Rapiscan machines may break the law which prevents the creation of an indecent image or pseudo-image of a child.
The legislation, the Protection of Children Act 1978, could potentially have led to security officers facing criminal charges for doing their job by examining the images.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221111/Nude-X-ray-scans-scuppered-child-porn-fears.html#ixzz0ULUxz3Ux
Airport security chiefs have been banned from subjecting children to a controversial new X-ray scanner that produces ‘naked’ pictures of passengers because of legal warnings the images may break child pornography laws.
The full-body scanner, which can spot weapons and explosives hidden under clothing, was launched with great fanfare at Manchester Airport last week.
But now – with the system due to begin operating at full capacity at Manchester’s Terminal 2 next week – security chiefs have been told no one under 18 can be subjected to the new checks.
Child protection experts have warned that the image produced by the Rapiscan machines may break the law which prevents the creation of an indecent image or pseudo-image of a child.
The legislation, the Protection of Children Act 1978, could potentially have led to security officers facing criminal charges for doing their job by examining the images.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221111/Nude-X-ray-scans-scuppered-child-porn-fears.html#ixzz0ULUxz3Ux
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Giving back
http://webmail.aol.com/28702/aol-1/en-us/suite.aspx
Now that's what I call sharing the wealth.
Very cool! Thanks Chad and Motorola
CINCINNATI -- Chad Ochocinco is taking some of the credit for the fact that Bengals fans in this area will be able to see the team play on TV on Sunday, and it appears he does have something to do with it. On Thursday the Bengals asked for (and got) a one-day extension of the league's deadline for selling out Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans. Had they not done so by Friday afternoon, the game would have been blacked out in the local market. And as of Thursday night, about 3,000 tickets remained unsold.
But at 1:08 p.m. Eastern time, Ochocinco announced on his Twitter page that he and Motorola had bought the remaining tickets and would be giving them away. Problem solved
Now that's what I call sharing the wealth.
Very cool! Thanks Chad and Motorola
CINCINNATI -- Chad Ochocinco is taking some of the credit for the fact that Bengals fans in this area will be able to see the team play on TV on Sunday, and it appears he does have something to do with it. On Thursday the Bengals asked for (and got) a one-day extension of the league's deadline for selling out Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans. Had they not done so by Friday afternoon, the game would have been blacked out in the local market. And as of Thursday night, about 3,000 tickets remained unsold.
But at 1:08 p.m. Eastern time, Ochocinco announced on his Twitter page that he and Motorola had bought the remaining tickets and would be giving them away. Problem solved
Friday, October 16, 2009
Judge Halts Flu Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers
http://wcbstv.com/breakingnewsalerts/mandatory.h1n1.vaccine.2.1252672.html
Health care workers in New York will no longer be forced to get the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, CBS 2 has learned.
A state Supreme Court judge issued a restraining order Friday against the state from enforcing the controversial mandatory vaccination.
The order came as the Public Employees Federation sued to reverse a policy requiring vaccination against the seasonal and swine flu viruses, arguing that state Health Commissioner Richard Daines overstepped his authority.
Three parties – the Public Employees Federaion, New York State United Teachers, and an attorney representing four Albany nurses – challenged the order and for now the vaccination for nurses, doctors, aides, and non-medical staff members who might be in a patient's room will remain voluntary.
The health department had said the workers must be vaccinated by November 30 or face possible disciplinary action, including dismissal.
Health care workers in New York will no longer be forced to get the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, CBS 2 has learned.
A state Supreme Court judge issued a restraining order Friday against the state from enforcing the controversial mandatory vaccination.
The order came as the Public Employees Federation sued to reverse a policy requiring vaccination against the seasonal and swine flu viruses, arguing that state Health Commissioner Richard Daines overstepped his authority.
Three parties – the Public Employees Federaion, New York State United Teachers, and an attorney representing four Albany nurses – challenged the order and for now the vaccination for nurses, doctors, aides, and non-medical staff members who might be in a patient's room will remain voluntary.
The health department had said the workers must be vaccinated by November 30 or face possible disciplinary action, including dismissal.
FDIC bank fund in the red until 2012
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/14/news...ion=2009101415
The government insurance fund designed to protect consumer bank deposits will likely stay in the red through 2012, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. chief Sheila Bair said Wednesday.
Testifying before members of the Senate Banking Committee, the nation's top commercial bank regulator stressed that her agency was taking immediate steps to replenish the dwindling fund. But she said those efforts would not put the rescue fund in the black until a little more than two years from now at the earliest.
The government insurance fund designed to protect consumer bank deposits will likely stay in the red through 2012, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. chief Sheila Bair said Wednesday.
Testifying before members of the Senate Banking Committee, the nation's top commercial bank regulator stressed that her agency was taking immediate steps to replenish the dwindling fund. But she said those efforts would not put the rescue fund in the black until a little more than two years from now at the earliest.
Wall St. Is Winning: Elizabeth Warren "Speechless" About Record Bonuses
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/355739/Wall-St.-Is-Winning-Elizabeth-Warren-%22Speechless%22-About-Record-Bonuses?tickers=XLF,FAS,FAZ,JPM,GS,BAC,C&sec=topStories&pos=8&asset=&ccode=
Comparing the situation today vs. a year ago, Warren observes:
•Even Too Bigger to Fail: A year ago the big concern was systemic risk and how to deal with 'too big to fail' firms, she recalls. Now "the big are bigger, we wiped out a lot of small folks and there's more concentration" in the banking system.
•Still Toxic: TARP was created explicitly to remove toxic assets from bank balance sheets. "They're still there by and large."
•Stress Test Failure: Unemployment has "blown through" the worst-case scenario in the stress test from February, Warren notes. But "we haven't repeated the stress test, or revealed any more information about what's going on inside these financial institutions."
In sum, "all the things going on [a year ago] that were serious, serious problems for the financial institutions seem to me are still serious, serious problems," she says.
Finally, Warren pulls no punches when it comes to her criticism of former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson for his failure to put any restrictions on or monitoring of the initial TARP funds, and for using the money for something other than "toxic asset relief," as originally intended
Comparing the situation today vs. a year ago, Warren observes:
•Even Too Bigger to Fail: A year ago the big concern was systemic risk and how to deal with 'too big to fail' firms, she recalls. Now "the big are bigger, we wiped out a lot of small folks and there's more concentration" in the banking system.
•Still Toxic: TARP was created explicitly to remove toxic assets from bank balance sheets. "They're still there by and large."
•Stress Test Failure: Unemployment has "blown through" the worst-case scenario in the stress test from February, Warren notes. But "we haven't repeated the stress test, or revealed any more information about what's going on inside these financial institutions."
In sum, "all the things going on [a year ago] that were serious, serious problems for the financial institutions seem to me are still serious, serious problems," she says.
Finally, Warren pulls no punches when it comes to her criticism of former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson for his failure to put any restrictions on or monitoring of the initial TARP funds, and for using the money for something other than "toxic asset relief," as originally intended
FDA approves Glaxo's cervical cancer vaccine
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/FDA-approves-Glaxos-cervical-apf-2176177020.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=3&asset=&ccode=
Injection age starts at 8 now for boys and girls for a virus that is spread primarily by sexual contact for a disease that shows up in women in their 50's.
How much sense does it make to shoot this poison into a child?
Actually none unless your on the monetary receiving end of Pharma, which then makes it a "life saver".
HPV infects about 6 million people in the U.S. each year, and is spread mainly through sexual contact. It usually causes no symptoms and goes away within two years, although rare cases can develop into warts and cancer in both men and women.
Last year, nearly 4,000 women died of cervical cancer in the U.S., less than 1 percent of all deaths from cancer
Injection age starts at 8 now for boys and girls for a virus that is spread primarily by sexual contact for a disease that shows up in women in their 50's.
How much sense does it make to shoot this poison into a child?
Actually none unless your on the monetary receiving end of Pharma, which then makes it a "life saver".
HPV infects about 6 million people in the U.S. each year, and is spread mainly through sexual contact. It usually causes no symptoms and goes away within two years, although rare cases can develop into warts and cancer in both men and women.
Last year, nearly 4,000 women died of cervical cancer in the U.S., less than 1 percent of all deaths from cancer
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Elizabeth Warren On Too Big To Fail
http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-5966-0-13-13--.html
Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren provides a much needed sober perspective of Bernanke's Doctrine of Mandatory Global Moral Hazard, by discussing just how broken the banking system continues to be.
Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren provides a much needed sober perspective of Bernanke's Doctrine of Mandatory Global Moral Hazard, by discussing just how broken the banking system continues to be.
antidepressant Paxil to blame for baby's heart defects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...ury-rules.html
A prime example of why "The Mother's law" should not be allowed to come into effect.
A US family has been awarded $2.5 million (£1.6 million) in damages after a Philadelphia jury decided that the antidepressant Paxil, known as Seroxat in Britain, was responsible for their son's birth defects.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the British manufacturer of Seroxat, said it would appeal against the verdict in the case, which is the first of 600 such cases to come to trial.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...ury-rules.html
A prime example of why "The Mother's law" should not be allowed to come into effect.
A US family has been awarded $2.5 million (£1.6 million) in damages after a Philadelphia jury decided that the antidepressant Paxil, known as Seroxat in Britain, was responsible for their son's birth defects.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the British manufacturer of Seroxat, said it would appeal against the verdict in the case, which is the first of 600 such cases to come to trial.
514K new jobless claims; inflation remains muted
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/514K-new-US-jobless-claims-apf-1424584190.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode=
The Labor Department said Thursday that first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped to a seasonally-adjusted 514,000 from an upwardly revised 524,000 the previous week. The fifth decline in six weeks was below Wall Street economists' forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters.
The four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, fell for the sixth straight time to 531,500. That's the lowest since January and about 125,000 below the peak reached in early April.
Economists closely watch initial claims, which are considered a measure of layoffs and the willingness of companies to add jobs.
"Claims are not yet low enough to indicate rising payrolls, but they certainly suggest" that net job cuts will be lower in October than last month, Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a note to clients.
The tally of people continuing to claim benefits dropped by 75,000 to 5.99 million, its first time below 6 million since the week of March 28. Continuing claims data lags initial claims by a week.
Many economists expect that job losses will fall below 200,000 in October from
The Labor Department said Thursday that first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped to a seasonally-adjusted 514,000 from an upwardly revised 524,000 the previous week. The fifth decline in six weeks was below Wall Street economists' forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters.
The four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, fell for the sixth straight time to 531,500. That's the lowest since January and about 125,000 below the peak reached in early April.
Economists closely watch initial claims, which are considered a measure of layoffs and the willingness of companies to add jobs.
"Claims are not yet low enough to indicate rising payrolls, but they certainly suggest" that net job cuts will be lower in October than last month, Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a note to clients.
The tally of people continuing to claim benefits dropped by 75,000 to 5.99 million, its first time below 6 million since the week of March 28. Continuing claims data lags initial claims by a week.
Many economists expect that job losses will fall below 200,000 in October from
Foreclosures: 'Worst three months of all time'
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/15/real_estate/foreclosure_crisis_deepens/?postversion=2009101507
Despite signs of broader economic recovery, number of foreclosure filings hit a record high in the third quarter - a sign the plague is still spreading
Despite concerted government-led and lender-supported efforts to prevent foreclosures, the number of filings hit a record high in the third quarter, according to a report issued Thursday.
"They were the worst three months of all time," said Rick Sharga, spokesman for RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed homes.
During that time, 937,840 homes received a foreclosure letter -- whether a default notice, auction notice or bank repossession, the RealtyTrac report said. That means one in every 136 U.S. homes were in foreclosure, which is a 5% increase from the second quarter and a 23% jump over the third quarter of 2008.
Despite signs of broader economic recovery, number of foreclosure filings hit a record high in the third quarter - a sign the plague is still spreading
Despite concerted government-led and lender-supported efforts to prevent foreclosures, the number of filings hit a record high in the third quarter, according to a report issued Thursday.
"They were the worst three months of all time," said Rick Sharga, spokesman for RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed homes.
During that time, 937,840 homes received a foreclosure letter -- whether a default notice, auction notice or bank repossession, the RealtyTrac report said. That means one in every 136 U.S. homes were in foreclosure, which is a 5% increase from the second quarter and a 23% jump over the third quarter of 2008.
Geithner aides made millions on Wall Street
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f012c4b2-b8f6-11de-98ee-00144feab49a.html
Obama administration officials now working on fixing and regulating the financial system were beneficiaries of several million dollars in pay from Wall Street and private equity companies, it has been revealed.
Financial disclosure forms show that prior to joining the government, Gene Sperling, a senior Treasury adviser, was paid $887,727 by Goldman Sachs and $158,000 for speeches to companies that included Stanford Group, the company run by Sir Allen Stanford, who has since been charged with fraud.
Mr Sperling’s compensation from Goldman was for work on a philanthropic project. His overall pay, including for his main job at the Council on Foreign Relations, totalled $2.2m in the 13 months to January.
The forms, which were first obtained by Bloomberg, showed that Matthew Kabaker, another adviser in the Treasury, earned $5.8m at Blackstone, the private equity firm, in the two years before joining the administration to work on plans to support banks and spur lending. Much of the compensation was in stock.
Lewis Alexander, another adviser, was chief economist to Citigroup before joining the administration; he was paid $2.4m in the last two years.
Even though some of the officials whose previous salaries were disclosed are senior, many were appointed as “counselors”, meaning they escaped Senate confirmation hearings which could have highlighted their past remuneration and employment at a time of heightened animosity towards the financial industry.
Earlier this month the release of the telephone call logs of Tim Geithner, Treasury secretary, showed he had numerous conversations with a number of Wall Street executives, sparking allegations that the administration was too close to the industry
Obama administration officials now working on fixing and regulating the financial system were beneficiaries of several million dollars in pay from Wall Street and private equity companies, it has been revealed.
Financial disclosure forms show that prior to joining the government, Gene Sperling, a senior Treasury adviser, was paid $887,727 by Goldman Sachs and $158,000 for speeches to companies that included Stanford Group, the company run by Sir Allen Stanford, who has since been charged with fraud.
Mr Sperling’s compensation from Goldman was for work on a philanthropic project. His overall pay, including for his main job at the Council on Foreign Relations, totalled $2.2m in the 13 months to January.
The forms, which were first obtained by Bloomberg, showed that Matthew Kabaker, another adviser in the Treasury, earned $5.8m at Blackstone, the private equity firm, in the two years before joining the administration to work on plans to support banks and spur lending. Much of the compensation was in stock.
Lewis Alexander, another adviser, was chief economist to Citigroup before joining the administration; he was paid $2.4m in the last two years.
Even though some of the officials whose previous salaries were disclosed are senior, many were appointed as “counselors”, meaning they escaped Senate confirmation hearings which could have highlighted their past remuneration and employment at a time of heightened animosity towards the financial industry.
Earlier this month the release of the telephone call logs of Tim Geithner, Treasury secretary, showed he had numerous conversations with a number of Wall Street executives, sparking allegations that the administration was too close to the industry
Obama calls for $250 payments to seniors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091015/D9BB77S00.html
- President Barack Obama called on Congress Wednesday to approve $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors to make up for no increase in Social Security next year. The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce Thursday that there will be no cost of living increase next year. By law, increases are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year.
It would mark the first year without an increase in Social Security payments since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.
"Even as we seek to bring about recovery, we must act on behalf of those hardest hit by this recession," Obama said in a statement. "This additional assistance will be especially important in the coming months, as countless seniors and others have seen their retirement accounts and home values decline as a result of this economic crisis."
Obama's proposal is similar to several bills in Congress. The $250 payments would also go to those receiving veterans benefits, disability benefits, railroad retirees and retired public employees who don't receive Social Security. Recipients would be limited to one payment, even if they qualified for more.
The White House put the cost at $13 billion. Obama said he would not allow the payments to come out of the Social Security trust funds, further eroding the finances of the retirement program. Social Security already is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in each of the next two years.
However, Obama did not offer any alternatives to finance the payments. A senior
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091015/D9BB77S00.html
- President Barack Obama called on Congress Wednesday to approve $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors to make up for no increase in Social Security next year. The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce Thursday that there will be no cost of living increase next year. By law, increases are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year.
It would mark the first year without an increase in Social Security payments since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.
"Even as we seek to bring about recovery, we must act on behalf of those hardest hit by this recession," Obama said in a statement. "This additional assistance will be especially important in the coming months, as countless seniors and others have seen their retirement accounts and home values decline as a result of this economic crisis."
Obama's proposal is similar to several bills in Congress. The $250 payments would also go to those receiving veterans benefits, disability benefits, railroad retirees and retired public employees who don't receive Social Security. Recipients would be limited to one payment, even if they qualified for more.
The White House put the cost at $13 billion. Obama said he would not allow the payments to come out of the Social Security trust funds, further eroding the finances of the retirement program. Social Security already is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in each of the next two years.
However, Obama did not offer any alternatives to finance the payments. A senior
HI Legislators Question H1N1 Vaccines Doctors Express Serious Reservations About Safety
http://www.rense.com/general88/dwqs.htm
Ah those little coincidences they forget to tell you about.
Discussing H1N1 vaccine safety, on behalf of Hawaii legislators considering the question, Dr. Michele Carbone, Director of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, and full Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, openly acknowledged HIV/AIDS was spread by the hepatitis B vaccine produced by Merck & Co. during the early 1970s.
Ah those little coincidences they forget to tell you about.
Discussing H1N1 vaccine safety, on behalf of Hawaii legislators considering the question, Dr. Michele Carbone, Director of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, and full Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, openly acknowledged HIV/AIDS was spread by the hepatitis B vaccine produced by Merck & Co. during the early 1970s.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Colorado minimum wage to drop as living costs fall
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gDANldmlUTUQ0kEwjQAhnnNypxHQD9BABGC00
Colorado will become the first state to reduce its minimum wage because of a falling cost of living.
The state Department of Labor and Employment ordered the wage down to $7.24 from $7.28. That's lower than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, so most minimum wage workers would lose only 3 cents an hour.
Colorado is one of 10 states where the minimum wage is tied to inflation. The indexing is thought to protect low-wage workers from having flat wages as the cost of living goes up.
But because Colorado's provision allows wage declines, the minimum wage will drop because of a falling consumer price index. It will be the first decrease in any state since the federal minimum wage law was passed in 1938.
"We can't see that there would be any
Colorado will become the first state to reduce its minimum wage because of a falling cost of living.
The state Department of Labor and Employment ordered the wage down to $7.24 from $7.28. That's lower than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, so most minimum wage workers would lose only 3 cents an hour.
Colorado is one of 10 states where the minimum wage is tied to inflation. The indexing is thought to protect low-wage workers from having flat wages as the cost of living goes up.
But because Colorado's provision allows wage declines, the minimum wage will drop because of a falling consumer price index. It will be the first decrease in any state since the federal minimum wage law was passed in 1938.
"We can't see that there would be any
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Military reaching out to civilian police to patrol on bases
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=65348
Civilian police officers might soon be walking the beat at many U.S. overseas Army bases as combat missions continue to stretch the military police thin, according to one of the top military policemen in Europe.
So far, U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr, which includes Vilseck’s Rose Barracks, is the only overseas garrison patrolled by civilian police. Grafenwöhr provost marshal Lt. Col. Shawn Driscoll predicted the program, known as the Department of the Army Civilian Police, could expand to other Army bases in Europe.
The civilian police officers, who wear tan uniforms, have manned desks at garrison MP stations all over Europe since 2006. In May, USAG Grafenwöhr started hiring civilian patrol officers, called watch commanders, to head out on the road with MPs.
In the U.S., more than 3,000 civilian police already patrol Army installations, Driscoll said.
Civilian police officers might soon be walking the beat at many U.S. overseas Army bases as combat missions continue to stretch the military police thin, according to one of the top military policemen in Europe.
So far, U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr, which includes Vilseck’s Rose Barracks, is the only overseas garrison patrolled by civilian police. Grafenwöhr provost marshal Lt. Col. Shawn Driscoll predicted the program, known as the Department of the Army Civilian Police, could expand to other Army bases in Europe.
The civilian police officers, who wear tan uniforms, have manned desks at garrison MP stations all over Europe since 2006. In May, USAG Grafenwöhr started hiring civilian patrol officers, called watch commanders, to head out on the road with MPs.
In the U.S., more than 3,000 civilian police already patrol Army installations, Driscoll said.
U.S.-funded Afghan army garrison opens
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=65349
A U.S.-funded, $68 million Afghan National Army garrison was opened in Farah province on Sunday, with officials calling it the next step in the joint effort to battle the Taliban in this area.
The garrison, designed to accommodate 2,000 people, will house ANA troops who are partnered with coalition forces in the province in western Afghanistan
The project, which began in early 2008, includes barracks, showers and latrines, dining facilities, power plants, communications systems, a wastewater treatment plant, sewer system and roadways
A U.S.-funded, $68 million Afghan National Army garrison was opened in Farah province on Sunday, with officials calling it the next step in the joint effort to battle the Taliban in this area.
The garrison, designed to accommodate 2,000 people, will house ANA troops who are partnered with coalition forces in the province in western Afghanistan
The project, which began in early 2008, includes barracks, showers and latrines, dining facilities, power plants, communications systems, a wastewater treatment plant, sewer system and roadways
Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to let soldiers speak to tribunal
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=553576
What lesson has the nation of Israel forgot, that they themselves coined the phrase "NEVER AGAIN" for?
A phrase that was not coined for one race but ALL races, lest the world has learned nothing from the loss of so many lives and not just those of Jewish origin during WWII.
No one is above the law
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Israel will not cooperate with an international war-crimes tribunal, set up to investigate the army assault on militants in the Gaza Strip ten months ago.
The PM has told the Knesset that he would never allow soldiers and war-time leaders to go before the UN war crimes panel.
Mr Netanyahu described a report by UN representative and former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone as a distorted view on Israel's right to defend itself.
He said Israel would not accept Israeli soldiers being treated as war criminals after defending Israeli lives against an "inhuman" enemy.
What lesson has the nation of Israel forgot, that they themselves coined the phrase "NEVER AGAIN" for?
A phrase that was not coined for one race but ALL races, lest the world has learned nothing from the loss of so many lives and not just those of Jewish origin during WWII.
No one is above the law
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Israel will not cooperate with an international war-crimes tribunal, set up to investigate the army assault on militants in the Gaza Strip ten months ago.
The PM has told the Knesset that he would never allow soldiers and war-time leaders to go before the UN war crimes panel.
Mr Netanyahu described a report by UN representative and former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone as a distorted view on Israel's right to defend itself.
He said Israel would not accept Israeli soldiers being treated as war criminals after defending Israeli lives against an "inhuman" enemy.
The German army has ordered a stock of special swine flu vaccine that does not contain controversial additives
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091012-22523.html
Things that make you go hmmmmm
The announcement came in response to a report in daily Westfalen-Blatt, which said that Bundeswehr soldiers and their families on foreign deployments or preparing for missions overseas would receive the inoculations.
The A/H1N1 flu shots given to soldiers will contain neither a controversial strengthening additive, nor the preservative agent mercury, both of which are contained in the shots for the general public.
Additive-free Celvapan, manufactured by the US pharmaceutical company Baxter, was approved on October 6 for use in the European Union.
Defence Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said the Bundeswehr needs to be able to quickly and impartially inoculate soldiers and their dependants on foreign missions to ensure they were protected.
Things that make you go hmmmmm
The announcement came in response to a report in daily Westfalen-Blatt, which said that Bundeswehr soldiers and their families on foreign deployments or preparing for missions overseas would receive the inoculations.
The A/H1N1 flu shots given to soldiers will contain neither a controversial strengthening additive, nor the preservative agent mercury, both of which are contained in the shots for the general public.
Additive-free Celvapan, manufactured by the US pharmaceutical company Baxter, was approved on October 6 for use in the European Union.
Defence Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said the Bundeswehr needs to be able to quickly and impartially inoculate soldiers and their dependants on foreign missions to ensure they were protected.
Shooting of Prominent Economist Baffles Police
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1009/666906.html
Was it a fit or was it a "Hit"
Police are still looking for clues after a prominent economist was shot in the garage of his upscale home.
Ashoka Mody has been identified in an email to his fellow employees at the International Monetary Fund as the man shot Thursday night around 7:30 in his Bethesda garage in the 6800 block of Millwood Road
Mody is currently the assistant director in the European department and an expert in economic development and international finance.
Was it a fit or was it a "Hit"
Police are still looking for clues after a prominent economist was shot in the garage of his upscale home.
Ashoka Mody has been identified in an email to his fellow employees at the International Monetary Fund as the man shot Thursday night around 7:30 in his Bethesda garage in the 6800 block of Millwood Road
Mody is currently the assistant director in the European department and an expert in economic development and international finance.
Apartment residents told to take down U.S. flags
http://www.katu.com/news/local/64059697.html
"Someone might be offended" Have we become so diverse that we no longer stand under the flag of the United States of America?
Just exactly who are they trying to imply would be offended?
But to Oaks Apartment management, Clausen said, the American flag symbolizes problems.
He was told to remove the red, white and blue from both of his rides, or face eviction.
"It floored me," he said. "I can't believe she was saying what she was saying."
Even long-time residents like Sharron White, who has flown a flag on her car for eight years, has been told to take it down.
White said management told her that "someone might get offended."
"Someone might be offended" Have we become so diverse that we no longer stand under the flag of the United States of America?
Just exactly who are they trying to imply would be offended?
But to Oaks Apartment management, Clausen said, the American flag symbolizes problems.
He was told to remove the red, white and blue from both of his rides, or face eviction.
"It floored me," he said. "I can't believe she was saying what she was saying."
Even long-time residents like Sharron White, who has flown a flag on her car for eight years, has been told to take it down.
White said management told her that "someone might get offended."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Muslims in U.S. feel unfairly implicated in the war on terror
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/76820.html?storylink=omni_popular
History repeating itself with the shoe on a different foot.
I've been reading up on WWII and the decade before and persecution of the Jews pretty much started just like this.
The cycle is starting AGAIN.....See it for what it is!
As the FBI pursues one alleged terrorist plot after another, Muslim Americans are grappling with a widespread sense that the government thinks they all could be terrorists.
In dozens of interviews across the country, McClatchy has found that the government's search for the enemy within is threatening to divide and destroy America's Muslim communities.
"It's not a guilty complex; it's the stigma of being a Muslim and constantly having to defend religion
," said Edina Lekovic, the communications director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council
History repeating itself with the shoe on a different foot.
I've been reading up on WWII and the decade before and persecution of the Jews pretty much started just like this.
The cycle is starting AGAIN.....See it for what it is!
As the FBI pursues one alleged terrorist plot after another, Muslim Americans are grappling with a widespread sense that the government thinks they all could be terrorists.
In dozens of interviews across the country, McClatchy has found that the government's search for the enemy within is threatening to divide and destroy America's Muslim communities.
"It's not a guilty complex; it's the stigma of being a Muslim and constantly having to defend religion
," said Edina Lekovic, the communications director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council
Swine flu vaccine supplier has to pay back millions
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/11/swine-flu-vaccine-baxter
US pharmaceutical giant Baxter accused of overcharging Medicaid programmes
US pharmaceutical giant Baxter accused of overcharging Medicaid programmes
10,000 apply for 90 factory jobs
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091008/NEWS01/910080326/1003/BUSINESS/10+000+apply+for+90+factory+jobs
In the latest sign of weakness in Louisville-area employment, about 10,000 people applied over three days for 90 jobs building washing machines at General Electric for about $27,000 per year and hefty benefits.
The jobs dangle medical, eye care, prescription and dental benefit packages, as well as pension, disability, tuition assistance and more, said GE spokeswoman Kim Freeman. And despite the recession, no union workers have been laid off from Appliance Park since the company negotiated lower wages with workers in 2005.
“There are no jobs out there paying these kinds of wages that also offer these kind of benefits,” said Jerry Carney, president of IUE-CWA Local 761 at Appliance Park.
Just four years ago, the same jobs paid $19 per hour. But that was before Local 761 approved wage cuts for new workers aimed at preventing the closure of Appliance Park.
“People still value these jobs,” Freeman said
In the latest sign of weakness in Louisville-area employment, about 10,000 people applied over three days for 90 jobs building washing machines at General Electric for about $27,000 per year and hefty benefits.
The jobs dangle medical, eye care, prescription and dental benefit packages, as well as pension, disability, tuition assistance and more, said GE spokeswoman Kim Freeman. And despite the recession, no union workers have been laid off from Appliance Park since the company negotiated lower wages with workers in 2005.
“There are no jobs out there paying these kinds of wages that also offer these kind of benefits,” said Jerry Carney, president of IUE-CWA Local 761 at Appliance Park.
Just four years ago, the same jobs paid $19 per hour. But that was before Local 761 approved wage cuts for new workers aimed at preventing the closure of Appliance Park.
“People still value these jobs,” Freeman said
U.S. to house detained migrants in converted hotels
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5955OL20091006
Converted hotels for illegal immigrants, of course the hotels that will be converted for use are all high class in dire need of financial assistance to remain open due to the economic slow down and this is a way to help them stay open courtesy of your government and your tax dollars.
Motel six will definitely not be seen as a suitable solution.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/real_estate/hotels_default/index.htm?postversion=2009072407
The question is: What did they do for your neighbor or family or your friends, when their houses were forclosed on?
It sure wasn't a suite in a luxury hotel.
The United States, criticized for holding illegal immigrants in overcrowded and poorly run jails, on Tuesday announced plans to convert hotels to detain some noncriminal immigrants.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said illegal immigrants ranging from criminals to newly arrived asylum seekers would be held in different facilities according to the risk they pose.
"This is a system that encompasses many different types of detainees, not all of whom need to be held in prison-like circumstances," Napolitano told a conference call.
Referring to noncriminals such as newly arrived asylum seekers, Napolitano said, "We will begin efforts to house these populations near immigration service providers and pursue different options like converted hotels or residential facilities for their detention."
About 32,000 immigrants to the United States are held
Converted hotels for illegal immigrants, of course the hotels that will be converted for use are all high class in dire need of financial assistance to remain open due to the economic slow down and this is a way to help them stay open courtesy of your government and your tax dollars.
Motel six will definitely not be seen as a suitable solution.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/real_estate/hotels_default/index.htm?postversion=2009072407
The question is: What did they do for your neighbor or family or your friends, when their houses were forclosed on?
It sure wasn't a suite in a luxury hotel.
The United States, criticized for holding illegal immigrants in overcrowded and poorly run jails, on Tuesday announced plans to convert hotels to detain some noncriminal immigrants.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said illegal immigrants ranging from criminals to newly arrived asylum seekers would be held in different facilities according to the risk they pose.
"This is a system that encompasses many different types of detainees, not all of whom need to be held in prison-like circumstances," Napolitano told a conference call.
Referring to noncriminals such as newly arrived asylum seekers, Napolitano said, "We will begin efforts to house these populations near immigration service providers and pursue different options like converted hotels or residential facilities for their detention."
About 32,000 immigrants to the United States are held
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Huge profits put Goldman on track for pay bonanza
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/6293708/Huge-profits-put-Goldman-on-track-for-pay-bonanza.html
Goldman Sachs is set to unveil huge profits this week, putting the Wall Street bank on track to award as much as $22bn (£13.7bn) in pay and bonuses at the end of the year.
Goldman Sachs is set to unveil huge profits this week, putting the Wall Street bank on track to award as much as $22bn (£13.7bn) in pay and bonuses at the end of the year.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Airports To Screen Passengers For H1N1 Symptoms
http://wcbstv.com/health/h1n1.airport.screening.2.1235962.html
New government guidelines are on their way, designed to help keep passengers healthy.
This flu season, airport staff across the nation won't just be screening for security threats. They'll also be looking out for health threats – people who look like they may have the H1N1 virus.
The government says that people traveling internationally may be screened for the H1N1 virus as they leave or enter the U.S.
"It feels a little bit overboard," Stanford, Conn. resident Derek Ferguson said.
The government warns that some passengers may be asked to pass through a screening device, have their temperatures taken, answer questions about their health, and even be quarantined if someone on the flight shows symptoms of H1N1.
New government guidelines are on their way, designed to help keep passengers healthy.
This flu season, airport staff across the nation won't just be screening for security threats. They'll also be looking out for health threats – people who look like they may have the H1N1 virus.
The government says that people traveling internationally may be screened for the H1N1 virus as they leave or enter the U.S.
"It feels a little bit overboard," Stanford, Conn. resident Derek Ferguson said.
The government warns that some passengers may be asked to pass through a screening device, have their temperatures taken, answer questions about their health, and even be quarantined if someone on the flight shows symptoms of H1N1.
Deal reached on extending unemployment benefits
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-10-08-unemployment-benefits-agreement_N.htm
Senate Democrats said Thursday they have reached a deal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to the nearly 2 million jobless workers across the country who are in danger of running out of assistance by the end of the year.
The agreement would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states. Workers in states with an unemployment rate at 8.5% or above would receive six weeks on top of that.
Democrats said they could try to bring the measure to a quick vote on the Senate floor Thursday evening, depending on whether Republicans demand more extended debate time.
The House last month approved legislation that gives 13 weeks of extended benefits, but only in those 27 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that have unemployment rates of at least 8.5%.
Senate Democrats said Thursday they have reached a deal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to the nearly 2 million jobless workers across the country who are in danger of running out of assistance by the end of the year.
The agreement would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states. Workers in states with an unemployment rate at 8.5% or above would receive six weeks on top of that.
Democrats said they could try to bring the measure to a quick vote on the Senate floor Thursday evening, depending on whether Republicans demand more extended debate time.
The House last month approved legislation that gives 13 weeks of extended benefits, but only in those 27 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that have unemployment rates of at least 8.5%.
34 banks don't pay their quarterly TARP dividends
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/banking/2009-10-07-banks-tarp-dividends_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
The U.S. taxpayers' investments in smaller banks are increasingly at risk.
In a sign that more banks are under great pressure from the recession, 34 financial institutions did not pay their quarterly dividends in August to the Treasury on funds obtained under the Troubled Asset Relief Fund (TARP). The number almost doubled from 19 in May when payments were last made, and also raised questions about Treasury's judgment in approving these banks as "healthy," a necessary step for them to get TARP funding.
"The banks are not paying their dividends because they are worried about preserving capital," says Eric Fitzwater, associate director of research at SNL Financial.
The Treasury Department says it cannot force an institution to pay dividends
Treasury has given $365 billion to 700 institutions from TARP. AIG, to which the government has pledged $180 billion, has accumulated $1.6 billion in unpaid dividends. And CIT, which received $2.3 billion from TARP, said in a regulatory filing that it is restructuring its debt and seeking approval from bondholders for a pre-packaged bankruptcy. If that happened, it would wipe out the entire government investment.
The U.S. taxpayers' investments in smaller banks are increasingly at risk.
In a sign that more banks are under great pressure from the recession, 34 financial institutions did not pay their quarterly dividends in August to the Treasury on funds obtained under the Troubled Asset Relief Fund (TARP). The number almost doubled from 19 in May when payments were last made, and also raised questions about Treasury's judgment in approving these banks as "healthy," a necessary step for them to get TARP funding.
"The banks are not paying their dividends because they are worried about preserving capital," says Eric Fitzwater, associate director of research at SNL Financial.
The Treasury Department says it cannot force an institution to pay dividends
Treasury has given $365 billion to 700 institutions from TARP. AIG, to which the government has pledged $180 billion, has accumulated $1.6 billion in unpaid dividends. And CIT, which received $2.3 billion from TARP, said in a regulatory filing that it is restructuring its debt and seeking approval from bondholders for a pre-packaged bankruptcy. If that happened, it would wipe out the entire government investment.
Saudis ask for aid if world cuts dependence on oil
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6657947.html
There are plenty of needy countries at the U.N. climate talks in Bangkok that make the case they need financial assistance to adapt to the impacts of global warming. Then there are the Saudis.
Saudi Arabia has led a quiet campaign during these and other negotiations — demanding behind closed doors that oil-producing nations get special financial assistance if a new climate pact calls for substantial reductions in the use of fossil fuels.
That campaign comes despite an International Energy Agency report released this week showing that OPEC revenues would still increase $23 trillion between 2008 and 2030 — a fourfold increase compared to the period from 1985 to 2007 — if countries agree to significantly slash emissions and thereby cut their use of oil. That is the limit most countries agree is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
The head of the Saudi delegation Mohammad S. Al Sabban dismissed the IEA figures as “biased” and said OPEC's own calculations showed that Saudi Arabia would lose $19 billion a year starting in 2012 under a new climate pact. The region would lose much more, he said.
There are plenty of needy countries at the U.N. climate talks in Bangkok that make the case they need financial assistance to adapt to the impacts of global warming. Then there are the Saudis.
Saudi Arabia has led a quiet campaign during these and other negotiations — demanding behind closed doors that oil-producing nations get special financial assistance if a new climate pact calls for substantial reductions in the use of fossil fuels.
That campaign comes despite an International Energy Agency report released this week showing that OPEC revenues would still increase $23 trillion between 2008 and 2030 — a fourfold increase compared to the period from 1985 to 2007 — if countries agree to significantly slash emissions and thereby cut their use of oil. That is the limit most countries agree is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
The head of the Saudi delegation Mohammad S. Al Sabban dismissed the IEA figures as “biased” and said OPEC's own calculations showed that Saudi Arabia would lose $19 billion a year starting in 2012 under a new climate pact. The region would lose much more, he said.
FHA Shortfall Seen at $54 Billion May Lead to Bailout
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOmu318hOZr4
The Federal Housing Administration, which insures mortgages with low down payments, may require a U.S. bailout because of $54 billion more in losses than it can withstand, a former Fannie Mae executive said.
“It appears destined for a taxpayer bailout in the next 24 to 36 months,” consultant Edward Pinto said in testimony prepared for a House committee hearing in Washington today. Pinto was the chief credit officer from 1987 to 1989 for Fannie Mae, the mortgage-finance company that is now government-run.
The Federal Housing Administration, which insures mortgages with low down payments, may require a U.S. bailout because of $54 billion more in losses than it can withstand, a former Fannie Mae executive said.
“It appears destined for a taxpayer bailout in the next 24 to 36 months,” consultant Edward Pinto said in testimony prepared for a House committee hearing in Washington today. Pinto was the chief credit officer from 1987 to 1989 for Fannie Mae, the mortgage-finance company that is now government-run.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Coming Soon: $500 for Every Newborn?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Coming...86354.html?x=0
Imagine a world where every baby received a trust fund at birth. It might sound like a fairy tale, but being born into money--or at least into a $500 savings account--could soon become reality for all children born in the United States. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would give each newborn just that, with the goal of promoting savings that would later be used for education, a first home, or retirement. Here's what you should know about the ASPIRE ("America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education") Act:
[Slide Show: The Top 10 Fall Deals.]
How would this program work?
The ASPIRE Act would give each child born in the United States a $500 savings account. Recipients could then use that money once they were older to pay for education, a first home, or retirement. Low-income children would receive additional funding, and all participants could add to their accounts over time.
Would it really help people save more money? Five hundred dollars isn't much.
The purpose of the accounts, says Reid Cramer, director of the Asset Building Program at the New America Foundation, is to get people invested in their future. "Having an asset has the potential to change the way people think and plan for their future, and sometimes those effects can be generated just from small asset holdings," he says, adding that it's possible for people to build up significant savings over time. The ASPIRE Act also pairs the creation of the accounts with financial literacy programs in schools.
Indeed, pioneering research by University of Michigan professor Michael Sherraden suggests starting individual savings accounts for lower-income people can lead them to feel more confident about the future. Recipients of such accounts
Imagine a world where every baby received a trust fund at birth. It might sound like a fairy tale, but being born into money--or at least into a $500 savings account--could soon become reality for all children born in the United States. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would give each newborn just that, with the goal of promoting savings that would later be used for education, a first home, or retirement. Here's what you should know about the ASPIRE ("America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education") Act:
[Slide Show: The Top 10 Fall Deals.]
How would this program work?
The ASPIRE Act would give each child born in the United States a $500 savings account. Recipients could then use that money once they were older to pay for education, a first home, or retirement. Low-income children would receive additional funding, and all participants could add to their accounts over time.
Would it really help people save more money? Five hundred dollars isn't much.
The purpose of the accounts, says Reid Cramer, director of the Asset Building Program at the New America Foundation, is to get people invested in their future. "Having an asset has the potential to change the way people think and plan for their future, and sometimes those effects can be generated just from small asset holdings," he says, adding that it's possible for people to build up significant savings over time. The ASPIRE Act also pairs the creation of the accounts with financial literacy programs in schools.
Indeed, pioneering research by University of Michigan professor Michael Sherraden suggests starting individual savings accounts for lower-income people can lead them to feel more confident about the future. Recipients of such accounts
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2009-10-07-saturn-ring_N.htm
Saturn has been in Virgo, so it's lessons for the last 2.5 years has been about the details that you can and can't control in your life.
Check it out an even bigger lesson than I thought and a definite reason for so many of the details that should have been a set thing, to have shifted so far away from the norm.
A big universal surprise
Saturn has been in Virgo, so it's lessons for the last 2.5 years has been about the details that you can and can't control in your life.
Check it out an even bigger lesson than I thought and a definite reason for so many of the details that should have been a set thing, to have shifted so far away from the norm.
A big universal surprise
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Unemployment at 19%?
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=289004&cl=15946638&src=finance&ch=1316259
White House's botched 'op'
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/nationa...EeRQbxCC0TNZHN
WASHINGTON -- President Obama yesterday rolled out the red carpet -- and handed out doctors' white coats as well, just so nobody missed his hard-sell health-care message.
In a heavy-handed attempt at reviving support for health-care reform, the White House orchestrated a massive photo op to buttress its claim that front-line physicians support Obama.
PHOTOS: OBAMA'S BOTCHED PHOTO OP
OBAMA LIFTS HEALTH CARE ADDRESS -- FROM HIMSELF
A sea of 150 white-coated doctors, all enthusiastically supportive of the president and representing all 50 states, looked as if they were at a costume party as they posed in the Rose Garden before hearing Obama's pitch for the Democratic overhaul bills moving through Congress.
EPA
OOPS! A crowd of 150 doctors gathers in the Rose Garden to support the health-care overhaul -- as White House staffers scramble to hand out camera-ready white coats to those who forgot their own.
The physicians, all invited guests, were told to bring their white lab coats to make sure that TV cameras captured the image.
But some docs apparently forgot, failing to meet the White House dress code by showing up in business suits or dresses.
So the White House rustled up white coats for them and handed them to the suited physicians who had taken seats in the sun-splashed lawn area.
All this to provide a visual counter to complaints from other doctors that pending legislation is bad news for the medical profession.
WASHINGTON -- President Obama yesterday rolled out the red carpet -- and handed out doctors' white coats as well, just so nobody missed his hard-sell health-care message.
In a heavy-handed attempt at reviving support for health-care reform, the White House orchestrated a massive photo op to buttress its claim that front-line physicians support Obama.
PHOTOS: OBAMA'S BOTCHED PHOTO OP
OBAMA LIFTS HEALTH CARE ADDRESS -- FROM HIMSELF
A sea of 150 white-coated doctors, all enthusiastically supportive of the president and representing all 50 states, looked as if they were at a costume party as they posed in the Rose Garden before hearing Obama's pitch for the Democratic overhaul bills moving through Congress.
EPA
OOPS! A crowd of 150 doctors gathers in the Rose Garden to support the health-care overhaul -- as White House staffers scramble to hand out camera-ready white coats to those who forgot their own.
The physicians, all invited guests, were told to bring their white lab coats to make sure that TV cameras captured the image.
But some docs apparently forgot, failing to meet the White House dress code by showing up in business suits or dresses.
So the White House rustled up white coats for them and handed them to the suited physicians who had taken seats in the sun-splashed lawn area.
All this to provide a visual counter to complaints from other doctors that pending legislation is bad news for the medical profession.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Systemic Failure Approaches
http://financialsense.com/fsu/editorials/willie/2009/1001.html
It sounds to me like dialysis isn't working and the kidneys are shutting down.
The poison in the system is killing the patient
Debate stirs on whether the financial structure of the USEconomy is broken irreparably. Debate stirs on whether actions taken in the last year or two have put the nation on a path that can even achieve stability, let alone recovery. Debate stirs on whether a pernicious and not so secret syndicate has taken control of the USGovt financial ministries, let alone be removed. Debate stirs on whether lack of US Federal Reserve audits and disclosure of their accounting is integral to sustaining the syndicate control as well as its probable egregious fraud. Debate stirs whether the nationalizations have actually enabled adoption of wrecked assets, have concealed executive ransacking, and have buried massive counterfeit of bonds. Debate stirs whether the mountainous federal deficits, the nationalizations of essentially Black Holes, and the endless war spending make deficit reduction a distant dream. Debate stirs on whether the gargantuan accumulation of USFed reserves will spill over to produce widespread price inflation. Debate stirs on why after causing the foundation failure of the US financial structure from Wall Street and the USFed offices, these institutions not only remain in power but demand greater power.
It is my contention that the US financial structures broke without any remote potential for repair and revival in the summer of 2007. The symptoms became obvious in the summer of 2008 to the slower observers with visible shock waves bathed in crisis
It sounds to me like dialysis isn't working and the kidneys are shutting down.
The poison in the system is killing the patient
Debate stirs on whether the financial structure of the USEconomy is broken irreparably. Debate stirs on whether actions taken in the last year or two have put the nation on a path that can even achieve stability, let alone recovery. Debate stirs on whether a pernicious and not so secret syndicate has taken control of the USGovt financial ministries, let alone be removed. Debate stirs on whether lack of US Federal Reserve audits and disclosure of their accounting is integral to sustaining the syndicate control as well as its probable egregious fraud. Debate stirs whether the nationalizations have actually enabled adoption of wrecked assets, have concealed executive ransacking, and have buried massive counterfeit of bonds. Debate stirs whether the mountainous federal deficits, the nationalizations of essentially Black Holes, and the endless war spending make deficit reduction a distant dream. Debate stirs on whether the gargantuan accumulation of USFed reserves will spill over to produce widespread price inflation. Debate stirs on why after causing the foundation failure of the US financial structure from Wall Street and the USFed offices, these institutions not only remain in power but demand greater power.
It is my contention that the US financial structures broke without any remote potential for repair and revival in the summer of 2007. The symptoms became obvious in the summer of 2008 to the slower observers with visible shock waves bathed in crisis
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Nato commander warns of conflict with Russia in Arctic Circle
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6859007.ece
Competition for resources in the Arctic Circle could provoke conflict between Russia and Nato, a newly appointed commander at the alliance warned yesterday.
Russia has recently been aggressive in its pursuit of claims to parts of the region and in February sent a submarine to the floor of the sea symbolically to plant a Russian flag. Admiral James Stavridis said that military activity and trade routes would also be potential sources of competition around the polar cap.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London on Nato’s future direction, Admiral Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, predicted that relations with Russia will dominate thinking at the alliance
Amid concern from Eastern European Nato members over the principle of collective defence, Admiral Stavridis repeatedly stated his commitment to Article 5 of the 1949 treaty agreement, that an attack on one Nato nation is an attack on all. But he also said that Nato should not be regarded as a “world policeman”.
Competition for resources in the Arctic Circle could provoke conflict between Russia and Nato, a newly appointed commander at the alliance warned yesterday.
Russia has recently been aggressive in its pursuit of claims to parts of the region and in February sent a submarine to the floor of the sea symbolically to plant a Russian flag. Admiral James Stavridis said that military activity and trade routes would also be potential sources of competition around the polar cap.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London on Nato’s future direction, Admiral Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, predicted that relations with Russia will dominate thinking at the alliance
Amid concern from Eastern European Nato members over the principle of collective defence, Admiral Stavridis repeatedly stated his commitment to Article 5 of the 1949 treaty agreement, that an attack on one Nato nation is an attack on all. But he also said that Nato should not be regarded as a “world policeman”.
Secession movement spreads well beyond Texas
http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1623872.html
As head of the Texas Nationalist Movement, Daniel Miller of Nederland believes it’s time for the Lone Star State to sever its bond with the United States and return to the days when Texas was an independent republic.
"Independence. In our lifetime," Miller’s organization proclaims on its Web site.
When Gov. Rick Perry suggested that some Texans might want to secede from the Union because they are fed up with the federal government, the remarks drew nationwide news coverage and became fodder for late-night comedians.
But to Texas separatists like Miller and Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Kilgore of Mansfield, secession is no laughing matter. Nor is it exclusive to the nation’s second-largest state.
Fanned by angry contempt for Washington, secession movements have sprouted up in perhaps more than a dozen states in recent years. In Vermont, retired economics professor Thomas Naylor leads the Second Vermont Republic, a self-styled citizens network dedicated to extracting the sparsely populated New England state from "the American Empire."
And on the other side of the continent, Northwestern separatists envision a "Republic of Cascadia" carved out of Oregon, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia
As head of the Texas Nationalist Movement, Daniel Miller of Nederland believes it’s time for the Lone Star State to sever its bond with the United States and return to the days when Texas was an independent republic.
"Independence. In our lifetime," Miller’s organization proclaims on its Web site.
When Gov. Rick Perry suggested that some Texans might want to secede from the Union because they are fed up with the federal government, the remarks drew nationwide news coverage and became fodder for late-night comedians.
But to Texas separatists like Miller and Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Kilgore of Mansfield, secession is no laughing matter. Nor is it exclusive to the nation’s second-largest state.
Fanned by angry contempt for Washington, secession movements have sprouted up in perhaps more than a dozen states in recent years. In Vermont, retired economics professor Thomas Naylor leads the Second Vermont Republic, a self-styled citizens network dedicated to extracting the sparsely populated New England state from "the American Empire."
And on the other side of the continent, Northwestern separatists envision a "Republic of Cascadia" carved out of Oregon, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia
Friday, October 2, 2009
Online Glitch Angers Millions Of TD Bank Customers
http://wcbstv.com/consumer/td.bank.bank.2.1222131.html
A taste of the future yet to come.
On Thursday night, TD Bank was scrambling to fix a computer glitch that has millions of customers angry and confused about their account balances. The bank is now promising to reimburse those affected by the frustrating malfunction.
"Very frustrating, very aggravating and scary," said Norma Hernandez, whose account registered zero balance.
Online computer glitches with direct deposit created a near run on the bank.
"Of course I'm worried. My social security check," one customer told CBS 2 HD.
TD Bank has 6.5 million customers in the United States. There's no word on how many customers have been impacted by the computer glitch, but here in the tri-state area
A taste of the future yet to come.
On Thursday night, TD Bank was scrambling to fix a computer glitch that has millions of customers angry and confused about their account balances. The bank is now promising to reimburse those affected by the frustrating malfunction.
"Very frustrating, very aggravating and scary," said Norma Hernandez, whose account registered zero balance.
Online computer glitches with direct deposit created a near run on the bank.
"Of course I'm worried. My social security check," one customer told CBS 2 HD.
TD Bank has 6.5 million customers in the United States. There's no word on how many customers have been impacted by the computer glitch, but here in the tri-state area
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