The Duopoly Just Put Taxpayers on the Hook for Trillions in Oil Derivatives

bankers-what-now-249By Ellen Brown. The sudden dramatic collapse in the price of oil appears to be an act of geopolitical warfare against Russia. The result could be trillions of dollars in oil derivatives losses; and the FDIC could be liable, following repeal of key portions of the Dodd-Frank Act last weekend. . .

[T]he shocking $50 drop in the price of oil was not due merely to the forces of supply and demand, which are predictable and can be hedged against. According to an article by Larry Elliott in the UK Guardian titled “Stakes Are High as US Plays the Oil Card Against Iran and Russia,” the unanticipated drop was an act of geopolitical warfare administered by the Saudis. . .

If the plan was to break the ruble, it worked. The ruble has dropped by more than 60 percent against the dollar since January. But it came at a cost: not only are U.S. oil producers hurt, but the derivatives banks will get killed if oil prices don’t go back up soon.

At least they would have been killed before the bailout ban was lifted. Now, it seems, that burden could fall on depositors and taxpayers [since the FDIC will now cover derivative losses due to the repeal of parts of Dodd-Frank last weekend]. Did the Obama administration make a deal with the big derivatives banks to save them from Kerry’s clandestine economic warfare at taxpayer expense?

Whatever happened behind closed doors, we the people could again be stuck with the tab. We will continue to be at the mercy of the biggest banks until depository banking is separated from speculative investment banking. Reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act is supported not only by Elizabeth Warren and others on the left but by prominent voices such as David Stockman’s on the right. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Vladimir PutinRussian Economy Shrinking

By Nataliya Vasilyeva. MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to keep the banks afloat.

The ruble has been one of the world’s worst performing currencies this year and was down another 5 percent on Monday, trading at 56 rubles per dollar in early afternoon in Moscow, wiping off some of the gains it made last week.

The fall came as the Economic Development Ministry issued a report showing the economy shrank by 0.5 percent in November compared with a year earlier. The ministry attributed the year-on-year decline in the economy, Russia’s first in five years, to a sharp drop in manufacturing and investment. (Read more from this story HERE)

Mexico Deported More Illegals from S. America than the Entire US did in 2014

Credit - Breitbart

Credit – Breitbart

Mexico Deported More South Americans Than US in 2014

By Ildefonso Ortiz. During the immigration crisis of 2014, Mexico, a country known as an illegal immigration corridor used by human and drug smugglers, increased its deportation efforts and ended up surpassing the number of Central Americans that the United States deported during the year.

From January to December, Mexico deported 107,199 Central Americans immigrants by land, while the U.S. only deported 104,688 illegal immigrants during that time period. Of those deported by land from Mexico, 43,456 are from Honduras, 41,731 are from Guatemala, 20,988 are from El Salvador and 1,024 are from Nicaragua, information released by the Guatemalan Migration Office to Mexican news outlets reveals.

In comparison to 2013, Mexico had only deported a little more than 77,000 showing a sharp increase in immigration enforcement for this year when hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from Central America swarmed the Texas border.

According to Mexico’s El Universal, U.S. authorities deported less Guatemalans and Hondurans by plane with the number of deportations decreasing from 88,563 in 2013 to 86,196 this year. (Read more about how Mexico deported more illegals from South America than the US HERE)
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Farmers Worry About Having to Raise Pay for Immigrant Labor

By Timothy P. Carney. Farm lobbies like to complain about a “farm-labor shortage.” “Crops are literally going unpicked!” they shout.

Basic economics tells you that if too few people are responding to your bid for something, maybe you need to bid higher. Raising the price you’re willing to pay for something can increase the supply.

That is, farmers are complaining that they can’t get enough labor at the low wages they want to pay. Their calls for more immigrant labor are calls for lower wages in the U.S.

But here’s a wrinkle — it’s not a new idea, but it’s one the farm lobby doesn’t talk about much: Farmers explicitly rely on undocumented immigrant labor, because it is cheaper than labor from immigrants who don’t fear deportation. (Here, Reihan Salam cites an estimate that after becoming documented, workers’ wages in a short period go up 15 percent). That’s the message of this Associated Press article, at least. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Obama on immigration: ‘Nativist trend’ in parts of the Republican Party

By David Sherfinski. President Obama says his recent executive actions granting millions of illegal immigrants temporary amnesty could spur Republicans to work together with Democrats on the issue, but if they solidify what he called a “nativist trend” in parts of the Republican Party, there probably won’t be much progress.

“If your view is that immigrants are either fundamentally bad to the country or that we actually have the option of deporting 11 million immigrants, regardless of the disruptions, regardless of the cost, and that that is who we are as Americans, I reject that,” Mr. Obama told NPR.

On the other hand, he said, there is potential for working together on the issue, though Republicans have vowed to fight his recently-announced executive actions when the new Congress returns next month.

“So, the question then becomes, by me having taken these actions, does that spur those voices in the Republican Party who I think genuinely believe immigration is good for our country? Does it spur them to work once again with Democrats and my administration to get a reasonable piece of legislation done?” he said.

“Or does it simply solidify what I do think is a nativist trend in parts of the Republican party? And if it’s the latter, then probably we’re not going to get much more progress done, and it’ll be a major debate in the next presidential election,” he continued. (Read more from this story HERE)

NYC Mayor Booed, Called 'Traitor' at NYPD Graduation Ceremony

nypd officersBy Michael Zennie. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was booed today by the newest members of the New York Police Department as he delivered a speech at the academy graduation ceremony.

Several boos could be heard at Madison Square Garden as de Blasio took the podium in front of 884 newly-minted cops.

At least one cadet could be heard shouting ‘traitor!’ the New York Post reports.

Then, when de Blasio remarked that the new officers would be confronted with problems they didn’t make, someone from the crowd shouted, ‘You created them!’ The heckler was met with applause and cheering. (Read more about the story, “NYC Mayor Booed” HERE)

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NYPD Officers Turning a Blind Eye to Minor Crimes

By Dave Sherfinski. In the wake of the murders of two police officers in New York, some NYPD cops are letting minor crimes slide and a two-car response directive from the police union is hindering response times, according to the New York Post.

An NYPD supervisor told the Post that his policemen are writing almost no summonses and “probably only making arrests when they have to – like when a store catches a shoplifter.”

The Post said the officers were behaving in a “scared” after two of their colleagues were assassinated while sitting in a patrol car two weeks ago.

The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association’s directive for police to respond with at least two patrol cars is also creating a manpower shortage that’s delaying response times to non-emergencies like burglaries or car crashes to as much as four hours, according to the paper. (Read more from this story HERE)

The Narcissist-in-Chief Forces Military Couple to Relocate Wedding Just so He Can Play Golf

Photo Credit: The Telegraph

Photo Credit: The Telegraph

If “You’re Only President Once” means anything, it means telling a pair of Army officers who’ve spent months planning their Hawaiian dream wedding that they’ll have to make way because you simply must, must golf at that very hour.

It was the second time that day that the couple heard from the nation’s commander in chief, whose affinity for golf has, at times, caused political headaches for the White House. Stationed in Hawaii and knowing the president spends his Christmas holiday on the islands, they invited him to their ceremony on a lark. They had received a letter earlier on Saturday saying Obama regretted he couldn’t come and wishing them happiness on their wedding day.

“It was kind of ironic they got the letter from them and then, within hours, they were told they had to be moved due to him,” Jamie McCarthy, Mallue’s sister, said in an interview. “It was emotional, especially for her—she’s the bride and in less than 24 hours they had to change everything they had planned.” (Read more about the military couple who had to relocate wedding for Obama HERE)

Fallen Marine's Family Suing Over Alleged Cover Up

fallen soldiersThe family of murdered Marine Greg Buckley just wants answers.

Three days before he was scheduled to come home, in 2012, Lance Cpl. Buckley was killed in Afghanistan, in the one place he was supposed to be safe.

He wasn’t killed in a firefight on a battlefield, or by a roadside bomb while on patrol. The 21-year-old was working out with fellow Marines at the base gym when an Afghan teenager walked in carrying an AK-47 — and emptied the clip, killing Buckley and two others.

Buckley’s family, stonewalled in their search for answers, has since resorted to filing a rare lawsuit against the Marine Corps and Department of Defense. They’re not seeking a financial settlement — they say all they want is information about how their son died in the insider attack.

“He shot my son point blank with an AK-47. Shot him four times in his chest and once in his neck. He was in the gym with a pair of shorts and a tank top on,” Buckley’s father Gregory Buckley, Sr. told Fox News. “How is that allowed?” (Read more about the fallen marine’s family’s case HERE)

Watch: 'Deck the Halls with Rows of Dead Cops' Sang by Ferguson Protesters on Christmas

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

By Patrick Howley. Ferguson protesters spent the weekend after Christmas chanting “Deck The Halls With Rows of Dead Cops” just one week after the execution-style murders of New York City police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.

Anti-police protesters in Portland, Oregon sang parody Christmas carols Saturday night near Christmas decorations on Peacock Lane in the notoriously liberal city, including “Deck The Halls With Rows of Dead Cops.” (Read more from this story HERE)

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Man Threatens to Kill Cops and Innocent White Kids, Gets Downplayed By Friend as ‘Speaking His Mind’

By Dave Urbanski. After a suburban Chicago man made threats on Facebook that he would “kill cops and innocent white kids,” police searched a home he sometimes stays at and arrested him on weapons and other charges, WLS-TV reported.

While Aries Woodfin, 33, wasn’t charged with making threats, a friend who owns the Ford Heights, Illinois, house where Woodfin was arrested downplayed his Facebook threat.

She said it was a reaction over the grand jury decisions in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City where white police officers weren’t indicted for their roles in the deaths of unarmed black men.

“He was speaking his mind,” Beatrice Franklin told WLS. “He was expressing how he felt, which is what everyone else was doing on Facebook as well, expressing themselves. They were ranting and they were raving.” (Read more from this story HERE)
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Al Sharpton’s Race War Being Funded by Major Retail Chain

By Conservative Tribune. The National Legal and Policy Center, a government watchdog group, has made repeated requests to the international retail giant to stop funding Sharpton’s National Action Network, especially after the shooting deaths of two NYPD officers by an Islamic gang member whom many believe was inspired by Sharpton’s anti-police rhetoric.

But no policy change has been announced by the retailer.

In a 2009 email, Walmart addressed concerns of its shareholders about the company’s annual giving to NAN.

“Our support for NAN is focused on addressing health and wellness issues and other issues important to our customers and associates,” the email read (H/T Got News). “Our company will continue to support organizations that can further our mission to help people live better.” (Read more from this story HERE)

After Legalization, Now 1 out of 8 Coloradoans Smoke Pot Regularly

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

By John Ingold. As marijuana legalization took hold in Colorado, the estimated percentage of regular cannabis users in the state jumped to the second-highest level in the country, according to new federal data.

When asked, roughly one out of every eight Colorado residents over the age of 12 reported using marijuana in the previous month. Only Rhode Island topped Colorado in the percentage of residents who reported using marijuana as frequently.

The results come from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and represent the average of estimates gathered in 2012 and 2013.

The numbers are among the first measurements of marijuana use in Colorado to be released after it became legal in late 2012 for people over 21 to use and possess marijuana in the state. But because they do not include data from this year, the numbers aren’t able to answer the question experts have watched Colorado closely for: How will widespread commercial sales of marijuana impact use? (Read more on the people who smoke pot regularly HERE)

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Shelters Cite Legal Pot as Part of Denver’s Rise of Homelessness

By AP. DENVER (AP) — Chris Easterling was sick of relying on drug dealers in Minneapolis when he needed marijuana to help ease the pain of multiple sclerosis. They were flaky, often leaving the homeless man without the drug when he needed relief the most.

So he moved to Denver, where legal pot dispensaries are plentiful and accessible.

Easterling is among a growing number of homeless people who have recently come to Colorado seeking its legal marijuana, and who now remain in the state and occupy beds in shelters, according to service providers.

While no state agency records how many homeless people were drawn by legal weed, officials at homeless centers say the influx they are seeing is straining their ability to meet the needs of the increasing population.

“The older ones are coming for medical (marijuana), the younger ones are coming just because it’s legal,” said Brett Van Sickle, director of Denver’s Salvation Army Crossroads Shelter, which has more than doubled its staff to accommodate the increase. (Read more from this story HERE)

LGBT Activist, Lesbian Hired as the Dean for Religious Life at Stanford

the-very-reverend-dr.-jane-shawThe church needs to focus more on art and less on religion and converting people in an effort to become less “churchy,” according to Stanford University’s Dean for Religious Life, The Very Reverend Dr. Jane Shaw.

“I think people are always slightly surprised that I’m not very churchy as a person,” Shaw told the Palo Alto Online in an interview. “I don’t think church is to be more churchy. I think church is about, anyone should be welcome. I’m really interested in how you welcome many different kind of constituencies, certainly not convert them, not even necessarily to do religion all the time.”

Stanford announced that Shaw, 51, was to join the school’s Department of Religious Studies in July as a dean and professor of religious studies, moving to the school from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. At Grace Cathedral, Shaw was not only the first woman to head the church, but the first openly lesbian dean.

Shaw, hailed as a “champion within the LGBT community” by the Palo Alto Online, was a founding member of the Chicago Consultation, a think tank made up of Anglican and Episcopal bishops, clergy, and lay people who support the full inclusion of LGBT people into the church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

According to the university’s press release, Shaw is to “provide spiritual, religious and ethical leadership to the university community, serve as minister of Memorial Church and also teach undergraduates and graduate students as a professor of religious studies.” (Read more about the lesbian hired as dean HERE)

Hundreds of NYPD Cops Turn Backs on NYC Mayor at Ramos' Funeral

nypd at ramos funeralBy Associated Press. NEW YORK — Hundreds of officers outside the church where a funeral [was] held for a policeman killed along with his partner in an ambush shooting turned their backs on the mayor as he spoke during Saturday’s service.

The reaction from officers watching Officer Rafael Ramos’ funeral on giant TV screens outside the church follows comments from police union officials who said Mayor Bill de Blasio contributed to a climate of mistrust toward police amid anti-police protests.

Inside Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens , however, mourners gave de Blasio polite applause before and after his speech. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Giuliani Says de Blasio “Needs to Apologize”

By Greg Richter. Giuliani appeared Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where he was challenged by guest host Major Garrett. . .

Giuliani said it was wrong for officers to take the action against de Blasio and also wrong for the police union head Pat Lynch to blame the mayor for the officers’ deaths.

But he said de Blasio should apologize to the NYPD.

“I think he’d get this over with if he did it,” Giuliani said.

“Mayor de Blasio, please say you’re sorry to them for having created a false impression of them,” he said. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Thousands of Police Officers from Across the Country Attend Ramos’ Funeral

By Fox News. Thousands of police officers from across the country assembled in winter sunshine in New York City for the funeral of Rafael Ramos, a police officer shot to death with his partner in an ambush last week.

The officers in dress blue uniforms stood outside the Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens for the Saturday morning services. The sea of blue stretched more than six city blocks.

In his eulogy, Mayor Bill de Blasio offered the city’s condolences to the Ramos family.

“All of this city is grieving and grieving for so many reasons,” he said. “But the most personal is that we lost such a good man.”

Vice President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to Ramos’ two sons. (Read more about the NYPD cops at the funeral HERE)
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GIULIANI: OBAMA USES SHARPTON AS A ‘POSTER BOY FOR HATING THE POLICE’

By Pam Key. Sunday on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said President Barack Obama’s close relationship with Al Sharpton makes it clear to law enforcement across America he doesn’t understand them.

“He has had Al Sharpton to the White House 85 times,” Giuliani said. “Often when he’s talking abut police issues, he has Al Sharpton sitting next to him. If we would like to have a poster boy for hating the police, it’s Al Sharpton. To make him an adviser you turn the police in America against you. You’re going to tell the police in America we don’t understand you. I saw this man help cause riots in New York. I’ve heard his anti-police invective first hand. To have a man who hasn’t paid $4 million in taxes, to have a man who spent his career creating riots, phony stories about police, to have that man sitting next to you, speaks volumes. You know actions speak louder than words. You put Al Sharpton next to you, you just told everyone I’m against the police.” (Read more from this story HERE)

13,000 Stolen Passwords Released by Hackers to Popular Websites

Photo Credit: Breitbart

Photo Credit: Breitbart

Given the size of the user base for major shopping and entertainment websites like Amazon.com, Walmart, Xbox Live, and Hulu, the odds that your account was compromised by the antics of hacker group Anonymous are very low. They published 13,000 user names and passwords in a huge text file on Friday; some of the web sites they hit have memberships that run into the tens of millions, making the odds of any individual user being affected at well under one percent. Still, as DailyDot advises, now might be a good time to change your password if you have accounts with any of these websites:

Amazon

Walmart

PlayStation Network

Xbox Live

Twitch.tv

Origin.com

Hulu Plus

Dell

Brazzers

Playboy

Shutterstock. . .

As is their wont, Anonymous claimed they “did it for the lulz” (i.e. for fun.) Inconveniencing thousands of people during the holidays and stealing their property is presumably amusing if you’re not one of the victims. (Read more about the stolen passwords released HERE)