News & Commentary

The 2010 State of the Union Address will be given by United States President Barack Obama on January 27, 2010, to a joint session of Congress. It will be Obama’s first State of the Union Address, th…

I am watching the Congressional testimony about AIG. It’s a parade of people lying to themselves and to you. My expectation is that you will get a much more accurate explanation of the government’s gi…

Today the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held hearings on: “The Federal Bailout of AIG” to examine the Federal response to the collapse of AIG. The hearing will focus on the deci…

By Tyler Durden

Zero Hedge discussed a month ago the disastrous prospects of what would happen if the new proposal contemplated by the SEC, which would allow the suspension of redemptions from Money …

By Ryan Grim

A Republican senator said Tuesday that documents showing Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernake covered up the fact that his staff recommended he not bailout AIG are being kept fro…

By Gretchen Morgenson and Louise Story

Weeks after rescuing the American International Group with an $85 billion taxpayer loan in late 2008, Federal Reserve Board officials rejected a proposal that…

By Rob Kirby

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the notional value of derivatives held by U.S. commercial banks increased $804 billion in the t…

“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You’re facilitating the problem if you give an anim…

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By Nick Turse

One moment there was the hum of a motor in the sky above. The next, on a recent morning in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a missile blasted a home, killing 13 people. Days later,…

By Joe Weisenthal and Kamelia Angelova

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In the last several days, a view emerged that the tightening has un-officially begun.

Continue reading Chart of The Day: Say Goodbye To The…

By David Voreacos, Carlyn Kolker and Klaus Wille

A Swiss court ruling that impedes the Internal Revenue Service’s ability to collect data on 4,450 UBS AG accounts may prompt the U.S. to revive a …

By Michael Shuman

Since the global financial system unraveled in 2008, U.S. policymakers have struggled heroically to improve the performance and oversight of global banks and investment firms. But t…

U.S. securities regulators originally treated the New York Federal Reserve’s bid to keep secret many of the details of the American International Group bailout like a request to protect matters of n…

By Tyler Durden

Politico has obtained the phone log of conversations performed by then FRBNY President Tim Geithner during the period of the financial crisis, or specifically September 14, 2008 throu…

By Inigo Gilmore

As a member of the media covering the tragedy in Haiti, it’s with a sense of alarm and astonishment that I’ve witnessed how some senior aid officials have argued for withholding ai…

It would appear that Goldman thinks that raising interest rates would be a disaster. What that means is the folks borrowing for 0-1/2% on the yen carry trade, now the Fed carry trade, or getting $10 b…

By Tyler Durden

We apologize in advance for the NY Magazine-style headline, but this is a report that has to be read by all Senators who are preparing to reconfirm Bernanke for a second term. When v…

By Peggy Noonan

What does the Massachusetts election mean? It means America is in play again. The 2008 election settled nothing, not even for a while. Our national politics are reflecting what appear…

By Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr

An analysis of the location of poverty in America, particularly in the nation’s 95 largest metro areas in 2000, 2007, and 2008 reveals that:

By 2008, suburbs w…

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By Jesse

Here is an interesting chart that shows the ascendancy of the financial sector in the US.

Continue reading Financial Services: From Servant to Lord of the Economy

By Tyler Durden

Rep. Darrell Issa comes out guns blazing once again, alleging that the Fed provided a selective response to the subpoena to provide all documents relating to the AIG bailout, and as…

By Ishkabibble

Become majority lender in an economy of people with assets you want.
Encourage indebtedness by loaning generously while securing on assets of interest.
Loosen lending standards unti…

We have received several comments from listeners and readers questioning whether or not mortgage companies or banks are required to provide homeowners specific proof of customers’ individual notes.
…

Continue reading Ron Paul:”We Need To Take Out The CIA”

The 94 United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, e…

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to have visitors. That is why we are so glad to see you. We hope your stay with us is relaxing, refreshing and most of all fun.

Linden and Perry County is o…

By Philip Elliott and Daniel Wagner

Embracing Depression-era policy and populist politics, a combative President Barack Obama chastised big Wall Street banks Thursday and urgently called for limits…

By Vincent Fernando and Kamelia Angelova

Continue reading Workers Are Unemployed So Long, They’re Forgetting Their Skills

By David G. Savage

In a 5-4 decision that strikes down a 1907 law, the justices say the 1st Amendment gives corporations, just like individuals, a right to spend their own money on political ads fo…

By Michel Chossudovsky

A Haiti disaster relief scenario had been envisaged at the headquarters of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Miami one day prior to the earthquake.

The holding of pre-disast…

A Solari Circle is a small (twelve or fewer members is recommended) financial action club formed by people who know and trust each other and who choose to “conspire” to help each other anticipate and…

By Philip Stephens

When Lloyd Blankfein met politicians in London a little while ago he brushed aside warnings that investment banks faced higher taxes if they ignored the rising public outcry abou…

Republican Scott Brown has won the Massachusetts Senate seat held for nearly a half-century by Democrat Edward Kennedy.

Brown’s victory in the special election gives Senate Republicans the 41st vot…

By Nicholas Gonzalez, M.D.

In recent weeks, as the tenor in the health care debate has become more contentious, and the passage of some far-reaching legislation now more assured, I felt, as a physi…

by Tom Burghardt

In the wake of the Flight 253 provocation, over-hyped terrorism panics, and last year’s Big Pharma and media-engineered hysteria over the H1N1 flu pandemic, President Barack Obama …

Unfiltered access is similar to giving your car keys to a friend who doesn’t have a license and letting him drive unaccompanied,” said SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro. “Today’s proposal would require …

By New York Times

If you’re a retiree who relies on interest income, you know that the tap is running dry. In fact, many investors in certificates of deposits, savings accounts and money market acc…

By Adrian Douglas

Here are some Trivial Pursuit questions for you:

1) What is the biggest market in the world for a physical commodity?
2) Is the gold market one of the smallest markets in the wor…

For years I have been looking for the story of Jung’s patient who had poisoned her best friend. Thanks to the wonderful Paul Levy at www.awakeninthedream.com and his rich expertise in all things Jung,…

I asked Franklin Sanders recently for his recommendation on a primer on money and banking. He recommended Modern Money Mechanics which was written a while back by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.

He…

By Michael Boldin,

“Already, over a dozen states are considering laws or state constitutional amendments that would effectively ban, or nullify, any proposed national health care plan in their stat…

The list of those called to testify for a House inquiry into the American International Group and its payouts to its counterparties just gained a few more high-wattage witnesses.

Henry M. Paulson J…

By Craig Karmin

A former top Calpers official has been paid more than $900,000 by a European money manager after he helped the start-up firm secure money from the giant public pension fund, accordi…

If the U.S. has a Grand Master of family farming and marketing strategy, it’s likely Joel Salatin, here laying out a banquet of food for thought to a packed house in Santa Barbara…

Related…

By Andrew Ross Sorkin

For years, Wall Street whispered that Goldman Sachs profited handsomely by trading ahead of — or even against — its own clients.

On Tuesday, a Goldman executive made an u…

U.S. foreclosure actions shattered all records in 2009 and will do so again this year, with unemployment and wage cuts overcoming programs to remedy failing home loans, RealtyTrac said on Thursday.
…

From Ron Paul Powerful Speech – A Call for Revolution?

Yesterday morning,  executives from the banks which control the NY Fed and, in that capacity, serve as the depositories and agent for the US government, testified before the Financial Crisis Inquiry …

Genetically modified maize can damage the liver and other internal organs in mammals, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Biological Science.

In the study, rats were …

My dear friends Pastor Brent and Debbie Landers lead the General Assembly & Church of the Firstborn 161 Baker Road, Hohenwald, TN 38462. The church has a mission in Haiti.

I am sending them a c…

Researchers in Australia found that prolonged television viewing was linked to an increased risk of death, even in people who exercised regularly, and recommended more be done to encourage people to s…

At last count, 14 Attorneys General, Republican and Democrat are investigating this legislation [federal health care reform] for violating the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

As you…

William Black, an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, talks with Bloomberg’s Betty Liu about Secretary of Treasury Geithner.

View video:Black Says Ge…

President Barack Obama said, “My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Hait…

Argentina’s central bank reserves dispute suffered an expected escalation when on Tuesday Judge Thomas Griesa from New York State placed an embargo on Argentine central bank accounts held in the U…

By Lester Brown

America’s century-old love affair with the automobile may be coming to an end. The U.S. fleet has apparently peaked and started to decline. In 2009, the 14 million cars scrapped e…

By Tom Philpott

The Gates Foundation has emerged as a kind of de facto USDA for Africa: a deep-pocketed funder with a focus on agriculture, in a continent that has seen ag-research funding plunge ove…

Executive Order will Strengthen Further Partnership Between the Federal and State and Local Governments to Better Protect Our Nation

The President today signed an Executive Order establishing a…

By Joe Weisenthal

Continue reading Chart of The Day:Cash-Strapped States Hope Salvation Is Right Around The Corner

by Jesse

As a rule of thumb, the worst possible time to convert lump sum savings into a fixed income annuity would be when interest rates are historically low.

Although products may vary, this is ro…

By David Glovin

The Federal Reserve will ask a U.S. appeals court to block a ruling that for the first time would force the central bank to reveal secret identities of financial firms that might ha…

Continue reading Second Wave Of Mortgage Defaults – Part 1

by Karl Denninger

Now this is a guaranteed rape job.

In a short conversation this noontime that CNBC apparently has omitted from their archives (Why’s that folks?) Rick Santelli was talking …

By Joe Weisenthal and Kamelia Angelova

Continue reading Chart Of The Day: A Jobless Recovery? Not For The Financial World

By Frederick J. Sheehan

This paper is directed to traditional municipal bondholders, those who hold bonds primarily to receive tax-exempt, steady income. That investor generally holds municipal bo…

By Jeff Plungis

U.S. investors oppose federal initiatives that would force them to give up control over their 401(k) accounts, the Investment Company Institute said.

Seven in 10 U.S. households ob…

By Elena Logutenkova, Joseph Heaven and Klaus Wille

Switzerland’s financial markets regulator broke the law when it ordered UBS AG to give data on 255 of the bank’s clients to the U.S. last yea…

Christopher Paton, who runs JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s public-sector benefit payments business, talks with Bloomberg’s Margaret Brennan about trends in food-stamp use in the U.S.

Click to View Vide…

By Hugh Son

Timothy Geithner was asked to testify before Congress about the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s efforts to limit American International Group Inc.’s disclosures of bailout paymen…

By Tyler Durden

The latest observation on our depressing economic reality, behind the glitzy headlines and the 3D TV screens, comes from Bloomberg’s Jonathan Weil who rightfully asks “if AIG execut…

Smartdust is a hypothetical wireless network of tiny microelectromechanical sensors (MEMS), robots, or devices, that can detect (for example) light, temperature, or vibration.

A typical applic…

Continue reading Sugar: The Bitter Truth
YouTube (30 July 09)

Reginald H. Howe, partner in Golden Sextant Advisors and litigator in the first gold price-fixing case, Howe vs. Bank for International Settlements, has just analyzed the latest precious metals deri…

Continue reading How Will The Economy Recover With Lending Shrinking Like This?

By Catherine Austin Fitts

I would like to propose a contrary theory to the dire views of those looking behind the veil of recent economic statistics.

First, if you look at the amount of mone…

Continue reading The Decline: The Geography of a Recession

Continue reading Video Dispatch: The Year Ahead in East Asia

Continue reading Video Dispatch: The Year Ahead for Russia