
Money & Markets
Don Cox on Business News Network ~ Food Inflation
Business News Network (30 Apr 2008)
James Turk: A Four-Month Review
GATA (1 May 2008)
Numbers Racket – Why The Economy is Worse Than We Know
B…

Precious Metals
The Gold Cartel vs. South African Mines
By Peter George – GATA (30 Apr 2008)
Al Korelin Interviews Speakers at GATA’s Washington Conference
By Chris Powell – GATA (28 Apr 2008)

Geopolitical
Break-ins Plague Targets of US Attorneys
By Larisa Alexandrovna, et al – TheRawstory.com (1 May 2008)
DC Madame Found Hanged
By Phil Cubeta – Gift Hub (1 May 2008)
How To Avoid Cons That Can Lead …

Life
Sunspot Numbers – In 1610, shortly after viewing the sun with his new telescope, Galileo Galilei made the first European observations of Sunspots. Daily observations were started at the Zurich Observa…

Food & Health
Health Canada – Exposed: Is Your Health At Risk?
At Stop51.com

Food & Health
Health Canada – Exposed: Is Your Health At Risk?
At Stop51.com

Money & Markets
Countrywide’s CEO Takes Home Millions
At CNNMoney.com (25 Apr 2008)
My Submission to the 2020 Summit
Steve Keen’s Oz Debtwatch – debtdeflation.com (15 Apr 2008)
Moody’s Begins Downgrading AAA-Rat…

Money & Markets
Countrywide’s CEO Takes Home Millions
At CNNMoney.com (25 Apr 2008)
My Submission to the 2020 Summit
Steve Keen’s Oz Debtwatch – debtdeflation.com (15 Apr 2008)
Moody’s Begins Downgrading AAA-Rate…

Precious Metals
Ecuador’s Mining Mandate
Aurelian’s English Translation
If You Want Silver, Not Paper, You Face a Premium
By Gene Arensberg – Resource Investor (21 Apr 2008)
Why Gold was Hacked Today – And How
…

Food & Health
India To Take Steps to Control Rising Prices For Food
From the San Diego Union-Tribune (22 Apr 2008)
Rice Rationing Imposed at Wal-Mart’s Warehouse Division
From The Associated Press (23 Apr 2008)…

Food & Health
India To Take Steps to Control Rising Prices For Food
From the San Diego Union-Tribune (22 Apr 2008)
Rice Rationing Imposed at Wal-Mart’s Warehouse Division
From The Associated Press (23 Apr 2008)…

Geopolitical
Third NSA Source Confirms: Flight 93 Shot Down by Air Force Jet
By Wayne Madsen – OpEdNews.com (20 Apr 2008)
Local Heroes: 17 Year Old Columnist Fired For Telling Truth
By Mohamma Sagha – Democra…

What Can Anyone Do? A Lot!
Remarks by Catherine Austin Fitts
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc. Conference
GATA Goes to Washington — Anybody Seen Our Gold?
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, Virginia
Saturday, A…

Quote du Jour
The stock-market guys say you have to reach a bottom before you can recover, and that a bottom is often signaled by the collapse of some big entity. Many people thought it was Bear Stearns Cos. In rea…

Money & Markets
Paulson Blueprint Promotes Insurance Industry Shell Game
Posted by Philip Mattera – CorpWatch.org (5 Apr 2008)
Salle Mae Affirms Outlook, Warns of "Train Wreck"
By Kevin Drawbaugh – Reut…

Money & Markets
Paulson Blueprint Promotes Insurance Industry Shell Game
Posted by Philip Mattera – CorpWatch.org (5 Apr 2008)
Salle Mae Affirms Outlook, Warns of "Train Wreck"
By Kevin Drawbaugh – Reut…

Mortgage Markets
Bank of England to Take on Banks’ Loans to Help Mortgage Market
By Andrew Porter – London Telegraph (17 Apr 2008)

Precious Metals
How Much Gold do Vietnamese Keep Under Their Pillows?
By Tuoi Tre – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (16 Apr 2008)
Why High Gold Prices Haven’t Led to More Production
By Fabrice Taylor – The Globe & Mai…

Food & Health
Canada Says Chemical in Hard Plastic Bottles May Be Unsafe
By Rob Gillies – Associated Press (18 Apr 2008)
U.S. Welcomes Korean Decision on Beef Imports
By Missy Ryan – Reuters (18 Apr 2008)
Cre…

Food & Health
Canada Says Chemical in Hard Plastic Bottles May Be Unsafe
By Rob Gillies – Associated Press (18 Apr 2008)
U.S. Welcomes Korean Decision on Beef Imports
By Missy Ryan – Reuters (18 Apr 2008)
Cre…

Geopolitical
Why Shouldn’t We Be Bitter?
By Michael Winship – Truthout.org (16 Apr 2008)
Bridgette Bardot on Trial for Muslim Slur
By Thierry Leveque – Reuters (15 Apr 2008)
Cheney, Others OK’d Harsh Interrogat…

Life
The Responsibility Project
From Liberty Mutual (16 Apr 2008)
The Triumph of the Big D
By Alexandra Anderson-Spivy – artnet.com (Apr 2008)

Money & Markets
Justice Department Files Injunction Suits in Nationwide Crackdown on Alleged Tax Defier Scheme Promotersby Financial Services (11 Apr 2008)
G7 to Break Bread with Global Bankers By Greg Robb, MarketW…

Money & Markets
Justice Department Files Injunction Suits in Nationwide Crackdown on Alleged Tax Defier Scheme Promotersby Financial Services (11 Apr 2008)
G7 to Break Bread with Global Bankers By Greg Robb, MarketW…

Food & Health
Mobile Phones May be Death Sentence By Danielle Cronin, Canberra News (12 Apr 2008)
The Stench of Fear in the Wheat Industry By Kim Anderson, Southwest Farm Press (10 Apr 2008)
Multi-Tasking Worse O…

Food & Health
Mobile Phones May be Death Sentence By Danielle Cronin, Canberra News (12 Apr 2008)
The Stench of Fear in the Wheat Industry By Kim Anderson, Southwest Farm Press (10 Apr 2008)
Multi-Tasking Worse O…

Geopolitical
Do Satellite Photos Show Iran Ballistic Missile Facility?By Arthur Bright, Christian Science Monitor (11 Apr 2008)
The Unofficial Judge Alex Kozinski Site
Power to Build Border Fence Is Above U.S. L…

Money & Markets
Wall Street Brokerages Borrowing $38.1 Billion a Day from Federal ReserveBy Jeannine Aversa, Associated Press (03 April 2008)
Warning Issued on Debt of Goldman, LehmanReuters (22 Mar 2008)
MBIA’s B…

Money & Markets
Wall Street Brokerages Borrowing $38.1 Billion a Day from Federal ReserveBy Jeannine Aversa, Associated Press (03 April 2008)
Warning Issued on Debt of Goldman, LehmanReuters (22 Mar 2008)
MBIA’s B…

Precious Metals
Gold Should Shake Off Any Sales by IMFBy Frank Tang, Reuters (08 Apr 2008)
China Would Buy Huge Stake in Mega-Miner BillitonBy Rowan Callick and Dennis Shanahan, The Australian (09 Apr 2008)
Will Is…

Life
The Masai Warriors’ Guide to England By Andrew Pierce, The Telegraph (03 Apr 2008)
My Other Car is a Bright Green CityAlex Steffen, worldchanging.com (23 Jan 2008)
Coming Soon: Superfast InternetBy …

Top Picks ~ Week of March 31, 2008
Money & Markets
Credit Crunch Fallout Could Drag on for Years, Lawyers WarnTimes Online (31 Mar 2008)
Overdue Consumer Debts Highest Since 1992, ABA Saysby Hugh Son, Bloomberg (03 Apr 2008)
T…

Wildcards – Week of 04.02.08
Another Chimpanzee Escape At Bastrop Facility
Monkey Day | 02 April 2008
Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research in…

Top Picks ~ Week of March 24, 2008
Money & Markets
The Sheltering Storm: Uncertainty on Section 8
By Matt Schwarzfeld – CityLimits.org (24 Mar 2008)
—~ Catherine’s comment: Are states and cities expected to vote Democratic in No…

Top Picks ~ Week of March 17, 2008
Money & Markets
Federal Agencies Running on Fumes
By Richard Sammon – The Kiplinger Letter (19 Mar 2008)
Don’t Worry About An Audit
By Kevin McCormally – Kiplinger.com (21 Mar…

Prison Investment
To provide another example of Total Economic Return analysis applied to an investment strategy, here is a letter that I wrote to the New York Times in March 1999 regarding investment in private pris…

Top Picks ~ Week of March 10, 2008
Money & Markets
US Home Defaults, Foreclosures Rise 60% in February
By Alan Mirabella & Sharon Lynch – Bloomberg.com (14 Mar 2008)
Dollar’s Clout Sinks Worldwide
By Alan Cl…

Fed Disclosure on Intervention Powers
The New York Fed: The Discount Window
The Fed: The Scope of Monetary Policy Actions Authorized Under the Federal Reserve Act
—Thanks to The King Report for pointing these out.


Our Profits vs Dumpster Profits – Whose Side Are You On?
Since 1996, the American economy has been experiencing a “pump and dump.” During the pump, players made profits from transactions as assets rose in value. While doing so, they and a variety of opinion…

Top Picks ~ Week of March 3, 2008
Frozen in Grand Central Station
A video by Improv Everywhere
It’s been exactly four weeks since we posted our Frozen Grand Central mission. The response has been unbelievab…

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?
Well, well, what do you know? The Wall Street Journal has just published an article on arguably the single most important reason the US housing bubble is bursting and the US stock market is going down…

Top Picks ~ Week of February 25, 2008
Money & Markets
Follow the Trend
By James Turk – GoldMoney.com (29 Feb 2008)
Pennsylvania Student Loans Halted on Auction Failures
By Adam L. Cataldo – Bloomberg.com (27 …


Securities Certificates
A network member reports that their broker says that their right to
obtain certificates ends on March 13, 2008.
We can’t find the final proclamation, but here is what came up on at search at the Secu…

Grain Pushing Through Gold
Dan Norcini makes a great point today in his article:
CCI Index Makes Another All Time High Making IMF Gold Suppression Attempts Even More Pointless
JSMineset.com (25 Feb 2008)
He says, essentially,…

Top Picks ~ Week of February 18, 2008
Fidel Castro Steps Down as President of Cuba
By James C. McKinley, Jr. –
International Herald Tribune (19 Feb 2008)
Fidel Castro said Tuesday that he would step down as the president of Cuba, o…

Clear Channel Files Lawsuit
Providence Miffed by Clear Channel Suit
Associated Press (17 Feb 2008)
Providence Equity Partners
Previous blog posts on this issue:
Update on Clear Channel (15 Feb 2008)
Who Will Control Coast-to…

The Guernsey Experience
The Other Way to Deal with the National Debt
By Bob Blain – The Progressive Review (June 1994)
The Guernsey Experience . . .
Guernsey is an island state located among the British Channel Islands abo…

Top Picks ~ Week of February 11, 2008
Money & Markets
New Era Dawns for Rail Building
By Daniel Machalaba – Wall Street Journal (13 Feb 2008)
AIG Falls on Concern Losses My Have Been Understated
By Hugh Son &…

Deja Vu
When I was Assistant Secretary of Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner cleaning up the last housing and mortgage bubble bust, I used to have a deputy who said “FHA is where mortgages go to die.” That’…

George Clooney Hits a Homer
My cousin Susan Blair Ross is a Broadway star. She is smart as a whip. She was the person who first suggested I move to Hickory Valley. I had absolutely no interest in Diane, Princess of Wales, until …

Top Picks ~ Week of February 4, 2008
Money & Markets
Is Your City a Debt Trap? From Men’s Health
Nonborrowed Bank Reserves Go Negative ~
Data from the Federal Reserve Website
Wachovia Accused of Aiding Tele…

Top Picks ~ Week of January 28, 2008
Money & Markets
Vote on Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo ~ Lodge your opinion in this Wall Street Journal poll
Robert Rubin: What meltdown?
By Katie Benner – CNNMoney.com (31 Jan 2008)
MBIA Posts Bigge…

Cleveland vs 21 Lenders
Cleveland Sues 21 Lenders Over Subprime Mortgages
By Christopher Maag – New York Times (12 Jan 2008)
See City of Cleveland Press Release for a list of lenders.
xx
xx
Click the image to view the …

Top Picks ~ Week of January 21, 2008
Money & Markets
You Should Be Wary of This Market Rebound
By John Crudele – New York Post (24 Jan 2008)
US Slides Into Dangerous 1930s ‘Liquidity Trap’
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard …

Top Picks ~ Week of January 14, 2008
Money & Markets
FBI Wants Instant Access to British Identity Data
By Owen Bowcott – The Guardian (15 Jan 2008)
Citigroup’s Hopes for Investment From Chinese Bank Hit a Snag
By Eric Dash – Int…

Mayor and City Council of Baltimore vs. Wells Fargo Bank
Life gets interesting when the lawyers willing to sue big banks grow in number.
Baltimore is Suing Over Foreclosure Crisis
By Gretchen Morgenson – New York Times (8 Jan 2008)
Lawyers’ fear of bein…

Quote du Jour
With thanks to “The King Report.”

Top Picks ~ Week of January 7, 2008
Money & Markets
China is Quietly Revaluing its Currency
By Richard Spencer – London Telegraph (8 Jan 2008)
Baltimore is Suing Bank Over Foreclosure Crisis
By Gretchen Morgenson – …


Price vs. Force
Brilliant (and darling) investment newsletter writer Rob Kirby and I have been having a heated debate. He says that markets clear through price. I say they clear through force. At the heart of the deb…

Top Picks ~ Week of December 31, 2007
Money & Markets
Venezuela Cuts Zeroes From Currency in Hope of Stalling InflationBy Jorge Rueda – Associated Press (1 Jan 2008)
Cyprus and Malta Adopt the Euro
By Menelaos Hadijicostis – A…

US Downgraded to Endemic Surveillance Society; Joining Russia & China
From: Privacy International

US Downgraded to Endemic Surveillance Society; Joining Russia & China
From: Privacy International

Top Picks ~ Week of December 24, 2007
Money & Markets
Dollar’s Shares of Currency Reserves Falls to Record Low
By Christopher Swan – Bloomberg News (28 Dec 2007)
Exit U.S.
By Mike Muehleck posted by Eric Fry – the Rude Awakening (2…

“He reads. He reads…everything.”
In 1984, I gave away my television after overhearing a conversation about the subliminal programing and entrainment technology being rolled out to manage public opinion through television. Not being s…

"He reads. He reads…everything."
In 1984, I gave away my television after overhearing a conversation about the subliminal programing and entrainment technology being rolled out to manage public opinion through television. Not being s…

A Wish…
It’s Catherine’s birthday today!

Top Picks ~ Week of December 17, 2007
Money & Markets
China Takes 10% Stake in Morgan Stanley to Cover Junk Mortgages
By Joseph A. Giannone – Reuters (19 Dec 2007)
Credit Crisis Hits Top US Bond Insurer
By Stephen Bernard – Asso…

The Checklist
The Checklist
If something so simple can transform intensive care, what else can it do?
By Atul Gawande – The New Yorker (10 Dec 2007)
“If a new drug were as effective at saving lives as Peter Pronovo…

The Creeping Financial Coup d'etat
One of the newsletters that I use as an excellent predictor of what the Tapeworm will do next (in the rah-rah Tapeworm mode) says that state and local governments are going to plug their deficits with…

The Creeping Financial Coup d’etat
One of the newsletters that I use as an excellent predictor of what the Tapeworm will do next (in the rah-rah Tapeworm mode) says that state and local governments are going to plug their deficits with…

What reforms should a presidential candidate propose?
Someone just asked me for a comment on a Presidential candidate’s policies to reform the sub-prime mortgage market. Here are the items I suggested.
1. Return currency issuance to the US Treasury;
2. …

Top Picks ~ Week of December 10, 2007
Money & Markets
Citigroup to Consolidate Seven SIVs on Balance Sheet
By Shannon D. Harrington & Elizabeth Hester – Bloomberg News (13 Dec 2007)
World Bankers Resort to Firebreak
By Ambrose Evans-…


Bill Moyers' Journal
Bill Moyers’ Journal (23 Nov 2007)
The power and beauty found in the African American church and spiritual experience reminds me of St. Timothy when he wrote “For God hath not given us the spirit of f…

Bill Moyers’ Journal
Bill Moyers’ Journal (23 Nov 2007)
The power and beauty found in the African American church and spiritual experience reminds me of St. Timothy when he wrote “For God hath not given us the spirit of f…

Top Picks ~ Week of December 3, 2007
Money & Markets
Top hedge Fund blow-up news and commentary
Britain’s Rate Cut Opens Gulf With European Central Bank
By Chris Giles & Ralph Atkins – Financial Times, London (6 Dec 2007)
Top CD…

Top Picks from Scoop Media
Pentagon Poised to Resume Open Air Weapons Testing
By Sherwood Ross (4 Dec 2007)
Burma: Junta Charges Monks’ Leader With Treason
By Terry Evans (3 Dec 2007)
New Zealand One of the World’s Simplest…

Taxes: Who's Who Among Nations
Paying Taxes 2008 – The Global Picture
The Doing Business Project

Taxes: Who’s Who Among Nations
Paying Taxes 2008 – The Global Picture
The Doing Business Project

Montana, Connecticut Holdings Downgraded by Moody’s
Montana, Connecticut Hold Downgraded by Moody’s
By David Evans – Bloomberg.com (3 Dec 2007)
Montana and Connecticut state-run investment pools hold debt tainted by the subprime mortgage collapse whose…

Montana, Connecticut Holdings Downgraded by Moody's
Montana, Connecticut Hold Downgraded by Moody’s
By David Evans – Bloomberg.com (3 Dec 2007)
Montana and Connecticut state-run investment pools hold debt tainted by the subprime mortgage collapse whose…

Two Sides to Every Venezuela Story
Read the first story, published by CounterPunch:
CIA Venezuela Destabilization Memo Surfaces
By James Petras – CounterPunch (28 Nov 2007)
Then read this story from today’s New York Times (top of fol…

Top Picks ~ Week of November 26, 2007
Money & Markets
E*Trade Gets Help From Citadel [Must subscribe to read full article.]
By Susanne Craig, et al – Wall Street Journal (29 Nov 2007)
China’s Hong Kong Pilot Stock Plan Will Proceed, …

Kiva Update on Don Pancho: Challenges as a Microentrepreneur
Update from Kiva on my current loan . . .
Francisco is doing well. He is working hard at both of his businesses everyday. He has finished all payments on his first loan despite a huge setback; he …

Top Picks ~ Week of November 19, 2007
Money & Markets
Dollar to Fade, Not Fly, From Scene as Gulf Reforms
By Daliah Merzaban – Reuters (21 Nov 2007)
The Currency Manipulation Follies, Chapter Umpteen
By Peter Garnham – Financial Ti…

Top Picks ~ Week of November 12, 2007
Money & Markets
Belgian Treasury Promises No Default
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – London Telegraph (16 Nov 2007)
Fund Managers Hold Nerve Despite Fears
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – London Telegra…

Access to Drinking Water
Globally human populations are growing, trade is increasing, and living standards are rising for many. But, according to the UN’s latest Global Environment Outlook report, long-term problems includi…

Top Picks ~ Week of November 5, 2007
Shock Doctrine’s Shocking Short Shrift
By Carolyn Baker – Speaking Truth to Power
New York’s $25,000 Dessert Sets Guinness Record
By Vivianne Rodrigues – Reuters (7 Nov 2007)
The Witches’ Brew of 19…

Top Picks ~ Week of October 29, 2007
Compelled Iraq Duty Angers US Envoys
From Associated Press (1 Nov 2007)
My Nobel Moment
By John R. Christy – Wall Street Journal (1 Nov 2007)
CitiGroup Calls Emergency Board Meeting
By Damian Reece …

Top Picks ~ Week of October 22, 2007
Consumers Face Record Heating-Oil Bills
By Ana Campoy – Wall Street Journal (24 Oct 2007)
Russia To Control Food Prices [Register to View Full Article]
By Neil Buckley & Javier Blas – Financial Time…

Top Picks ~ Week of October 15, 2007
Scenes From the Fringe
By Russ Alan Prince – Private Wealth (5 Aug 2007)
New VNR Catches Prove the Fake TV News Problem Continues
Press Release: Center for Media & Democracy (11 Oct 2007)
Al Gore’s …

Top Picks ~ Week of October 8, 2007
Carney, Former Goldman Banker, To Head Bank of Canada
By Greg Quinn & Theophilos Argitis – Bloomberg.com (4 Oct 2007)
Francis Ford Coppola’s Laptop Stolen
By New York Daily News Staff (28 Sep 200…

Top Picks ~ Week of October 1, 2007
Treasury Department Simulating Bank Runs
By Martin Crustinger – Associated Press (4 Oct 2007)
The Martyrdom of Burma’s Marching Monks
By Rev. John Dear – CommonDreams.org (4 Oct 2007)
El-Erian Will …

Top Picks ~ Week of September 24, 2007
Gallup: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low — Even Less Than in Watergate Era
From Editor & Publisher (27 Sep 2007)
Who Owned Drug Plane that Crashed in Mexico?
By Jay Ro…

Top Picks ~ Week of September 17, 2007
Paulson: US to Hit Debt Limit October 1
By Martin Crutsiinger – AP Economics Writer (19 Sep 2007)
Mud City Press – Securing Global Food Resources
Not Guilty! Hung Jury! 189 IRS Counts Bits the Dust…

Top Picks ~ Week of September 10, 2007
Central Bank Split Over Credit Squeeze
By Chris Giles & Gillian Tett – Financial Times, London (12 Sep 2007)
Fed Believed To Be Considering Unconventional Tools for Bailouts
By Krishna Guha – Financi…

Top Picks ~ Week of September 3, 2007
OECD Calls for US Rate Cut To Ward Off Crisis
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – London Telegraph (6 Sep 2007)
Compendium on Subprime Crisis
London Telegraph (Sep 2007)
Housing Layoffs
From MarketWatch
A…