The CIA and Associated Press intelligence reporter Ken Dilanian regularly collaborated on stories promoting the spy agency's image, according to a report by The Intercept. Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show how during his time with the Los Angeles Times, Ken Dilanian worked with the agency to more positively portray CIA actions, at times explicitly promising positive news coverage, according to the report. RT's Lindsay France digs into the newly revealed documents to explore the depth of the relationship.

President Putin's matter-of-fact statement over last weekend that, "If I wanted to I could take Kiev in two weeks", following his mid-week reminder of Russia's sometimes forgotten nuclear capacity, was most certainly startling to European Union leaders gathered in Bruxelles to shuffle around EU functions in such way that the bureaucrats-who have made non-elected careers in Bruxelles running as much as possible the lives of Europeans-can keep their jobs.

Putin's softly spoken words plastered across newspaper headlines shook them out of their reveries. They had hoped the Ukrainian problem would just go away. Now they don't know what to do. Several countries-members-Slovakia, Hungary and Cyprus oppose sending arms to the Chocolate King Poroshenko's forces getting whipped by the "separatists-terrorists" in the Southeast Donbas and losing huge quantities of military hardware and yesterday losing also the Luhansk airport. No one in fact is really sincere about the whole US idea of sanctions. Europe, afflicted by uncertainty about its own identity and the centrifugal forces at work to tear it apart (anti-Europeanists, the secession referendum in Scotland this month, similar movements in Cataluna and the Basque country) has the nerve to give Russia seven days to withdraw its troops from inside Ukraine (which Russia denies) to which Putin responds laconically that "it's impossible to foresee when the crisis will end." Putin has repeated a paraphrased version of US East European policymaker Nuland's words to the EU: "Fuck off!" Merkel is meanwhile really pissed with the Kremlin but can't do much about it, and probably would not even if she could: half of Russia's foreign trade is with her Germany.

There's no author name, it's just attributed to a longtime Capitol Hill staffer.

There are no references to political parties or elected officials, either. No names at all, in fact.

And that just may be why this "I quit" email may resonate with a polarized country that has agreed for a long time on at least one thing: Congress by and large isn't doing a great job.

Dated May 9, 2014 with the subject line "Not So Fond Farewell," the screed was posted by Jezebel blog writer Archibald Perkins, who said it was sent by "a friend of mine, a long-time Hill staffer and policywonk" who gave permission to publish the email as long as revealing information was omitted.

The alleged ex-staffer kicked things off by noting the high probability that no one noticed that he or she had quit the day before. Then the expletives start flying. "I've been in this business for almost 20 years, and I've put up with a lot of s**t. I know that's not a surprise, but the s**t I've endured is its own level of crazy. I've f***ing had it."

Argentina's Senate has passed a law that will let the country continue paying off its default debt by transferring international bond payments from New York to local banks, which would let other investors buy Argentine debt.

The scheme, to get around a US judge's order to immediately pay back $1.6 billion to "vulture" hedge funds in Manhattan, is the initiative of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The bill passed by a vote 39 to 27.

The initiative proposes to begin challenging payments through third parties, and allowing them to trade their bonds for new debt issued under Argentine law. Argentina's state Banco de la Nacion could become the trustee for payments, replacing the Bank of New York Mellon. Another proposal is to make Paris a main destination for debt payments.

According to Argentina's Chief of cabinet ministers, Jorge Capitanich, there are already several investors interested.

"There is obviously willingness among many creditors, or bondholders, to participate in the sovereign debt payment law, in order to get the money that is owed to them," Capitanich told reporters on Friday.

Under President Obama, the richest 10 percent were the only income group of Americans to see their median incomes rise, according to a survey released this week by the Federal Reserve.

The Fed data covered the years 2010-2013, during which period Mr. Obama constantly campaigned against income inequality and won re-election by painting his Republican rival as a tool of Wall Street plutocrats.

"Data from the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances confirm that the shares of income and wealth held by affluent families are at modern historically high levels," the report said in noting that the median income fell for every 10-percent grouping except the most affluent 10 percent.

"The 2013 SCF reveals substantial disparities in the evolution of income and net worth since the previous time the survey was conducted, in 2010," the report stated. The SCF is conducted by the Federal reserve triennially and compiles information about family incomes, credit use, net worth and finances.

Russian consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has suspended all confectionery imports from Ukraine after discovering two Ukrainian companies broke consumer protection laws.

"In order to ensure the rights of consumers, starting September 5 Rospotrebnadzor is suspending the import of confectionary goods produced in Ukraine to the Russian Federation," the watchdog said in a statement on Friday.

The restriction came after two Ukrainian confectionary companies AVK and Konti failed to comply with labeling standards.

AVK and Konti form the bulk of confectionary imported by Russia from Ukraine.

At the end on July 2013 Russia halted imports from another Ukrainian confectionary company, Roshen, citing food safety concerns. The Roshen Confectionery Corporation is owned by Petro Poroshenko, who was elected president in May this year.

As the Ukraine crisis enters an even more intense phase, it has been conventional wisdom for some time among Western strategists that China is actually the biggest winner of the new and grave tensions in Eastern Europe. Not only has it benefited from a landmark gas agreement with Russia, but, so the logic goes, the new tension in U.S.-Russian relations may sap dynamism from the erstwhile Asia-Pacific rebalance, while encouraging Moscow to increase its cooperation in all respects with Beijing. China has generally adopted a low key approach to the crisis itself, calling simply for restraint and a negotiated solution.

A key question that arises, however, is whether or not Chinese leaders are recalibrating their strategy to mirror Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggressive approach. Put simply, does Beijing see the Ukraine Crisis as demonstrating the West's weakness when confronted by a determined and capable challenger? Eminent Chinese specialist on international affairs Prof. Wang Jisi of Peking University said in a June 2014 interview with 财经 [Finance and Economics] magazine that Putin was the foreign leader that Chinese admired most. While calling for a more cautious and restrained approach himself, Wang also offers that Putin's popularity in China reflects a general desire for "strong man politics" and adopting an "iron wrist [sic] diplomacy."

Control over the Russian Military Industrial Commission will shortly be transferred from the government to the president, with Vladimir Putin assuming the chairman's post, according to a press report.

The popular business daily Kommersant has quoted an unnamed source in the presidential administration as saying that the Military Industrial Commission will be taken to a "principally new level." Putin's personal leadership will allow for fast and clear solutions of all potential conflicts between industrialists and the military.

According to the source, representation from weapons-making corporations and top military command in the new body will be balanced. The current head of the commission, Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin, will become first deputy chairman and he will also chair the commission's main ruling body - the collegium. Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov is set to become executive secretary of the commission, with powers to form the daily agenda of its sessions. All current permanent members of the Military Industrial Commission will retain their posts, the newspaper reported.

The source also said that the reform's plan had been developed by the government and had already received approval from the presidential administration. The official announcement of the changes is expected to take place next week during a working conference between Vladimir Putin and government officials.

At first, I thought this had to be a joke in the style of "The Onion". Sadly, no. I have video of this dolt saying this on C-Span. I don't know who's more dangerous to humanity, Kerry or ISIS.
The video:

United States President Barack Obama said Friday that the US and European Union are still prepared to impose sanctions against Russia if the crisis in Ukraine continues to escalate following the signing of a ceasefire agreement.


Speaking in Newport, Wales at the close of a major NATO alliance summit, Pres. Obama expressed skepticism over a pact signed only hours earlier in Minsk during a meeting of representatives from Kiev, Lugansk and Donetsk, and said the US intends to go ahead with new sanctions revealed by the White House on Thursday this week.

"Obviously we are hopeful," Obama said of the ceasefire, "but based on past experience, also skeptical that, in fact, the separatists will follow through and the Russians will stop violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."


"Pro-Russian separatists must keep their commitments," Obama told the crowd.