Puppet MastersS


Wall Street

Ben Shalom Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, says he is 'not qualified' to offer refinancing advice

David Shepardson
The Detroit News
Wed, 17 Jul 2013 20:25 UTC
bernanke
Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke declined to answer a question from a Michigan member of Congress that's perplexing many homeowners: Should they refinance?

Last week, the average U.S. rate on a 30-year-mortgage climbed to 4.5 percent - a two-year-high.

Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, who is vice chair of the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, said at a congressional hearing on Wednesday that he had recently refinanced his mortgage and wanted to pass along a question one of his friend's had: "Should he refinance right now?"

Bernanke said he couldn't answer. "I'm not a qualified financial adviser," Bernanke said. "I wouldn't want to."

Separately, Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, asked whether Japan was manipulating its currency to aid big companies. The Japanese yen has fallen by about 30 percent this year. Bernanke said Japan is not manipulating its currency, but using monetary policy trying to "break the deflation they've had for about 15 years and a side effect of that is the yen has weakened. ... The international consensus is as long as a country is using domestic policy tools for domestic purposes that that would be an acceptable approach."
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Bulb

NSA admits it analyzes more people's data than previously revealed

Philip Bump
The Atlantic Wire
Wed, 17 Jul 2013 20:10 UTC
nsa on trial
As an aside during testimony on Capitol Hill today, a National Security Agency representative rather casually indicated that the government looks at data from a universe of far, far more people than previously indicated.

Chris Inglis, the agency's deputy director, was one of several government representatives - including from the FBI and the office of the Director of National Intelligence - testifying before the House Judiciary Committee this morning. Most of the testimony largely echoed previous testimony by the agencies on the topic of the government's surveillance, including a retread of the same offered examples for how the Patriot Act and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act had stopped terror events.

But Inglis' statement was new. Analysts look "two or three hops" from terror suspects when evaluating terror activity, Inglis revealed. Previously, the limit of how surveillance was extended had been described as two hops. This meant that if the NSA were following a phone metadata or web trail from a terror suspect, it could also look at the calls from the people that suspect has spoken with - one hop. And then, the calls that second person had also spoken with - two hops. Terror suspect to person two to person three. Two hops. And now: A third hop.
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Newspaper

Ex-CIA Milan chief held in Panama over cleric abduction


BBC News
Thu, 18 Jul 2013 19:48 UTC
Abu omar
Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, known as Abu Omar, was snatched from Milan in 2003
A former CIA station chief convicted by an Italian court of kidnapping a terror suspect has been detained in Panama, Italian officials say.

Robert Seldon Lady was sentenced to nine years in jail for his involvement in the abduction of the man, an Egyptian cleric, in Milan in 2003.

The cleric, known as Abu Omar, was allegedly flown to Egypt and tortured.

Lady was convicted in absentia with 22 other Americans for their role in his "extraordinary rendition".

But the Italian authorities have so far only sought the international arrest of the former Milan station chief, Italian media say.

The CIA said it had no immediate comment on the arrest, while Panamanian officials have so far denied knowledge of the detention.

Panama and Italy do not have an extradition treaty, so it is unclear if Lady will be sent to Italy to serve his prison sentence.
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Propaganda

Doing the Zionists' bidding, US congress calls for sanctions against Argentina over growing Iran ties


Press TV
Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:36 UTC
US Congress
A file photo of the US Congress
Members of the US Congress have called for the imposition of sanctions against Argentina over its growing ties with Iran and Buenos Aires' bid for joint investigations with Tehran into the 1994 AMIA Jewish center bombing.

In a letters to US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Attorney General Eric Holder, the Congressmen cited growing economic and diplomatic relations between Iran and Argentina as grounds for slapping sanctions against Buenos Aires.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Iran and Argentina to probe the bombing at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) was cited as another reason to take action against Buenos Aires.

The July 10 letter to Kerry said the US Congressmen found it "extremely troubling" that Argentina had agreed to a joint effort with Iran to investigate the AMIA bombing, which left 85 people dead.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Argentinean counterpart, Hector Timerman signed the MoU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 27.

Comment: AMIA was Mossad False-flag Operation

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War Whore

Obama toasts Bush senior: 'We are surely a kinder and gentler nation because of you'

Michael O'Brien
NBC News
Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:20 UTC
President Obama lauded former President George H.W. Bush at an event honoring the winner of the 5,000 Daily Point of Light Award. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.

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Arrow Down

TSA will grope you less for $85


RT.com
Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:29 UTC
TSA
© AFP Photo/Stan Honda

If full-body scanners and TSA pat-downs make you feel uncomfortable, you now have an alternate option - for the hefty price of $85.

The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new program that will allow members to bypass regular airport security checkpoints. Those enrolled in the "trusted traveler" program, called TSA PreCheck, will no longer have to remove their shoes, jackets, and belts. Members can also keep their laptop computers in their bags.

Currently, only members of frequent-flier programs are given the opportunity to apply without paying a fee. But TSA Administrator John Pistole on Friday announced that all travelers will soon be able to join PreCheck - as long as they pay $85, provide identifying information, pass a background check, and undergo fingerprinting.

Pistole said that enrollment will be opened to the public later this year, and that he expects an additional 3 million people to sign up for PreCheck before the end of the year. About 12 million travelers are currently enrolled.

If his estimates are accurate, the TSA will reap about $255 million from the program in 2013.
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Propaganda

Blow to investigative journalism! Reporters have no rights to safeguard confidentiality of sources, James Risen ordered to testify in CIA leaker trial

Ed Pilkington
The Guardian
Fri, 19 Jul 2013 15:51 UTC
Image
© APNew York Times reporter James Risen has said in previous comments that he will rather go to prison than reveal the identity of his source
Appeals court rules that reporters have no first amendment protection that would safeguard confidentiality of their sources

A federal appeals court has delivered a blow to investigative journalism in America by ruling that reporters have no first amendment protection that would safeguard the confidentiality of their sources in the event of a criminal trial.

In a two-to-one ruling from the fourth circuit appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, two judges ruled that a New York Times reporter, James Risen, must give evidence at the criminal trial of a former CIA agent who is being prosecuted for unauthorised leaking of state secrets.

The ruling, written by chief judge William Traxler, states in stark terms that even when a reporter has promised confidentiality to a source, "there is no first amendment testimonial privilege, absolute or qualified, that protects a reporter from being compelled to testify ... in criminal proceedings".
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Arrow Down

TSA now searches inside parked cars at the airport

Kristan T. Harris
Cudahy Now
Sun, 21 Jul 2013 12:51 UTC
TSA
© Ben Garrison/GrrrGraphics.com
Say goodbye to your coins in your ash tray, the stuff in your trunk and anything else that might be left in your vehicle. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will now access your vehicle using keys stored by valet attendants. Not all vehicles are checked however, only the ones in valet parking.The logic behind this is that it is conditioning to get you use to warrant-less searches. Violating your liberties to make sure there are no explosives in your car and make sure the local structure is safe. This violating procedure comes without any warning or provides any information.

Airports already have a huge amount of theft do to baggage checks. Now a criminal can help themselves to any thing you may have kept in your vehicle. A corrupt or ambivalent person could mess up something with your car as an engine check is part of the 3 point check. Leave the hood of your car unlatched and cause an accident! This is a law suit waiting to happen.

This is 100% conditioning for us to accept warrant-less check points. This is a complete melt down of our constitution and shows that we are getting ready for tyranny at a national scale.
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Dollar Gold

Massive fire reported in the basement at the JP Morgan gold warehouse on Wall Street, 20 firetrucks showed up!


Investment Watch
Sun, 21 Jul 2013 19:16 UTC
20 Firetrucks, 4+ ambulance and police showed up

There is zero media coverage about this beside Stopmotions stream of the event and a few locals tweeting about it

This is supposedly where JP Morgan keeps their gold. The very same gold that has been dwindling down at astonishing rates lately. JP Morgan warehouse 100 feet below CMP 1 on Wall Street.

Tons of Fire Trucks and even Ambulances on the scene.
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MIB

States' terrorism: FBI supplied IRA with weapons and explosives in 1980s

James O'Shea
IrishCentral.com
Sun, 21 Jul 2013 15:52 UTC
Image
© AP Photos/J. Pat Carter and U.S. Marshals ServiceStephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, left, on Sept. 22, 2008, as he testified in a Miami court in the murder trial of former FBI agent John Connolly; and James "Whitey" Bulger, right, in a June 23, 2011 booking photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Flemmi, Bulger's alleged former partner serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to 10 killings, is expected to testify in Bulger's trial Thursday, July 18, 2013 in federal court in Boston. Bulger, now 83, is accused in a 32-count racketeering indictment and in playing a role in 19 killings in the 1970s and ‘80s while he allegedly led the Winter Hill Gang in Boston.
An FBI agent gave Whitey Bulger 40 pounds of plastic explosives most of which was sent to the IRA a key witness in the Whitey Bulger trial has stated.

Steve Flemmi is the prosecution key witness already serving life without parole who says he accompanies Bulger on most of his murder sprees, including the strangling of Flemini's own girlfriend, Debra Davies, because she knew the two men were FBI informers.

On Friday Flemmi testifies that in the 1980s, FBI agent John Newton gave him and Bulger a case of C-4 explosives to send to the IRA.

"It was a surprise when we got it," Flemmi old the court adding that he believed that Newton, who was a former Green Beret, got the plastic explosives while in military training.

Newton had the explosives in his South Boston home and arranged for the two gangsters to come and pick it up. Newton has denied the accusation.

Links to the IRA have surfaced in the trial. Bulger was very close to senior IRA figure Joe Cahill, meeting him frequently in Boston after he smuggled him across the border from Canada on a supporters bus when the Boston Bruins hockey team were playing a Canadian side.

Bulger idolized Cahill according to Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy two Boston Globe writers who have written a definitive book on Bulger called "Whitey Bulger".
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