Puppet MastersS


Piggy Bank

U.S. Government shutdown averted for 7 days: House and Senate pass stopgap spending bill

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 17:29 UTC
Donald Trump's overview of the budget priorities
© REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
One hour after the House of Representative passed the stopgap spending bill in a 382-30 vote, moments ago the US Senate likewise voted the measure through; the bill which gives the government a week before this spectacle has to be repeated again unless a full spending bill is enacted, now goes to Trump for signing later today.

The Senate's low-drama vote came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blocked a deal on passing the stopgap measure over concerns about the remaining hurdles in the larger deal.

But Schumer signaled on Friday morning that Democrats were willing to back the one-week stopgap bill as they try to lock down an agreement.

"We're willing to extend things for a little bit more time in hopes that the same kind of progress can continue to be made," Schumer told reporters. Negotiators are still ironing out a final agreement even as lawmakers prepare to leave Washington until early next week.

Schumer noted Friday that negotiators stayed up past 1 a.m. making a "good deal of progress."
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Propaganda

The Guardian declares that Ukraine is the world's most 'equal' country

RI Staff
Russia Insider
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 17:22 UTC
Ukrainian woman
Ukraine: Rainbows and unicorns for everyone
Ukraine is an oasis of equality, according to the Guardian. A late April Fools' joke?

80 percent of Ukrainians live on less than $5/day.

What does this mean, according to the crazy crumpet-eaters at the Guardian? Equality! Not just normal equality though: According to some fancy number crunching, Ukraine is the most equal countries to live in when considering distribution of income between the richest and poorest in society.

Yes, if you're looking for greener pastures, come to Ukraine, a country that puts pregnant women in rooms with broken windows during the winter:
Natalia, a pregnant HIV-positive woman in western Ukraine, was turned away from a maternity ward, being told there was no place for "people like her". Another pregnant HIV-positive woman managed to get into the hospital, but was placed in a room with broken windows in winter — she was told they couldn't put her with other women. Other women have been accused of being drug addicts, denied health care and had their children take from them — all because of their HIV-positive status.
Yeah, but look at this fancy Guardian graph:
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Stock Up

IMF analysis predicts India may push Britain out of top five economies this year


RT
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 12:32 UTC
India
© Munish Sarma / Reuters
A new analysis of growth projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that seven decades after gaining independence, India may outshine its former colonial ruler, by pushing the UK out of the five top economies this year.

According to the report, India will also overtake Germany in 2022 as the world's fourth-largest economy, growing at 9.9 percent a year in nominal terms.

The IMF, however, warned of challenges the country has to address to make the climb.

Those issues include executing a wide-ranging overhaul of the tax system, sorting out the biggest pile of distressed assets among major economies, increasing productivity and employment opportunities, encouraging corporate investment and overcoming a significant infrastructure shortfall.

Comment: Anchor of stability: India's economy set to sustain 7.6% growth rate in 2017

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Attention

Julian Assange speaks out: The war on the truth

Daniel McAdams
Ron Paul Institute
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 17:25 UTC
Are Wikileaks and other similar organizations "hostile foreign agencies," as CIA Director Mike Pompeo asserted recently? He's looking at a way to punish media organizations for telling their readers the truth while being able to avoid going after the mainstream media companies that publish materials provided by Wikileaks. It is all about stripping some organizations and individuals from First Amendment protection. Don't miss this exclusive Ron Paul Liberty Report with Wikileaks Founder, Julian Assange:

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Star of David

Israel planning construction of 15,000 new settlements in East Jerusalem


RT
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 17:13 UTC
Israeli settlement of Ramot
© Ronen Zvulun / Reuters A general view shows the Israeli settlement of Ramot.
Israeli authorities are planning to build some 15,000 new settlements in East Jerusalem, Reuters and local media reported, citing the Housing Ministry. Palestinian authorities condemned the decision, calling it the "deliberate sabotage" of peace talks.

The Housing Ministry and the Jerusalem Municipality are working on the plan, with proposals for 25,000 homes in Jerusalem, 15,000 of which would be in East Jerusalem, Housing Minister Yoav Galant told Israeli Radio, Reuters reports. The authorities plan to implement the project within two years, he added.

"We will build 10,000 units in Jerusalem and some 15,000 within the [extended] municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. It will happen," he said.
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Dominoes

US investigation into alleged aluminum dumping by China alarms Beijing


RT
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 16:50 UTC
Molten aluminium
© Russell Cheyne / ReutersMolten aluminium
The US Commerce Department launched an investigation on Wednesday into whether aluminum imports from China and other countries pose a threat to national security.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the investigation is similar to the one on steel imports. According to Ross, the White House is concerned unfairly traded imports are hurting the American aluminum industry, as some factories have been forced to close down or stop production.

The Commerce Department will investigate the allegations China is dumping aluminum on the US market at unfair prices.
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Mr. Potato

What a moron: Far-left Austrian President says all women must wear headscarves to fight Islamophobia

Ben Kew
Breitbart
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 16:29 UTC
women hijab
© Francois Lenoir / Reuters
Austria's far-left president, Alexander Van der Bellen, has suggested that one day all women must wear headscarves to fight Islamophobia.

During a talk to students, Van der Bellen said that whilst be believes a woman should wear "whatever she wants", should Austria's "rampant Islamophobia continue, there will come a day when we must ask all women to wear a headscarf - all of them! - out of solidarity towards those who do it for religious reasons".

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Chess

Russian police raids offices of convict Khodorkovsky's Open Russia party days before major protest


Business Insider
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 16:20 UTC
Russian police
© Alexander Demianchuk / Reuters
Russian police on Thursday searched the offices of the Open Russia movement of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which has called a protest against President Vladimir Putin at the weekend.

The search came as three other Khodorkovsky-associated groups were put on the register of banned "undesirable" organisations for allegedly stirring unrest and undermining state security.

The Open Russia movement, which was created by the former Yukos oil company owner after his release from prison and departure into exile in 2013, openly opposes Putin's rule and seeks to rally his opponents.

The organisation's website said police seized equipment and some 100,000 flyers printed ahead of an anti-Kremlin protest dubbed "We've had enough" planned for Saturday.

Moscow police did not issue an official comment about the search, but a source told the TASS news agency that it was conducted by anti-extremism officers.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Thursday that the Open Russia rally has not been sanctioned and warned that it would lead to "actions by the authorities."

Comment: Putin is wise to keep an eye on Khodorkovsky, Putin's pardon of him notwithstanding.

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Chess

Beijing's interest in forming an alliance with Moscow falls in line with Russia's thinking


Russia Insider
Thu, 27 Apr 2017 16:22 UTC
russia china alliance
There has been a lot of talk of a potential Russian-Chinese alliance to counter the US especially since 2014, but how do the Chinese feel about that?

Actually there is a lively and surprisingly open and realistic debate on alliance with Moscow in Beijing.
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Info

Trump complains Saudis not paying their fair share for US defense

Stephen J. Adler, Jeff Mason and Steve Holland
Yahoo! News / Reuters
Fri, 28 Apr 2017 16:20 UTC
Donald Trump
© Reuters
President Donald Trump complained on Thursday that U.S. ally Saudi Arabia was not treating the United States fairly and Washington was losing a "tremendous amount of money" defending the kingdom.

In an interview with Reuters, Trump confirmed his administration was in talks about possible visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel in the second half of May. He is due to make his first trip abroad as president for a May 25 NATO summit in Brussels and could add other stops.

"Frankly, Saudi Arabia has not treated us fairly, because we are losing a tremendous amount of money in defending Saudi Arabia," he said.
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