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The rumored Chase-Madoff settlement is another bad joke

Matt Taibbi
Rolling Stone
Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:05 UTC
Bernie Madoff
© Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBernie Madoff

Just under two months ago, when the $13 billion settlement for JP Morgan Chase was coming down the chute, word leaked out that that the deal was no sure thing. Among other things, it was said that prosecutors investigating Chase's role in the Bernie Madoff caper - Chase was Madoff's banker - were insisting on a guilty plea to actual criminal charges, but that this was a deal-breaker for Chase.

Something had to give, and now, apparently, it has. Last week, it was reported that the state and Chase were preparing a separate $2 billion deal over the Madoff issues, a series of settlements that would also involve a deferred prosecution agreement.

The deferred-prosecution deal is a hair short of a guilty plea. The bank has to acknowledge the facts of the government's case and pay penalties, but as has become common in the Too-Big-To-Fail arena, we once again have a situation in which all sides will agree that a serious crime has taken place, but no individual has to pay for that crime.

As University of Michigan law professor David Uhlmann noted in a Times editorial at the end of last week, the use of these deferred prosecution agreements has exploded since the infamous Arthur Andersen case.
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Robot

What are they planning? Google buys Boston Dynamics, the firm that created fast-running and all-terrain robots


The Guardian
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 11:38 UTC

BigDog, a four-legged robot that can climb muddy hills, and Cheetah, a robot that can outrun the fastest human, now belong to Google.

The world's largest internet search company has acquired Boston Dynamics, a privately held company best known for building robots that look as if they belong in a science-fiction movie and which are often co-developed or funded by the US military.

The acquisition is the latest by Google's secretive robotics division, led by Andy Rubin, former boss of the company's Android mobile operating system. Google's robotics division has acquired more than six other robotics companies.

Google declined to comment on the deal while Boston Dynamics did not return requests for comment. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the deal, which was first reported by the New York Times on Saturday, and said Google would honour Boston Dynamics's military contracts.

The financial terms of the deal could not be established.

Comment: It looks like the days of Google as the brand of a cute and efficient search engine are long gone!

It is scary to think of the possibilities of mixing Google's data-gathering capabilities with advanced (military) robotics. However, it is not entirely surprising, considering that Regina E. Dugan, former Director of DARPA, is currently an executive at Google - and she has plans:

Sheep to the slaughter: Former DARPA director, now Google executive, Regina Dugan is selling 'Beast Tech'

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Eye 1

Indian Official: Diplomat's arrest in NYC barbaric

Nirmala George
ABC News
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 00:00 UTC
devyani
Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York
The arrest and alleged strip search of an Indian diplomat in New York City escalated into a major diplomatic furor Tuesday as India's national security adviser called the woman's treatment "despicable and barbaric."

Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York, is accused of submitting false documents to obtain a work visa for her Manhattan housekeeper. Indian officials said she was arrested and handcuffed Thursday as she dropped off her daughter at school, and was kept in a cell with drug addicts before posting $250,000 bail.

A senior Indian official confirmed reports that she also was strip-searched, which has been portrayed in India as the most offensive and troubling part of the arrest. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

India was ready to retaliate against American diplomats in India by threatening to downgrade privileges and demanding information about how much they pay their Indian household staff, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Comment: More on this story: Diplomat Devyani strip-searched, India snubs US team

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Eye 1

'UN should place Zionist regime nuclear arsenal case on agenda'


Irib World Service
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 09:27 UTC
bashar jaafari
© Mario Tama/Getty Images North AmericaBashar Jafari, Syrian envoy to UN
The Syrian envoy to UN, Bashar Jafari, has emphasized on the closure of Syria's chemical weapons case, while pointing out that now the time has come for the UN to place the case of the nuclear and biological arsenal of the Zionist regime on its agenda.

According to IRIB World Service, in an address to reporters on the sidelines of UN Security Council closed meeting, on Monday, the Syrian envoy to UN added that Damascus administration, based on its acceptance to join the Convention on Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, set the stage for destruction of all of its biological weapons and has fully cooperated with UN inspectors.

He underlined that up to now several crises have taken shape in the world based on fabricated reports, including the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. He emphasized that unfortunately, a number of individuals in the UN continue their fabrications in order to stir confrontations and controversy in a number of countries.

The Syrian envoy reiterated that if the UN seriously intends to maintain permanent security and stability in the Middle East it should immediately launch an investigation into Zionist regime's chemical and nuclear weapons case.

Comment: What a smashing idea. Let's talk about Israel's chemical and nuclear weapons arsenal, for a change.

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Star of David

EU warns Israel against construction of new settlements


Press TV
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 02:44 UTC
protester against israeli settlements
© REUTERS/ Mohamad TorokmanA Palestinian protester holds a poster depicting former South African President Nelson Mandela during a demonstration against Jewish settlements at the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah December 7, 2013.
The European Union has warned Tel Aviv against hurting talks with the Acting Palestinian Authority (PA) by announcing plans to construct new settler units on occupied Palestinian territories.

The EU's five largest states, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, warned on December 16 that Israel would be responsible for failed talks if it planned to announce further settlement construction after the release of Palestinian prisoners at the end of the month.

"New announcements of settlement activity after the third round of prisoner releases at the end of the month might be a fatal blow for the peace process," EU ministers said in a joint statement.

However, if talks are positive, the foreign ministers of the 28 EU member states, based on a recently passed resolution, would award both Palestinians and Israelis with an "unprecedented package" of economic, political, and security aid.

Under the package, the relations between the two sides would be also upgraded to "special privileged partnership."

Comment: The Israeli government defiantly continues to act with impunity, constructing illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian lands, in repeat violation and with complete disregard of the rule of international law.

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Eye 1

Revealed: Norway spies on Russia for NSA


RT
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 12:47 UTC
nsa- norway
Norwegian intelligence cooperated extensively with the US National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on Russian politicians, the country's energy sector and other 'civilian targets' in the country.

A top secret document obtained by the tabloid Dagbladet contained lists demonstrating how the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) had cooperated with the NSA and vice versa to spy on Russia, noting several instances in which the collaboration resulted in "success stories."

One portion of the memo titled "what the partner provides to NSA" includes several itemized points. The first point is entitled "Access to Russian targets in the Kola Peninsula," not far from Russia's border with Norway and Finland.

Although no specific targets are mentioned on the peninsula, which lies almost completely north of the Arctic Circle, it contains the highest concentration of nuclear weapons, reactors and facilities in Russia.The following point mentions mutual civilian targets, particularly those relating to Russian "energy policy."

Under the heading "success stories," the NSA says it is working in partnership with the NIS "to expand and deepen the intelligence exchange, focusing on report sharing and target development on Russian political, natural resources and energy issues," the daily reports. The document also mentions that Russian politicians have been the targets of intelligence gathering operations, although no specific names are mentioned.
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Star of David

Rafsanjani: Zionist lobby behind new US bans on Iran


Press TV
Mon, 16 Dec 2013 06:04 UTC
iran talks
Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (R) and Tarja Cronberg, the chairwoman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Iran, meet in Tehran on December 16, 2013.
Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council (EC) Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani says the US move to impose new sanctions against Tehran was the outcome of the Zionist lobby's influence and pressure

"The world expects the government [of President Barack] Obama to implement the [Geneva] agreement and hopes the US and others will not repeat this violation of the political promise," Rafsanjani said Monday.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Tarja Cronberg, the chairwoman of the European Parliament (EP) delegation for relations with Iran, in Tehran.

"We expect that the West, which talked of its lack of trust for many years, will, in the agreed six months, prove in practice that Western rulers can be trusted," Rafsanjani said.

Comment: See: Israel owns U.S. Congress: Sabotaging the U.S.-Iran peace negotiations

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Bomb

Russia: Militants behind Syria CW attack


Press TV
Tue, 17 Dec 2013 01:53 UTC
churkin
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin
Russia has reiterated that foreign-backed militants in Syria were behind a chemical weapons attack in August in the Arab country
"It is absolutely obvious that on August 21 a wide scale provocation was staged" by the militants "to provoke foreign military intervention,"
said Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin on Monday following a UN Security Council meeting, AFP reported.

On August 21, hundreds of people were reportedly killed and scores of others injured in the chemical attack in eastern Ghouta on the suburbs of the capital city of Damascus.

The militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition accused the Syrian army of being behind the deadly attack.
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Black Cat

Hillary Clinton tells Wall Street she believes anti-wall street rhetoric 'foolish'

DSWright
FireDogLake
Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:36 UTC
Hillary Clinton
© US Department of State under public domain.
Here we go again. According to a piece in Politico Magazine former Secretary of State and likely 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had some harsh words related to progressives in her $400,000 speeches for Goldman Sachs and friends. Clinton decided to use her speaking opportunity before the super rich to attack those criticizing Wall Street and its numerous criminal practices.
Ordinarily these masters of the universe might have groaned at the idea of a politician taking the microphone...

But Clinton offered a message that the collected plutocrats found reassuring, according to accounts offered by several attendees, declaring that the banker-bashing so popular within both political parties was unproductive and indeed foolish.
Foolish, as in you don't get paid $400,000 for saying it? Why criticize Goldman Sachs when you can get paid $400,000 for talking to them the way they like?
Striking a soothing note on the global financial crisis, she told the audience, in effect: We all got into this mess together, and we're all going to have to work together to get out of it. What the bankers heard her to say was just what they would hope for from a prospective presidential candidate: Beating up the finance industry isn't going to improve the economy - it needs to stop.
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Bad Guys

Syria: UN agency voices horror at reported bomb raid that killed up to 28 children in Aleppo.


The Muslim Gazette
Mon, 16 Dec 2013 00:00 UTC
aleppo airstrike aftermath
© Mohammed Al-Khatieb/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesAftermath of an airstrike, Aleppo, Syria, 12/15/2013
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) voiced horror today at reports that as many as 28 Syrian children were killed in a bombing raid in Aleppo while the UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced plans to expand emergency food aid to over 7 million displaced Syrians in what it called "the worst humanitarian crisis ... in decades."

"Recent assessments show that almost half the population inside Syria is food insecure and close to 6.3 million people need urgent, life-saving, food aid, victims of the nearly three-year-old conflict that has pitched forces loyal to President Bashar al - Assad against groups seeking to oust him. So far more than 100,000 people have been killed and 8 million driven from their homes.
"This is the worst humanitarian crisis that we have seen in decades, with every day more vulnerable Syrians pushed into hunger," WFP's Syria Emergency Coordinator Muhannad Hadi said in announcing the plans for 2014 to feed 4.25 million displaced Syrians inside their country and around 2.9 million others who fled to neighbouring States.
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