Deep and arbitrary spending cuts, part of the austerity measures hatched by Congress two years ago and known as sequestration, are beginning to take a severe toll on vulnerable Americans dependent on crucial government programs. President Obama has described the sequester as a “self-inflicted wound” on the economy that could lead to another recession. Uneducated [...]
THE FACTS BE DAMNED, THE U.S. AND ISRAEL MAINTAIN THAT IRAN IS A MAJOR THREAT TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES. Numerous independent reports and even one by the U.S. Intelligence Agency have established that Iran is nowhere near a “red line” of nuclear development that could represent any kind of serious threat to other nations. [...]
ARE ELDERLY AMERICANS THE “PICTURE OF AFFLUENCE?” Thatfflu is the picture drawn in a new Pew Research study of the “net worth” of American households. The average net worth of seniors of $170,500 seems “affluent” only by contrast with the almost non-existent amount of $ 3,700 for those under 35. With many older people now [...]
IN 25 U.S. STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A HOMELESS PERSON CAN LOSE HIS/HER CHILDREN BY THE ACT OF TRYING TO OBTAIN SOCIAL SERVICES TO HELP PROVIDE FOR THEM. As in so many ways that the homeless are “criminalized” rather than being provided for, these states make application for assistance actionable instances of “abuse [...]
The next Treasury secretary of the United States will be a long-time close confidante of President Obama, a man described as a “Washington insider” and veteran of the financial industry adept at cutting backroom deals, and an economic disciple of the men and ideologies that many blame for the deregulation of the nation;s financial markets [...]
DISASTER IN A TIME OF AUSTERITY: SANDY VICTIMS THROWN TO THE (LOAN) SHARKS. Victims of the superstorm devastation that struck New York and New Jersey are caught in bureaucratic red tape and the disposition of FEMA to administer any “relief” for victims through banks and other lending agencies with loan-shark level interest rates. With [...]
“THE DANGER SIGNS ARE ALL AROUND”: 2012 IS THE YEAR OF CLIMATE CHANGE With the end of another year comes the predictable reviews of various events and specific categories of what occurred in 2012. For scientists and weather experts, their conclusion is stark and sobering: climate change is happening “before our eyes” and at [...]
“YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING…TO LOWER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO GET.” This is Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein opening the familiar pandora’s box of rhetoric designed to fundamentalism “change” — i.e; kill off — “entitlements” like Social Security and Medicare. Almost like clockwork, the election results are being used [...]
WAYWARD U.S. DRONE BECOMES PRETEXT FOR WAR WITH IRAN. Just days after the U.S. election in which President Barack Obama and his policy to leave “all options on the table” when it comes to military action against Iran was reelected, the Pentagon announces that a U.S. drone has been shot at by an Iranian [...]
` IN BRITAIN THE QUEEN MADE A SPEECH BUT SHE DIDN’T SAY MUCH. (UK Independent) The Queen appears in Parliament to give her regular “speech” that articulates whatever is the policy agenda of the elected Prime Minister and cabinet. The speech given this week marks a signficant slow-down from drastic efforts at reform in the [...]
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