Tuesday, March 31, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

Global/US
Warships Set Sail Ahead of N. Korean Rocket Launch
World Leaders Face Dire Trade Collapse in London
Empowered IMF Faces Pivotal Test
Global Slowdown Leaves Harbors Awash in Unwanted Ships
Unwanted Cars
Unwanted Planes
Economic Recovery Could Fuel Rise in Pump Prices
Presented in 'good news, bad news' format. What if there's a rise in pump prices without any economic recovery?
Collapse of Crude Prices Heralds Wave of Oil Industry Consolidation
Geithner Won't Say if More Bailout Money is Needed
Big Banks' Recent Profitability Due to AIG Scam? (from Rice Farmer)
...For those to whom this is merely a lot of mumbo-jumbo, let me explain in layman's terms: AIG, knowing it would need to ask for much more capital from the Treasury imminently, decided to throw in the towel, and gifted major bank counter-parties with trades which were egregiously profitable to the banks, and even more egregiously money losing to the U.S. taxpayers, who had to dump more and more cash into AIG, without having the U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner disclose the real extent of this, for lack of a better word, fraudulent scam.

In simple terms think of it as an auto dealer, which knows that U.S. taxpayers will provide for an infinite amount of money to fund its ongoing sales of horrendous vehicles (think Pontiac Azteks): the company decides to sell all the cars currently in contract, to lessors at far below the amortized market value, thereby generating huge profits for these lessors, as these turn around and sell the cars at a major profit, funded exclusively by U.S. taxpayers (readers should feel free to provide more gripping allegories).

What this all means is that the statements by major banks, i.e. JP Morgan Chase (JPM), Citi (C), and BofA (BAC), regarding abnormal profitability in January and February were true, however these profits were a) one-time in nature due to wholesale unwinds of AIG portfolios, b) entirely at the expense of AIG, and thus taxpayers, c) executed with Tim Geithner's (and thus the administration's) full knowledge and intent, d) were basically a transfer of money from taxpayers to banks (in yet another form) using AIG as an intermediary.
Rising Powers Challenge US Role in IMF
US: New Home Sales Just Above Record Low
Prepping for Unemployment
Midwest Bankers' Economic Index Falls to Record Low
Iron County Faces Water Shortage
Central Valley Water Shortage
Fox News' Mad, Tearful, Apocalyptic Rising Star
[I]n a series called “The War Room” last month he talked to experts about the possibility of global financial panic and widespread outbreaks of violence. He challenged viewers to “think the unthinkable” so that they would be prepared in case of emergency. “The truth is — that you are the defender of liberty,” he said. “It’s not the government. It’s not an army or anybody else. It’s you. This is your country....'"

He recently wondered aloud whether FEMA was setting up concentration camps, calling it a rumor that he was unable to debunk.

Comment: Without getting into the extent to which the Obama administration does or does not follow in lockstep with its predecessor, you have to marvel that this stuff is surfacing first on Fox, then in a front page story of the New York Times a mere two months into the new regime. As per tired predictions on these and other pages, the rage is being misdirected at the guy left holding the bag.

But what, exactly, does Beck have in mind when exhorting his viewers to take the place of the government and the army in defending liberty? In the next breath, he describes himself as a clown.

Phew. And - oh yeah - Ha. - JO
New Car Sales Rate May Hit 39-Year Low
Robot Killers Might Be Allowed to Fire On Their Own (from Rice Farmer)
Top 100 Polluters

Torture/Terrorism
UK Asks Police to Probe Torture Claims
Spain to Consider Prosecuting Bush Officials Over Torture
FBI Muslim Relations Strained as Government Looks for Terrorists (from Rice Farmer)

Europe/Russia
NATO at Sixty: Birthday Party or Funeral?
Hurt By Economy, Europeans Vent Their Anger
UK: Call For Widespread Water Meters
France: Workers Take Manager Hostage
Italy's Economic Contraction Accelerates
Portugal Business Confidence at New Record Low
CCM Becomes Spain's First Bank Rescue as Property Bust Worsens
Swiss Leading Indicator Falls to Record Low
Roumania Responds to Siren Call of IMF
Russia May Soon End Anti-Terror Mission in Chechnya
Tensions Grow in Georgia Over Accusations of a Plot
Ukraine, Kazakhstan Capital Controls Backfire as Investors Flee
Russia: Citizen Police
[T]he government is working to revive the druzhiniki in part to help law enforcement agencies combat what officials fear will be a spike in crime and public disorder amid the growing unemployment and rising prices of the economic crisis.

Russia/Asia
Pipelineistan
US Opens Route to Afghanistan Through Russia's Backyard
Community-Based Approach in Afghanistan
Comment: See articles above on citizen police in Russia and the mad-as-hell anchor on Fox effectively urging people to take the law, or at least the 'defense of liberty' into their own hands. Is there a trend here?

This seems like an outgrowth of the mentality that brought us the ads that graced NYC subway cars for several years telling people: "If you see something, say something," beneath a photo of an innocently-wrapped package.

These were replaced by another ad assuring us that, "Last year, 1,944 people saw something and said something."

No doubt true. It's not hard to believe that 1,944 people saw packages or brown paper bags with no apparent owner and called 311. I saw a few myself. (Didn't call.) - JO
Gunmen Attack Police Academy in Pakistan
China's Support to Pakistan's Jihadists (UPI)
Conficker Worm Believed to Have Originated in China
Brazen Commando Style Attacks Grow in South Asia
State Firms Hope New LNG Terminals Will Help Prevent Electricity Shortages

UN Security Council
US, China, Blocking India's Way to Security Council Seat
Is Obama Warming to a Permanent UN Security Council Seat for Africa?

Monday, March 30, 2009

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******************************************************************************

Jenna Orkin adds:

Global/US

Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?
Lester Brown article in Scientific American
Crimes Suspected in 20 Bailout Cases for Starters
The special inspector general says TARP is 'inherently vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse.' The risk grows as the plan becomes more complex, he says.
Conficker Infected Critical Hospital Equipment, Expert Says
Plunge Protection Team Seems To Be Missing
Further exploits of John Crudele of the New York Post in his quest for the elusive PPT.
Schlumberger Profit Falls 28%
Recession and Health Get Americans Gardening Mud City Press

Eugene, Oregon sustainability site focused on fiction, peak oil, food security and proactive responses to collapse

Russia

Russian Police Readied for Unrest (from Rice Farmer)
Medvedev Sacks Military Spy Chief
China, Russia, Ink Oil Cooperation Agreement

Europe

Germany's Slump Risks "Explosive" Mood as Second Banking Crisis Looms

UK
UK: The Worst May Be Yet to Come
Burglary on the Rise as Recession Bites
Thousands to be Denied University Places as Recession Boosts Applications
Children Tracked By Sat Nav to Stop Bad Behavior

How many degrees of separation are there between that and tracking adults to stop "bad behavior?"

Flu

Fort Detrick Disease Samples May Be Missing (from Rice Farmer) Flu
Seven People in US Hit by Strange New Swine Flu
Mexico Shuts Some Schools Amid Deadly Flu Outbreak
Egyptian Woman Contracts Bird Flu as Cases Mount


Middle East

Kuwait To Get 500 MW Electricity from Qatar

Climate Change

Arctic Ice Thinner Than Ever
Fires Seen Making Climate Change Worse

Willy Wonka Response to Global Crisis

Chocolate-Powered Vegetable Car































Sunday, March 29, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

Global
Vast Spy System Loots Computers in 103 Countries
The Toronto researchers said they had notified international law enforcement agencies of the spying operation, which in their view exposed basic shortcomings in the legal structure of cyberspace. The F.B.I. declined to comment on the operation...

“This could well be the C.I.A. or the Russians..."

G20 Marches Begin Week of Protests in Europe
Biden Cautions Against Over-Regulation of Markets
In an oblique reference to the Plunge Protection Team, Biden said,"A free market still needs to be able to function. It seems to me, we need to save markets from free marketeers." - JO

Americas
National Inflation Association Warns: Don't Be Last Person Out of Dollar
Egging on the stampede for the exits.
US Eases Its Stance on Global Stimulus
Banks Lose $836 Million in First Annual Derivatives Loss
Bank of America Accused in Ponzi Lawsuit
Rumors of Layoffs, Furloughs, Lead to Unrest
Will a Weaker America Be a More "Just" America?
Or a more ruthless, cutthroat America? We can hardly wait to find out.
Missouri Has Last Clear Chance to Avert Mass Transit Collapse
Google Plans to Lay Off 200 Workers
Mexico's Economy Plummets 9.5% in January
Brazil Builds Walls Around Rio de Janeiro Slums

Europe
Russia Wants Ruble, Yuan, Gold in SDR Basket
Russia Capable of Becoming China's Biggest Energy Supplier
Russia Plans to Create Arctic Military Force
Issues for Future US/Russia Arms Deal
Ukraine Hoping for Japan's Loan to Cover Deficit
Russia/Azerbaijan in Talks on Gas Deal
UK Trowels Out, Everyone, and Dig For Victory

Asia/Africa
Spy Chiefs Fear Chinese Cyber Attack
Interesting timing, juxtaposed with article at top of blog.
Taleban Tax: Allied Supply Convoys Pay Enemy for Safe Passage (from Rice Farmer)
Pakistan Spies Under Heat in New US Strategy
An Uncomfortable Summer Coming Up: India
Mutiny Casts Shadow Over Bangladesh Army
France and Africa: New Relationship?

Friday, March 27, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

US
Collapse of Socio-Capitalist Economic System
Former Treasury Secretary Writing About Meltdown
Comparing the US to Russia and Argentina
US Spy Chief: No Global Economic Recovery Yet
What would we do without spy chiefs?
New Reserve Currency Could Be Phased in Quickly: Stiglitz
Dr. Doom Predicts Some Big Banks Will Be Nationalized
JP Morgan Sues Former Washington Mutual Parent, FDIC
Berkshire Hathaway Rating Lowered
Simmons: Oil Shock Possibly In Three Months
Did Goldman Goose Oil?
Northern States Flooding May Cut Wheat Crop
President Signs Spending Bill Including $70 Million for 9/11 Health Care
I hope this will end up being better than nothing. Conversations with some Ground Zero workers leave a conflicted impression of the medical treatment at these facilities. There seems to be a one-size-fits-all dispensing of steroids for a broad spectrum of symptoms as well as an aversion to the more advanced techniques practised by specialists in environmental medicine.

While some of the results of "lobbying" and haranguing Congress for seven years have been positive (the $10 million cleanup of the schools of Ground Zero) others have been ambiguous. The 2002 "cleanup" of residences, for instance, was so antithetical to science as to lead some residents to say it exposed them to even more contamination than they'd already endured.

On a tangential note: A glance at the titles of nine recent scientific studies of the health effects of 9/11 reveals that all but two concern mental health, post traumatic stress, drinking, nightmares, etc.This is in keeping with the expectations of the cynics among us who have noted the desire on the part of TPTB to correlate physical symptoms with "psychiatric" ones. Thus if, after moving back downtown after 9/11, you suffered from PTSD and asthma, the latter was caused by the former. This "post hoc ergo propter hoc" thinking (after this, therefore because of this) is one of the many logical fallacies we've been fighting to little avail.- JO
Researchers Find Ways to Sniff Keystrokes from Thin Air
A New Generation of Farmers
Currency Collywobbles and Farming
Monsanto Sees Robust Demand Despite Recession

Europe
EU Risks Paralysis as Czech Collapse Snarls Treaty
Merkel Wants NATO To Focus on Russian Ties
Russia Says Won't Stand Still in Race for Arctic
Ukraine, Russia Should Build Mutually Beneficial Relations
Ukraine Opposes Deployment of Extra Submarines with Russia's Black Sea Fleet
Ukraine, Russia Discuss Cooperation in Aircraft Industry
IMF Will Increase Help to Serbia to 3 Billion Euros
Danish Farmers Hit Hard by Credit Crunch, Low Food Prices

Asia/Pacific
1000 Police Sent to Calm Village Unrest: China
China Industrial Profits Fall First Time on Record
UN Body OKs Call to Curb Religious Criticism
Fear of Unrest Over Jobless Migrant Workers
Economic Downturn Weighs on Philippino Migrant Workers
Drop in Remittances Threatens Unrest in Philippines
New Zealand's Economy Probably Contracted Most in 18 Years

Thursday, March 26, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

US/Global
IMF Head: Legitimate to Discuss Reserve Currencies
A World Currency Moves Nearer After Tim Geithner's Slip
European Leader Assails American Stimulus Plan
That leader has gotten ousted in his own country.
Bankers Warned About G20 Riots
US Jobless Claims Rise to Record 5.56 Million
IBM To Cut 5000 US Jobs
Roubini Says Geithner Plan Won't Prevent Bank Nationalizations
Central Banks are Buying Gold for Their Reserves Now
Kurds Holding Back Oil from Iraq Network
Scientists in Possible Cold Fusion Breakthrough

Europe
UK Fossil Fuel Dependence is Growing, Not Shrinking
Fanning the Anti-Pakistan Flames in the UK
Farmers Finding it Harder to Get Credit - Ireland
What Kunstler warned of.
Fear of Unrest in Eastern Europe Grow as Czech Government Collapses
German Confidence Slumps to New Low
Polish Bank Cuts Interest Rate to Record Low
Lithuania Rapped by European Central Bank Over C. Bank Payout to State
Pro-Russia Protest Against US Frigate in Sevastopol
Russia's Medvedev Decorates Ambassador to Ukraine
Unrest Fears Mount in Georgia Ahead of Opposition Protests

Asia
Unrest Looms in Asia-Pacific
US Thinktank Cautions India of Another Mumbai-type Terror Attack
Switzerland Nod for Arms Exports to India; Rejects Pakistan Plea
Israel Replaces Russia as India's Top Military Supplier
India's Emerging Power Makes Chinese Army Worried: Pentagon
Pakistan Captures 115 Indian Fishermen
Obama Plan Promises Pakistan the Moon
India is Stealing Water of Life, Says Pakistan
India: JMM In Hurry To Douse Unrest Fire
Afghan Strikes By Taliban Get Pakistan Help, US Aides Say
Afghanistan Keen To Provide Alternative Route to India
$2000 Car Hits Market in India
Province Supplying Beijing Water Drying Up
China Arrests Tibetan Monks for Attacking Police

Africa
Riots in Somalia Over Khat Restriction



Wednesday, March 25, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

U.S.
UN Panel to Call for Global Currency Reserve, Ousting US Dollar
Geithner, Bernanke Reject New Global Currency Idea
Geithner's Arrogance Knows No Bounds (from Rice Farmer)
Obama Reaches Out to World With Op-Ed on Global Economy
Perfect Storm of Environmental, Economic Crises Closer Than You Think
Cue the Helicopters: Dollar Devaluation is Here (from Rice Farmer)
Economic Problems Causing Potential Record High Abortions Nationwide
US Lawmaker Backs Missile Cooperation with Russia
European Barriers to American Biodiesel
Investor Demand Could Push Gold to Record High in 2009 - WSJ
Possible Fallout if Ecuador Leaves the Dollar
Declassification Board Tells Obama Openness At Risk
UK Advice to Rural Communities on Surviving Credit Crunch
Farming for the Future (North Carolina)
State's Jobless Rate Forecast to Pass 12% (California)

Asia
Japan Exports Suffer Another Record Plunge
Japan Exports Plunge Almost 50%
Japan Joins the Race for Uranium Amidst Global Expansion of Nuclear Power
Women and Japan's New Poor
S. Asia Reporters at "Severe Risk"
Taiwan's Jobless Rate Hits Record 5.75%
Youtube Blocked in China
"The YouTube blockage came as government officials there publicly challenged the authenticity of a video that purports to show police beating to death a pro-Tibet demonstrator last year."
Asia Declines New EZ IMF Loans
"Thanks, but we're not that desperate." - JO

Europe
European Industrial Output Plunges by Most on Record
European Bank Resists Rush to Print Money
EU Backs Stronger IMF
French Ports Face Fresh Unrest

Eastern Europe
Is Hungary the Financial Crisis' Next Iceland?
Pension Glut Fuels Hungary's Crisis
Czech Republic, Third of Eastern Europe's Dominos
Russia to Increase Submarines in Black Sea Fleet
Putin: Ukraine Gas Plan "Unprofessional"

Middle East
Gulf Single Currency Deadline Delayed Beyond 2010
Rioting Workers Get Paid: UAE

Africa
US Calls it a Coup in Madagascar; Suspends Aid
Somalia: Three Dead in Bosaso Riots
Riots as Traders' Plot is Fenced (Kenya)
Kano, Nigeria, Struggles to Meet Demand for Water
Zimbabwe: Western Double Standards Exposed

Australia
Japan's Trade Collapse Threatens Australia's Growth
Collapse in World Trade Heightens Risk for Australia

Global
Baltic Dry Index Drops 20% in Five Days: This is Clearly the End of Days (from Rice Farmer)
One in Seven People Goes Hungry Every Day
World Paper Currency Values Race to Bottom

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

China Urges New Money Reserve to Replace Dollar
China Takes Aim at Dollar
Beijing's Barriers in Efforts to Supplant Dollar
Geithner Plan Will Rob American Taxpayer: Stiglitz
Gorbachev Calls US "Ripe for Perestroika of Your Own"
US Treasury "White Paper" on Buying Legacy Assets
Top Pension Funds Aim to Lead Bank of America Suit
As Credit Markets Froze, Banks Loaned Millions to Insiders (from Rice Farmer)
US SEC Halts Warren Buffett Investment Fraud

Recession Batters Immigrants at All Economic Levels
Neighborhoods Fear Gang Unrest Over Spring Break
But fear not. Help is on the way:
Record Numbers of People Signing Up To Be Police
Smart Grid Hackers May Cause Blackouts

UK Population Must Fall to 30 Million, Says Porritt
French Ports Face Fresh Unrest
Commerzbank Says German Economy to Shrink as Much as 7% in 2009
...and the German response to the above:
German President Says Democracy at Stake in Economic Crisis
ECB's Papademos: Quantitative Easing Is An Option
Where have we heard this before?

Austrian Economy Contracts Far More Than Expected in Q109
Poll Shows 53% Poles Against Anti-Missile Shield
Time Warner Buys Stake in Central European Media Company
Ukraine Seeks $5.5 Billion to Upgrade Gas Pipeline System
Eastern Europe's Forecasts Keep Getting Revised Downwards
Emerging Market ETFs Come Unhinged
Fears of Social Unrest in Tajikistan

From Tehran to Tel Aviv
Olive branch to Iran signals divergence between US and Israeli Policies.

India Could Be the Next Target for Angry Americans
Pakistan "Perilously Close" to Being a Failed State, Says India
S. Korea Announces New Spending to Fight Economic Slowdown

Monday, March 23, 2009

From Jenna Orkin:

Global
Social protest likely to topple governments as economies founder, says Economist Intelligence Unit
Bouts of social unrest are set to disrupt economies and topple governments over the next two years, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Of 165 countries assessed in the report, 95 are judged to be at high or very high risk. Of the remainder, 53 are considered to be at moderate risk—far from a clean bill of health. Only 17 countries are rated as low risk.
G20 Must Help Poor or Risk Unrest, Says [sic] EU and US
Will Our Economic Collapse Cause the Death of Millions Abroad? (Michael Klare)
Ban Fears Global Crisis Will Hit Aid to Poor

US
US Budget Record Deficit at 1.845 Trillion Dollars
Investors Discriminate Against the Dollar
Unrest in US Over AIG Virtual Fraud - Cuban Press
Was Eliot Spitzer Taken Out Because He Was Going to Bust AIG? - from Rice Farmer
Washington Mutual Holding Company Sues FDIC
Bank of America's Dramatic Growth in Insider Lending
Fed Focus Will Be on Words, Not Numbers
US Treasury Selects JP Morgan for Debit Card Program
Under-Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development: Who is Dallas Tonsager?
More Women Going from Jobless to Topless
America's Next Catastrophe Brewing in Mexico
Poll Shows: Environment a Record Low Priority
Save Dairy Farmers
In New York, a Second, Silent 9/11
I wonder when we'll hear about this in the real-estate beholden New York Times. - JO

Europe
UK in Danger of Serious Social Unrest: Report
Farmers from Poor Countries Rescue Credit Crunched Britain
Subsistence Farmers Offer Advice to Britain's Credit-Crunched Gardeners
Sarkozy Rules Out New Social Spending After Strike
Bomb Explodes Outside Athens Police Base
Riots in the Tiva Women's Prison

Russia/Eastern Europe
Russia to Cut Oil Exports, Raise Domestic Consumption - from Rice Farmer
Russia Falling Off the Electronics Manufacturing and EMS Map?
Russia Expels Foreign Rabbis
Hungary's Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, Resigns
Hungary Seeks Leader to Fight 'Unfathomably Huge' Economic Difficulties
Ukraine Says Obama Offers New Deal to Iran

Asia
The Downside of Letting Robots Do the Bombing
India Says Has Proof Pakistan Involved in Attacks
India to Stake Claim to Continental Shelf
Pakistan, India Trade Fire Across LoC
The Fates of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan Linked: US Senator
India to Attend Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow
Orissa Riots: Relief Camps Forcibly Closed, SC Told

Chinese Stockpiling Spurs Copper Price Rally
China's Intentions in the DPRK
Blackouts in Java


Steel (From Rice Farmer)
China's Steel Exports May Plunge 80%
Japan Crude Steel Output Dives Record 44%
Latin American Outlook on Steel is Grim

Friday, March 20, 2009

from Jenna Orkin:

US
Fed Kills Dollar with Aggressive Move
Fed Plans To Inject Another $1 Trillion to Aid Economy
Trillion is the New Billion
US Jobless Rolls Swell to Record 5.47 Million
China Backs Russia Talks on Replacing Dollar as Reserve Currency
Central Banks are Buying Gold for Their Reserves Now
Six Bloggers of the Apocalypse (Kunstler, Baker et al.)
Number of Babies Born in the US Reaches Record Levels
Roubini: America, One Big Ponzi Scheme
The Real AIG Scandal by Eliot Spitzer
Protesters Take Stance Against Bank Bailouts Outside Bank of America, Detroit
Oil Peaked in 2008
US Treasury Selects JP Morgan for US Debit Card Program
New Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected to $646K
Protests Against Bank of America
In American Crisis: Anger and Guns (from Rice Farmer)
To Save Money on Prisons, States Take a Softer Stance
Smart Grid's Growth Now Depends on States
Philadelphia Area Factories Shrink as Slump Hits
Police Problems, Economic Woes Mount in Oakland
Drug Cartel Violence Has Political, Economic Roots
NYC's Ring of Steel (Security Cameras)
Preparing City for Life After Oil
Citi Asks Approval For Reverse Stock Split

Global
Rapid Decline in Manufacturing Spreads Global Anxiety
Global Trade Nosedive Likely to Cut Air Freighter Demand
Global Crisis to Strike by 2030 The key word is "by."

Europe
ECB Under Pressure to Follow Fed
Confusion Reigns Over Possible Eurozone Bailout Plan
Sarkozy Faces Protests in Strike on Economic Plan
France Braced for Huge Street Protests Over Economic Crisis
Record Numbers Join Anti-Sarkozy Protests
Latvia Uses Police to Quell Talk of Economic Collapse
European Industrial Output Plunges Most on Record
Iceland Cuts Key Rate to 17%; Signals More to Come
Greece's Karamanlis Says Country Doesn't Need Rescue
Economic Crisis Causes Cycle of Despair Among Roma (Gypsies)

Asia
World Bank Warns: China Cannot Make Up For Collapse in Western Demand
Russia, China, Preparing New Challenges to the US
India Needs More Stimulus, Rate Cuts for Economy, Mittal Says
Redrawing India's Geostrategic Maps with China and the US
And Now Drones for Balochistan?
Pakistanis Brace for Inferno Among Power Shortages
Expect Major Blackouts in October (Indonesia)
IEC Labor Sanctions May Lead to Power Shortages
Syria's Water and Energy Needs
Case Packed with TNT Found in Tibet Capital

Africa
Russia Calls for Restoration of Order in Madagascar
Madagascar's President Resigns as Rival Claims Power
Liberia Unrest
Nigerians to Protest Obasanjo's Lecture on Unrest in the Congo

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

from Jenna Orkin

United States Economic Collapse Facing Its Weimar Moment
Foreigners Sell Record US Securities in January
US Injecting Billions into Foreign Central Banks
US Output Plummets, Manufacturing at Record Low
US Housing Starts Probably Fell in February to Record Low
New York Manufacturing Index Slumped to Record Low
Schwarzenegger Launches Green Corps as California Fisheries Collapse
More Labor Unrest at Microsoft
US Oks Record 2.1 Billion Dollar Arms Sale to India
Wells Fargo Chair Flays TARP, "Asinine" Stress Test
Ex-Houston Banker, Son, Take on Bank of America
New Mexico Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing White Powder to Bank Branches
MGM Mirage Said to Offer Casinos as Security
Card Issuers Choke Customers with Rate Hikes, Limit Cuts
CreditRiskMonitor Reports Record Sales for 2008
Pharmaceutical Merger Bonanza

Natural Gas Rigs Shutting Means Prices May Double

Impending Water/Energy Collision
Violent Protests Disrupt Conference on How To Prevent Conflicts Over Water
Thirsty Mexico City Plans $800 Million Water Purifier

European Payroll Shrinks as Economic Slump Deepens
Gas Crisis Raised in UK Parliament
British Police to Help Greece with Guerilla Attacks
Financial Crisis Sparks Unrest in Europe
Hawkish Medvedev Orders Rearmament of Russia
Turkey and Russia on the Rise
Economy Minister Warns of Currency Crisis, Social Collapse without Reforms
Ukraine Says Russia/Europe Gas Supply Declines
Ukraine and Russia to Discuss Aviation Cooperation

Developing Nations Pushed Out of Farming By Fertilizer Costs
Kazakh Mining Output Fall Stokes Fears of Unrest
Chavez' Takeover of Popular Beer Manufacturer Likely Unpopular
Taiwan to Issue First Quadrennial Defense Report
Outages in Philippines
Attorneys of the Abyss (Op-Ed on policy in the UAE)
India: Eastern States Cash in on Power Shortages
Peace Corps Pulls Out of Madagascar Due to Unrest
US Orders its Embassy Workers to Leave Madagascar
Sierra Leone Party Rivalry Develops into Riots in Capital Freetown

Slow Food on Sixty Minutes
Considering Organics? Farmers Offer Advice on How to Get Started

Sunday, March 15, 2009

from Jenna Orkin:

AIG Reveals Biggest Beneficiaries
AIG Asked Buffett For Help Before US Rescue
IEA Sees Massive Fall in Mexico's Cantarell
Platts Survey: February OPEC Oil Output Fell to 28.07 Million Barrels a Day
Energy Department Said to Err on Coal Project
Chevron Seeks New Mideast Reserves
Don't Be Surprised If We See $20 Oil, Says Roubini
Energy Descent and Agricultural Population
Preventing a Water Crisis
Business Suffers With World Water Shortages
Water Scarcity Clouds California Farming's Future
Solar Energy Can Help Overcome Power Crisis (UAE)

US Economy: Exports, Imports Slide as Global Trade Collapses
At Heart of Turkey Plant Workers' Unrest: Overtime
US Army Called in Aid of Alabama Police
IDC Predicts Worldwide Mobile Phone Shipments to Fall 8.3% in 2009

Japanese Economy Shrinks 12.1% in Q4

Cure for Depression: Uppers
Japan Pledges Third Round of Spending to Spur Economy
Japan PM Orders New Stimulus Package
China Plans Another Stimulus
China's Stimulus Plan Will Change the World

BRIC Countries to Meet Ahead of G20
Policy Comments of G20 FinMins
Don't Bank on Financial Trouble Being Resolved Without Conflict
Euro Declines on Fear Region Will Fail to Counter Turmoil

CIA Responds to Seymour Hersh (from Rice Farmer)
Political Cyberattacks to Militarize the Web
Senator Norm Coleman's Database Leaked
CRS On Cybersecurity Initiative

Stealth Bomber and Fighter Deployed to Guam for First Time (from Rice Farmer)
Pentagon Plans Blimp To Spy From New Heights (from Rice Farmer)

The End of Weird Finance
Geithner Says Global Recession is Deepening
How Low Can the Stock Markets Go? Much Lower - Roubini
EU Employers Warn of Job Losses as Major Economies Hit
EU Businesses See 4.5 Million Job Losses This Year
US Household Net Worth Had Record Drop Last Quarter
US Household Wealth Falls by Trillions
Berkshire Credit Swaps Rise to Record Level Implying "Junk"
Buffett Affirms Derivatives Bets; Says He'll Do More
Buffett Comes Out Against Labor-Backed "Card Credit" Bill
Credit Card Issuers: Buy Something Or Else!
Citigroup Executives Gain $2.2 Million on Stock Trades
Jim Rogers: Short JP Morgan Chase
Madoff: The Chase Connection
We're All Madoffs Now, Says Roubini

India Worried as Russia Grounds MiG 29 Fleet
UN Puts Russia, Moldova, Ukraine on List of Countries to Face Demographic Losses
Russia: Job Cuts Fuelling Unrest
Russian Mobsters Consort with Terrorists, Slave Traders
Venezuela to Allow Russian Air Bases: Chavez
A New Cuban Missile Crisis? Russia Planning to Use Cuban and Venezuelan Air Bases
Kyrgyz Opposition to Protest Repression
Tajikistan Weathers Energy, Food Shortages Through Winter
Serb Power Shortage Protests Continue

Unrest in Helsby [England] Over Spate of Youth Crime
Germany Faces Biggest Slump Since WW II
Ghost Towns Dot Finland as Forestry Collapse Threatens Growth
Swiss Bank Secrecy Under More Pressure as Lichtenstein Eases
Greek Extremists Threaten More Bombings After Citibank Attack

Thai PM: 4000 More Rangers to Quell Insurgency in South
Unrest in Pakistan: Protesters Start Anti-Gov't March
Police Removed Names of Leaders of Gujarat Riots: Prosecutor
Madagascar President Offers Elections to Ease Tension
Patient Riots After Cut in Rations
US Citizens Encouraged to Leave Madagascar

New Zealand Cuts Key Interest Rate to Record Low 3%

Friday, March 13, 2009

from Jenna Orkin:

World War III: US Vs. China
China Exports Plummet a Record 25.7% in February
China Wants Assurance of its Debts in US
China Says US Naval Ship Broke Law
US Warships Head for South China Sea After Standoff

From the Be Careful What You Wish For department:
India Frets Over Obama's China Mania
Indo-Pak Trade to Decline By 60%
India Sends Elite Commandos to Guard Embassy in Pakistan
Israel's Military Supplies to India

India to Put Up Missile Shield in Two Years
US Seeks New Afghan Supply Routes, Even in Iran
US Considering Multilateral Response if North Korea Launches Rocket
North Korea Accuses US of Plotting Attack
The Dirty Bomb that Disappeared
Chile, Argentina Lawmakers Stake Antarctic Claim (from Rice Farmer)

Norwegian Stake in Russian Joint Venture Seized
Belarus Seeks to Double Russian Gas Flows, Challenging Ukraine
Russia Rushes to Save Failing Defense Firms
Resurgent Russia and its Growing Engagement with South Asia
Russia, Hungary, Plan South Stream Gas Pipeline

Economic Developments Around the Globe
A Developing World Bailout?
Poor Countries to Need Up To $700 Billion
Malaysia Unveils $16 Million Stimulus

Dead Banks in '09: 17 And Counting
Five Biggest Banks are "Dead Men Walking"
Bank Braced for Losses Over Plan to Print Money
Run on UK Sees Foreign Investors Pull $1 Trillion from City (from Rice Farmer)
Bank of England Begins Creating New Money
Gordon Brown's G-20 Summit Risks Global Financial Meltdown
Paulson May Have Made $428 Million Shorting Lloyd's
Wells Fargo Leads US On World's Safest Banks List
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man...
Bank of America Slams Door Shut on Foreign MBAs
Bank of America Sues Former Employee Over Cuomo Investigation of Merrill Lynch Bonuses
JP Morgan To Increase India Outsourcing 25%
Not-So-Safety Deposit Boxes
Baer Says Insurance Fund Could Be Insolvent This Year
Food-Backed Local Money
Food Crunch
As Economy Flops, Alcohol Sales Soar
GM Widens Net For Overseas Aid Beyond US
They're Taking Their Brains and Going Home
Buffett: Crisis Is An Economic Pearl Harbor

Hidden Homeless: US Families Living in Motel Rooms
This Is How Depression Looked in the 1930s
Unemployment by the Numbers
Jobs Discrimination Claims Rise to Record
Australian Job Advertisements Fell By Record Amount in February
UN Report: Forestry Can Create 10 Million Jobs
Global Steel To Be Hit Hardest by Protectionism

Hundreds Arrested as Pakistan Bids to Keep Lid on Unrest
Pakistan Bans Protests in Political Crackdown
Blast Hits Near Mosque in Southern Sri Lanka
Unrest in the Prison System
An unfortunate title. One wonders, "You mean they were content before?"
Will Russians Take to the Streets?
Orissa Riots
Social Unrest and Crime Over Global Economic Meltdown
Unrest Grows Among European Farmers
Electricity Shortages, Students and Unrest
Civil Unrest in America?
Canada: Military Readies Reservists for Action on Domestic Front (from Rice Farmer) Malaysian Education Protest
Cholera Riots
Madagascar Soldiers Mutiny
Unrest on Martinique
Rock Concert Riot in Bogota

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

from Jenna Orkin:

The A-Word (Apocalypse)

US Banking System Insolvent, Says US Economist
Buffett Says Economy Has Fallen Off Cliff But Will Improve in Five Years
...after what sort of mayhem, he doesn't detail.
After the Financial Crisis, Civil War?
Bank of America Uncovers $120 Million New Merrill Losses: Reports
Fired BofA Employee is Bank Robbery Suspect
Bank of America Sees Grave Harm From Bonus Reveal
BofA Completes New Spate of Firings
Wells Fargo Slashes Dividend
Citi Shares Head Toward $1
AFL-CIO: Gov't Should Control Banks (at Least For a While)
Liberty Mutual Dumped BofA, GE Before Plunge
S and P 500 Dividends To Be Slashed 20%: JP Morgan
GM Skidding Closer to Collapse; Industry Bracing For More Shocks
Obama: Buy Stocks Now

US Jobs Crisis Hits New High
Huge Layoffs Push Joblessness Towards Double Digits
Worst is Yet To Come For Job Market
US Shouldn't Be Eager To Lose These Immigrants
Obama's Pledge to Prune Pentagon Raises Fear of Job Cuts
Record Use of Food Stamps Among Americans

Can Local Food Movement Save Farmers?
East Lansing Anti-Riot Measure is Flawed

Iran Likely To Be Invited To Afghanistan Conference
Militaries Around the World to Cut Oil Use (from Rice Farmer)
New Oil Refineries Are Soaking Up More Sour Crude

Europe Snubs Actions By Central Banks
Bank Braced for Losses Over Plan to Print Money
JP Morgan: Roumania's Economy Will Drop by 3% This Year
Ukrainian Secret Service Accuses Government of $1.7 Billion Machination
Gorbachev Alarm at Soviet Echoes
Latvia, Fearing Riots, Bans SS Veterans' March
RWE Plans Gas Pipeline Linking Czechs With Austria
Expansion of Condom Sales by Durex in Eastern Europe
European Birth Dearth
Eurasian Secret Services Daily Review
Greece: Anti-Fascist Protest Ends in Riots Burning Neo-Nazi Headquarters
Turkish Lira Hits New Historic Low

China Crisis As Economy Crumbles
China Political Advisors Propose Making Yuan Int'l Currency (from Rice Farmer)
Negroponte Backs China in G8
China Officials Expect More Unrest in Muslim West
Crisis Could Cause Food Shortages in Rural China
Nepal Unrest

Heroin Worth $5 Million Seized at India/Pakistan Border
Pro-Democracy Groups to Join Tibetans in India
LET Opens Wing to Create Unrest in Northeast
Pakistan to Give Interpol DNA Data From Mumbai Probe
Conflict Risk Alert: Sri Lanka Signs of Low Level Social Unrest

Africa: Blackwater's New Frontier: Their Own Private Africa (from Rice Farmer)
Two Kenyan Rights Activists Shot Dead
Outrage at Kenya Assassinations
Nigeria meltdown: Challenge to Enhance Capacity for Local Business
Matatus Grounded After Riots
Madagascar Crisis
French Unrest Spreads to Reunion