L'Autre Monde 8 avril 2013 : Signes précurseurs d'un désastre financier global et Fukushima ange de la mort du Japon

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L'Autre Monde 8 avril 2013
90 min / Radio de l'UQAM, CHOQ FM

Nombre d'émission: 230

Diffusion en direct : Lundi à 15:00h

Animateur(trice) : François Marginean

Réalisateur(trice) : François Marginean

Archives d'émission

Au programme cette semaine:

Actualité mondiale, Fukushima, économie et Moyen-Orient.

C'est en rendez-vous le lundi dès 15h pour l'émission la plus écoutée de CHOQ FM, la radio officielle de l'Université du Québec à Montréal !

***Hyperliens vers les sources des informations discutées sur l'émission d'aujourd'hui:

Actualité:

The Air Car

Genius!

The Air Car runs on compressed air, creates zero pollution, has very low running costs and will only cost about $15,000.

The emission is "ice cold, completely clean, highly breathable air."

French inventor Guy Negre claims it can reach a speed of 60 mph.

Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted gas stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 2 dollars, the car will be ready to go another 125-175 miles.

Imagine: the movement is powered by air alone, and the car may even develop to the point where it runs it's own compressed air generator, making it completely self powering. The prototypes are strong, lightweight and practical.

At the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, Peugeot unveiled a hybrid compressed air car that they say will be on the road by 2016!

Just imagine if one day soon we may be able to drive completely clean cars that cost almost nothing to run!

--Bibi Farber

For more on The Air Car, see the inventors website here: www.guynegre.net

For more Transportation videos, click here

U.S. reducing rhetoric that feeds North Korean belligerence

Recent announcements of American military deployments in response to belligerent statements by North Korea may have contributed to escalating tensions between the two countries, Pentagon officials told CNN on Thursday in explaining an effort to reduce U.S. rhetoric about the reclusive state.
"We accused the North Koreans of amping things up, now we are worried we did the same thing," one Defense Department official said.
Translation: "The internal polls came back and Americans aren't buying that this is all North Korea's fault!"

March 19th, 2013

Experts: Oil ‘blizzard’ in Gulf from BP disaster — “It just sucked everything out of the surface” — Red layer fell on seafloor, nobody knew what it was — Could cause significant damage to ecosystems (AUDIO)

B.C. mushroom picker loses bid to get back $10k seized at Pearson Airport

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/b-c-mushroom-picker-loses-bid-back-10k-202942846.html

By Steve Mertl

Docherty was boarding a flight to Costa Rica in November 2010 when a dog trained to sniff out money found Docherty's …I can't decide whether or not I feel sorry for B.C. resident Robert Docherty, who had more than $10,000 in cash seized by Canadian customs officers at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Under Canada's Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, the Maple Ridge wild-mushroom picker was entitled to carry $10,000, and not a dollar more, out of the country without declaring it.

According to the National Post, Docherty was boarding a flight to Costa Rica in November 2010 when a dog trained to sniff out money (they have those?) found Docherty's stash of cash.
There was $9,880 in U.S. currency and another $335 Canadian. Docherty explained he'd calculated the Canada-U.S. exchange rate so the total amount to come in under the $10,000 limit.
The trouble was that by the time he took his flight two days later, the U.S. dollar had strengthened, making his package worth more than $10,000 Canadian.
Agents seized the money under the legislation and unlike criminal charges, the onus falls on people like Docherty to prove the money was legitimately acquired. In other words, guilty until proved innocent.
Docherty failed and the cash was forfeited to the Crown.
Whether or not you believe Docherty's story that the money was destined for a real estate deal involving a seller who wanted cash, his experience paints a picture of what happens when people who live by their own rules run afoul of the state's rules.
Docherty went through a ministerial review process to try and get his money back. When that failed, he went to Federal Court, which upheld the government's decision, and then he took it to the Federal Court of Appeal. In both instances he represented himself without a lawyer.
If you take a few minutes to read the Appeal Court's decision here, you'll get a flavour of the bureaucratic meat grinder that awaits someone like Docherty.
In a nutshell, the Appeal Court justices agreed the government and the Federal Court judge had done everything right, though Appeal Court Justice Denis Pelletier chided his lower-court brother for suggesting Docherty was greedy because he'd calculated the amount to slide just under the $10,000 limit.
“This is a case of a traveller sailing too close to the legal winds," the Federal Court judge said, according to the Post. "But for greed, this applicant would not be in court.”
Our society doesn't embrace people who colour outside the lines. To the government, the fact Docherty was carrying a large amount of cash was deeply suspicious. That's what criminals do, its lawyers argued. It didn't help that Docherty had a criminal conviction dating from 1993.
I know what you're thinking. Why didn't he just leave the money in the bank and do his real estate deal with a bank transfer? Or why didn't he give himself a bigger safety margin when calculating the exchange rate?
Docherty's not saying. But his experience should prove cautionary to the rest of us.

12 Million Americans Believe Lizard People Run Our Country

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/12-million-americans-believe-lizard-people-run-country-184751427.html

About 90 million Americans believe aliens exist. Some 66 million of us think aliens landed at Roswell in 1948. These are the things you learn when there's a lull in political news and pollsters get to ask whatever questions they want.

Public Policy Polling has raised weird polls to an art form. During last year's presidential campaign, the firm earned a bit of a reputation for its unorthodox questions; for example, "If God exists, do you approve of its handling of natural disasters?"
Today PPP released the results of a national survey looking at common conspiracy theories. Broken down by topic and cross-referenced by political preference, the results will not inspire a lot of patriotism. If you need to defend your fellow countrymen, be sure to note that the margin of error is 2.8 percent.
We took the findings and arranged them from most- to least-believed. And, just to inspire additional shame, figured out how many actual Americans that meant must believe in things like the danger of fluoride in water. (28 million, if you're wondering.)
View the full question asked for each conspiracy.

Conspiracy	Percent believing	Number of Americans believing
JFK was killed by conspiracy	51 percent	160,096,160
Bush intentionally misled on Iraq WMDs	44 percent	138,122,178
Global warming is a hoax	37 percent	116,148,195
Aliens exist	29 percent	91,035,072
New World Order	28 percent	87,895,931
Hussein was involved in 9/11	28 percent	87,895,931
A UFO crashed at Roswell	21 percent	65,921,948
Vaccines are linked to autism	20 percent	62,782,808
The government controls minds with TV	15 percent	47,087,106
Medical industry invents diseases	15 percent	47,087,106
CIA developed crack	14 percent	43,947,966
Bigfoot exists	14 percent	43,947,966
Obama is the Antichrist	13 percent	40,808,825
The government allowed 9/11	11 percent	34,530,544
Fluoride is dangerous	9 percent	28,252,264
The moon landing was faked	7 percent	21,973,983
Bin Laden is alive	6 percent	18,834,842
Airplane contrails are sinister chemicals	5 percent	15,695,702
McCartney died in 1966	5 percent	15,695,702
Lizard people control politics	4 percent	12,556,562

Just to further inspire conversation, PPP broke down belief in each theory by whom the respondent supported in the 2012 election. This yielded some genuinely interesting results.
For example, only two conspiracies were more commonly believed by Obama supporters: that Bush intentionally misled America about Iraq's WMDs (a massive 69 percent of his supporters believe that one) and that the moon landing was faked. There two theories with equal support among Obama and Romney supporters: that aliens exist and theone about fluoridation. Everything else, from lizard people to vaccines and autism to global warming being a hoax? Believed by more Romney supporters.
No conspiracy was less commonly believed than one suggesting that the government is populated by lizard people. But that's mostly because only 2 percent of Obama supporters believe the theory while 5 percent of Romney supporters do.

Bradley Manning & The Deepwater Horizon
By Greg Palast for Vice Magazine
Wednesday, 3. April 2013

Three years ago this month, on the 20th of April, 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blew itself to kingdom come.

Soon thereafter, a message came in to our office's chief of investigations, Ms Badpenny, from a person I dare not name, who was floating somewhere in the Caspian Sea along the coast of Baku, Central Asia.

The source was in mortal fear he’d be identified – and with good reason. Once we agreed on a safe method of communication, he revealed this: 17 months before BP’s Deepwater Horizon blew out and exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, another BP rig suffered an identical blow-out in the Caspian Sea.

Crucially, both the Gulf and Caspian Sea blow-outs had the same identical cause: the failure of the cement “plug”.

To prevent blow-outs, drilled wells must be capped with cement. BP insisted on lacing its cement with nitrogen gas – the same stuff used in laughing gas – because it speeds up drying.

Time is money, and mixing some nitrogen gas into the cement saves a lot of money.

However, because BP’s penny-pinching method is so damn dangerous, they are nearly alone in using it in deep, high-pressure offshore wells.

The reason: nitrogen gas can create gaps in the cement, allow methane gas to go up the borehole, fill the drilling platform with explosive gas – and boom, you’re dead.

So, when its Caspian Sea rig blew out in 2008, rather than change its ways, BP simply covered it up.

Our investigators discovered that the company hid the information from its own shareholders, from British regulators and from the US Securities Exchange Commission. The Vice-President of BP USA, David Rainey, withheld the information from the US Senate in a testimony he gave six months before the Gulf deaths. (Rainey was later charged with obstruction of justice on a spill-related matter.)

Britain's Channel 4 agreed to send me to the benighted nation of Azerbaijan, whose waters the earlier BP blow-out occurred in, to locate witnesses who would be willing to talk to me without getting “disappeared”. (They didn’t talk, but they still disappeared.)

And I was arrested. Some rat had tipped off the Security Ministry (the official name of the Department of Torture here in this Islamic Republic of BP). I knew I’d get out quick, because throwing a reporter of Her Majesty’s Empire into a dungeon would embarrass both BP and the Azeri oil-o-crats.

The gendarmes demanded our film, but I wasn’t overly concerned: Before I left London, Badpenny handed me one of those Austin Powers camera-in-pens, on which I’d loaded all I needed. But I did fear for my witnesses left behind in Azerbaijan – and for my source in a tiger cage in the USA: Pvt Bradley Manning.

Manning could have saved their lives
Only after I dove into deep water in Baku did I discover, trolling through the so-called “WikiLeaks” documents, secret State Department cables released by Manning. The information was stunning: the US State Department knew about the BP blow-out in the Caspian and joined in the cover-up.

Apparently BP refused to tell its own partners, Chevron and Exxon, why the lucrative Caspian oil flow had stopped. Chevron bitched to the office of the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. (George Bush’s cabinet member should not be confused with the 129,000-tonne oil tanker "Condoleezza Rice", which Chevron named after their former board member.)

The US Ambassador in Baku got Chevron the answer: a blow-out of the nitrogen-laced cement cap on a giant Caspian Sea platform. The information was marked "SECRET". Apparently loose lips about sinking ships would help neither Chevron nor the Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, the beneficiary of millions of dollars in payments of oil company baksheesh.

So what about Bradley Manning?

Manning has been charged with “aiding the enemy” – a crime punishable by death.

But Manning’s sole and only purpose was to get out the truth. It wasn’t Manning who wrote the cover-up memos, he merely wanted to get them to the victims: us.

And since when did the public become “the enemy”?

Had Manning’s memos come out just a few months earlier, the truth about BP’s deadly drilling methods would have been revealed, and there’s little doubt BP would have had to change its ways. Those eleven men could well have been alive today.

Did Manning know about this particular hush-hush cable about BP’s blow-out when he decided he had to become Paul Revere and warn the planet?

That’s unlikely, in the thousands of cables he had. But he’d seen enough evidence of murder and mendacity in other cables, so, as Manning, under oath, told a court, he tried to give it all to the New York Times to have knowledgeable reporters review the cables confidentially for life-saving information.

The New York Times immediately seized on this extraordinary opportunity… to ignore Manning. The Times only ran it when the Guardian was going to scoop – and embarrass – the New York hacks.

Though there are limits. While reporter David Leigh put the story of BP’s prior blow-out on page one of the Guardian, neither the New York Times or any other major US news outlet ran the story of the blow-out and oil industry cover-up. No surprise there, though – the most “prestigious” US news programme, PBS Newshour, was sponsored by… Chevron Corporation.

Hanging their source while taking his applause
As a working journalist, and one whose head is likely to be in the foggy gun-sights of some jet jockey or a dictator’s goon squad, I have more than a little distaste for toffs like New York Times' former executive editor, columnist Bill Keller, who used Manning documents to cash in on a book deal and land star turns on television while simultaneously smearing his source Manning as, “troubled", "emotionally fractured", "vague", "inchoate” and – cover the children's ears – “gay”.

Furthermore, while preening about their revelations from the Manning documents, the Times had no problem with imprisoning their source. I do acknowledge that the Times and Keller did editorialise that a sentence of life imprisonment without parole would be “overkill”. How white of them.

When it was mentioned that Manning is no different from Daniel Ellsberg, the CIA operative who released the Pentagon Papers, Keller reassured that the Times also told Ellsberg he was “on his own” and did not object to their source being charged as a spy.

And the Times' much-lauded exposure of the My Lai massacre? My late good friend, the great investigative reporter Ron Ridenhour, who gave the story to Seymour Hersh, told me that he and Hersh had to effectively blackmail the Times into printing it.

Manning: aid to the enemy?
Times man Keller writes that Manning, by going to “anti-American” WikiLeaks, threatened the release of, “information that might get troops in the field or innocent informants killed”.

Really?

This is the same Bill Keller who admits that he knew his paper’s reports in 2003 that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction were completely false, but that he – as editor – covered up his paper’s knowledge their WDM stories were simply bogus. Those stories validated the Bush propaganda and helped tip the political balance to invade Iraq. Four-thousand US soldiers died. I guess the idea is that releasing information that kills troops is criminal, but that dis-information that kills troops is quite acceptable.

Maybe I’m just cranky because I wouldn’t have seen my own sources vanish and my film grabbed if the Times had only run the Manning facts about BP and Caspian when they had the chance.

Look, I’m only picking on the New York Times and PBS Newshour because they are the best in America, God help us.

What other lives could have been saved by the Manning revelations? Lots. Watch this space: I promise more aid to the enemies of the state – which is YOU.

Monsanto Protection Act Authored by: Monsanto!

Learn more here:
Video: (7:36)
http://www.nextworldtv.com/page/22864.html

The Monsanto Protection Act
signed last week means Monsanto
is now immune from Federal courts
regarding any suspension or action
on their crops that have been deemed
to be dangerous to people or the
environment.

Monsanto even authored the wording
of it!

We've never seen anything more blatant
or more dangerous than the Monsanto
Protection Act.

Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms
March 29, 2013, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/science/earth/soaring-bee-deaths-in-2012-sound-alarm-on-malady.html

A mysterious malady that has been killing honeybees en masse for several years appears to have expanded drastically in the last year, commercial beekeepers say, wiping out 40 percent or even 50 percent of the hives needed to pollinate many of the nation’s fruits and vegetables. Many beekeepers suspect the biggest culprit is the growing soup of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides that are used to control pests. Beekeepers and some researchers say there is growing evidence that a powerful new class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, incorporated into the plants themselves, could be an important factor. The explosive growth of neonicotinoids since 2005 has roughly tracked rising bee deaths. Neonics, as farmers call them, are ... systemic pesticides, often embedded in seeds so that the plant itself carries the chemical that kills insects that feed on it. Neonicotinoids persist for weeks and even months. A coalition of beekeepers and environmental and consumer groups sued the E.P.A. last week, saying it exceeded its authority by conditionally approving some neonicotinoids. The European Union has proposed to ban their use on crops frequented by bees. Some researchers have concluded that neonicotinoids caused extensive die-offs in Germany and France. Neonicotinoids are hardly the beekeepers’ only concern. Herbicide use has grown as farmers have adopted crop varieties, from corn to sunflowers, that are genetically modified to survive spraying with weedkillers.

Note: For deeply revealing reports from reliable major media sources on the harmful effects of GMOs, click here.

Top Pentagon thinker bemoans “civilian subjugation to the military.”
March 26, 2013, Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/news/local/blogs/war-and-peace/2013/03/26/top-pentagon-thinker-bemoans...

Blistering charges of misplaced power and a morally bankrupt culture in the nation’s “military-industrial complex” are rarely leveled by one of the defense establishment’s own. But that is exactly what ... Gregory D. Foster, a former Army officer and West Point graduate who now teaches national security studies at the National Defense University in Washington [did] when he went after the top brass, political leaders, and defense company executives [at a recent defense budget conference]. He accused them of allowing the nearly sacrosanct principle of civilian control of the military—an early building block of American democracy—to be turned on its head. How? By virtually never questioning the key assumptions of military planning and allowing a largely unchecked, destructive and highly militarized foreign policy to pose as a “properly subordinated military industrial complex.” [Foster said] “This is what I call civilian subjugation to the military. We face it in this administration, we faced it in the Clinton administration...we faced it in the Bush administration.” It all makes for a national security establishment, in Foster’s view, that perpetuates an approach to the world that is overly confrontational, lacks critical thinking about long term objectives, and even undercuts the strategic aims of democracy. For example, he said the accepted orthodoxy of never-ending global threats and the necessity to confront them militarily makes it nearly impossible to fashion a national security strategy that puts real security, crisis prevention, and the preservation of civil society ahead of institutional bias and private profit.

Egyptian navy intercepts Israeli weapons shipment in Red Sea

The Egyptian navy seized a ship loaded with weapons and ammunition in international waters in the Red Sea on Thursday, according to Egypt’s al-Shorouq newspaper.
"A giant cargo ship was seized 15 nautical miles away from Ras Mohammed Protectorate in South Sinai," a security source told al-Shorouq.
Large quantities of weapons and ammunition were found on board before the Egyptian navy forces seized the ship and its crew. The ship was taken to the Red Sea Safaga Port to thoroughly examine the shipment, and check whether it is legal or smuggled.
Preliminary checks on the ship revealed that it came from Israel’s Eilat Port and was headed to an African country.

Canada To Play Large Role In Massive NATO War Games

More than 900 sailors and airmen of the Canadian Armed Forces have departed to participate in a joint multinational NATO exercise in Britain, the National Defense Department said on Tuesday.
Exercise Joint Warrior, scheduled for April 15-25, is the largest military tactical exercise in Europe designed to prepare NATO military forces to work together in a variety of missions from providing humanitarian aid to full-combat operations.
It will involve the participation of close to 13,000 military personnel, 55 vessels, and up to 40 aircraft from various NATO nations over the ten-day period.
Russia has just completed a massive military exercise in the Black Sea, toward the Mediterranean through the Straits of Bosporus.
IF war breaks out between Russia and NATO, NATO will have to prevent Russian ships from interdicting American ships getting supplies and personnel to the Mediterranean, as well as closing the Northern sea lanes to Russian ships.

Économie:

Tax havens explained: How the rich hide money

Super wealthy have vast array of options to take cash offshore

CBC News

Last Updated: April 3, 2013

Recent leaks of secret banking information have helped authorities around the world crack down on tax cheats who go offshore, resulting in billions of dollars recovered for the public purse. Now, in one of the biggest ever leaks of financial data, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has released data on a whopping 120,000 secret offshore entities in 10 different jurisdictions.

Read more about how unscrupulous investors hire high-priced lawyers and financial advisers to move money offshore in the interactive below. Select the blue button to make choices and move through each step. Read more of CBC's coverage of the massive leak of offshore data and how tax havens sell secrecy in our special series.

A Tipping Point In The Financial System

In my opinion, the sign that a tipping point has occurred in the financial system is the real story:

The veil of banker honesty has been lifted. The EU/IMF/ECB will do whatever is necessary to support the banks, even if it means they will confiscate (tax, steal, bail-in) customer deposits.
Customer deposits are NOT assets held in the bank for safe-keeping, but are liabilities of the bank and are not guaranteed to be made whole.
Billions of dollars were removed prior to the Cyprus freeze, so insiders clearly knew in advance of the ordinary depositors (see below). There is no “level playing field” when billions of dollars/euros are in play.
According to Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Dutch finance minister and Euro Group President, this is “the template for any future bank bailouts.” In other words, your deposits are considerably less safe than you thought. Your bank could fail, and your deposits might be used to compensate for derivative losses or other losses that the bank incurred.
The FDIC in the US, as well as England, Canada, and New Zealand, has announced similar policies, agreements, and plans to confiscate deposits in the case of an emergency. Is this a sign that an emergency is not only possible but probable and imminent?
Confidence in the banking and financial system has been seriously damaged, perhaps irreversibly.

Summary

Bank deposits are neither safe nor sacred. What you think is true might be false and costly.
More financial disasters are inevitable and imminent. Your standard of living is likely to decline.
Insiders – the political and financial elite – will benefit at the expense of the other 99%. (Nothing new here.)
Governments, agencies, and bankers are preparing for more confiscations. Plan on it! It’s going to end badly!
Buy gold and silver and remove it from the banking system.
The next few years will be very problematic for citizens of Europe and the United States. Preparation is essential.

Kyle Bass On ¥1 Quadrillion in Debt: The Japanese Zone of Insolvency-They’re Finished!

The Japanese interest expenditure is nearly ¥11 Trillion. To put that in perspective, their tax revenues are ¥43 Trillion. Japan is spending 1/4 of their tax revenue on interest alone today, with interest rates at zero (5 year bonds are at 17 basis points).
This is the zone of insolvency! There is no looking back! If Abe and Kuroda really achieve some sort of inflationary outcome, and the swaps move, they’re finished. Every 100 basis point move in cost of capital costs Japan ¥11 Trillion. A 200 basis point move has their debt service exceeding central government tax revenue! Those wishing for inflation do not know what they wish for!

WATCH - Bernanke Admits: "We Have No Idea How Much Money We're Giving The Banks"

Good clip from yesterday's press conference.

All Of The Money In Your Bank Account Could Disappear In A Single Moment

Could you imagine how you would feel if you logged in to your bank account and all of your money was gone? That is exactly what happened to some Chase customers last month. The following is from a recent CNET article...
JP Morgan Chase denied this evening that it had suffered a hack that many customers claimed had suddenly reduced their checking account balances to zero.
After discovering the apparently empty accounts via the Internet or mobile devices, many Chase banking customers turned to Twitter to express their frustration and show screen shots of zero balances. Other users were greeted with messages that their bank account balances were unavailable.
But this was most definitely not an isolated incident. That same article noted that Chase and many of our other large banks have had their websites taken down for extended periods of time lately...
Logic dictates, right now, that you have absolutely no more money in your bank than is necessary for paying your bills, and the rest should be under your own personal control, however that translates for you.

Former Goldman Sachs exec in line to be next U.S. envoy to Canada

Bruce Heyman, a Chicago-based Goldman Sachs executive and one of Barack Obama’s top fundraisers, is in final talks to become the next U.S. ambassador to Canada, according to sources.

BRICS dumping euro amid simmering EU banking crisis

Emerging economies – including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) – are dumping the euro, having sold €45 billion of the currency in 2012, according to data gathered by the International Monetary Fund.
Last week, China and Brazil agreed to a $30-billion swap deal that would give each the ability to borrow the other’s currency in the event of future turbulence in the global financial system. The move undercuts the need to use the dollar as a reserve currency; given China’s increasing economic might, Beijing appears to be steadily promoting its national currency, the renminbi.

Eric Holder Gets Busy: Enron's Skilling May Be Released From Prison Over A Decade Early

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling may be the latest beneficiary of the culture of pervasive permitted, even according to some - encouraged, crime. After being sentenced to prison for 24 years in the aftermath of Enron's spectacular 2001 bankruptcy, the former CEO may be released after serving well less than half of his term. As a result his prison term, which scheduled to end in 2028, may be cut by more than half as a result of a new agreement with the Department of Justice. It appears that AG Eric Holder is so busy not prosecuting Wall Street for being Too Big To Prosecute, he has decided it is far wiser to spend his time productively by commuting the sentences of convicted financial felons, because apparently there is nothing more important to do.

Arizona could soon approve gold, silver as legal tender

Arizona could soon become the second U.S. state to recognize gold and silver as legal tender if the Arizona House approves SB 1439.
The bill has already won the approval of Arizona’s State Senate and the Arizona House Financial Institutions Committee which voted the legislation out of committee on a 4-2 vote Monday. The measure now goes to a vote of the Arizona House.

Texas wants to take Physical possession of their gold from NY Fed. $1 Billion worth

Texas has a bill in their house to take physical possession of the state of Texas owned gold from the NY Fed.
In 2011 The University of Texas purchased $1 Billion worth of gold with the help of an asset manager. At that time it was said "To want physical gold and not paper certificates was a form of anarchy."

Texas takes step toward secession with Rick Perry’s plan to hoard gold

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and freshman state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione have a plan to create a “Fort Knox of Texas” so that the state can start hoarding gold.
Giovanni has filed a bill to establish a Texas Bullion Depository to store the $1 billion worth of gold bars that are owned by University of Texas Investment Management Co. (UTIMCO), which are currently being housed by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Tangent Capital Partners senior managing director Jim Rickards speculated to Yahoo Finance on Thursday that creating a “Fort Knox of Texas” could be a step in Texas creating its own currency and eventually moving to secede.
“This bill contains a provision that says to the federal government that you, the federal government, purport to confiscate this Texas gold, we, the state of Texas, consider that to be null and void,” Rickards pointed out. “And under the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution, they have that power.”
It will be very interesting to see how this evolves.
However, I do wish Gov. Perry in getting that physical gold back from the Fed; it may well have been rehypothecated, or leased again by the Feds, and the actual location of that physical gold may be a very good question right now.

Whom to Believe on Gold: Central Banks or Bloomberg?

Jeff Clark
Casey Research

Bloomberg reported recently that Russia is now the world's biggest gold buyer, its central bank having added 570 tonnes (18.3 million troy ounces) over the past decade. At $1,650/ounce, that's $30.1 billion worth of gold.

Russia isn't alone, of course. Central banks as a group have been net buyers for at least two years now. But the 2012 data trickling out shows that the amount of tonnage being added is breaking records.

The following table lists the countries that have added to their gold reserves this year, while the second one tallies those that have been selling. You'll see how recently each country has reported, along with its percentage increase.

Changes in Central Bank Gold Reserves in 2012 (Million Troy Ounces)
	Year-End 2011	YTD 2012	Last Reported	Net Change	Percent Change
Countries Increasing Reserves
Turkey	6.28	11.56	Dec	5.283	84.1%
Russia	28.39	30.79	Dec	2.405	8.5%
Bank for International Settlements	15.6	16.71	Dec	1.114	7.1%
Brazil	1.08	2.16	Dec	1.08	100.0%
Philippines	5.12	6.2	Nov	1.079	21.1%
Kazakhstan	2.64	3.71	Dec	1.07	40.5%
South Korea	1.75	2.71	Nov	0.965	54.9%
Iraq	0.19	0.96	Nov	0.773	405.3%
México	3.41	4	Dec	0.596	17.3%
Paraguay	0.021	0.263	Sept	0.242	1152.4%
Ukraine	0.9	1.14	Dec	0.239	26.7%
Belarus	1.21	1.37	Dec	0.164	13.2%
Tajikistan	0.15	0.2	Dec	0.05	33.3%
Brunei	0.06	0.09	Oct	0.031	50.0%
Mozambique	0.08	0.11	Oct	0.025	37.5%
Serbia	0.46	0.48	Nov	0.022	4.3%
Jordan	0.41	0.43	May	0.02	4.9%
Kyrgyz Republic	0.08	0.1	Dec	0.014	25.0%
Greece	3.59	3.6	Dec	0.008	0.3%
Mongolia	0.11	0.12	Nov	0.004	9.1%
Suriname	0.071	0.074	Dec	0.003	4.2%
South Africa	4.02	4.02	Nov	0.003	0.0%
Moldova	0	0.002	Dec	0.002
Bulgaria	1.28	1.28	Dec	0.001	0.0%
Pakistan	2.071	2.072	Dec	0.001	0.0%

Subtotal Gross Increases				15.2
Changes in Central Bank Gold Reserves in 2012 (Million Troy Ounces)
	Year-End 2011	YTD 2012	Last Reported	Net Change	Percent Change
Countries Decreasing Reserves
Sri Lanka	0.32	0.12	Sept	-0.204	-62.5%
Germany	109.19	109.04	Dec	-0.159	-0.1%
Czech Republic	0.4	0.37	Dec	-0.028	-7.5%
Macedonia	0.22	0.22	Dec	-0.001	0.0%
France	78.3	78.3	Dec	-0.001	0.0%
Malta	0.01	0.01	Dec	-0.001	0.0%

Subtotal Gross Decreases				-0.39

Total Net Change				14.8
Sources: IMF, CPM Group. Data as of 1-31-13.

Based on current data, the net increase in central bank gold buying for 2012 was 14.8 million troy ounces – and that's before the final 2012 figures are in for all countries.

This is a dramatic increase, one bigger than most investors probably realize. To put it in perspective, on a net basis, central banks added more to their reserves last year than since 1964. The net increase – so far – is 17% greater than what was added in 2011, which was itself a year of record buying.

Here's a picture of total central bank reserves since the financial crisis hit.

Whatever gold's price movements, positive or negative, central bank officials have continued adding a lot of ounces to their reserves.

But this understates the case, because most of the data exclude China, as well as a few other small countries. China last officially reported gold reserves in 2009, so the totals in the chart since then exclude whatever its purchases might have been.

Here's where it gets interesting: Bloomberg claimed that Russia has been a bigger buyer of gold over the past decade than China – by a full 25%. Based on data about gold imports through Hong Kong and the fact that, for the most part, Chinese production doesn't leave the country, it seemed to me that this could not be right.

The Chinese central bank holds an official 1,054 tonnes of gold in its reserves. Bloomberg states, based on IMF data, that China has added somewhere around 425 tonnes over the past decade.
I can't say exactly what the correct number is, but the Bloomberg number almost has to be wrong. Here's why:

Gold imports through Hong Kong in December alone hit a record high of 109.8 tonnes.

Imports for 2012 also hit a record high of 572.5 tonnes.

If you add 2012 mine production – remember that China is now the world's largest gold producer – roughly 970 tonnes of gold was delivered to various entities within the country last year.

Cumulative imports since 2001 have reached 1,352 tonnes.

Since 2001, imports plus production total a whopping 4,793 tonnes.

So Bloomberg is essentially saying that roughly 10% of the total gold available inside the country during that period was added to China's reserves. While it's true that Chinese citizens are buying a lot of gold (though perhaps more silver), it's highly doubtful that private parties bought 90% of all the gold brought to the Chinese market during this period. I think – but can't prove – that China's central bank is buying more gold and at a faster pace than its Russian counterpart.

Jim Rickards, a highly respected author and hedge fund manager, said last month that China has probably already accumulated between 2,000 and 3,000 tonnes of additional gold reserves. If he's right, that would be roughly double or triple the 1,054 tonnes it reported in 2009 – not the 40% increase Bloomberg's numbers suggest.

At the very least, we can say that the Bloomberg report left consideration of China's imports and production out of its report naming Russia the top gold buyer of 2012. Okay…but so what?

Well, Jim thinks the next big catalyst for gold will be an announcement from China about its reserve position. Here's what he told me in late December:

The catalyst for a spike into the $2,500 to $3,000 price range for gold will be an announcement by China, probably in late 2013 or 2014, that they have acquired 4,000 tonnes or more in their official reserve position. This will put China on an equal footing with the US in terms of a gold-to-GDP ratio, and validate gold as the real foundation of the international monetary system. Once that position is validated, gold will move to the $7,000 range in 2015 and beyond.

Even if Jim's estimate is high or China doesn't make an announcement until later, it's clear that central banks around the world are buying gold in record quantities.

It almost makes you wonder… do they know something we don't?

The Russians gave us some hints.

Evgeny Fedorov, a lawmaker for Putin's United Russia Party, said last week, "The more gold a country has, the more sovereignty it will have if there's a cataclysm with the dollar, the euro, the pound, or any other reserve currency."

President Vladimir Putin told his central bank not to "shy away" from the metal, adding "After all, they're called gold and currency reserves for a reason."

The Chinese have been quiet on this topic recently, after being very vocal a few years ago. Here's a recent quote.

"The current international currency system is the product of the past," said Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.

Others have provided clues as well.

"We're in the midst of an international currency war," said Guido Mantega, finance minister of Brazil.

"Quantitative easing also works through exchange rates… The Fed could engage in much more aggressive quantitative easing, to further lower the dollar," said Christina Romer, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.

Economist Kyle Bass recently spoke to a senior member of the Obama administration about its planned solutions for fixing the US economy and trade deficit. When he asked, "How are we going to grow exports if we won't allow nominal wage deflation?", the answer he got was, "We're just going to kill the dollar."

Yes, we're talking about the US dollar. Perhaps some investors have gotten complacent about the risks to the world's reserve currency – but not central bankers. It's not hard to see why: whether they admit it or not, central bankers must know what it means to run the printing presses the way the US has since 2008, even if price inflation is not immediately obvious. It's no surprise they want to hedge their bets, moving more reserves into something with actual value... something that can't be debased by a few computer keystrokes by an increasingly unfriendly government.
The message from central banks is clear: they expect the dollar to move inexorably lower. It doesn't matter that it's been holding up against other currencies or that the economy might be getting better. They're buying gold in record amounts because they see a significant shift coming with the status of the dollar, and they need to protect themselves against that risk.

This leads to a second message: gold is not overpriced, in spite of the 500%+ increase since 2001. Indeed, with the recent correction, central banks are likely buying more, even as you read this.
Clearly we should take notice. If central banks are preparing for a major change in the value of the dollar, shouldn't we? The fact remains that the US dollar cannot and will not survive the ongoing abuse heaped upon it by government planners and federal officials. That not only means the gold price will rise, but that many, if not most currencies, will lose a significant amount of purchasing power. This has direct implications for all of us.

Embrace the messages central bankers are telling us – the ones they tell with their actions, not their words. Buy gold. Your financial future may very well depend upon it.

Largest Dutch bank defaults on physical gold deliveries to customers

Last week, a rubicon was crossed in the precious metals market as one of the largest banks in Europe defaulted on their gold contracts, and informed their customers there was no physical gold available for delivery.
ABN AMRO, the largest Dutch bank in the Eurozone, issued a letter to their gold contract customers of failure of delivery, and instead will pay account holders in a paper currency equivalent to the current spot value of the metal.

Sinclair - The Next Danger After Putin Crushed IMF In Cyprus

Today legendary trader Jim Sinclair warned King World News that Putin’s decisive victory in Cyprus over the IMF has left the IMF one misstep away from destabilizing and creating massive bank runs throughout the entire Western world. Sinclair, who was once called on by former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker to assist during a Wall Street crisis, had this to say in this extraordinary and exclusive KWN interview:

Sinclair: “The concept that our financial leaders are in some sense geniuses that foresee the future and calculate every move based on their ability to divine what will be the result of their actions, is absolutely false. The IMF made a massive mistake here.

The IMF has now put itself into a very difficult position. The IMF must now support Cyprus, even in the face of the rejection of the attempted confiscation of partial bank deposits, or let the Cyprus banking system seek its own solutions to its banking problems, which would be Russian Corporations, or Russia itself.

If Russia was to save the Cyprus banking institutions, then, basically, a sovereign nation has trumped the IMF....

“I believe this is unacceptable to the IMF because it would mean that the IMF would not carry the clout which it has carried over the years as a group of many nations. If one nation can turn the switch ‘off’ against the IMF, it’s going to be very hard to turn that switch back ‘on’ at the IMF.

This now rejected proposal of a tax on depositors was a total shift in strategy that had existed so far in the rescue operations of banks. If you change your strategy, you break a promise because you have acted in a certain way where all other major nations are concerned.

If continually over years you have a strategy, and then all of the sudden decide that, well, Cyprus is too small or that the Russians are not in your league socially, and you let Cyprus go on its own and Russia makes the repair, the IMF loses by having broken a promise.

You create promises with nations not necessarily by your word, but most certainly by your actions. The actions up to now have been consistent in that no depositors would be injured. The central banks have worked together, either through swaps or through direct actions in order to meet any and all contingencies. That simply cannot stop now, especially in light of what’s just happened in Cyprus.

If there is a spread to other smaller countries of the fear of confiscation from the depositors in order to meet the obligations of their errant banks, you will begin bank runs everywhere.”

Eric King: “Can the IMF recover from this?”

Sinclair: “Yes, but it will be very difficult. The IMF only has one choice if it wishes to remain the spokesperson monetarily for the world, and that choice is to rescue the Cyprus banking system, exactly the same way they treated Spain, Portugal, Italy, etc.”

Eric King: “How much of a victory is this for Putin and Russia?”

Sinclair: “It’s a huge victory. Even though most people won’t understand it, those people who make decisions will, and do very well understand it. Putin has faced down the International Monetary Fund, which by the way is located in Washington, DC, and is in fact Washington itself. So in the sense of a Cold War, you have Washington vs Moscow, and Moscow won this round.”

Sinclair also added: “There is no question now that there is a paradigm shift in gold toward the physical market. A paradigm shift in the longevity of the paper futures markets, which as I said before will now move towards a physical market. The West will end up losing control of the ability to manipulate the gold market much sooner as a result of this debacle in Cyprus.

Right now we have had a significant change in the world financial landscape and paradigm. The fact that Russia has faced down the IMF is not any different from the day I faced down the gold banks in late 1979. What I believe this means for gold is that its slavery to the Fed is over and it’s on its way to freedom from US manipulation.

The important point here, besides the fact that what we have just witnessed is a clear and decisive Russian victory and an IMF defeat, what is absolutely crucial is for investors to understand that a wrong decision by the IMF here could create runs on banks throughout the entire Western world that make the likes of what we have seen previously in Greece and Spain look likes child’s play.

What I am saying is that another major mistake here by the IMF could destabilize the entire Western financial world in such a way that it simply could not recover without unprecedented turmoil and destruction. The bottom line here is Lagarde took on Putin, but Putin has checkmated both her and the IMF the same way a Russian grandmaster chess player would destroy his opponent.”

Sinclair also predicted: “Cyprus cannot, will not, absolutely must not leave the euro. They know that quite well. So the break of the euro market down into the 1.28 area must have sent shock waves through decision-makers in euro land. Cyprus must be rescued because they cannot be allowed to leave the euro. In the end, however, all of this will create a demand for other alternative ways of being able to support the value of money, and gold will benefit enormously from it.”

The Financial System Could Fail At Any Time: Eurozone Downturn Intensifies, Out of Control Derivative Trade Threatens the U.S. Economy, Risk Ratio is Pushing Extremes, And US Headed for ‘Greatest Retirement Crisis’ in History

Bank Manager Verifies Cash Withdrawal Limits and Reduced Hours coming to US Banks within 60 Days

Just received a call from a highly agitated bank manager who stated that within 60 days, banks will be greatly reducing their hours, days of operation, amount of withdrawals and a requirement to fill out “paperwork” if the amount is questioned by bank officials. Unless the form is completed, money will not be disbursed.
What really irritated this manager is that after hearing our statements on the air, and receiving years of assurance that our positions and contacts were so much bravo sierra, now he hears from corporate people that it is apparently true after all.
He said, “Screw them, grab the money while you can.”

Listen Closely: “Tick, Tick ... Boom!” Wake up, It’s An “Impending Crisis,” Dead Ahead!

InvestmentNews latest cover is so powerful you can actually hear sirens atop a flashing neon billboard, megawarning in huge bold type: “Tick, Tick … Boom!”
A warning: InvestmentNews wants to make damn sure its readers, the 90,000 professional financial advisers who rely on timeliness and accuracy of every INews forecast: “What will your clients’ portfolios look like when the bond bomb goes off?” Get it? Not if but when it happens.
Yes, they do expect the bond bomb to explode and are publishing “a special report on the impending crisis in the bond market.”
InvestmentNews is not staffed by a bunch of not alarmists, quite the opposite — conservative, trustworthy and methodical. They know the 90,000 registered investment advisers that rely on them are in turn responsible for advising millions of Americans and managing trillions of retirement assets. Yes, their audience demands reliable forecasts.
So listen closely, we’ll summarize Andrew Osterland’s lead article “Fear Rising With Rates,” along with an interview with Bond King Bill Gross. And INews editorials on “repositioning client money” with “strategies for rising rates.” And a couple of opposing portfolio suggestions: “The case for, and against, stocks.”
Fortunately for investors, InvestmentNews’ Osterland also couldn’t be more blunt: “Fear among financial advisers of a bond-market crash that could devastate the portfolios of millions of investors is growing amid improving economic news and rising U.S. bond yields,” as he also sees the “imbalance between the Dow and the economy” that BusinessWeek warns “won’t go on forever.”
But what’s really scary is not just rates going up, or bonds down, or stocks hitting a bear patch, or the economy stalling. No, what’s really scary is that investors are complacent, clueless, just don’t get it. As a result, when the ticking time bombs go off (not just the bond bomb and the rate bomb, but the stock bomb and the economy bomb) the volatility will go into a wild ride like a roller coaster that will trigger panic selling, even a full-blown crash, repeating the 2008 disaster.
“Buyer beware. There’s a big yellow sign saying, ‘Caution ahead.’ It’s not going to be pleasant when rates go up,” said David Sherman, president of Cohanzick Management.” In fact, downright insane, if you remember the last crash.

Market’s already turned … even brokers see worst-case scenario

InvestmentNews even added a warning from FINRA, the chief regulator of the brokerage industry: “Last month, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. took the unusual step of issuing an investor alert about the vulnerability of bonds and bond funds.”
Many economists believe that interest rates are not likely to get much lower and will eventually rise. If that is true, then outstanding bonds, particularly those with a low interest rate and high duration, may experience significant price drops as interest rates rise along the way.”
Get it? “Significant” interest rate increases … bond price crashing … rippling through the stock market, and the global economy. Investors have been lulled into complacency by Ben Bernanke’s long cheap money policy.
Warning, wake up plan ahead … your complacency, everyone’s complacency will soon end with a shock when rates jump … but by then it may be too late to plan ahead, because it will right here, right now.

Do the ticking math … tick … tick … tick … boom!

Osterland relies on some solid numbers to make his point that the market’s turning has already begun and will spiral down and out of control: “The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond, just under 2%, is up more than 35% from the record low in July. Investors are almost certainly going to see negative real returns on their Treasury portfolios in the first quarter, a rare event that many feel has the potential to trigger a wider selloff in the market.”
And adding to the selloff risk, we’re coming into federal tax season and a couple more debt ceiling cliffs: “With the Federal Reserve keeping short-term rates near zero and long-term rates near historic lows with its bond-buying program, there’s little room for further price appreciation. That means … interest rates have nowhere to go but up.”
And unfortunately, he warns that “a rapid rise in interest rates would bludgeon many existing bond portfolios. Simple bond math holds that a 1-percentage-point rise in interest rates would result in a roughly 1% decline in prices for every year of a bond’s duration.” Yes, “bludgeon” your portfolio once rates start ratcheting up.
InvestmentNews takes its responsibility to America’s 90,000 professional financial advisers seriously and in this “Special Report: Tick, Tick … Boom!” it’s painfully clear it sees enormous danger ahead for a millions of complacent investors who “have no idea what’s about to happen to them. … Tick … Tick … Boom!”

Gold $8,000 in New Trade Finance System-Jim Willie

Dr. Jim Willie of GoldenJackass.com says, “Europe is on the verge of collapse.” When it does, Dr. Willie says a new “Gold Trade Finance System” is already in place to take over for the dollar. Dr. Willie’s sources say, “The trade finance system has already agreed on a gold price of $7,000 to $8,000. Silver would be $150 to $200 per ounce.”

Nomura: China Faces ‘Rising Risks of a Systemic Financial Crisis’

China is flashing warning signs that a financial crisis may be approaching, say two Nomura economists.
Those signs include a sharp rise of leverage, a slowdown in economic growth and skyrocketing property prices, assert Nomura economists Zhiwei Zhang and Wendy Chen in a research note obtained by CNBC.
Ominously, those were the same factors behind the 2008 financial crisis in the United States.
“China faces rising risks of a systemic financial crisis and the government needs to take action quickly to contain such risks. We believe the true extent of financial risks in China is not fully appreciated by investors,” they state.

Cyprus Considers Capital Restrictions, Russia Aid
Warning! China Stocks May See Double-Digit Drop
FedEx Earnings Fall Short on International Weakness
FedEx profit drops worse-than-forecast 31%

Why Is The World Economy Doomed? The Global Financial Pyramid Scheme By The Numbers

by Michael

Why is the global economy in so much trouble? How can so many people be so absolutely certain that the world financial system is going to crash? Well, the truth is that when you take a look at the cold, hard numbers it is not difficult to see why the global financial pyramid scheme is destined to fail. In the United States today, there is approximately 56 trillion dollars of total debt in our financial system, but there is only about 9 trillion dollars in our bank accounts. So you could take every single penny out of the banks, multiply it by six, and you still would not have enough money to pay off all of our debts. Overall, there is about 190 trillion dollars of total debt on the planet. But global GDP is only about 70 trillion dollars. And the total notional value of all derivatives around the globe is somewhere between 600 trillion and 1500 trillion dollars. So we have a gigantic problem on our hands. The global financial system is a very shaky house of cards that has been constructed on a foundation of debt, leverage and incredibly risky derivatives. We are living in the greatest financial bubble in world history, and it isn’t going to take much to topple the entire thing. And when it falls, it is going to be the largest financial disaster in the history of the planet.
The global financial system is more interconnected today than ever before, and a crisis at one major bank or in one area of the world can spread at lightning speed. As I wrote about yesterday, the entire European banking system is leveraged 26 to 1 at this point. A decline in asset values of just 4 percent would totally wipe out the equity of many of those banks, and once a financial panic begins we could potentially see major financial institutions start to go down like dominoes.
We got a small taste of what that is like back in 2008, and it is inevitable that it will happen again.
Anyone that would tell you that the current global financial system is sustainable does not know what they are talking about. Just look at the numbers that I have posted below.
The following is the global financial pyramid scheme by the numbers…
-$9,283,000,000,000 - The total amount of all bank deposits in the United States. The FDIC has just 25 billion dollars in the deposit insurance fund that is supposed to “guarantee” those deposits. In other words, the ratio of total bank deposits to insurance fund money is more than 371 to 1.
-$10,012,800,000,000 - The total amount of mortgage debt in the United States. As you can see, you could take every penny out of every bank account in America and it still would not cover it.
-$10,409,500,000,000 - The M2 money supply in the United States. This is probably the most commonly used measure of the total amount of money in the U.S. economy.
-$15,094,000,000,000 - U.S. GDP. It is a measure of all economic activity in the United States for a single year.
-$16,749,269,587,407.53 - The size of the U.S. national debt. It has grown by more than 10 trillion dollars over the past ten years.
-$32,000,000,000,000 - The total amount of money that the global elite have stashed in offshore banks (that we know about).
-$50,230,844,000,000 - The total amount of government debt in the world.
-$56,280,790,000,000 - The total amount of debt (government, corporate, consumer, etc.) in the U.S. financial system.
-$61,000,000,000,000 - The combined total assets of the 50 largest banks in the world.
-$70,000,000,000,000 - The approximate size of total world GDP.
-$190,000,000,000,000 - The approximate size of the total amount of debt in the entire world. It has nearly doubled in size over the past decade.
-$212,525,587,000,000 - According to the U.S. government, this is the notional value of the derivatives that are being held by the top 25 banks in the United States. But those banks only have total assets of about 8.9 trillion dollars combined. In other words, the exposure of our largest banks to derivatives outweighs their total assets by a ratio of about 24 to 1.
-$600,000,000,000,000 to $1,500,000,000,000,000 - The estimates of the total notional value of all global derivatives generally fall within this range. At the high end of the range, the ratio of derivatives to global GDP is more than 21 to 1.
Are you starting to get the picture?
Every single day, the total amount of debt will continue to grow faster than the total amount of money until the day that this bubble bursts.
What we witnessed back in 2008 was just a little “hiccup” in the system. It caused the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, but global financial authorities were able to get things stabilized.
Next time it won’t be so easy.
The next wave of the economic collapse is quickly approaching. A full-blown economic depression has already started in southern Europe. Unemployment is at record highs and economic activity is contracting rapidly.
The major offshore banking centers in Cyprus are on the verge of collapsing. It was just announced that they will now be closed until Tuesday, but nobody really knows for sure when they will be allowed to reopen. And there is already talk that when they do reopen that there will be strict limits on how much money people can take out.
And now the IMF is warning that the three biggest banks in Slovenia are failing and that a billion euros will be needed to bail them out.
The dominoes are starting to tumble, and the United States won’t be immune. In fact, the greatest financial problems that the United States has ever seen are on the horizon.

French police raid home of IMF boss Christine Lagarde

French authorities searched the Paris flat of IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Wednesday as part of an investigation into her handling of a 2008 compensation payment to a businessman supporter of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, her lawyer said.
Police are investigating claims that Lagarde, when finance minister under Sarkozy, acted illegally in approving the 285 million euro ($367 million) arbitration payout to Bernard Tapie.

Nicolas Sarkozy to be investigated in Bettencourt scandal

French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation, his lawyer says, over claims his 2007 election campaign received illegal donations from France's richest woman.
Mr Sarkozy is accused of accepting thousands of euros from L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.

Nearly Half of Americans Have More Credit Card Debt Than Savings

Only 55 percent of Americans have more in emergency savings than they have in credit card debt, according to a survey by Bankrate.com.

Fukushima:

March 24th, 2013 | 42 comments

Former Japan TV Announcer: Problems with internal organs after eating radioactive food — “I’m sorry to worry you for being sick”

02:00 PM EST on March 24th, 2013 | 18 comments

Gundersen: It brought me to tears — U.S. students kept in classroom with radiation levels off the scale — Yet kids of nuclear workers were evacuated (AUDIO)

01:01 PM EST on March 24th, 2013 | 34 comments

Scientist: Physicians report increased cancers around nuclear site — Birth defects, still births, spontaneous abortions on rise

10:50 AM EST on March 24th, 2013 | 43 comments

Report: Females age 18 and over wanted for work at destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant — “A job even women can do… it will last a very long time”

02:49 AM EST on March 24th, 2013 | 27 comments

Show host during Nuclear Power Special: “I go to ENENews frequently” — #1 program in time slot, 3.5 million weekly listeners (AUDIO)

10:50 PM EST on March 23rd, 2013 | 20 comments

The Atlantic: U.S. gov’t made nuclear-powered hearts using plutonium — Implanted in humans

05:14 PM EST on March 23rd, 2013 | 36 comments

16 million Bq/liter of Cesium-137 in water at Fukushima Daiichi Spent Fuel Pool No. 1 — More than in June 2011 — Almost 5,000 times Unit 4′s levels

01:35 PM EST on March 23rd, 2013 | 31 comments

Study: Up to 900 trillion becquerels of strontium-90 into ocean from Fukushima plant — “Direct discharges of cooling water”

12:37 PM EST on March 23rd, 2013 | 38 comments

Japan Journalist: Situation at Fukushima Daiichi “way worse than officially announced” — Nuclear workers think Fukushima can’t be settled — “They have problems everywhere” (VIDEO)

11:57 AM EST on March 23rd, 2013 | 4 comments

“Significant volatile fission products” deposited 300 kilometers from Fukushima plant

10:09 AM EST on March 23rd, 2013 | 67 comments

CNN airs troubling images of ill California sea lions — “Like walking skeletons” — Unprecedented crisis, exponentially higher numbers — 700 rescued recently (VIDEO)

05:03 PM EST on March 22nd, 2013 | 10 comments

FOIA Expert: It’s astoundingly difficult trying to get info from NRC — “Smoke and mirrors” — “Pump and dump” (AUDIO)

11:46 AM EST on March 22nd, 2013 | 2 comments

U.S. nuclear worker’s death blamed on natural causes — Injured after falling in contaminated area

11:28 AM EST on March 22nd, 2013 | 29 comments

Study: Fukushima fallout at Canadian embassy in Tokyo was 225,000 Bq/m² — Far in excess of limit set for radiation control zones

10:25 AM EST on March 22nd, 2013 | 25 comments

Study: Fukushima radiation plume already north of Hawaii as of June 2012 (MAP)

09:16 AM EST on March 22nd, 2013 | 4 comments

Top U.S. radio show to feature ‘Nuclear Power Special’ — John B. Wells hosts Gundersen, Iversen, Starr, more

09:06 PM EST on March 21st, 2013 | 11 comments

Asahi: The explosion at Fukushima Reactor 3 had seriously damaged Reactor 2 — “Worst possible case” was predicted soon after — Many workers abandoned facility

06:59 PM EST on March 21st, 2013 | 38 comments

Radioactive leak reported at U.S. nuke plant — Nuclear material detected in dirt samples

March 21st, 2013 | 19 comments

Radioactive dust reported in Tokyo after recent fog — Over 4,000 Bq/kg of cesium — “Contamination never disappear, be careful”

02:23 PM EST on March 21st, 2013 | 14 comments

Expert: Areas in Fukushima are recontaminated within 24 hours of being ‘cleaned up’ — Will have to be permanently evacuated

12:59 PM EST on March 21st, 2013 | 9 comments

“Biggest radiological cleanup the world has ever seen” — Worker in Fukushima: “Radiation levels just won’t go down” (VIDEO)

11:51 AM EST on March 21st, 2013 | 6 comments

Video: Over 3,000,000 Bq/m² detected on road near Fukushima plant

12:58 AM EST on March 21st, 2013 | 29 comments

Fukushima nuclear materials reported off China coast near Taiwan — Official: “The authority will publish relevant information in a timely manner once any threat is detected”

03:46 PM EST on March 20th, 2013 | 25 comments

Seawater and sand caused blackout at Fukushima Daiichi? — Crucial power device “left on back of vehicle… exposed to the elements” (PHOTO)

11:45 AM EST on March 20th, 2013 | 41 comments

Fairewinds: Radiation release during massive power failure at Fukushima Daiichi — 24-hour outage is unconscionable, shows plant unstable

09:57 AM EST on March 20th, 2013 | 63 comments

‘Rat-like animal’ blamed for Fukushima blackout — Rodent able to endanger nuclear plant? (PHOTO)

06:44 PM EST on March 19th, 2013 | 54 comments

Crucial cooling systems restored, Tepco says — Local official: “We don’t believe Fukushima disaster is under control” — NYT: “Impossible to independently assess conditions at plant”

04:59 PM EST on March 19th, 2013 | 21 comments

U.S. scientists find Fukushima cesium in turtles, whales, fish

01:16 PM EST on March 19th, 2013 | 15 comments

Expert: Report shows California nuclear plant “will progressively destroy itself” — AP: Could breakdown at full power (VIDEO)

10:38 AM EST on March 19th, 2013 | 44 comments

Power still not restored at Fukushima Unit 3 fuel pool and Common Fuel Pool — No fresh cooling water for over a day — Tepco: Extremely sorry it took so long to announce blackout

March 19th, 2013 | 58 comments

Temperatures rise in Fukushima fuel pools after nearly 20 hours without power — Crews “scrambling” to fix problems — Tepco placing “highest priority” on Unit 4

10:46 PM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 31 comments

Bloomberg: Gundersen says radiation levels will increase from higher temperatures at Fukushima fuel pools

07:39 PM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 24 comments

Kyodo at 6:41p ET: Fukushima Daiichi power failure still underway — Residents anxious, Tepco remains unable to fix problem

03:59 PM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 35 comments

Kyodo: No ‘major’ changes in radioactivity levels during Fukushima Daiichi power outage

01:36 PM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 74 comments

NHK: Another fuel pool loses cooling system at Fukushima Daiichi — CBC: May take days to repair

01:00 PM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 14 comments

U.S. Navy Sailor: Our digital watches stopped working when offshore Fukushima after 3/11 — “We were laughing at first, but then…”

12:13 PM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 19 comments

AP: Fukushima Daiichi blackout has continued for hours — 3 fuel pools without fresh cooling water

11:23 AM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 10 comments

Kyodo English: ‘Problem with electric power’ at Fukushima Daiichi — Cooling systems suspended at 3 fuel pools

10:43 AM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 7 comments

Fukushima Daiichi power blackout is top story on Japan news sites (VIDEO)

09:36 AM EST on March 18th, 2013 | 29 comments

Blackout at Fukushima Daiichi — Cooling at fuel pools stopped

Fukushima:

March 31st, 2013 | 47 comments

U.S. nuclear plant suffers “significant industrial accident” — 8 injured, 1 dead — No ‘immediate’ threat to the public

KFSM (h/t Anonymous tips): One person died in a “significant industrial accident” accident at Arkansas Nuclear One on Sunday morning, Entergy said in a release. The accident happened at approximately 7:45 a.m. and THV 11 reported that Pope County rescue units responded. The Entergy news release said three people were injured in the accident, which happened when a generator stator fell as it was being moved out of the turbine building. [...] Entergy said the plant is in an unusual event classification, the lowest of four emergency conditions designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Additional personnel have been brought in to help on site, the release said. [...]
The Courier: An Entergy spokesperson told The Courier the total number of Arkansas Nuclear One employees injured in the Sunday morning accident at the plant was eight, not three, as earlier reported. The spokesperson provided no other details about those injured, including their names or medical status. One worker died in the accident. [...] Arkansas Department of Health [...] stated there is no immediate threat to the public in the Pope, Johnson and yell counties area.

UPDATED HERE: Emergency at U.S. Nuclear Plant: Steam dumps to atmosphere -- No known primary to secondary leakage -- Full extent of damage unknown -- Additional staff brought to site (VIDEO)

March 31st, 2013 | 23 comments

Map: Species of sea snail now entirely extinct in large area around Fukushima nuclear plant

11:00 PM EST on March 30th, 2013 | 37 comments

Japan PM discusses restarting Fukushima Daiichi reactors — Safety to be confirmed?

07:52 PM EST on March 30th, 2013 | 146 comments

CBS Los Angeles: “Dead sea lions everywhere” — Rescuer: I’ve never seen anything like this… we never would have imagined the numbers — Expert: No oceanographic explanation for what we’re seeing (VIDEO)

11:21 AM EST on March 30th, 2013 | 17 comments

NHK: “Many people have reported medical problems since the Fukushima nuclear disaster began” (VIDEO)

08:48 AM EST on March 30th, 2013 | 22 comments

Radio: ‘Energy pendants’ very popular on internet — Radioactive dose of 200 milliSv/yr detected, much higher than nuclear worker limit — To be worn around neck (AUDIO)

09:24 PM EST on March 29th, 2013 | 37 comments

The Daily Show gets nuclear “exclusive” — A “phenomenal story” about processing uranium in U.S. — 12-minute extended interview (VIDEO)

03:27 PM EST on March 29th, 2013 | 9 comments

Worker: Rat at Fukushima Daiichi measured 15 microsieverts per hour — “It’s a moving radioactive material”

12:39 PM EST on March 29th, 2013 | 100 comments

TV: Dead dolphin spike in Louisiana, Mississippi — “We have been advised not to discuss our findings” — Mostly babies washing up (VIDEO)

10:56 AM EST on March 29th, 2013 | 53 comments

“Manatees Dying in Droves on Both Coasts of Florida” — Deaths of pelicans, turtles, dolphins also increasing — “Scientists fear this is the beginning of a devastating ecosystem collapse”

10:38 PM EST on March 28th, 2013 | 32 comments

Video: Unforeseen health problems now just coming to light after Fukushima disaster

08:59 PM EST on March 28th, 2013 | 45 comments

Federal gov’t declares rare Unusual Mortality Event in So. California — 70% of all newborn sea lions may be dying — Testing for toxins, infectious agents (VIDEO)

05:13 PM EST on March 28th, 2013 | 17 comments

Three Mile Island meltdown 34 years ago today — “America’s Forgotten Nuclear Terror” — Pregnant women, small children told to leave area (VIDEO & AUDIO)

12:15 PM EST on March 28th, 2013 | 42 comments

Gundersen: Death toll from Fukushima disaster to be 1,000 times IAEA estimate (AUDIO)

11:14 AM EST on March 28th, 2013 | 19 comments

“Game Changer”: Fukushima cesium releases likely 20-30 times higher than revealed (AUDIO)

07:59 AM EST on March 28th, 2013 | 30 comments

NBC: Sea mammal epidemic worsens in So. California — Now almost 1,000 have washed ashore — “Such an alarming rate” — Mostly born last summer

10:08 PM EST on March 27th, 2013 | 49 comments

Japan Study: Fukushima fallout “unlike the past nuclear accidents” — Radioactive silver prominently observed

04:45 PM EST on March 27th, 2013 | 28 comments

Symposium Q&A: Explosion at Fukushima Unit 3 drove nuclear fuel out of storage pool — Scattered up to 2 miles away (VIDEO)

02:04 PM EST on March 27th, 2013 | 12 comments

Wildlife vs U.S. nuclear plants: Flies short-out transformer — Pelican starts emergency generator — Snake causes fire — Bird shuts down reactor… more

March 27th, 2013 | 46 comments

Gundersen: Important new data shows “other phenomena” at Fukushima plant was releasing nuclear material — Yet to be evaluated by scientists (VIDEO)

11:39 AM EST on March 27th, 2013 | 18 comments

In-depth report released on Fukushima plant blackout — Examines animal feces, small burn hole in fur (PHOTOS)

10:19 AM EST on March 27th, 2013 | 16 comments

UK Newspaper: Japan facing cancer time bomb post-Fukushima? — Growing concerns about full scale of disaster

08:34 AM EST on March 27th, 2013 | 13 comments

Japan Newspaper: Sea creature disappears around Fukushima plant

09:30 PM EST on March 26th, 2013 | 6 comments

Report: Nuclear material came off unused fuel assembly removed from Fukushima Unit 4 pool — Cobalt-60 at 1,400,000,000 Bq/kg — Debris “felt like grit” (PHOTOS)

March 7, 2013 Tepco document regarding testing of the fuel assemblies removed from the Unit 4 fuel pool with summary translation by Fukushima Diary:

According to Tepco, significantly high level of Co-60 was measured from the piece of debris taken from SFP4.

They measured 1,400,000,000 Bq/Kg of Co-60 [...]

It was taken when they washed the new fuel assembly [...]

Tepco states it felt like grit. Some parts were broken into sand, which couldn’t be collected. [...]

Full report here

Gundersen’s full presentation here

11:27 PM EST on March 25th, 2013 | 31 comments

Gundersen: Image shows radioactive “thermal flare” was coming from Fukushima Reactor 3 — “Exactly where the containment should be” (VIDEO)

At 66:30 in

Arnie Gundersen, Fairewinds Energy Education: Tepco’s known about this for 2 years, but has not talked about it.

That flare right here is exactly where the containment should be, and that flare is at 128°C which means it’s not steam. Steam can’t exist over 100°C. […] At atmospheric pressure when you boil steam you’re only going to get to 100°C. That flare is at 128°C which means that it’s not steam.

It means it’s hot radioactive gases being released directly from the containment. It also means that inside the containment, it was not below the boiling of water, it was above the boiling point of water. There was no liquid water inside that containment.

This is on March 20, nine days after the accident. The containment is venting hot radioactive gases directly to the environment.

This is proof positive […] they’ve known for a long time that huge amounts of cesium were being released directly to the air because they weren’t being trapped in the water in the suppression pool.