Spanish Government Orders Google To Delete App Used For Catalan Independence Vote

Spanish Government Orders Google To Delete App Used For Catalan Independence Vote:

Catalonia’s High Court on Friday ordered Google to delete an application that it said Catalan separatists were using to spread information about a disputed independence vote this Sunday, Reuters reported.

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US Cities Demand Federal Help As They Brace For Influx Of 100,000s Of Puerto Ricans

US Cities Demand Federal Help As They Brace For Influx Of 100,000s Of Puerto Ricans: 

As the disaster-relief effort enters its second week, air traffic is slowly resuming, which means hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans will likely flee the devastated island to stay with friends and relatives in the continental US as they wait for FEMA to rebuild roads, repair power grids and and revive the island’s communications infrastructure – a process that could take months, if not longer.

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Coverup? FBI, DOJ Refuse To Comply With Congressional “Trump Dossier” Subpoena

Coverup? FBI, DOJ Refuse To Comply With Congressional “Trump Dossier” Subpoena:

In what looks like a naked coverup meant to obscure the fact that the Department of Justice’s decision to launch a criminal investigation into possible Russia-Trump collusion was based on a lie, Reuters reports that the DOJ and FBI are resisting a Congressional subpoena from to turn over documents that would reveal details about how the infamous “Trump dossier” factored into their decision to launch said investigation.

Despite receiving the subpoena from US Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, the FBI is steadfastly refusing to turn over the documents because the agency says they would purportedly compromise an ongoing criminal investigation (the FBI’s investigation into Mueller). More likely, the agency’s intransigence stems from fears that the one Russia collusion narrative that Democrats have actively worked to suppress could come back to haunt them.

Read moreCoverup? FBI, DOJ Refuse To Comply With Congressional “Trump Dossier” Subpoena

Airports Systems Just Crashed Globally; Could The Power Grid Be Next?

Airports Systems Just Crashed Globally; Could The Power Grid Be Next?:

Airport computer systems crashed around the globe yesterday. The crash caused passenger delays, angst, and fright among travelers, but a more ominous question has arisen in light of this glitch. Could the next failure be a worldwide power grid outage?

Thousands of travelers were grounded yesterday when a computer glitch took down check-in systems at more than 100 airports worldwide. The crash left passengers waiting in long lines at counters while trying to check-in for their flights. T Amadeus Alta, the company that provides the software, confirmed it is experiencing a “network issue that is causing disruption,” The Telegraph reported.

The glitch affected even massive airports,  such London’s Heathrow International Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C. “Technical teams are working on the problem, services are gradually being restored,” the software company said. After a few hours, officials at Gatwick and Heathrow airports said their systems were “back up and running” after the “momentary IT glitch,” adding there may be a delay due to the outage.

Read moreAirports Systems Just Crashed Globally; Could The Power Grid Be Next?

David Stockman: “Trump’s 1500-Word Airball” Tax Plan

“Stated differently, after nine months of work these geniuses have come up with $6 trillion of easy to propose tax rate cuts and virtually no plan whatsoever to pay for them.”

“In all, this plan is so embarrassingly weak that Mnuchin and Cohn should be fired on the spot.

Actually all of these Rothschild puppets did exactly what they were told to do!

*****

Trump’s 1,500-word Airball:

The Donald’s strong point isn’t his grasp of policy detail.

The nine page bare-bones outline released this week is nothing more than an aspirational air ball that lacks virtually every policy detail needed to assess its impact and to price out its cost.

It promises to shrink the code to three rates (12%, 25%, 35%), for example. But it doesn’t say boo about where the brackets begin and end compared to current law.

Needless to say, a taxpayer with $50,000 of taxable income who is on the 15% marginal bracket today might wish to know whether he is in the new 12% or the new 25% bracket proposed by the White House. After all, it could change his tax bill by several thousand dollars.

Similarly, to help pay for upwards of $6 trillion of tax cuts over the next decade, it proposes to eliminate “most” itemized deductions. These “payfors” would in theory increase revenues by about $3 trillion.

Read moreDavid Stockman: “Trump’s 1500-Word Airball” Tax Plan

Spain Says “Referendum Won’t Happen”, To Shut Barcelona Airspace After Catalan Separatists Unveil Ballot Boxes

Spain Says “Referendum Won’t Happen”, To Shut Barcelona Airspace After Catalan Separatists Unveil Ballot Boxes:

“Some of the measures asked by prosecutors can’t be followed without creating a bigger conflict than the one they say they want to prevent…”

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Trump Now Live-Tweeting The Market: “Record High For S&P 500!”

Trump Now Live-Tweeting The Market: “Record High For S&P 500”:

Apparently, having nothing else to comment on this morning, moments ago the president tweeted that as of this moment, the S&P just hit its latest, 40th YTD, all time high in 2017.

“RECORD HIGH FOR S & P 500!”

Putting this declaration in context, in April 2016, Trump was feeling increasingly bearish about stocks. He told The Washington Post that they were overvalued and that the strong data that showed a healthy economy were essentially phony.

“I think we’re sitting on an economic bubble. A financial bubble,” Mr. Trump said.

By September, he was arguing that the Federal Reserve was propping up a “false economy” that is actually weak.

Read moreTrump Now Live-Tweeting The Market: “Record High For S&P 500!”

Vietnam Shows How To Clean Up The Banking System: Ex-Banker Sentenced To Death For Fraud

Vietnam Shows How To Clean Up The Banking System: Ex-Banker Sentenced To Death For Fraud:

The lack of prosecution of US bankers responsible for the great financial crisis has been a much debated topic over the years, leading to the coinage of such terms as “Too Big To Prosecute”, the termination of at least one corrupt DOJ official, the revelation that Eric Holder is the most useless Attorney General in history, and of course billions in cash kickbacks between Wall Street and D.C. And, naturally, the lack of incentives that punish cheating and fraud, is one of the main reasons why such fraud will not only continue but get bigger until once again, the entire system crashes under the weight of accumulated theft, corruption and Fed-driven malinvestment. But what can be done? In this case, Vietnam may have just shown the way – sentence embezzling bankers to death. Because if one wants to promptly stop an end to all financial crime, few things motivate as efficiently as a firing squad.

According to the BBC, the former head of a major Vietnamese bank has been sentenced to death for his role in a fraud case involving some 800 billion dong (which sounds like a lot of dong, but equals roughly $35 million) of illegal loans. Nguyen Xuan Son, who served as general director of OceanBank, was convicted of embezzlement, abuse of power and economic mismanagement. Bank founder, tycoon Ha Van Tham, and dozens of other banking officials are also on trial, accused of lending violations.

Read moreVietnam Shows How To Clean Up The Banking System: Ex-Banker Sentenced To Death For Fraud

“What’re They For, Exactly?” $100 Million Bridge-And-Tunnel Towers Baffle New Yorkers

“What’re They For, Exactly?” $100 Million Bridge-And-Tunnel Towers Baffle New Yorkers:

After a summer plagued by hours-long delays and service outages, New Yorkers’ frustration with the city’s rapidly deteriorating subway system has reached a boiling point. But while the MTA is desperately trying to close massive budget shortfalls by hiking fares in lieu  of any kind of meaningful assistance from the State of New York, commuters have noticed that a series of mysterious metal towers have started appearing at the entrances of tunnels and bridges around the city.

And some are expressing frustration with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA for refusing to release any details about the towers’ purpose, despite planning to spend $100 million on them.

Read more“What’re They For, Exactly?” $100 Million Bridge-And-Tunnel Towers Baffle New Yorkers

America’s Broken Education System: Grade-Rigging Scandal Strikes Baltimore And Spreads…

America’s Broken Education System: Grade-Rigging Scandal Strikes Baltimore And Spreads…:

“…the first versions were printed on November 11… but 19 days later, on the 30th, the report cards were printed again… This time, every single failing grade was changed to 60comments meant to alert parents of their child’s poor performance were deleted…”

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“Tit-For-Tat”: Russia Accuses CNN Of “Violating Russian Media Law”

– “Tit-For-Tat”: Russia Accuses CNN Of “Violating Russian Media Law”:

The “Russian collusion” crusade took a bizarre turn yesterday when Twitter, apparently in the absence of any tangible evidence that Kremlin spies exploited the social media service to undermine the 2016 election, decided to publicly disclose the exact amount of advertising revenue it received from Russia Today during 2016. It’s unclear what that disclosure was intended to accomplish since even Twitter says the ads were directed at “followers of mainstream media and primarily promoted RT Tweets regarding news stories” which hardly seems like an attempt to stage a coup.

Not surprisingly, it only took Russia’s communications regulator a couple of hours to respond to Twitter’s move by threatening to crack down CNN’s operations in Russia, an outlet which the regulator says is “violating Russian media law.”  Per Reuters:

Read more“Tit-For-Tat”: Russia Accuses CNN Of “Violating Russian Media Law”

Jim Rickards: “Cracks In The Dollar Are Getting Larger”

Cracks In The Dollar Are Getting Larger:

Many readers are familiar with the original petrodollar deal the U.S made with Saudi Arabia.

It was set up by Henry Kissinger and Saudi princes in 1974 to prop up the U.S. dollar. At the time, confidence in the dollar was on shaky ground because President Nixon had ended gold convertibility of dollars in 1971.

Saudi Arabia was receiving dollars for their oil shipments, but they could no longer convert the dollars to gold at a guaranteed price directly with the U.S. Treasury. The Saudis were secretly dumping dollars and buying gold on the London market. This was putting pressure on the bullion banks receiving the dollar.

Confidence in the dollar began to crack. Henry Kissinger and Treasury Secretary William Simon worked out a plan. If the Saudis would price oil in dollars, U.S. banks would hold the dollar deposits for the Saudis.

Read moreJim Rickards: “Cracks In The Dollar Are Getting Larger”

This is what $100 buys you in Venezuela

This is what $100 buys you in Venezuela:

The gunfire on the streets near my hotel started around 9pm last night.

The sound is unmistakable, especially at night on an otherwise quiet city street.

I had recently returned to the hotel after a few evening meetings. And coming back after dark it was as if they had rolled the sidewalks up — restaurants with no patrons, bars and clubs that were totally empty.

There was an incredibly striking woman I remember, standing in front of her restaurant playing hostess to absolutely nobody.

And with few people on the streets, it felt like some sort of zombie apocalypse.

Amazingly enough this country used to be THE wealthiest in the region. And not too long ago.

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AND NOW: Vatican Launches Two-Year Campaign to Provoke a ‘Shift in Thinking’ on Immigration – #MigrantCrisis

Vatican Launches Two-Year Campaign to Provoke a ‘Shift in Thinking’ on Immigration: 

Pope Francis launched a two-year campaign Wednesday to educate people about the plight of migrants, and to encourage a more welcoming attitude toward them worldwide.

“Brothers, we mustn’t be afraid to share the journey! We mustn’t be afraid to share the hope!” Francis said in his weekly General Audience in Saint Peter’s Square Wednesday, in which he inaugurated the new project, titled “Share the Journey.”

Read moreAND NOW: Vatican Launches Two-Year Campaign to Provoke a ‘Shift in Thinking’ on Immigration – #MigrantCrisis

Belgium: 159 Military and Police Uniforms reported stolen last year

Belgium: 159 Military and Police Uniforms reported stolen last year:

The Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports that last year, the theft of no less than 159 Belgian army and police uniforms was registered. Minister of the Interior Jan Jambon (N-VA) was forced to divulge this in response to a written question by MP Barbara Pas (Vlaams Belang).

Most uniforms were stolen in Flanders (94) last year, followed by Wallonia (43) and the Brussels-Capital Region (22). In 2014 and 2015, a total of 204 and 170 uniforms were stolen.

On top of that, lots of uniforms are getting lost – as opposed to being reported as stolen. In 2016 this happened to 40 pieces, up from 35 pieces in 2015. Also, 12 bulletproof vests, 129 pieces of equipment and 3 intervention armbands got lost last year.

H/t reader kevin a.

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‘We can go INSTANTLY’ British diesel-importer DESTROYS politicians Brexit delay ‘NONSENSE’

‘We can go INSTANTLY’ British diesel-importer DESTROYS politicians Brexit delay ‘NONSENSE’:

A FURIOUS Brexiteer has insisted the UK can leave the European Union “instantly” during a heated debate Britain’s break from the bloc.

Appearing on a Channel 4 News Leave-voters debate, the audience member – a diesel importer – hit out at the time taken to get divorce talks underwayHe blasted the “nonsense” coming from politicians calling for a drawn-out negotiation period.

The audience member said: “There’s no free trade in services and goods, I do this for a living, I import diesel into this country – this is all absolute nonsense what these politicians are saying.

“There are only two systems there’s ECMS (Electronic Confirmation Matching System) which is the system that the European Union uses and there’s CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight) which is the rest of the world.

“And you can switch any trade from any country in the world just by deciding which system it’s on – all they need to make a decision of is when and what day we’re doing this, we’ll do the rest, they don’t need to do anymore.”When asked about how long it would take to switch systems, the man said it could be done “instantly”.

Read more‘We can go INSTANTLY’ British diesel-importer DESTROYS politicians Brexit delay ‘NONSENSE’

U.S. Retirement Market Ponzi Fueled By Record Concentration In Stocks By Young Americans

U.S. Retirement Market Ponzi Fueled By Record Concentration In Stocks By Young Americans:

For the U.S. Retirement Market Ponzi Scheme to continue, there must be a new group of suckers to pay for the individuals who are receiving benefits.  Without a new flow of funds, the Ponzi Scheme comes crashing down.  Such was the case for the individuals who invested in the $65 billion Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme that came crashing down in 2008.

Read moreU.S. Retirement Market Ponzi Fueled By Record Concentration In Stocks By Young Americans

BREAKING: France to criminally prosecute drug company for false marketing of diabetes drug that killed 2,000 people

BREAKING: France to criminally prosecute drug company for false marketing of diabetes drug that killed 2,000 people:

How would you feel if a beloved family member died because of the greed of a pharmaceutical company that knowingly continued marketing a deadly drug for 30 years after they found out it could kill people? That is the position of the families of nearly 2,300 French patients who died after using the drug benfluorex – marketed in France under the name Mediator – to treat diabetes. The drug’s history is shrouded in a veil of corruption and cover-ups, but the French government is now pursuing pharma giant Servier to the full extent of the law.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is reporting that criminal charges have been laid against Servier itself, French regulatory bodies that looked the other way while Mediator continued to kill people, companies affiliated to Servier, and 14 individuals directly involved in the fraud.

Read moreBREAKING: France to criminally prosecute drug company for false marketing of diabetes drug that killed 2,000 people

The U.S. Government Massive ONE-DAY Debt Increase Impact On Interest Expense & Silver ETF

The U.S. Government Massive ONE-DAY Debt Increase Impact On Interest Expense & Silver ETF

H/t reader squodgy:

“Why the Central Banks just cannot raise interest rates…….and what MUST be the eventual trigger for the Economic collapse and reset.”

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