Friday, January 9

 

 Christopher Lempa is the guest editor today.

 

Pressure Increases on Israel as Toll Rises

“International pressure on Israel intensified sharply Thursday, the 13th day of its Gaza assault, after the United Nations suspended food aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross accused the Israelis of knowingly blocking assistance to the wounded and a top Vatican official defended comments in which he likened Gaza to a concentration camp.” (2 pages)

 

Bush Plan Eliminated Obstacle to Gaza Assault

“Until mid-2007, there was a serious political obstacle to a massive conventional war by Israel against Hamas in Gaza : the fact that Hamas had won free and fair elections for the Palestinian parliament and was still the leading faction in a fully legitimate government.”

 

The Seeds of the Satyam Scandal

“Until the past few weeks, the corporate headquarters of Satyam Computer was an island of calm a short drive outside the bustling city of Hyderbad . Flags of countries representing Satyam's customers line the driveway leading to the front door. Visitors to its center were treated to a multimedia display that showcased what Satyam felt were its core values: efficiency, flexibility, trust, reliability.”

 

Treasury Sees More Big Bank Bailouts

“The Treasury has quietly opened the door to more bailouts of major banks like Citigroup that the department deems too big to fail, exposing taxpayers to potentially large losses on the banks' souring loan portfolios.” (2 pages)

 

Citi backs Mortgage Bankruptcy Reform

“Financial giant Citigroup Inc has agreed to support a rewrite of bankruptcy law being proposed in the U.S. Congress to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, lawmakers said on Thursday.”

 

Sanjay Gupta Unfit?

Of course he is.

 

Longing for Home: A Review of Bill Kauffman’s Assorted Works

“What sets Kauffman's argument apart, and what will doubtless prove infuriating to both liberals and neo-conservatives, is his opposition to war and imperialism, bigness and centralization, explicitly in the name of that which is described, dismissively, as 'provincial, parochial, isolationist.'  Not only does he not object to being called an isolationist, he embraces the term and proclaims it more American than foreign meddling.”

 

Fooled by Ponzi (and Madoff)

“There are few areas of functioning where skepticism is more important than how one invests one’s life savings. Yet intelligent and educated people, some of them naďve about finance and others quite knowledgeable, have been ruined by schemes that turned out to be highly dubious and quite often fraudulent. The most dramatic example of this in American history is the recent announcement that Bernard Madoff, a highly-regarded hedge fund manager and a former president of NASDAQ, has for several years been running a very sophisticated Ponzi scheme which by his own admission has defrauded wealthy investors, charities and other funds, of at least 50 billion dollars.” Stephen Greenspan and the Skeptic Society explain.

 

Fugitive Ala. Cop to Be Sent Back From Vegas

“A fugitive police sergeant said Thursday he won't contest being sent back to Alabama , where he's accused of faking his abduction, stealing evidence money and flying to Las Vegas to try to win enough money to pay off personal debts.”

 

More on Debt Repudiation

Thomas Knapp on debt repudiation.

 

Memory Improved 20% by Nature Walk

New study finds that short-term memory is improved 20% by walking in nature, or even just by looking at an image of a natural scene.”

 

After 50 Years at the Voice, FIRE Salutes Nat Hentoff

“This week brought news that world-renowned scholar, critic, civil libertarian, and member of FIRE 's Board of Advisors Nat Hentoff has penned his final column for The Village Voice, ending a spectacular run of over fifty years at the influential weekly.”

 

Compost Outlaws

“Our neighborhood comrade Tara Kolla, who grows sweet peas for farmer's markets in her urban backyard, has been busted for ...composting!” Now it’s illegal to make fertilizer?

 

The Ultimate Flying Machine

A result of deregulation.  Watch the video, too.  (Editor's pick)

 

The G8

A photo blog.