The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) ended when the Treasury sold its remaining shares of Ally Financial (the last remaining major bank.) The bailout program was originally $426 billion. The Treasury Department reports, “Treasury invested approximately $245 billion across five distinct bank programs. Each of these programs was established to accomplish different goals as part […]
Category Archives: Government
U.S. Ends Bailout Program with $15.3 Billion Profit
Also posted in Business, Finance
Tagged bailout, banks, profit, TARP, taxpayers, too big to fail, Troubled Asset Relief Program, US
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Torture = Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
The United States’ Senate Intelligence Committee released a 6,000 page report detailing how the CIA tortured prisoners at Bagram, Guantanamo Bay, and Abu Ghraib. A 480 page summary gives a troubling overview. The BBC reports: Were the interrogation methods – torture if you like – more extensive and more brutal than previously admitted? It looks […]
Also posted in freedom, International, Law, liberty, Politics, War And Peace
Tagged Abu Ghraib, Bagram, CIA, Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, Guantanamo Bay, Senate Intelligence Committee, sexual torture, torture, United State, USA, waterboarding
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War Declared
Washington DC — On September 10, 2014 between 9PM and 9:15PM, President Obama declared war on the Islamic State (ISIS). “Our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.” Critics raised debate on the irony of Obama going into Iraq after his position on getting out […]
Also posted in Law, liberty, Politics, Security, War And Peace
Tagged declaration of war, Iraq, ISIL, Islamic State, Obama, President, war
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Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated on June 28, 1914. Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination started the chain of events that led to World War I. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia. This caused the Central Powers (including Germany and Austria-Hungary) and […]
Also posted in International, music, Politics, War And Peace
Tagged Franz Ferdinand, World War I
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Climate Change and the Presidental Action Plan
The President’s Plan to Cut Carbon Pollution in America Reducing Carbon Pollution from Power Plants Power plants are the largest major source of emissions in the U.S., together accounting for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas pollution. PROGRESS: In September 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed carbon pollution standards for new power […]
Also posted in Energy, Environment, Global Warming, Law, Politics
Tagged Clean Energy Infrastructure, climate change, coal power plants, global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, The President's Plan to Cut Carbon Pollution in America
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Climate Disruption
The United States of America released a report on global warming and has named the problem climate disruption. The report +confirms that climate change is not a distant threat — it’s affecting us now.” Climate disruption is “expected to become increasingly disruptive across the nation throughout this century and beyond,” the National Climate Assessment […]
Also posted in children, Energy, Environment, Global Warming, health and wellness, Science, weather
Tagged climate change, climate disruption, extreme weather events, report, scientists
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Russia, Ukraine, Crimea and the USA
A couple of interesting facts: 1) On March 29, 1867, Stoeckl informed Secretary of State William Henry Seward that the Czar had agreed to sell Russian interests in Alaska to the United States. 2) In 1954, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave Ukraine a gift: Crimea.
Also posted in Education, freedom, International, Law, Politics, War And Peace
Tagged Crimea, deomocrty, Russia, sovereignty, Ukraine, USA
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California Zero Water Allocation
Though much of the United States has been experiencing a cold, high precipitation winter, California has had extreme drought and fire conditions. The State Water Project announced the state reservoir will “effectively be closed for business.” “This is the most serious drought we’ve faced in modern times,” Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources […]
Also posted in Agriculture, Environment, Global Warming, weather
Tagged California, climate change, drought, extreme weather events, global warming, volatile, water
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The *White Army* Militia Marches
SOUTH SUDAN, AFRICA — A group of armed militants is marching to fight in the growing crisis in South Sudan. The White Army is named from the white ash used to cover their bodies. They are a group of disgruntled young and under-employed men. The Washington Post reports, “Twenty-five thousand young men who make up […]
Also posted in freedom, International, War And Peace
Tagged army, civil war, civil wars, conflicts, ethnic wars, fighting, hostilities, Nuer, South Sudan, Sudan, tribal, white army, white ash
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3rd World Countries from the Third Planet
EARTH — The space race continues. Iran claims to have successfully sent its second monkey into space. “In total, this is the 2nd monkey sent into space and returned in perfect health to Iran. I congratulate the Leader, scientists and the nation,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. At the same time, China became the third […]
Also posted in International, Science, Space
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