Category Archives: U.S.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? German Auto Makers making big profits, but economists say the party is over

The Germany auto industry has seen skyrocketing sales this year, mainly in China and India.  But a Center Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, study predicts dire sales in the near future.

CAR boss Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, says the growing debt problems of Europe, United States, and even Japan, will eventually drag down the world economy.  He predicts a “significant fall in growth” for the German auto industry.

Germany has the strongest performing car makers in the world.  According to the Center of Automotive Management, VW holds 1st place, Daimler 2nd, and BMW holds 4th place (Korea’s Hyundai holds 3rd).

However, Center of Automotive Management predicts German car sales in China will soon drop off.  So far Germany has seen 20% to 30% sales gains year after year.  CAM analysts believe that in the near future German car makers will be lucky to see 5% sales growth in China and India.

5% sales growth will not be enough to make up for predicted loses in other markets (like the U.S.): “The gains that will be made in China and India won’t be able to compensate for the slight losses in other markets.”-Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Center Automotive Research

 

 

U.S.

United Police States of America: NYPD using CIA tactics to spy on non-white Americans, NYPD officials call it “fiction”

“Some in the department, including lawyers, have privately expressed concerns about the program.”-Associated Press

The Associated Press (AP) revealed that the New York Police Department is using spy tactics “that would run afoul of civil liberties rules if practiced by the federal government” and “does so with unprecedented help from the CIA in a partnership that has blurred the bright line between foreign and domestic spying.”

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne says the report is “marked by outright fiction.”

The AP says their months long investigation included interviews with more than 40 current and former members of the NYPD, as well as Federal officials.

CIA veteran David Cohen, was hired in 2002 by NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.  The anti-terrorist program targeted non-white communities.  Cops detained people based solely on how they looked.

The NYPD even asked New York taxi companies to spy on their employees.

Police attorneys told AP that when they warned police officials they were breaking the law, on the grounds that many of the people rounded up were innocent, the cops started shredding their files.

A possible reason why federal cops ratted on the NYPD, to the Associated Press, is because the NYPD overstepped their bounds.  New York cops launched operations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, possibly interfering with federal operations.  That made federalis like the FBI mad.

International, Technology, U.S.

United Police Kingdom: British Bobbies taser to death another man, at least three police killings in 8 days

For the third time in eight days British Bobbies have killed using a taser, and pepper spray.

August 23, Greater Manchester Police officers tasered to death a 53 year old truck driver. They say they were trying to stop him from killing himself!

August 22, a 25 year old amateur rugby player, died after he was hit in the face with pepper spray and subdued by up to 11 cops.

August 16, a professional bodybuilder, and father of two, was pepper sprayed and then tasered three times with 50,000 volts, before dying.  He became the first Brit to be killed with a taser.

Until last week no one in United Kingdom had been killed by the use of a taser. In United States, Amnesty International says that since 2001, more than 460 people have been killed with a taser.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Original Lager Beer Yeast came from South America, not Germany! Proof that Vikings made it all the way to South America?

Researchers from around the world have been looking for the source yeast used in Lager beers.  They found it, in Argentina!

Germany has laid claim as the creator of lager beers, more than 600 years ago.  But scientists realized that the yeast used, Saccharomyces Pastorianus, is not native to Bavaria.

Scientists combed five continents, and found only one source of origin: Patagonia, Argentina.

Now the question is how did Europeans get the yeast?  After all the first German Lagers were created decades before Columbus sailed the ocean blue.   Could it be those daring Vikings who got to North America 400 years before Columbus, made it all the way to South America, then back to Europe?

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Steve Jobs resigns, Apple Board rushing to bring in replacment

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”-Steve Jobs

Co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, has been fighting cancer, and now he has resigned.  No confirmation if it’s due to his health.

Tim Cook has already been picked to replace Jobs, and the board of Apple is rushing to get Cook into the CEO position.

U.S.

Insult to Injury: Bloomberg says 9/11 victims’ names may not be read at this years Ceremonies

“Some people have said, you know, we should go on forever. Some people have said change is good … there will always be dissension. And the papers will make a big deal of it.”-Michael Bloomberg, Mayor New York City

Fox News reporting that New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, might forgo what had become tradition at the 9/11 Anniversary Ceremonies; the reading of the victims’ names.

“It’s becoming more and more clear to me that Mayor Bloomberg is becoming the dictator of 9/11 and how we should think about it and what the narrative should be.”-Tim Brown, 9/11 firefighter

U.S.

Insult to Injury: New York City bans religious representatives from 9/11 Anniversary Ceremonies

“They were the spiritual and emotional backbone, and when you have a situation where people are trying to find meaning, where something is bigger than them, when you have a crisis of this level, they often look to the clergy.”-Fernando Cabrera, New York City council

The Wall Street Journal reporting that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will not allow representatives from religious groups to take part in the 9/11 anniversary ceremonies.

One of the victims of the 9/11/2001 attacks, was the chaplain of the New York Fire Department.  The New York Magazine even named Mychal Judge the most famous victim of 9/11.

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik said the problem is that ceremony organizers overbooked the event: “I don’t know how to make it possible for everyone to have a place at the table.”

 

International, U.S.

Pakistan orders 250 U.S. officials out of the country

Pakistan has given the U.S. embassy 40 days to remove 250 U.S. officials.

Pakistan says the U.S. officials are involved in high-level espionage and anti-state activities.

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, cut short his vacation to deal with the situation.  The situation has gotten worse in Pakistan, because the United States has greatly increased the number of drone attacks.  Pakistani officials, and independent observers, say the majority of people killed in the U.S. drone attacks are civilians.  In some cases the target of the attack is totally missed, and dozens of bystanders are killed.  U.S. officials have dismissed independent investigations that show that several hundreds of children have been killed.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Confirmed, U.S. & EU push to unfreeze Libyan assets is because Rebels are broke, African countries opposed

The United States, Europe and other countries are pushing for the United Nations to unfreeze billions in Libyan assets.  This is on top of what the U.S. is unfreezing.

A Libyan rebel official admitted in a press conference they needed the money “…for supplies…to pay salaries.”

From the beginning the African Union has been oppossed to the NATO action in Libya.  Libya is a member of the African Union, and the AU wasn’t even consulted by the the United States and Europe, before the United Nations was tricked into approving military action against Libya.

South Africa, one of the most powerful members of the AU says it will vote no on unfreezing Libyan assets.