These mortgage brokers deserve at least the same treatment as an eighteen-year-old kid arrested for pot, which is to be thrown into prison for a year. But instead, nothing is done to them. They are granted some kind of perverse license to prey on the people, helping the banks to bleed and enslave the people, financially destroying millions of families. The banks and corporations profit on the people’s suffering twice: first by looting their financial system into collapse and a second time when the children of the masses join the military in their financial desperation and are ground up like hamburger meat in wars fought for profit.

therealnews.com

from: William Hughes

On April 7, 2009, a public hearing on the “True Costs and Benefits of US Military Aid to the Middle East, 1980-2010),” was held on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., in the Rayburn House Building, room 2168. One of the speakers was ex-Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD). He said that pressure groups, on Middle East issues, have “a hold on Congress.” He mentioned “AIPAC” as one of the groups. The event was sponsored by the “Council for the National Interest,” see: http://www.cnionline.org/ For information on the history of U.S. taxpayers’ giveaways to Zionist Israel, about $3 billion a year, check out the authoritative “Washington Report on the Middle East Affairs” magazine, at: wrmea.com For ex-Rep. Cilchrest’s bio, go to: wikipedia.org To view all of ex-Rep. Cilchrest’s remarks at this public hearing, please go to Google, at: video.google.com

from: William Hughes

On Monday evening, April 6, 2009, anti-electric rate hike activists staged a candlelight march and demonstration. It ended up at the residence in north Baltimore of Mayo Shattuck, CEO of Constellation Energy, the parent company of BGE. The activists are demanding the re-regulation and “roll back of gas and electric rates” in Maryland and a halt to any planned shut offs by BGE of electric utilities to about “84,000 households.” The protest action was cosponsored by the “Bailout the People Movement,” and the “Maryland Coalition for BGE Reregulation.” For background, see: ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nytinxOMJVA&feature=channel_page

VOICEOVER: Israel has pioneered a new type of all-seeing precision weapon: the armed drone. The capabilities of this hunter-killer, which can track a person walking along a street and strike with precision, are a military secret. To use these weapons against civilians is a war crime. But a Guardian investigation has uncovered evidence from the Israeli military themselves that proves just how clearly these weapons can see. So why did one of these drones kill an entire family having tea in their courtyard? Why did these hunter-killers target a group of women and girls walking down the street holding a white flag? Nearly 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the attack on Gaza. More than half were civilians. Four hundred and thirty-one of them were children. Six members of Munir's family were killed by an armed drone. They were having tea in their courtyard when they saw a drone in the sky above watching them. Then it fired. MUNIR (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): The rocket landed here. It fell like a ball of fire from that direction. We came back outside. We found Mohammed lying here cut in half. Ahmad was in three pieces. Wahid was totally burnt; his eyes were gone. Wahid's father was pretty much dead. Nour had been decapitated. We couldn't see her head anywhere. Gaurdian Videos

from: William Hughes

On March 9, 2009, Ms. Cynthia Boersma, the Legislative Director of the ACLU in Maryland, discussed the status of legislation pending in the General Assembly to curb the widespread practice of “police spying” on peace and social justice activists in violation of their First Amendment Rights. The ACLU is supporting the “Freedom of Association and Assembly Protection Act of 2009.” It’s HB 182 and SB 256. Ms. Boersma expressed her concerns about the legislation being pushed by Governor Martin O’Malley. She said it is a “weaker” Bill than the one the ACLU is advocating. Ms. Boersma added that O’Malley’s Bill contains many “loopholes and exceptions for police conduct” that would authorize much of the spying that took place and that was “condemned” in the report prepared by former Attorney General of Maryland, Stephen H. Sachs. The interview with Ms. Boersma took place in Annapolis, MD. For some background on the police spying scandal in Maryland, go to:

http://www.aclu-md.org/Index%20content/NoSpying/Unanswered_Questions.pdf

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.spying10feb10,0,3768912.story

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/01/AR2008100102223.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/03/AR2009010301993.html

http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/HB0182.htm

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-police-spying0217,0,907231.story

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-mdspying,0,1252076.storygallery

Lobby group speaks against public health care at AHIP insurance forum: "We believe the health insurance industry is trying to buy their way onto the table with health care reform," says Carmen Balber of Consumer Watchdog at a protest against the American Health Insurance Plans' 2009 Policy Forum. "We see this in two big points," she goes on to explain, "one which is a mandate that would require individuals to purchase private health insurance... and secondly we know the insurance industry is trying to block any sort of public option for the American people. They don't want the competition, so we're here to call out the insurance industry for trying to buy Congress' position." http://therealnews.com