Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Texas Republicans Lose 3 Major Donors in 2013
The deaths this year of three major Texas Republican donors could signal a generational change for party kingmakers in the nation’s largest GOP stronghold.
Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, who died Saturday, helped transform Texas to a Republican stronghold. Two other major contributors, homebuilder Bob Perry and businessman Leo Linbeck Jr., also died this year.
Republican operatives say it leaves a question mark for Republican candidates and political organizations that have relied on them in the past.
The deaths also come as six of the state’s top seven officeholders are moving on.
Experts say the changes are expected to help grass-roots and tea party activists battle for control of the Texas GOP beyond 2014. They also note that oil discoveries are producing a whole new generation of wealthy Republican donor.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Texas Republicans Lose 3 Major Donors in 2013
Wal-Mart offers 30 days of prescriptions to backlogged Obamacare enrollees
Visitors wait to speak with Certified Application Counselors about Affordable Care Act insurance, known as Obamacare, at the Borinquen Medical Center in Miami, Florida October 2, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/Joe Skipper
Wal-Mart offers 30 days of prescriptions to backlogged Obamacare enrollees
Privacy as last line of defense: Snowden’s revelations changed the world in 2013
Annie Machon is a former intelligence officer for the UK’s MI5, who resigned in 1996 to blow the whistle. She is now a writer, public speaker and a Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Published time: December 31, 2013 14:50
When asked if Edward Snowden deserves to be the Man of the Year, and I have been many times, my answer has to be a categorical, resounding, “Yes.”
Sure, it has been an eventful year and there are a lot of contenders. But the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden stands out for me for three key reasons: his personal and conscious courage, the sheer scale of his disclosures and the continuing, global impact of what he did. Purely because of his actions, we, the world’s citizens, are now able to have a discussion about the nature of our civilization and potentially call a halt to the frightening slide into a global surveillance dystopia.
For the actions of Snowden have indeed laid bare the fact that we are living in a global crisis of civilization. To date it is estimated that we have only seen about 1 percent of the documents he disclosed – the merest hint of the tip of a monstrous iceberg. What further horrors await us in 2014 and beyond?
The personal risk
First of all, there is the personal aspect. Snowden has said that he does not want to be the story, he wants the focus to remain on the information. I respect that, but it is worth reminding ourselves of the scale of sacrifice this young, just 30-year-old man has made. He had a well-paid job with a consulting firm in Hawaii servicing the US National Security Agency, good career prospects and an apparently happy relationship. All this he threw away to alert the world to the secret, illegal and dystopian surveillance system that has stealthily been smothering the world.
But Snowden faced far more than merely throwing away a comfortable professional life. Over the last few years the US government, apparently learning well from its former colonial master the UK about the art of crushing of whistleblowers, has been waging a war against what it now deems the “insider threat” – i.e. persons of conscience who speak out. President Obama has used the Espionage Act (1917) to persecute and prosecute more whistleblowers than all previous presidents in total before him.
This is indeed a “war on whistleblowers.” John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer who refused to participate in the torture program and then exposed it, it is currently languishing in prison; Thomas Drake, an earlier NSA whistleblower, was threatened with 35 years in prison; young Chelsea Manning was maltreated in prison, faced a kangaroo court, and is currently serving a 35-year sentence for the exposure of hideous war crimes against civilians in the Middle East. So the list goes on…
So not only did Edward Snowden turn his back on his career, he knew exactly the sheer scale of the legal risk he was taking when he went public, displaying bravery very much above and beyond the call of duty.
The intelligence apologists in the media have inevitably shouted “narcissism” about his brave step to out himself, rather than just leak the information anonymously. However, these establishment windbags are the real narcissists. Snowden correctly assessed that, had he not put his name to the disclosures, there would have been a witch-hunt targeting his former colleagues and he wanted to protect them. Plus, as he said in his very first public interview, he wanted to explain why he had done what he had done and what the implications were for the world.
The disclosures
The sheer scale and nature of the disclosures so far has been breathtaking, and they just keep coming. They show that a vast, subterranean surveillance state that has crept across the whole world, unknown and unchecked by the very politicians who are supposed to hold it to account. Indeed, not only have we learned that we are all under constant electronic surveillance, but these politicians are targeted too. This is a global secret state running amok and we are all now targets.
Only on Sunday, Der Spiegel reported more egregious examples of how the spies bug us: hardware hacks, computer viruses and even microwave wavelengths attacking both our computers and us. Perhaps tinfoil hats might not be such a bad idea after all….
The implications
Snowden’s disclosures have laid bare the fact that the internet has been thoroughly hacked, subverted and indeed militarized against the people. The basic freedom of privacy, enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, has been destroyed.
Without free media, where we can all read, write, listen and discuss ideas freely and in privacy, we are all living in an Orwellian dystopia, and we are all potentially at risk. These media must be based on technologies that empower individual citizens, not corporations or foreign governments, and certainly not a shadowy and unaccountable secret state.
The central societal function of privacy is to create the space for citizens to resist the violation of their rights by governments and corporations. Privacy is the last line of defense historically against the most potentially dangerous organization that exists: the state.
By risking his life, Edward Snowden has allowed us all to see exactly the scale of the threat now facing us and to allow us the opportunity to resist. Every citizen on the planet owes him a debt of gratitude.
Therefore there is no ‘balance between privacy and security’ and this false dichotomy should not be part of any policy debate.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
Privacy as last line of defense: Snowden’s revelations changed the world in 2013
Justice Delays Birth Control Mandate For Catholic Groups
A Supreme Court justice has blocked implementation of portions of President Obama’s health care law that would have forced some religion-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance for employees that includes birth control.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s decision came Tuesday night after a different effort by Catholic-affiliated groups from around the nation. Those groups rushed to the federal courts to stop Wednesday’s start of portions of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Sotomayor acted on a request from an order of Catholic nuns in Colorado, whose request for a stay had been denied by the lower courts.
Sotomayor is giving the government until Friday morning to respond to her decision.
Justice Delays Birth Control Mandate For Catholic Groups
US greatest threat to peace: Poll
US greatest threat to peace: Poll
http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif
The United States is considered the greatest threat to peace in the world, says WIN/Gallup International’s annual survey.
The United States has topped the list in an international opinion poll as the greatest threat to the world peace.
According to a worldwide opinion poll conducted by Win/Gallup International, twenty four percent of people worldwide said the US is the biggest threat to the world.
The poll, which collected opinions from about 68,000 people in 65 countries, recorded some of the strongest anti-American sentiment in countries widely regarded as US rivals.
54 percent of respondents in Russia said the US is the greatest threat to peace and 49 percent of Chinese held the same view.
In Latin America, the US topped the list for a significant number of respondents in Mexico (37 percent), Brazil (26 percent) and Peru (24 percent).
Amongst US allied countries, Greece and Turkey (45 percent each), Pakistan (44 percent) and Mexico (about 37 percent) believed the US is the greatest threat to peace.
Even in the US, Americans consider their country to be the most dangerous to the world peace, the poll found.
Opinion pollster Win/Gallup International has been asking the question from people around the world since 1977.
AT/HJ
Read more about US greatest threat to peace: Poll and other interesting subjects concerning U.S. News Report at TheDailyNewsReport.com
Obama pollster: reporters should stop covering polls in 2014
Well, considering that most “polls” are extremely small numbers of people in comparison to the population, whereby the statistics are skewed to favor a certain agenda or rhetoric, and then used by all major media outlets as “gospel”…
This actually surprises me. For once.
I can’t even take this seriously though. Someone got their panties in a bunch because they found out all the pathological lies are starting to catch up to them and need a quick fix. Shocking. If anyone believes the nonsense that these polls produce, I have a bridge to sell them.
Sometimes I wish you could buy common sense like junk food.
AboveTopSecret.com New Topics In Breaking Political News
Obama pollster: reporters should stop covering polls in 2014
Supreme Court issues emergency stay halting birth control mandate for Catholic groups
By Scott Kaufman
Tuesday, December 31, 2013 22:26 EST
According to the Associated Press, a Supreme Court justice has issued an emergency stay to halt the birth control mandate for Catholic organizations.
Catholic organizations had petitioned the Supreme Court to stop those elements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would have forced them to provide health insurance that included birth control coverage.
The organizations asked the Court to issue the stay until they had a chance to make their argument before the Court. The full court has already agreed to hear constitutional challenges of the birth-control mandate, which will occur at a later time. According to SCOTUSBlog, those cases have not yet been scheduled for oral argument.
These organizations claim that the ACA infringes on their freedom to practice their religion because the law requires they provide the use of contraceptives, which the Church forbids.
The portions of the ACA to which these Catholic organizations objected would have gone into effect on Wednesday, January 1, 2014.
["Supreme Court" via Wikimedia Commons]
Scott Kaufman
Scott Eric Kaufman is the proprietor of the AV Club’s Internet Film School and, in addition to Raw Story, also writes for Lawyers, Guns & Money. He earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of California, Irvine in 2008.
Supreme Court issues emergency stay halting birth control mandate for Catholic groups
Kidnapped French priest set free in the Cameroon
A French Catholic priest kidnapped in the Cameroon was released early Tuesday, after he spent weeks in the custody of Islamic militants in the far north of the country, near the Nigerian border.
Georges Vandenbeusch, 42, was kidnapped on November 13th about 18 miles from the Nigerian border, and appears to have been taken into Nigeria by his captors. Nigerian militant group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility.
More from GlobalPost: Seven dead in suspected Boko Haram wedding attack
French President Francois Hollande commended authorities in both Nigeria and in the Cameroon for helping to secure the release of Vandenbeusch, and he commended Cameroon President Paul Biya for his “personal involvement” in the matter,according to AFP.
“I am in good health and so grateful to those who worked for my release,” he told reporters before being taken to the French embassy,wrote Reuters.“(It was) terribly boring. I spent seven weeks with nothing to do, pacing in circles in my tent under a tree without a book to read or a person to talk to.”
France has stated that they did not pay a ransom to secure the release of Vandenbeusch, in an effort to dispel rumors that such payments have been made in the past.
“It’s long-term, very difficult team work” to free a hostage, said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of the case, according to the Associated Press.“There were discussions, of course,” he added. “That is where Cameroon is extremely useful.”
Boko Haram, which translates in the Hausa language into “Western education is forbidden,” has been held responsible for over 790 deaths in 2012, and many others in 2013.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/131231/kidnapped-french-priest-set-free-the-cameroon
Kidnapped French priest set free in the Cameroon
Even Before 9/11, NSA Knew In Real-Time Which Countries …
At Those Damn Liars, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Those Damn Liars and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, Those Damn Liars makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
Those Damn Liars does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Those Damn Liars.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Those Damn Liars and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Those Damn Liars send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
Those Damn Liars has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Those Damn Liars"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
Even Before 9/11, NSA Knew In Real-Time Which Countries …
Jesse Ventura: Break the Two Party Dictatorship | Interview with Jesse Ventura
At Alternate Viewpoint, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Alternate Viewpoint and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, Alternate Viewpoint makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
Alternate Viewpoint does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Alternate Viewpoint.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Alternate Viewpoint and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Alternate Viewpoint send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Alternate Viewpoint"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
Jesse Ventura: Break the Two Party Dictatorship | Interview with Jesse Ventura
NDAA Martial Law"s Hidden Passage - The Day America Became A Police State (Video)
At A Political Statement, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by A Political Statement and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, A Political Statement makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
A Political Statement does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on A Political Statement.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to A Political Statement and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on A Political Statement send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
A Political Statement has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. A Political Statement"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
NDAA Martial Law"s Hidden Passage - The Day America Became A Police State (Video)
Leaked Memo Reveals Who Caused The Global Financial Collapse (It"s Not Good) - MOC #261 via @LeeCamp
At A Political Statement, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by A Political Statement and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, A Political Statement makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
A Political Statement does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on A Political Statement.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to A Political Statement and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on A Political Statement send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
A Political Statement has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. A Political Statement"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
Leaked Memo Reveals Who Caused The Global Financial Collapse (It"s Not Good) - MOC #261 via @LeeCamp
One World Media Documentary Award 2013
At A Political Statement, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by A Political Statement and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, A Political Statement makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
A Political Statement does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on A Political Statement.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to A Political Statement and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on A Political Statement send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
A Political Statement has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. A Political Statement"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
One World Media Documentary Award 2013
40,000 new laws take effect in 2014
CNN
December 31, 2013
It may have been the least productive year for Congress in history, at least in terms of passing laws – fewer than 60 of which made it through the House and Senate and were signed by President Barack Obama.
Across the country, however, state lawmakers were busy getting more than 40,000 bills passed, ones that tackle everything from drones to food stamp benefits.
In Illinois for example, teenagers will no longer get to use tanning beds without a doctor’s note. If you live in Delaware, visit the shark fin buffet while you can, a new law will make it illegal to own, sale, or distribute the controversial delicacy. And in California, new laws take effect that will let students take part in school sports, or use bathrooms based on their gender identity, regardless of the gender noted in their birth certificates.
This article was posted: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 8:55 pm
40,000 new laws take effect in 2014
To our readers
As 2013 comes to an end, so, too, does the CLICK blog. In 2014, you will find POLITICO’s coverage of the intersection of politics and entertainment on the website’s homepage. Thanks to everyone who’s been reading the blog and for your feedback as well. Happy New Year! Caitlin McDevitt
To our readers
Judge Rules Computer Searches, Seizures Legal at US Borders
The Department of Homeland Security can keep searching laptop computers at the nation’s borders, a federal judge has ruled in his dismissal of a lawsuit filed by civil-liberties groups that had contended the practice was unconstitutional.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed their lawsuit challenging the DHS policy in 2010, The Hill reported. The policy allowed searches even if there was no suspicion of illegality.
Officials at the border search and copy contents of people’s laptop computers and other devices thousands of times a year, government documents say. Travelers may be detained for short periods of time even if there is no reasonable suspicion they have broken a law.
But while the ACLU and other groups say such searches violate Americans’ protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, Judge Edward Korman said there are exceptions when an international border is involved.
Further, he said, people such as journalists, lawyers, and others should not expect their sensitive information to be protected while they are traveling abroad, The Huffington Post reported.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit on the behalf of French-American Pascal Abidor, whose laptop was confiscated at the Canadian border, for the National Press Photographers Association.
Korman said the groups suing to stop the DHS searches did not face a “substantial risk that their electronic devices will be subject to a search or seizure without reasonable suspicion.”
Further, Korman said, policies for border agents are sensitive to privacy and confidentiality issues, and “contain significant precautionary measures to be taken with respect to the handling of privileged and other sensitive materials.”
Abidor said his personal files were searched while Border Patrol officials had his laptop for 11 days.
Korman, though, ruled that the agents had “reasonable suspicion” to search the files, because the man had recently returned from Lebanon and had photos of rallies by terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas. Abidor at the time was a McGill University doctoral student.
Computer users should also expect searches on trips overseas, such as to the United Kingdom, where former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald’s partner David Miranda was stopped recently so agents could search his storage devices, The Huffington Post reported.
“This is enough to suggest that it would be foolish, if not irresponsible, for plaintiffs to store truly private or confidential information on electronic devices that are carried and used overseas,” Korman wrote.
The ACLU is considering an appeal. Attorney Catherine Crump said the judge’s decision was disappointing, but “these searches are part of a broader pattern of aggressive government surveillance that collects information on too many innocent people, under lax standards, and without adequate oversight.”
Related Stories:
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Judge Rules Computer Searches, Seizures Legal at US Borders
How Will The Economy Improve In 2014 If Almost Everyone Has Less Money To Spend?
Is the U.S. consumer tapped out? If so, how in the world will the U.S. economy possibly improve in 2014? Most Americans know that the U.S. economy is heavily dependent on consumer spending. If average Americans are not out there spending money, the economy tends not to do very well. Unfortunately, retail sales during the holiday season appear to be quite disappointing and the middle class continues to deeply struggle. And for a whole bunch of reasons things are likely going to be even tougher in 2014. Families are going to have less money in their pockets to spend thanks to much higher health insurance premiums under Obamacare, a wide variety of tax increases, higher interest rates on debt, and cuts in government welfare programs. The short-lived bubble of false prosperity that we have been enjoying for the last couple of years is rapidly coming to an end, and 2014 certainly promises to be a very “interesting year”.
Obamacare Rate Shock
Most middle class families are just scraping by from month to month these days.
Unfortunately for them, millions of those families are now being hit with massive health insurance rate increases.
In a previous article, I discussed how one study found that health insurance premiums for men are going to go up by an average of 99 percent under Obamacare and health insurance premiums for women are going to go up by an average of 62 percent under Obamacare.
Most middle class families simply cannot afford that.
Earlier today, I got an email from a reader that was paying $ 478 a month for health insurance for his family but has now received a letter informing him that his rate is going up to $ 1,150 a month.
Millions of families are receiving letters just like that. And to say that these rate increases are a “surprise” to most people would be a massive understatement. Even people that work in the financial industry are shocked at how high these premiums are turning out to be…
“The real big surprise was how much out-of-pocket would be required for our family,” said David Winebrenner, 46, a financial adviser in Lebanon, Ky., whose deductible topped $ 12,000 for a family of six for a silver plan he was considering. The monthly premium: $ 1,400.
Since Americans are going to have to pay much more for health insurance, that is going to remove a huge amount of discretionary spending from the economy, and that will not be good news for retailers.
Get Ready For Higher Taxes
When you raise taxes, you reduce the amount of money that people have in their pockets to spend.
Sadly, that is exactly what is happening.
Congress is allowing a whopping 55 tax breaks to expire at the end of this year, and when you add that to the 13 major tax increases that hit American families in 2013, it isn’t a pretty picture.
This tax season, millions of families are going to find out that they have much higher tax bills than they had anticipated.
And all of this comes at a time when incomes in America have been steadily declining. In fact, real median household income has declined by a total of 8 percent since 2008.
If you are a worker, you might want to check out the chart that I have posted below to see where you stack up. In America today, most workers are low income workers. These numbers come from a recent Huffington Post article…
-If you make more than $ 10,000, you earn more than 24.2% of Americans, or 37 million people.
-If you make more than $ 15,000 (roughly the annual salary of a minimum-wage employee working 40 hours per week), you earn more than 32.2% of Americans.
-If you make more than $ 30,000, you earn more than 53.2% of Americans.
-If you make more than $ 50,000, you earn more than 73.4% of Americans.
-If you make more than $ 100,000, you earn more than 92.6% of Americans.
-You are officially in the top 1% of American wage earners if you earn more than $ 250,000.
-The 894 people that earn more than $ 20 million make more than 99.99989% of Americans, and are compensated a cumulative $ 37,009,979,568 per year.
It is important to keep in mind that those numbers are for the employment income of individuals not households. Most households have more than one member working, so overall household incomes are significantly higher than these numbers.
Higher Interest Rates Mean Larger Debt Payments
On Tuesday, the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries rose to 3.03 percent. I warned that this would happen once the taper started, and this is just the beginning. Interest rates are likely to steadily rise throughout 2014.
The reason why the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries is such a critical number is because mortgage rates and thousands of other interest rates throughout our economy are heavily influenced by that number.
So big changes are on the way. As a recent CNBC article declared, the era of low mortgage rates is officially over…
The days of the 3.5% 30-year fixed are over. Rates are already up well over a full percentage point from a year ago, and as the Federal Reserve begins its much anticipated exit from the bond-buying business, I believe rates will inevitably go higher.
Needless to say, this is going to deeply affect the real estate market. As Mac Slavo recently noted, numbers are already starting to drop precipitously…
The National Association of Realtors reported that the month of September saw its single largest drop in signed home sales in 40 months. And that wasn’t just a one-off event. This month mortgage applications collapsed a shocking 66%, hitting a 13-year low.
And U.S. consumers can expect interest rates on all kinds of loans to start rising. That is going to mean higher debt payments, and therefore less money for consumers to spend into the economy.
Government Benefit Cuts
Well, if the middle class is going to have less money to spend, perhaps other Americans can pick up the slack.
Or maybe not.
You certainly can’t expect the poor to stimulate the economy. As I mentioned yesterday, it is being projected that up to 5 million unemployed Americans could lose their unemployment benefits by the end of 2014, and 47 million Americans recently had their food stamp benefits reduced.
So the poor will also have less money to spend in 2014.
The Wealthy Save The Day?
Perhaps the stock market will continue to soar in 2014 and the wealthy will spend so much that it will make up for all the rest of us.
You can believe that if you want, but the truth is that there are a whole host of signs that the days of this irrational stock market bubble are numbered. The following is an excerpt from one of my recent articles entitled “The Stock Market Has Officially Entered Crazytown Territory“…
The median price-to-earnings ratio on the S&P 500 has reached an all-time record high, and margin debt at the New York Stock Exchange has reached a level that we have never seen before. In other words, stocks are massively overpriced and people have been borrowing huge amounts of money to buy stocks. These are behaviors that we also saw just before the last two stock market bubbles burst.
If the stock market bubble does burst, the wealthy will also have less money to spend into the economy in 2014.
For the moment, the stock market has been rallying. This is typical for the month of December. You see, the truth is that investors generally don’t want to sell stocks in December because they want to put off paying taxes on the profits.
If stocks are sold before the end of the year, the profits go on the 2013 tax return.
If stocks are sold a few days from now, the profits go on the 2014 tax return.
It is only human nature to want to delay pain for as long as possible.
Expect to see some selling in January. Many investors are very eager to start taking profits, but they wanted to wait until the holidays were over to do so.
So what do you think is coming up in 2014? Please feel free to share what you think by posting a comment below…
How Will The Economy Improve In 2014 If Almost Everyone Has Less Money To Spend?
1,200-year-old Egyptian text describes a shape-shifting Jesus
Rosinitiate
On a serious note, I wish someone would rerelease the original bible without the modifications and omissions. There is so much we are not being told about our past. Does this mean we have been interaction with shape shifting beings? No, but my Spidey sense tells me there is far more than meets the eye.
Christian or Jewish?
The Torah is the original “Bible” so to speak, the other, whichever version, originated with the council of nicea at or about 300 A.D. where it was then decided which books would be included and which ones would be left out. Other Christian sects some time later added others. Gnostic teachings were left out entirely for various reasons.
As far as Thursday vs Tuesday. Easter Sunday lands on a Sunday, Which helped bring the Pagans of the period into the fold so you’ll have to count back to Thursday. Cant have two different version conflicting within the ‘Bible” even though you have two testaments in the Christian bible which if taken out of context, which is often done, may sound conflicted.
Thanks for posting this. I’m always open to new version especially considering the topic and supposed source. Oh and one last thing. Shape shifting, That could have simply been a way to further reiterate and drive home just how ‘Dangerous’ this “Jesus” character was to the masses. Quick, kill him, yadda yadda blah blah blah…
Happy New Years
AboveTopSecret.com New Topics In Breaking Alternative News
1,200-year-old Egyptian text describes a shape-shifting Jesus
1,200-year-old Egyptian text describes a shape-shifting Jesus
Rosinitiate
On a serious note, I wish someone would rerelease the original bible without the modifications and omissions. There is so much we are not being told about our past. Does this mean we have been interaction with shape shifting beings? No, but my Spidey sense tells me there is far more than meets the eye.
Christian or Jewish?
The Torah is the original “Bible” so to speak, the other, whichever version, originated with the council of nicea at or about 300 A.D. where it was then decided which books would be included and which ones would be left out. Other Christian sects some time later added others. Gnostic teachings were left out entirely for various reasons.
As far as Thursday vs Tuesday. Easter Sunday lands on a Sunday, Which helped bring the Pagans of the period into the fold so you’ll have to count back to Thursday. Cant have two different version conflicting within the ‘Bible” even though you have two testaments in the Christian bible which if taken out of context, which is often done, may sound conflicted.
Thanks for posting this. I’m always open to new version especially considering the topic and supposed source. Oh and one last thing. Shape shifting, That could have simply been a way to further reiterate and drive home just how ‘Dangerous’ this “Jesus” character was to the masses. Quick, kill him, yadda yadda blah blah blah…
Happy New Years
AboveTopSecret.com New Topics In Breaking Alternative News
1,200-year-old Egyptian text describes a shape-shifting Jesus
NAFTA At 20: 1 Million Lost Jobs, 580% Increase In Trade Deficit
NAFTA was not just a "trade" agreement. Trade agreements focus on cutting tariffs and easing quotas and barriers to goods moving across borders. The report points out that NAFTA was much more, giving corporations special rights, incentivizing offshoring and limiting regulation.
Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch has issued a new report, NAFTA at 20: One Million U.S. Jobs Lost, Mass Displacement and Instability in Mexico, Record Income Inequality, Scores of Corporate Attacks on Environmental and Health Laws.
(Credit: Flickr)
NAFTA At 20: 1 Million Lost Jobs, 580% Increase In Trade Deficit
Guantanamo: Three Uighurs to be sent to Slovakia, 155 detainees remain
The United States released the last three ethnic Uighurs from its military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Tuesday.
The three men will be sent to Slovakia, resolving a diplomatic crisis that has kept the innocent men imprisoned since 2008 when a judge ordered their release.
They were the last of 22 Uighurs from China who were detained by American forces during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and brought to Guantanamo. The men were kept for years without trial before being deemed as safe for release by a judge.
Finding them a new home after Guantanamo proved difficult.
The men had fled to Afghanistan from China, where they have been persecuted by the government.
Heavy lobbying from China to have the men returned has added to the difficulties in releasing the men.
Those Uighurs who possessed other citizenship found homes, whereas 22 others with Chinese citizenship faced a much more difficult situation.
More from GlobalPost: Obama calls on Congress to do more on Guantanamo Bay
After their release was stalled, a judge ordered them sent to the United States – a move that was blocked by Congress and the Bush administration.
A diplomatic push saw many of them eventually find homes in places like Palau, Bermuda, El Salvador and Switzerland, their lives beginning anew in places far from home.
The three men who stayed in Guantanamo had refused to be transferred to Bermuda or Palau. The Associated Press reported that the men sought to be closer to Uighur communities in Europe.
Slovakia has now agreed to take the men. The EU and NATO member had previously accepted three other Guantanamo prisoners in 2010.
“Slovakia deserves a lot of credit because they were willing to do what large countries like the United States, Canada and Germany were unwilling to do, which was to resist diplomatic pressure from China and the stigma of Guantanamo,” Wells Dixon, a lawyer with the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, told the Associated Press.
US officials thanked Slovakia on Tuesday for agreeing to take the men.
“These three resettlements are an important step in implementing President Obama’s directive to close the Guantanamo detention facility,” said Clifford Sloan, Department of State Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure.
Their release has brought the number of detainees at the US base to 155 from a high of 750. Nine prisoners were released in December.
Only a handful of the remaining prisoners have been charged with terrorism offenses with another 80 cleared for release – 60 of which are from Yemen.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/131231/guantanamo-three-uighurs-be-sent-slovakia-155-de
Guantanamo: Three Uighurs to be sent to Slovakia, 155 detainees remain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)