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september 18, 2014
H.R. 24 ‘Audit the Fed’ Bill Passes in House
From Congressman Paul Broun–U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10) today released the following statement after H.R. 24, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act (Audit the Fed), passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support. H.R. 24 has over 220 cosponsors and passed overwhelmingly by a 333-92 margin.
Said Rep. Paul Broun:
“Today’s passage of the Audit the Fed bill brings us one step closer towards bringing much-needed transparency to our nation’s monetary policy. For the past 100 years, the Federal Reserve, a quasi-government agency, has acted under a veil of secrecy – controlling our monetary policy and thus, our economy. While in recent years, the Fed has been granted a greater role in overseeing the regulation of our financial system, current law specifically prohibits audits of the Federal Reserve’s deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy. This lack of accountability and transparency has led to grievous consequences – and it must end.
“I applaud my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, for their support of this vital bill, and I commend my good friend and former colleague Dr. Ron Paul for his leadership on this important issue. I strongly encourage Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to recall his past support for this legislation – which he stated as recently as 2010 – and to bring this bill before the Senate for a vote, so we may deliver the transparency and government accountability the American people need and deserve.”
From Campaign for Liberty–Last Congress, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced companion legislation, S.202, which gained 37 cosponsors. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refused to allow Audit the Fed to be brought to the floor for a vote despite repeatedly calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve throughout his career.
Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) reintroduced Dr. Paul’s Audit the Fed bill in January 2013 as H.R 24, “The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2013,” in the 113th Congress. The bill, which was cosponsored by 224 Representatives, passed the House of Representatives on September 17, 2014, by a vote of 333-92. Senator Rand Paul has again introduced companion legislation, S. 209, which currently has 30 cosponsors.
From Congressman Paul Broun–U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10) today released the following statement after H.R. 24, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act (Audit the Fed), passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support. H.R. 24 has over 220 cosponsors and passed overwhelmingly by a 333-92 margin.
Said Rep. Paul Broun:
“Today’s passage of the Audit the Fed bill brings us one step closer towards bringing much-needed transparency to our nation’s monetary policy. For the past 100 years, the Federal Reserve, a quasi-government agency, has acted under a veil of secrecy – controlling our monetary policy and thus, our economy. While in recent years, the Fed has been granted a greater role in overseeing the regulation of our financial system, current law specifically prohibits audits of the Federal Reserve’s deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy. This lack of accountability and transparency has led to grievous consequences – and it must end.
“I applaud my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, for their support of this vital bill, and I commend my good friend and former colleague Dr. Ron Paul for his leadership on this important issue. I strongly encourage Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to recall his past support for this legislation – which he stated as recently as 2010 – and to bring this bill before the Senate for a vote, so we may deliver the transparency and government accountability the American people need and deserve.”
From Campaign for Liberty–Last Congress, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced companion legislation, S.202, which gained 37 cosponsors. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refused to allow Audit the Fed to be brought to the floor for a vote despite repeatedly calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve throughout his career.
Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) reintroduced Dr. Paul’s Audit the Fed bill in January 2013 as H.R 24, “The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2013,” in the 113th Congress. The bill, which was cosponsored by 224 Representatives, passed the House of Representatives on September 17, 2014, by a vote of 333-92. Senator Rand Paul has again introduced companion legislation, S. 209, which currently has 30 cosponsors.
VATICAN SET TO OVERHAUL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICESThe church reforms promised by Pope Francis continue their inexorable march forward, and now the Vatican will begin revamping its public relations operations.In a briefing on September 17, Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican Press office announced that the first meeting of the Commission on Vatican Media will be held from September 22-24, at the Sancta Martha residence, within Vatican City.
Lombardi said that the meeting will be devoted to bringing commission members—several of whom are unfamiliar with the Vatican communications operations—up to speed on the situation, planning the work to be done over the coming months, and adopting a common work method. Lombardi also noted that the commission itself will have to establish its own communications strategy for keeping the public informed, and so interviews would not be given prior to the meeting. This latest reorganization follows on the now well-advanced reform of the Vatican Bank, as well as the ongoing reform of the Vatican’s administrative departments, or curia. Last December the Vatican hired the US-based global consulting firm McKinsey & Company to analyze and propose a re-organization of the Vatican’s fragmented communications departments, including its newspaper, television, press office, and radio station to make them “more functional, efficient and modern.” “This decision confirms Pope Francis’ desire to draw from the expertise and best practices of reputed agencies around the world to continue the curial reform now under way,” theVatican said. The commission has its work cut out for it. The schizophrenic structure of Vatican communications has long been a source of frustration and confusion both for insiders and those trying to work with it. Observers note both unnecessary duplication of resources and also occasionally mixed messages. Currently, Vatican public relations is a many-headed hydra lacking a clear chain of command and crisp separation of powers. It is divided into the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican newspaper (L'Osservatore Romano), Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and the Vatican publishing house. To further confuse things, in June 2012, the Vatican added a new position of senior communications adviser within the Secretariat of State, a post occupied by veteran American journalist Greg Burke. McKinsey’s study of the situation will better equip the 8-member commission—comprising seven laypeople and one member of the clergy—to make recommendations to Pope Francis on more efficient, integrated PR. The media advisory commission is chaired by Lord Christopher Patten, a former British politician and ex-chairman of the BBC Trust. It will also include Gregory Erlandson, the former head of the Catholic Press Association in the U.S. and Canada and a 30-year veteran of the Catholic press. |
POSSIBLE TAINTED VACCINATIONS KILL OVER 36 CHILDRENDoctors in the rebel held north of Syria fear tainted measles vaccinations killed 36 children. The United Nations provided the shots in the rebel-held north. The children in Jirjanaz and Maaret al-Nouman showed symptoms only an hour after they received the shot."It's very bad," said UOSSM coordinator Daher Zidan. “The figures of dead go into the 30s. Children are dying very quickly. We think it will get worse."
The World Health Organization (WHO) wanted over 1.6 million children to receive the shot. They could not confirm how many children received the tainted vaccinations. Physician Abdullah Ajaj said it was the second round of shots and many suffocated “to death as their body swelled.” Ajaj also said they do not know what killed the children. “There was shouting and screaming, it was hard for the parents,” he said. “You get your child vaccinated and then you find your child dying, it’s very hard.” A few doctors think cyanide was in the vaccines since “the reported symptoms were a gradual slowdown in the heart rate as the infants turned blue.” "This looks like a deliberate attempt to spike the vaccines," said Syrian doctor Mohammad Mowas. People with the opposition showed photos of children who show symptoms of cyanide. The Syrian opposition coalition said no one else will receive immunizations until the case is closed. "The Syrian interim government's health ministry has instructed a halt to the second round of the measles vaccination campaign, which began Monday . . . following several fatalities and injuries among children in vaccination centres in the Idlib countryside," they said in a statement. http://rt.com/news/188580-syria-children-dead-vaccinations/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gROhNaJoGzI http://www.thelibertybeacon.com/2014/09/16/rebuttal-to-vaccinations-its-not-your-choice/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wwDPcNdxJQ http://vaxtruth.org/2012/01/death-by-flu-shot-7-year-old-receives-flu-vaccine-dies-4-days-later/ http://vaxtruth.org/2014/05/meet-christopher/ |
Ukrainian president asks US for military aid
BY DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press, September 18, 2014 - 11:08 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of Ukraine is asking the U.S. to give his soldiers lethal military equipment in its battle against Russian-backed separatists, saying that one cannot win the war or keep the peace with blankets and night vision goggles.
President Barack Obama so far has resisted Ukraine's request for lethal assistance. The U.S. has provided about $60 million in nonlethal aid.
President Petro Poroshenko spoke Thursday to a joint meeting of Congress.
Ukraine and the separatists are battling for control of eastern Ukrainian cities on Russia's border. The Ukrainian parliament passed a law granting the rebel strongholds greater autonomy. Rebel leaders insist on full independence from Ukraine.
The crisis followed Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, which Poroshenko says was one of the most "cynical acts of treachery in modern history."
BY DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press, September 18, 2014 - 11:08 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of Ukraine is asking the U.S. to give his soldiers lethal military equipment in its battle against Russian-backed separatists, saying that one cannot win the war or keep the peace with blankets and night vision goggles.
President Barack Obama so far has resisted Ukraine's request for lethal assistance. The U.S. has provided about $60 million in nonlethal aid.
President Petro Poroshenko spoke Thursday to a joint meeting of Congress.
Ukraine and the separatists are battling for control of eastern Ukrainian cities on Russia's border. The Ukrainian parliament passed a law granting the rebel strongholds greater autonomy. Rebel leaders insist on full independence from Ukraine.
The crisis followed Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, which Poroshenko says was one of the most "cynical acts of treachery in modern history."
San Francisco lawmaker says he takes anti-HIV drug, urges wider use
Thu Sep 18, 2014 12:33am EDT
(Reuters) - An openly gay San Francisco lawmaker went public on Wednesday with his daily use of a highly effective HIV-prevention drug and urged more at-risk city dwellers to do the same.
Scott Wiener, a member of the city's Board of Supervisors, said in an op-ed published by the Huffington Post that he takes Truvada, in an effort to raise awareness about the drug's benefits.
The pill, part of a therapy called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, can cut the likelihood of HIV infection for those at high risk by as much as 92 percent if taken daily, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But Wiener, who appears to be the first public official to publicly attest to taking the drug, said many people avoid using it because of the stigma surrounding the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.
"We still see enormous stigma, shame, and judgment around HIV, and around sexuality in general. That is precisely why I decided to be public about my choice: to contribute to a larger dialogue about our community's health," Wiener wrote in his article titled "Coming Out of the PrEP Closet."
As of the end of June, 15,971 San Franciscans were living with HIV, with 85 percent of new diagnoses occurring among gay, bisexual and transgender populations, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
Yet many such men who are good candidates for the drug do not believe their risk of being infected is high enough to warrant its use, according to a recent study conducted in New York.
The drug, which can cost as much as $14,000 a year, is available to those insured by Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program for the poor, as well as many private providers, the department said.
People without insurance can access the drug through certain health department programs or apply for financial assistance through the drug's manufacturer, Gilead Sciences Inc, the department said.
A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to investigate the city's efforts to provide the treatment more widely and discuss whether the drug could be made available to all city residents for free, regardless of income.
In May, the CDC issued new recommendations urging healthcare workers to consider offering Truvada to healthy individuals who are at substantial risk for HIV infection.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Thu Sep 18, 2014 12:33am EDT
(Reuters) - An openly gay San Francisco lawmaker went public on Wednesday with his daily use of a highly effective HIV-prevention drug and urged more at-risk city dwellers to do the same.
Scott Wiener, a member of the city's Board of Supervisors, said in an op-ed published by the Huffington Post that he takes Truvada, in an effort to raise awareness about the drug's benefits.
The pill, part of a therapy called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, can cut the likelihood of HIV infection for those at high risk by as much as 92 percent if taken daily, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But Wiener, who appears to be the first public official to publicly attest to taking the drug, said many people avoid using it because of the stigma surrounding the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.
"We still see enormous stigma, shame, and judgment around HIV, and around sexuality in general. That is precisely why I decided to be public about my choice: to contribute to a larger dialogue about our community's health," Wiener wrote in his article titled "Coming Out of the PrEP Closet."
As of the end of June, 15,971 San Franciscans were living with HIV, with 85 percent of new diagnoses occurring among gay, bisexual and transgender populations, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
Yet many such men who are good candidates for the drug do not believe their risk of being infected is high enough to warrant its use, according to a recent study conducted in New York.
The drug, which can cost as much as $14,000 a year, is available to those insured by Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program for the poor, as well as many private providers, the department said.
People without insurance can access the drug through certain health department programs or apply for financial assistance through the drug's manufacturer, Gilead Sciences Inc, the department said.
A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to investigate the city's efforts to provide the treatment more widely and discuss whether the drug could be made available to all city residents for free, regardless of income.
In May, the CDC issued new recommendations urging healthcare workers to consider offering Truvada to healthy individuals who are at substantial risk for HIV infection.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Iran rules out cooperating with US in Iraq
September 18, 2014 - 12:05 AM
NEW YORK (AP) — Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday ruled out cooperating with the United States in helping Iraq fight Islamic State militants and warned that the terrorist group poses a much broader global threat that needs new thinking to eradicate.
Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran has serious doubts about the willingness and ability of the United States to react seriously to the "menace" from the Islamic State group "across the board" and not just pick and choose where to confront it as it has just started doing in Iraq.
"This is a very mobile organization," he told the Council on Foreign Relations. "This is not a threat against a single community nor a threat against a single region. It was not confined to Syria, nor will it be confined to Iraq. It is a global threat."
The U.S.-Iranian relationship is at a delicate moment, with a new round of talks on a deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program set to begin on Thursday, which Zarif said is his top priority. Leaders of the two countries — who talked a year ago — are also arriving next week for the annual ministerial meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.
Iran was the first country to provide help to neighboring Iraq when the Islamic State group swept across the border from Syria in July. France wanted Iran to attend an international conference in Paris on Monday aimed at coordinating actions to crush the Islamic State extremists in Iraq, but the United States said "no."
Zarif called the 24 participating nations at the Paris conference "a coalition of repenters" because most supported the Islamic State group "in one form or another" from its inception following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
At the end of the day, he said, they created "a Frankenstein that came to haunt its creators."
Zarif said Iran's assistance — without any troops — helped Iraq prevent the Islamic State group from taking over Baghdad and the Kurdish capital Irbil.
Zarif said it's now time for the international community "and particularly the coalition of the repenters" to stop providing financing, military equipment and safe passage for the group and its fighters.
He didn't name any coalition members, but Saudi Arabia and Qatar provided financing to the al-Qaida breakaway group, and Turkey has not stopped thousands of foreign fighters from crossing into Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group.
Zarif said the international community must begin to deal with the resentment and disenfranchisement that allows the Islamic State group to attract young people from the Middle East to Europe and the United States.
The international community, he said, must also recognize that in a globalized world problems can't be solved through coercion, exclusion or imposing solutions.
Zarif agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama that the group is neither Islamic nor a state so he referred to it by a previous name, ISIS. But he was critical of the U.S. approach to dealing with the threat from the group.
In Iraq, where the U.S. is carrying out airstrikes, Zarif said, "it will not be eradicated through aerial bombardment."
In Syria, where the U.S. is beefing up military support for the moderate opposition to confront the extremists and step up opposition to President Bashar Assad's government, he said, "you cannot fight ISIS and the government in Damascus together."
When Zarif was asked what circumstances could lead the two countries to collaborate or even discuss the threat posed by the Islamic State group in Iraq, he said he told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Iran has two fundamental principles — "it should be for the Iraqis to decide and we should not be rewarding terrorists."
He also implicitly criticized the U.S. for supporting Iraq's new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to replace Nouri al-Malaki, saying Iraqis must be allowed to determine their own politics.
"And that was one of the problems we had in the initial approach by the United States, and that is why we turned it down," Zarif said.
September 18, 2014 - 12:05 AM
NEW YORK (AP) — Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday ruled out cooperating with the United States in helping Iraq fight Islamic State militants and warned that the terrorist group poses a much broader global threat that needs new thinking to eradicate.
Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran has serious doubts about the willingness and ability of the United States to react seriously to the "menace" from the Islamic State group "across the board" and not just pick and choose where to confront it as it has just started doing in Iraq.
"This is a very mobile organization," he told the Council on Foreign Relations. "This is not a threat against a single community nor a threat against a single region. It was not confined to Syria, nor will it be confined to Iraq. It is a global threat."
The U.S.-Iranian relationship is at a delicate moment, with a new round of talks on a deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program set to begin on Thursday, which Zarif said is his top priority. Leaders of the two countries — who talked a year ago — are also arriving next week for the annual ministerial meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.
Iran was the first country to provide help to neighboring Iraq when the Islamic State group swept across the border from Syria in July. France wanted Iran to attend an international conference in Paris on Monday aimed at coordinating actions to crush the Islamic State extremists in Iraq, but the United States said "no."
Zarif called the 24 participating nations at the Paris conference "a coalition of repenters" because most supported the Islamic State group "in one form or another" from its inception following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
At the end of the day, he said, they created "a Frankenstein that came to haunt its creators."
Zarif said Iran's assistance — without any troops — helped Iraq prevent the Islamic State group from taking over Baghdad and the Kurdish capital Irbil.
Zarif said it's now time for the international community "and particularly the coalition of the repenters" to stop providing financing, military equipment and safe passage for the group and its fighters.
He didn't name any coalition members, but Saudi Arabia and Qatar provided financing to the al-Qaida breakaway group, and Turkey has not stopped thousands of foreign fighters from crossing into Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group.
Zarif said the international community must begin to deal with the resentment and disenfranchisement that allows the Islamic State group to attract young people from the Middle East to Europe and the United States.
The international community, he said, must also recognize that in a globalized world problems can't be solved through coercion, exclusion or imposing solutions.
Zarif agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama that the group is neither Islamic nor a state so he referred to it by a previous name, ISIS. But he was critical of the U.S. approach to dealing with the threat from the group.
In Iraq, where the U.S. is carrying out airstrikes, Zarif said, "it will not be eradicated through aerial bombardment."
In Syria, where the U.S. is beefing up military support for the moderate opposition to confront the extremists and step up opposition to President Bashar Assad's government, he said, "you cannot fight ISIS and the government in Damascus together."
When Zarif was asked what circumstances could lead the two countries to collaborate or even discuss the threat posed by the Islamic State group in Iraq, he said he told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Iran has two fundamental principles — "it should be for the Iraqis to decide and we should not be rewarding terrorists."
He also implicitly criticized the U.S. for supporting Iraq's new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to replace Nouri al-Malaki, saying Iraqis must be allowed to determine their own politics.
"And that was one of the problems we had in the initial approach by the United States, and that is why we turned it down," Zarif said.