Standard & Poor's faces investigationover 'possible insider trading'over downgrade of U.S. debt
Posted by admin / Under Standard Federal Bank
A shock investigation of possible insider trading at Standard & Poor's has reportedly begun, with the country still reeling from the rating agency's historic downgrade of U.S. debt. Authorities want to know who had prior knowledge of the decision, which sparked a wild week of trading on Wall Street that saw breathtaking losses and rapid rises. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which has oversight of credit rating firms, has started asking preliminary questions, the Financial Times reported. However, the regulator is not aware of a leak from an S&P insider,
Published on Friday 18th of May 2012 05:56:08 PM
NATO: ‘Standard Procedure’for Afghan Forces to AccompanyNavy SEALs on Missions
Posted by admin / Under Standard Federal Bank
It is standard procedure for U.S. special operations units, such as the elite Navy SEALs, to be supplemented by Afghan forces during missions against insurgents in Afghanistan, according to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan (ISAF). Such forces were in the helicopter that crashed on Aug. 6, killing 30 U.S. soldiers, most of them SEAL members.U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings Jr., a spokesman for ISAF, told CNSNews.com in an e-mail today that Afghan forces were in the U.S. helicopter that crashed in eastern Afghanistan on Aug. 6 because “the majority of our operations are combined coalition/Afghan missions.”
Published on Friday 18th of May 2012 05:56:08 PM
Liberty Dollar creator convicted in federal court
Posted by admin / Under Standard Federal Bank
The leader of a group that marketed a fake currency called Liberty Dollars in the Asheville area and elsewhere has been found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy against the government in a case of “domestic terrorism.” Bernard von NotHaus was convicted Friday at the conclusion of an eight-day trial in U.S. District Court in Statesville. The jury deliberated less than two hours, according to the Department of Justice. Charges remain pending against William Kevin Innes, an Asheville man who authorities said recruited merchants in Western North Carolina willing to accept the “barter” currency, according to court records. Innes...
Published on Friday 18th of May 2012 05:56:08 PM
A Double Standard for House Ethics?
Posted by admin / Under Standard Federal Bank
The ethics cases against Reps. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) highlight an odd paradox: that many other members of Congress do similar things but are not facing charges. On March 4, 2009, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) introduced a witness at a hearing promoting renewable energy interests: Brooks Hurst. Congressman Graves failed to mention that Hurst was an old friend. The congressman also left out that his own wife and Hurst invested money in the same Missouri fuel plants. Congresswoman Waters argues that is the same thing she's accused of: helping a good friend and his company, where her...
Published on Friday 18th of May 2012 05:56:08 PM
The Renewable Electricity Standard is a Hoax, a Fraud, and a Rip-Off
Posted by admin / Under Standard Federal Bank
The U.S. Senate's proposed Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would force electric utilities to generate a large and increasing percentage of their power from wind and solar -- rising to 15% by 2021. These goals resemble those of the Waxman-Markey bill that barely passed the House in June 2009. It's disturbing that some Republicans on the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted for ACELA (the American Clean Energy Leadership Act). If the Senate were to take up an energy bill, it is likely that Sen. Brownback (R-KS) will introduce an amendment for RES.
Published on Friday 18th of May 2012 05:56:08 PM
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