Link: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/203805-Bill-Gates-Lower-World-Population-with-Vaccines

During his recent TED talk, Bill Gates said that the world population is headed to 9 billion people. Then he said, "Now, if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services - we could lower that perhaps ten or fifteen percent."

Seven Palestinians were detained as clashes erupted on Sunday with Israeli forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, after storming the site with discord reported throughout the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Ma'an's Jerusalem correspondent reported that four right-wing Israelis were allowed access to the Al-Aqsa compound with a police escort. Dozens of Palestinian worshipers spent the night at site, fearing a takeover during the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/02/201022774452701256.html

At least 300 people have been confirmed dead after a devastating earthquake struck Chile and triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific ocean. The 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck early on Saturday 92km northeast of Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, at a depth of 63km at 3:34am local time (06:43 GMT).

Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2010m2d27-Ron-Paul-Oath-to-US-Constitution-rejected-by-both-parties-leadership-US-revolt-coming

We hold these Truths to be self-evident...Congressman Ron Paul spoke on the House floor for 5-minutes on US policy to assassinate US citizens at the dictate of the executive branch based on “secret evidence,” US policy of torture that includes American citizens and without legal recourse, US policy of rendition to secret prisons, and unlimited detention. He concludes with “emperor has no clothes” obvious observation that these acts are unlawful.

Link: http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/02/how-to-fight-back-and-win-common-ground-issues-that-must-be-won/

Throughout this report, I have presented statistical and fact-based evidence to demonstrate that a strategic attack has been launched against 99% of Americans. Despite the efforts of the mainstream media and most current politicians, awareness of this reality is spreading throughout the United States. A recent Rasmussen poll found that only 21% of Americans think that the government has the consent of the governed. An Opinion Research Corp. survey revealed that 86% believe “the system of government is broken.”

Link: http://rt.com/Politics/2010-02-27/iran-sunni-insurgent-arrest.html#

US was backing the leader of an armed Sunni group heading an insurgency in the country who was captured earlier this week. Washington denies the claims. Yahoo StumbleUpon Google Live Technorati del.icio.us Digg Reddit Mixx Propeller Abdolmalek Rigi says he was on his way to the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan to meet with a US official when he was seized – sparking further mystery over American use of the facility in the Central Asian country. It's not the first time the Manas airbase has hit the headlines, and all for the wrong reasons. The latest allegation is from Iran claiming the facility is an American front to transport terrorists to undermine the Iranian government.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/pers-f27.shtml

Thursday’s televised health care summit in Washington ended without any agreement on the part of congressional Republicans to support Obama’s health care proposals. Whatever the wrangling between the two parties, however, all sections of the political establishment are committed to two basic propositions: (1) It is necessary to cut government spending on health care programs that benefit millions of people; and (2) health care services for millions more must be rationed so as to reduce the costs to the corporate-financial elite.

Link: http://www.uruknet.info/index.php?p=m63702&hd=&size=1&l=e

US soldiers killed an Iraqi tribal chief's son and wounded his wife in what the Americans on Saturday called a tragic accident, although local accounts of the incident differed. US troops were travelling through the district of Kanaan, northeast of Baghdad, late on Thursday when Zhaheri tribe chief Thaher Zaihud al-Zhaheri's son, Ahmed, walked outside the family's front door and was shot dead, the tribal leader said. Further gunfire wounded Zhaheri's wife in the leg.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/02/27-2

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile early Saturday morning released 500 times the energy of the 7.0-magnitude quake that struck Haiti last month, a geophysicist told CBS' "The Early Show." Tsunami warnings were issued for much of the Pacific, including Hawaii, following the quake that struck near the Chilean coast, killing at least 76 people.

Link: http://rawstory.com/2010/02/imf-chief-pushes-power-worlds-stage/

The International Monetary Fund wants more power to police the global financial system and a bigger role in emergency financing, managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Friday. In a speech to the Bretton Woods Committee, a finance reform think tank in Washington, D.C., he claimed that a stronger IMF also warrants a new global reserve currency that would serve as an alternative to the U.S. dollar.

Link: http://rawstory.com/2010/02/obama-time-together-pass-health-reform/

US President Barack Obama on Saturday called on Democrats and Republicans to overcome their differences on health care reform and act on his proposal without delay. "It is time for us to come together," Obama said in his weekly radio address. "It is time for us to act. It is time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities to the American people and to future generations."

Link: http://www.alternet.org/economy/145774/the_great_american_bank_robbery

How did the big banks nearly take down the entire economy and still continue to profit? Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz explains. Bankruptcy is a key feature of capitalism. Firms sometimes are unable to repay what they owe creditors. Financial reorganization has become a fact of life in many industries.

Link: http://www.thetotalcollapse.com/empires-on-the-edge-of-chaos/

Summary: - Imperial collapse may come much more suddenly than many historians imagine. A combination of fiscal deficits and military overstretch suggests that the United States may be the next empire on the precipice.

Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2010m2d27-Ron-Paul-Oath-to-US-Constitution-rejected-by-both-parties-leadership-US-revolt-coming

We hold these Truths to be self-evident...Congressman Ron Paul spoke on the House floor for 5-minutes on US policy to assassinate US citizens at the dictate of the executive branch based on “secret evidence,” US policy of torture that includes American citizens and without legal recourse, US policy of rendition to secret prisons, and unlimited detention.

Link: http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/the-arrogance-of-jewish-power/

Zionism just doesn’t give a damn! It’s as simple as that. They do what they want, when they want and to whom they want to. No one has stopped them in their quest to rid the entire area of all non Jews. No one has made a move to create sanctions against the state that has violated everything sacred to humanity, including the Declaration of Human Rights. To them, it’s nothing but a joke whenever there is criticism of their foul deeds.

Link: http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/02/pentagon%e2%80%99s-full-spectrum-dominance-facing-headwinds/

According to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who has derided European contributions to NATO in the past, the public and political oppositions in Europe to military action represent an impediment to operations in Afghanistan and, as the New York Times referred to the policy of which Afghanistan is a small part, “the alliance’s broader security goals.”1

Link: http://www.paltelegraph.com/world/middle-east/77-middle-east/4423-iran-puzzles-us-and-israel-by-moving-nuclear-fuel-above-ground

When Iran was caught last September building a secret, underground nuclear enrichment plant at a military base near the city of Qum, the country's leaders insisted they had no other choice. With its nuclear facilities under constant threat of attack, they said, only a fool would leave them out in the open.

Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50477

Afghan police are widely considered corrupt, unable to shoot straight, and die at twice the rate of Afghan soldiers and NATO troops. After seven billion dollars spent on training and salaries in the last eight years, several U.S. government investigations are asking why.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/02/2010227134828232750.html

Afghan officers will begin to take charge of the prison facility at Bagram, currently run by the US military, from next week. Addressing a news conference at the jail near the capital Kabul on Saturday, US and Afghan officials said the handover of the prison would be gradual over the coming year as Afghan officers still require training.

Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=63720&s2=01

$2000 per dead child! That's the amount of compensation offered by the Pentagon for the "collateral damage" which it has caused in Afghanistan. As the war escalates and more innocent victims of Washington's aggressive actions accumulate in number, the US military calculates what it will take to placate grieving Afghan parents.

Link: http://rawstory.com/2010/02/riot-erupts-uc-berkeley-tuition-hikes-budget-cuts/

It started as a dance party in the streets. Within hours, trash bins were burning, windows were smashed and riot police were swinging their batons. It was an ugly scene, even for a university best known for its fever-pitched politics.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/left-f27.shtml

On short notice, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLS), which has close links to the German Left Party, has canceled a meeting that was to feature the American academic and expert on Israeli politics and history, Norman Finkelstein. The meeting was due to take place February 26th at the Berlin headquarters of the foundation.

Link: http://www.ksby.com/news/karl-rove-makes-controversial-trip-to-ucsb/

Karl Rove makes a controversial stop on the Central Coast. The former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President Bush spoke at UC Santa Barbara tonight. Rove's visit to UCSB definitely polarized the campus community. Rove spoke for about an hour and a half inside Campbell Hall, but he wasn't the only one having his voice heard. The protestors were out early and often. Many were upset with the fact that more than $14,000 in student fees were used to help pay for the $31,000 visit. Others were just upset with what he stands for. "He's the one that helped Bush and Cheney in the war in Iraq, spread lies, and killing all the Americans in Iraq," Leoncio Mertins said as he protested the event.

Link: http://america-hijacked.com:80/2010/02/26/ahmadinejad-did-not-threaten-to-wipe-israel-off-the-map/

This is a very important video that all Americans should see because it would show them how the media lies to them and manipulates the way they think. They are convinced that there are threats and enemies that don’t exist in reality.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/usec-f26.shtml

First-time jobless benefit claims last week rose to their highest level since the week ending November 14, according to the US Labor Department. The new jobless benefit numbers, together with other data, show that there is no economic recovery for the broad ranks of American workers.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/02/201022618258686515.html

The United States is planning to launch a military offensive in Afghanistan's Kandahar city following the military operation to drive Taliban fighters out of the town of Marjah in Helmand province, a senior US official has said.

Link: http://www.truthout.org/americas-public-debt-the-least-our-worries57233

Various political demagogues and Wall Street interests have mounted a campaign to convince Americans that despite persistent massive unemployment for the foreseeable future, more than 15 million people underwater on their home mortgages, and two unnecessary wars, what we really should be worried about is America's national debt.

Link: http://rawstory.com/2010/02/woolsey-public-option/

A leading progressive in the House of Representatives insisted Friday that the public option fight is "not over" but signaled that its ostensible removal from the final package won't necessarily strip the votes of liberal Democrats in the chamber.

Link: http://www.hiddenmysteries.net/gltest/article.php?story=20100226233614796

Once this fact becomes common knowledge, it will probably mean jail time for several leading Goldman executives and the end of the firm. One of the best lessons I've learned over my career as an investment analyst is the myth of excellent management or "great execution" is really just that – a myth.

Link: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/federal-reserve-chairman-ben-bernanke-warns-congress-that-the-federal-reserve-will-not-print-money-to-pay-for-the-exploding-u-s-national-debt

On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Congress that the Federal Reserve does not plan to "print money" to help Congress finance the exploding U.S. national debt. In fact, Bernanke told Congress that the U.S. could soon face a debt crisis as bad as the one in Greece if the U.S. government does not get things in order financially. This represents a fundamental change in policy for the Federal Reserve, because they have been enabling the massive borrowing by the U.S. government over the past couple of years by "buying" the majority of new U.S. government debt that has been issued. But now the fat cats over at the Federal Reserve have apparently changed their minds. Using uncharacteristic bluntness, Bernanke told Congress that the Federal Reserve is "not going to monetize the debt".

Link: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/26/cnn-poll-majority-says-government-a-threat-to-citizens-rights/?fbid=QMszsvnfzMZ

Fifty-six percent of Americans say the government poses an immediate threat to individual rights and freedoms. A majority of Americans think the federal government poses a threat to rights of Americans, according to a new national poll. Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government's become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.

Link: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/83961-forthcoming-cybersecurity-bill-to-give-president-new-powers-in-cyberattack-emergencies

The president would have the power to safeguard essential federal and private Web resources under draft Senate cybersecurity legislation. According to an aide familiar with the proposal, the bill includes a mandate for federal agencies to prepare emergency response plans in the event of a massive, nationwide cyberattack.

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/26/news/economy/unemployment_insurance/

Depending on extended unemployment benefits to see you through the Great Recession? You'd better not: The Senate failed to push back the Feb. 28 deadline to apply for this safety net.

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2618855320100226?type=usDollarRpt

A record-breaking winter storm slammed New York and much of the U.S. Northeast on Friday, forcing businesses, schools and transportation systems to shut down as nearly two feet (60 cm) of snow fell in the city.

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7327017/Pound-slides-as-figures-underline-scale-of-UK-recession.html

The pound slid to new lows on Friday after it emerged that an apparent improvement in Britain's growth late last year disguised the fact that the Office for National Statistics has actually cut its estimate of Britain's economic output.

Link: http://rawstory.com/2010/02/iceberg-size-luxembourg-breaks-antarctica/

An iceberg the size of Luxembourg knocked loose from the Antarctic continent earlier this month could disrupt the ocean currents driving weather patterns around the globe, researchers said. While the impact would not be felt for decades or longer, a slowdown in the production of colder, dense water could result in less temperate winters in the north Atlantic, they said Thursday. The 2,550 square-kilometre (985 square-mile) block broke off on February 12 or 13 from the Mertz Glacier Tongue, a 160-kilometer spit of floating ice protruding into the Southern Ocean from East Antarctica due south of Melbourne, researchers said. Giant Antarctic iceberg could affect global ocean circulation Ice broken off from Mertz glacier is size of Luxembourg and may decrease oxygen supply for marine life in the area. The iceberg, measuring about 50 miles by 25, broke away from the Mertz glacier around 2,000 miles south of Australia after being rammed by another giant iceberg known as B-9B three weeks ago, satellite images reveal. The two icebergs, which both weigh more than 700m tons, are now drifting close together about 100 miles north of Antarctica.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/summ-f26.shtml

There was no agreement to back any form of the Democratic-sponsored legislation by the Republicans present, who reiterated that it should be junked and the process be started anew. These disagreements aside, however, the event served to expose the reality that any “reform” of the US health care system being discussed by those in attendance is a million miles away from the needs of the vast majority of ordinary Americans.

Link: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/26/healthcare_summit_ends_in_deadlock_single

After nearly 7 hours of televised debate, President Obama’s so-called bipartisan healthcare summit ended Thursday without any substantive agreement between Republicans and Democrats. Republican lawmakers remained staunchly opposed to using the federal government to regulate health insurance. We speak to Columbia Journalism Review contributing editor Trudy Lieberman, and pediatrician Dr. Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program.

Link: http://www.truthout.org/david-sirota-it-is-happening-here57197

Let's pause and give thanks to Glenn Beck. No, seriously -- because that's what he's due. We owe this talk-show-host-turned-political-leader gratitude for using his televised keynote address to the Conservative Political Action Conference to so frankly outline what the conservative movement has become -- and why it repulses so many Americans. Coming days after an anti-tax terrorist kamikaze-attacked a government facility in Texas, and following Republicans like Sen. Scott Brown and Rep. Steve King expressing sympathy for that terrorist's grievances, Beck's homily stands as the moment's most forthright manifesto on the right's authoritarian objectives.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/media/145820/glenn_beck_finally_admitted_his_great_desire%3A_to_%27eradicate%27_progressives

We owe Beck gratitude for using his keynote address to CPAC to so frankly outline what the conservative movement has become -- and why it repulses so many Americans.