Link: http://www.activistpost.com/2012/05/living-in-banksters-paradise-part-1-of.html

As Coolio said, we spend our lives living in a gangsta’s paradise. What he failed to mention is that throughout history the most sinister and dangerous gangsters are banksters. There is no shortage of historical quotes to prove this point.

Link: http://enenews.com/professor-shocked-core-completely-liquified-left-hook-remaining-collapsed-core-chernobyl-partial-meltdown-video

Physicist: Unit 2 completely liquified, 100% liquification of uranium core -- "We've never seen this before in the history of nuclear power". Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist, the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, a co-founder of string field theory [...] Kaku graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1968 and was first in his physics class. He attended the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley and received a Ph.D. in 1972.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/05/14-3

In Robert E. Gamer’s book “The Developing Nations” is a chapter called “Why Men Do Not Revolt.” In it Gamer notes that although the oppressed often do revolt, the object of their hostility is misplaced. They vent their fury on a political puppet, someone who masks colonial power, a despised racial or ethnic group or an apostate within their own political class. The useless battles serve as an effective mask for what Gamer calls the “patron-client” networks that are responsible for the continuity of colonial oppression.

Link: http://www.donkephant.net/2009/08/14/infinite-appetite-for-distractions/

In the grand political spectrum, we have the Democrat party (Liberals) at the left and the Republican party (Conservatives) at the right. In between, and at the extremes, we have parties like the Socialist party, the Constitutional party, the Libertarian party, and even a few fantastical parties like the Ninja party and the Pirate party.

Link: https://alethonews.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/this-weekends-extravaganza-of-crapoganda-on-irans-nuclear-program/

Two news reports by major wire services this weekend demonstrate just how pervasive misinformation and propaganda are in the mainstream media when it comes to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/05/14-6

The newly established farm on UC Berkeley-owned Gill Tract will soon be empty. At the time of this writing, it is surrounded by riot police from at least 8 different UC Campus police forces. Nine have been arrested. This is the end to a standoff that began on Friday, when the police blocked farmers from entering or leaving, forcing supporters to toss food and water over the fence. In addition, the UC has filed suit against 14 individuals and 150 additional unnamed persons.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/05/14-0

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses...I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" These words, from poet Emma Lazarus, were inscribed on the Statue of Liberty over 100 years ago. Today the golden door has a lock on it, paid for with record profits from the health care, education, and financial industries.(Painting: 1886 by Edward Moran) 1. We're near the bottom of the developed world in children's health and safety

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47421743/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.T7J0Jr-fuMI

Freshwater tropical species hardest hit, says World Wildlife Fund. The world's biodiversity is down 30 percent since the 1970s, according to a new report, with tropical species taking the biggest hit. And if humanity continues as it has been, the picture could get bleaker.

Link: http://www.policyshop.net/home/2012/5/14/jpm-chase-chairman-jamie-dimon-the-whale-man-and-glass-steag.html

It was fitting that while President Obama and his Hollywood apostles broke fundraising records at a sumptuous $40,000 per plate dinner at George Clooney’s place, word of JPM Chase’s ‘mistake’ rippled through the news. Not long ago, Dimon’s name was batted about to become Treasury Secretary. But as lines are drawn and pundits take sides in the Jamie Dimon ego deflation saga – or, as I see it - why big banks should be made smaller and then, broken up into commercial vs. speculative components ala Glass Steagall – it’s important to look beyond the size of the $2 billion dollar (and counting) beached whale of a trading loss.

Link: http://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/protesting-nato-what-know-about-secret-service-and-hr-347

The forthcoming summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, set for May 20 and 21 in Chicago, could be the first public test of H.R. 347, the recently passed law that expanded the ability of the Secret Service to suppress protests in or around certain restricted zones near individuals under its protection. We've written about H.R. 347 here and here.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2012/may2012/pers-m14.shtml

Negotiations next week in Baghdad between Iran and the P5+1—the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany—will be a turning point in the dangerous confrontation over Iranian nuclear programs. Washington is putting intense pressure on Tehran to make major concessions, even as the US prepares to impose crippling sanctions and threatens war.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2012/may2012/euro-m14.shtml

The European financial crisis has taken another turn for the worse as doubts grow over the solvency of the Spanish banking system and the prospect of a Greek withdrawal from the eurozone becomes increasingly likely.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2012/05/14/failure-to-indict-killer-police

THE DECISION of a grand jury in Westchester County, New York, to not indict any police officers in the shooting death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. has sparked anger and outrage from Chamberlain's family and others seeking justice.