Automated killer robots threat to humanity

Come with me if you want to live.

1 in 100 Americans Are Behind Bars: Highest Rate Ever

For the first time in the nation’s history, more than one in 100 American adults is behind bars, according to a new report. Nationwide, the prison population grew by 25,000 last year, bringing it to almost 1.6 million. Another 723,000 people are in local jails. One in every 99.1 adults is behind bars.

Re-Listing Homes: Marketing or Deception?

Many real estate agents re-list homes that haven't sold. Is it bad business?

Scare Tactics? FISA

An aggressive campaign by the White House and its allies to win approval of a new electronic spying bill is escalating partisan tensions on Capitol Hill. The contentious debate over the measure could spill over into this fall's election campaign. Contact House Representatives and tell them to stand strong against this nonsense. Spread the word.

Bush in denial?

President Bush said Thursday the country is not recession-bound and, despite expressing concern about slowing economic growth, rejected for now any additional stimulus efforts. "We acted robustly," he said.

Obama’s Support Grows Broader, New Poll FInds

WASHINGTON — In the past two months, Senator Barack Obama has built a commanding coalition among Democratic voters, with especially strong support among men, and is now viewed by most Democrats as the candidate best able to beat Senator John McCain in the general election, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll...

Proposed mortgage aid would do harm: Paulson (Reuters)

Reuters - Plans for sweeping federal programs
that would aid troubled mortgage borrowers would bring unfair
relief to speculators and reward investors who made bad bets,
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Thursday.

Italy's highest appeals court says "leave it alone"

Touching your own genitals in public is a crime says Italian court.

As Economy Slips, Yacht Sales Skyrocket

Your home's value might be falling, but these billionaire toys are appreciating.

'The Economist' Scores the Debate for Obama!

IT HARDLY seems possible, but there have been no fewer than 20 televised debates in the long struggle to settle the Democratic nomination. The latest was in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday February 26th. For Hillary Clinton it represented a final chance to unsettle Barack Obama ahead of the next round of primaries, and she failed.

Digging For Hitler's Gold

Treasure hunters believe there are almost 2 tons of Nazi gold and possibly clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Amber Room, a prize taken from a Russian castle during World War II.....

Who's No. 1? $14.3M License Plate Buyer

Man pays record amount for car license plate at Abu Dhabi auction.

High Court Says Suing Your 401(k) Is OK

The Supreme Court is allowing retirement plan participants to sue over losses.

Bernanke says Fed prepared to help economy (Reuters)

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben
Bernanke on Wednesday signaled the U.S. central bank was ready
to cut interest rates again to prevent a housing slump and
shaky credit markets from further damaging a weak economy.

China: Famous Photo Was Faked: Photographer, Editor Fired

It turns out that train tracks in Tibet aren't where the antelope play.Earlier this week, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, issued an unusual public apology for publishing a doctored photograph of Tibetan wildlife frolicking near a high-speed train.The deception was uncovered by Chinese Internet users who sniffed out a Photoshop scam.

Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business

Once a marketing gimmick, free has emerged as a full-fledged economy. Offering free music proved successful for Radiohead & Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The fastest-growing parts of the gaming industry are ad-supported casual games online and free-to-try massively multiplayer online games. Virtually everything Google does is free to consumers..

Wholesale Costs Skyrocket Even As The Economy Falters (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - Wholesale costs surged while home prices and consumer confidence tanked, according to separate reports Tuesday, suggesting inflation remains a threat even as the economy sinks.

Obama SINGS the National Anthem... Others Do Not

Some people are saying Obama is unpatriotic because he didnt cover his heart during the pledge. Well, it WASNT the pledge, it was the national anthem and modern custom does not require a hand over the heart. But if you watch closely: He is the ONLY one singing! Clinton clearly is not, Richardson might be. So, who is the unpatriotic one?

Nordstrom Bracing for Tough 2008

The upscale retailer's profits slipped; more bad times expected ahead.

Pakistan blocks YouTube!

Pakistan has blocked access to the popular YouTube website because of content deemed offensive to Islam. (sigh)

Supreme Court allows retirement plan suits

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that individual participants in the most common type of retirement plan can sue under a pension protection law to recover their losses.

Building a Life on $25 and a Gym Bag

A college graduate leaves a comfortable life for an experiment in poverty.

Delta, Northwest shares fall amid merger doubts (Reuters)

Reuters - Delta Air Lines Inc and
Northwest Airlines Corp shares fell on Monday partly on
concerns their merger talks may fail on the inability of pilots
to agree on how to combine their ranks.

Worst Credit Cards Deals

Put extra cash in your wallet by avoiding these high-fee cards.

Timeline Of Bush Admin's Politicization Of Terror, 2002-2008

Olbermann presents an impressively detailed timeline called "The Nexus of Politics and Terror," chronicling the Bush admin's exploitation of terror threats for political gain. "What we were told about terror, and not told, for security reasons, has overlapped considerably with what we were told about terror, and not told, for political reasons."

Escorts To Super Bowl Tickets, Inside Iraq war profiteering

The graft continued well beyond the 2004 congressional hearings that first called attention to it. And the massive fraud endangered the health of American soldiers even as it lined contractors' pockets, records show.

Bernanke to tell Congress has eyes on growth risks (Reuters)

Reuters - * What: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivers
semi-annual economic outlook testimony to Congress

Russ Feingold: "I Voted for Barack Obama"

Senator Russ Feingold, a progressive icon who was the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act in 2001, proposed the first timeline for bringing the troops home from Iraq and sought to censure Bush over warrantless wiretapping, said he voted in Tuesday's Wisconsin primary for Barack Obama.

Enron Scandal Yields New Jailbirds

British bankers each sentenced to 37 months in prison in an Enron-related case.

No Oil, No Peace, No Problem

In 'Fuel of War,' players can have fun as an oil shortage spurs a new world war.

Dallas Cop Killed While Escorting Hillary Clinton

A Dallas police motorcycle officer who crashed Friday while escorting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton's motorcade to a campaign rally is dead, CBS station KTVT-TV, in Dallas reported.

Answer Desk: How much will my rebate be?

What could be simpler than handing out tax rebates? Alas, with all things related to the U.S. tax code, the question of who gets what turns out to be not so simple.

9 minutes and 57 seconds to announce two ideas

A video announcing the "Change Congress" movement, and exploring the idea of Lessig running for Congress in CA12

FEC INVESTIGATING McCain, May Force Him To Public Financing

I know the big McCain story for today is the one covering his inappropriate, intimate friendship with lobbiest Vicki Iseman. There's another story with possibly BIGGER implications: the GOP Chair of the FEC is demanding McCain prove he did not mislead them to get a loan from them - or the FEC will force McCain to take public financing.

How the Credit Card Industry Makes You Their Slave

In "Secret History of the Credit Card," Frontline and The New York Times join forces to investigate an industry few Americans fully understand. In this one-hour report, correspondent Lowell Bergman uncovers the techniques used by the industry to earn record profits and get consumers to take on more debt.

Information will be free: Wikileaks still up, despite order

After unflattering and apparently internal documents from the Swiss banker Julius Baer appeared on Wikileaks, the bank filed a federal lawsuit in the US. A judge has now ordered Wikileaks.org scrubbed from the DNS system, but it's hard to eradicate a website.

Hillary Clinton $7.6 MILLION IN DEBT at end of Jan.!

She ends January with $7.6 million in debt; rival's campaign finances continued to be robust.

Choosing Between Food and Fuel

With biodiesel sales small but growing, crushers face a tough decision.

Networks Interrupt Clinton Speech For Obama

Sen. Hillary Clinton began giving a speech on Tuesday night shortly after Wisconsin's results came in. But within minutes, Sen. Barack Obama appeared in Texas to give his victory speech, and the networks cut Clinton off. Ouch. Watch it:

Homeless Squatting in Foreclosed Homes

Sometimes the heat, lights and water are still working.

Fort Hood soliders breaking the silence on war in Iraq

Fort Hood soldiers are openly speaking out to end the misguided war in Iraq, saying that if Americans knew what was going on there they would be speaking out too. Information from Iraq is "filtered" by politicians. There is no end in sight.

Bush Judicial Nominee Arrested for DUI in fishnet hose

Okay, this is one of those people he's been threatening recess appointments for because they are going to protect our moral values. Apparently, Federal Judge Robert Somma, rear-ended another motorist in his Mercedes-Benz after tying one on in a local gay bar. He had difficulty locating his drivers license in his purse.

It Pays To Be A Bush Supporter

In October 2006, President Bush authorized the construction of a 700-mile border fence between the United States and Mexico.But not on property owned by Dallas billionaire Ray L. Hunt.

Texas poll shows dead heat among Dems

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll suggests the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois is a statistical dead heat in Texas, which holds primaries March 4.

CIA operation advocated by Obama successfully carried out

"In August, Sen. Barack Obama had made the argument that, as president, he would target Al Qaeda officials in Pakistan even without the country's acquiescence -- the type of attack that, six months later, proved to be successful." The White House had earlier criticized his position. Naive/inexperienced indeed...

SocGen posts record Q4 loss after trading hit (Reuters)

Reuters - Societe Generale , France's
second-biggest listed bank, posted a record fourth-quarter
loss, in line with its forecast after earnings were hit by its
previously announced $7 billion trading loss.

Clinton campaign going after pledged delegates after all

"Myself and a dozen or so other Obama supporters were at the Culinary Union calling our Obama delegates. I probably made about 100 calls and about 95 said Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been calling them "all day" or at least once already... they were encouraged to switch their support from Obama to Hillary."

Too Many McMansions: Ride Storm or Sell?

Many homeowners struggle to find buyers for their million-dollar properties.

The new US $5 (FIVE) Dollar Bill. It's got purple!

George Washington must be green with envy.

"Princess Diana was Murdered" Mohamed Al Fayed told inquest.

Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were murdered, Mohamed Al Fayed has told the inquest into their deaths in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

McCain: Bernanke Should Have Reduced Interest Rates Faster

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke should have been quicker to cut interest rates to try to avert a recession. Do you agree with McCain or do you believe Bernanke shouldn't have cut the rates?

MSM Sources: REAL Reasons to Vote for Barack Obama

News sources on Barack Obama's record and why he is the better candidate.

Disappearing bees threaten one-third of U.S. food supply

Nestle foods subsidiary Haagen-Dazs is warning that disappearing bee colonies in the United States could become a big problem for the premium ice cream maker. That's because, according to Haagen-Dazs, one-third of the U.S. food supply -- including a variety of fruits, vegetables and even nuts -- depends on pollination from bees.

The Dumbing Of America

There is no quick cure for the epidemic of arrogant anti-rationalism and anti-intellectualism that has infected America. Her people are in serious intellectual trouble--in danger of losing our hard-won cultural capital to the virulent mixture of these two social laggards along with low expectations which are a result of our idolatry infotainment

Love can hurt — your bank account

From the first date until the time you finally head down the aisle, you can easily have spent more than $40,000 on vacations, jewelry, wedding expenses, and meals out, according to BusinessWeek's calculations .

Dick Morris Says Hillary Clinton lacks experience

"So who is she kidding? If she wants to hit Obama with a negative based on his inexperience and limited legislative record, she should go right ahead. But to pretend that she is the “solutions” and “answers” person while he gives speeches is absurd. " (Wikipedia calls Dick Morris one of Bill Clinton's "most trusted advisors".)

What's Changed Since the Virginia Tech Massacre?

"You know, I wish I could tell you that there was a panacea for this kind of thing, but you've noticed that there's been multiple shootings all over this country within the last six months," NIU Police Chief Don Grady told reporters. "...it's unlikely that anyone would ever have the ability to stop an incident like this from beginning."

Four bidders go through in Vin & Sprit auction: paper (Reuters)

Reuters - Sweden's centre-right government has
chosen four bidders in its auction of Vin & Sprit that will be
allowed to perform due diligence of the Absolut vodka maker,
business daily Dagens Industri reported on Sunday.

10 Tips front page

A reader wonders which businesses do well when the economy heads south.? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com’s John W. Schoen.

Bernanke: "There's No Housing Bubble to Go Bust" -2005

I know its an old story but ..... Ben S. Bernanke does not think the national housing boom is a bubble that is about to burst, he indicated to Congress last week, just a few days before President Bush nominated him to become the next chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Superdelegates -- How YOU Can Help!

I just received an email from the Obama campaign with instructions on how we can help to win the hearts and minds of the superdelegates! They are asking for you to submit your story via their form, which they will compile and relay to the superdelegates. Click through to see the story I submitted, submit yours and digg this up!

Which businesses hold up well in a recession?

A reader wonders which businesses do well when the economy heads south.? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com’s John W. Schoen.

$14.3M License Plate: Auction Sets World Record

ABU DHABI - No, it's not made of solid gold -- just ordinary materials. But it does come with the swagger of being labeled no. "1." And that's evidently worth a record $14.3 million.

Oval Office Eats for Just $500

Enjoy dishes created for past presidents; plus recipes to cook them yourself.

How “Flat Earth” News is Killing Journalism

For hundreds of years everyone knew the Earth was flat. Indeed it was a heresy to challenge that statement. Eventually someone, Galileo or Copernicus, bothered to check and discovered they were wrong. But if you look at the way the mass media functions today you’ll see we are riddled with “flat earth” statements.

At Halliburton/KBR, sexual assault is part of the workplace.

Jamie Lee Jones, a young computer tech, was gang-raped on her fourth day by coworkers after being drugged; the other, Tracy Barker, was sexually assaulted by a State Department employee. Both immediately reported their assaults, only to have KBR first lock them in isolation, then question their accusations.

Solar Companies Beat Economic Slump

First Solar and SunPower ride high on solar energy, despite bleak economy.

I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo.

When I am this party’s nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don’t like......

The Campus Emergency Business Boom

The Ill. shooting may aid the already booming emergency notification business.

Greenspan: Economy is on the 'Edge'

Former Federal Reserve Chairman said odds of recession are at least 50 percent.

Stocks drop as consumer sentiment weakens (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks fell on Friday, with the Nasdaq
losing more than 1 percent, on worries about consumer spending
after electronics retailer Best Buy warned that shopper
traffic dropped off right after the holidays and a key measure
of consumer sentiment fell to a 16-year low.

Former Clinton Superdelegate Switches to Barack Obama

“I now support Barack Obama because he has brought about a new wave of hope and energy to this country, especially among our young people, who represent our future. People want to see change. Barack can help unite this country and help us embrace our diverse nation."

Car Repos Soar as Owners Default on Loans

Beware the tow truck: Car repossessions are heading for a record high.

Obscenity: In the Eyes of the Beholder?

Charges dropped against A&F for mall posters of scantily clad youth.

We Need a Constitutional Party

The US Constitution and the principle that no one is above the law suffered a numbing setback, Tuesday, when every Republican Senator, Independent Joe Lieberman and 18 faux Democrats voted to gut the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, one of the most important bulwarks again tyrannical government since 1789.

Hillary Ready To Take 'Incendiary' Steps To Counter Obama

With every delegate precious, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers also made it clear that they were prepared to take a number of potentially incendiary steps to build up Mrs. Clinton’s count. Top among these, her aides said, is pressing for Democrats to seat the disputed delegations from Florida and Michigan.

Clinton - All Obama Wins Besides Illinois Insignificant

Do you live in the following states? WA, ID, NV, UT, CO, ND, MN, IA, NE, KS, MO, AK LA, AL, GA, SC, VA, MD, ME, CT?The Clinton campaign believes all these states which voted for Barack Obama aren't "significant" states according to Clinton pollster, Mark Penn, only Illinois fits that description. Show Hill what is significant and vote Obama!

Barack Obama Wins Virginia Primary By a Substantial Margin

At 4:00 PM Pacific Time Tuesday CNN projected that Barack Obama won the Virginia primary by a substantial margin. While this contest was expected to go in Obama's favor, it could close the delegate gap between Clinton and Obama.

STOP POLICE BRUTALITY - JUSTICE FOR MICHAEL CHO

UCLA graduate Michael Cho was shot TEN times by La Habra police for HOLDING A TIRE IRON.

Dear Senator Hillary Clinton, Please Step Down. You divide.

A feminist blogger has asked Hillary to give up the presidential campaign. "I truly believed you would be the best person for the job, and I had this nagging thought in the back of my mind[...] The thought that drove me on Super Tuesday to Vote for Senator Obama instead. Senator Hillary Clinton divides this country."

Banks to pause delinquent mortgage foreclosures (Reuters)

Reuters - Six top mortgage companies on
Tuesday launched a program aimed at staving off foreclosure for
seriously delinquent borrowers in the hopes that new, more
affordable loan terms can be worked out.

10 minutes on whether Hillary can win

Larry Lessig explains why Barack is the better candidate to face John McCain.

UK ISPs may have to ban "illegal downloaders" say government

Looks like the MAFIAA have got to the government in the UK.

GM Reports $722M 4th Quarter Loss in 2007

This as it offers a new round of buyouts to 74,000 U.S. hourly workers.

john.he.is

Will.i.am totally stole this idea from us, we've been thinking for a long time that earnest people reacting to a candidate is the future of music video. An Election 08 on youtube production. Special guests: Beth Farmer, Matt Craig, Rebecca Allen, Kai Pompeii, Kevin Victor, Cohn-Lopez

NY Times: Hillary Clinton's superdelegates are "wavering"

Several Clinton superdelegates, whose votes could help decide the nomination, also said they were wavering in the face of Mr. Obama’s momentum after victories in Washington, Nebraska, Louisiana and Maine last weekend. Some of them said that they, like the hundreds of uncommitted superdelegates still at stake, may ultimately “go with the flow."

Obama's Average Vote Share is 16% Higher Than Clinton's

Obama has shown an ability to clobber Clinton in state contests, whereas Clinton simply edges Obama in the larger states. Who is a more viable candidate? Amazing that the mainstream media has not covered this analysis.

Another Recession Sign? Spending Slows

December consumer spending showed the weakest growth in more than a year.

Trader Joe's to Exclude Some China Imports

The move comes after customers voiced concerns about products from China.

The Nation: Obama For President

Editors say Barack Obama's ability to forge a progressive majority makes him the best choice.

LA Times: 'Anonymous' takes anti-Scientology to the streets

Asked to explain the sudden groundswell of opposition to Scientology, Lynn Fountain Campbell, who said she'd been part of the church for 40 years, said, "It's just reached a critical mass. People just aren't scared anymore."

Obama wins Maine

Despite claims from the Clinton camp they expected to win Maine, it looks like Obama has taken it. Yes we can!

Yahoo rejects Microsoft's bid (Reuters)

Reuters - Yahoo Inc on Monday rejected
as too low Microsoft Corp's unsolicited takeover
offer, currently valued at $42 billion, putting the ball back
in the software giant's court to pursue a deal.

Obama gets huge Hispanic/Latino endorsement in Texas

State Rep. Pete Gallego, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, has announced he is endorsing Barack Obama for president.

Big Bashes Mean Big Bucks for World Cities

Decadent parties during Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest rake in cash for host cities.

How AOL Strangled Time Warner

Why Google might buy AOL, the once-dominant, now dormant name on the Web.

Man Arrested For Stealing and Selling 500 Kidneys

In Nepal (AP)- The leader of a black market kidney ring is being sent back to India. Amit Kumar is wanted for removing hundreds of kidneys from poor laborers often at gunpoint.

The Politico: - Clinton campaign manager out

Blog: Clinton's campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, left the position today, to be replaced by Clinton's former top White House aide, Maggie Williams.

Obama sweeps Saturday's Democratic contests

Today Barack Obama won all Democratic party caucuses and primaries being held in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington State. Go Obama!

Reality check for Europe (Reuters)

Reuters - The extent of Europe's
infection from the U.S. subprime mortgage virus is becoming
clearer, even as the European Central Bank faces down calls for
it to follow U.S. and UK counterparts by cutting interest
rates.

CNN refuses to air interview with governor supporting Obama

Watching this caucus unfold live and candidly is so fascinating. The CNN reporter is on the phone with CNN HQ to ask whether they want to air a live interview with Governor Gregoire when she stops by the caucus site in about 20 minutes. She just said "She's for Obama, that's the only problem."

Blue Chip panel puts U.S. recession odds at 50 percent (Reuters)

Reuters - The odds of a U.S. recession stand
at nearly 50 percent amid a spate of data showing a weakening
labor market, signs of more credit tightening and turmoil in
the financial markets, the latest Blue Chip Economic forecast
is projecting.

Gabby Cabbies: Just Chat or a Sales Pitch?

Marketing scheme sends drivers on exotic trips in exchange for starting buzz.

Last chance to stop immunity and warrantless spying

Tell your legislators to stand up to President Bush's fear-mongering: let the Protect America Act expire and allow the FISA Court to do its job. Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas would not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true, Bush would not threaten to veto any bill w/o immunity and let PAA expire.

Answer Desk: Not a win for tax dodgers

Actor Wesley Snipes' recent acquittal on tax fraud charges is being taken as a victory by a band of tax "protesters." But, they are overlooking a key fact: Snipes still faces jail time.

Want a Mortgage? Now is Not the Time

Survey shows "significant numbers" of lenders have tightened credit standards.

Sad, self-absorbed shoppers spend more

If you’re sad and shopping, watch your wallet: A new study shows people’s spending judgment goes out the window when they’re down, especially if they’re a bit self-absorbed.

Ron Paul: McCain friends with Feingold, Kennedy

Now the party has an apparent candidate who is a friend of Sen. Russ Feingold – on campaign finance reform – Paul said. And now the party has an apparent candidate who is a friend of Ted Kennedy – on immigration – Paul said. He raised cheers in the hall – perhaps the first genuine cheers of the day.

Airport Luxe: Terminals Spare No Expense

Virgin, British Airways fight for the sleekest, hippest terminal in London.

How Do You Create Loyal Blog Readers?

It would seem most bloggers are only concerned with the traffic they get and fail to study and take advantage of their blogs subscriber loyalty. Here is a great article on how you can increase your reader loyalty.

Fed Cuts Interest Rate - Again

How the Fed's latest rate cut impacts credit cards, mortgages and student loans.

35 Ways To Screw Up A Job Interview

27. Hit on the receptionist or pass your phone number to a cute guy: If you give the impression you’re more interested in dating than working you won’t get the gig.

United to Charge $25 to Check Second Bag

The airline, struggling with high fuel costs, hopes to raise more money this way

CIA admits waterboarding inmates

The CIA has for the first time publicly admitted using the controversial method of "waterboarding" on terror suspects. CIA director Michael Hayden told Congress however that it had only been used on three people, and not at all for the past five years.

10 Tips: Frugal Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day sure can pack an unexpected financial punch. Consider these tips for dreaming up an approach to this year’s celebration that is both meaningful and economical.

BREAKING! Obama raises 2.2 million dollars in 24 hours!

This is outstanding news for Obama in the face of the recent report that Hillary had Bill loan her 5 million dollars to her campaign.

She Voted For The War

That Is All That Needs To Be Said

Yahoo Still Looking for Way Out

CEO Jerry Yang said company is hoping to avoid takeover by Microsoft.

Cities Fight Glut of Vacant Houses

Rust Belt cities try to cut the number of houses abandoned after foreclosures.

Bush Proposes Budget With $400B Deficit

Even with difficult-to-digest proposals to curb Medicare costs and kill programs to repair dilapidated public housing, fund community action agencies and provide food to the elderly poor, Mr. Bush's $3 trillion budget will project deficits around $400 billion this year and next.

Fund managers: Keep cool in volatile market

Stock markets are likely to remain volatile for some time dogged by persistent worries about a U.S. recession and the credit crunch, fund managers said on Wednesday, with Fidelity advising investors to keep their cool.

Super Tuesday Tech Special: Democratic Edition

The Super Tuesday primaries are tomorrow. If you're voting in a Democratic contest, the choice is down to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. We've broken down the candidates on the issues that matter most to us: their tech policies. If that's too serious for you, how about this? If each candidate were a gadget, which would they be and why?

Feel the 'Crunch'? Head to the Pawn Shop

More Americans appear to be selling gold and jewelry to pay their mortgages.

Why American kids hate books

American kids hate books because they are rejecting all one-to-many media (including TV). If you want to make kids fall in love with books, make them participatory like Japan has. To increase the reading of novels, figure out how to let young people publish their own.

Clinton Push Poll in California: Dirty Tricks Again

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton or one of her well monied supporters is up to the old style down right Rovian dirty politics again. So buyer beware. If you are getting a "POLL" call and they start talking "POLICY" you are not taking a poll at all. You are getting lied too.

Why Obama Is Far More Likely to Beat McCain

Though Obama and Clinton would score easy points against McCain, Obama has an advantage. McCain can accuse Clinton of being just as complicit in the drive to war because she voted for the resolution that authorized the Iraq War. Whereas, Obama can say McCain showed poor judgment in going into Iraq and McCain has no defense to that.

US Politics Have No Left Wing

None of the presidential candidates would be a viable politician in Sweden.

With Clinton Weakening, Gang of Four Ready to Pounce

Is Al Gore readying an endorsement of Barak Obama? The Gang of Four--Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, Howard Dean, and John Kerry--each with compelling reasons to revile Clinton, have vowed to keep the former first lady from securing the parties nomination. If that is the goal than Gore needs to act before and not after Super Tuesday.

How much will I get from the stimulus plan?

Now that the dust has settled on the government's plan to spend $100 billion on tax rebates, readers have ?one question in mind: how much do I get??? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com’s John W. Schoen.

Protecting investments from steep stock slides

There are ways to minimize losses in a stock market downturn, and you can even profit from one. But each technique, from stop-loss orders to short sales to “put” options, has drawbacks.

Platinum hits record (Reuters)

Reuters - Platinum roared to another record
high on Monday as supply concerns persisted in main producer
South Africa, lifting sister-metal palladium to its best level
in six years and overshadowing gold.

Feared by the Rich, Loved by the Public

Fans call rogue trader Jerome Kerviel a modern Robin Hood.

Huffington Post: Anonymous has already beaten Scientology

"In other words, for all their supposed higher-brain functions, compliments of L. Ron Hubbard's questionable teachings, they can't win this one. A group of internet savvy kid vigilantes has, to some extent, already beaten them. "February 10th, Join the protests at Churches of Scientology Worldwide

Third Cable Cut -- Now Iran Has No Internet Access

I told you early Wednesday morning that much of the Middle East and most of India lost Internet access when an undersea cable was cut (it turns out that two cables were cut). Now, a third cable has apparently been severed, and the entire nation of IRAN HAS ZERO INTERNET ACCESS.

New Operation to Put Heavily Armed Officers in Subways

Roving teams of city police officers armed with automatic rifles and accompanied by bomb-sniffing dogs will patrol the city’s subway system daily, beginning next month.

Confessions of a Mortgage Broker

Here’s what you need to know about how mortgage brokers really work: “When I have a client I really don’t like — he’s a pain in the ass — that’s when I charge as much as I can get out of them,” says Jack, a mortgage broker based in Southern California. Find out how mortgage brokers screw you and how you can fight back!

An Army of Mavericks

The Florida GOP, iPhone hacking, Societe Generale and institutional loyalty.

California: Clinton 43% Obama 40%

This is even before John Edward dropped out of the race.Obama held a three-point lead among white voters in the state while Clinton had a twenty-seven point lead among Hispanic voters. Without Hispanics backing Clinton, She can pull it out at all.

New UK survey: Iraq Conflict Has Killed A Million Iraqis

"The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Business (ORB) with 2,414 adults in face-to-face interviews, found that 20 percent of people had had at least one death in their household as a result of the conflict, rather than natural causes.:

What Counts as an "Issue" In the Clinton-Obama Race?

To the editors of the New York Times, the quality of leadership seems not to be an "issue." The ability to unite the country is not an "issue." What Obama calls the empathy deficit -- attunement to the experience and needs of real people -- is not an "issue." Honesty is not an "issue." Trust is not an "issue." Moral judgment ...

The Largest Tech Deal Ever? Microsoft Makes Unsolicited Bid for Yahoo

Buying the Internet icon may help Microsoft better compete with Google.

Job losses in January raise recession fears (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. employers cut payrolls for the
first time in 4-1/2 years in January, the Labor Department said
on Friday in a report that showed the slowing economy was at
growing risk of sliding into recession.

Is Microsoft Saving Yahoo, or Vice Versa?

What the proposed purchase means for an ever-changing tech world.

Obama #1 In Gates and Jobs Households

Bill Gates has only made one presidential-candidate campaign donation this season, and it was to Barack Obama. Meanwhile, although Steve Jobs' wife Laurene has given nice sums to each of the three leading Democratic candidates, Barack appears to be the apple of her eye, if you calculate that in terms of dollars.

NY POST endorses Barack Obama

January 30, 2008 -- Democrats in 22 states across America go to the polls next Tuesday to pick between two presidential prospects: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.We urge them to choose Obama - an untried candidate, to be sure, but preferable to the junior senator from New York.Obama represents a fresh start.

Cheney: 'We Haven't Violated Anybody's Civil Liberties'

Yesterday, Cheney appeared as a guest on Rush Limbaugh and stumped for retroactive immunity for telecom companies that illegally spied on American citizens: "It’s a program that’s been very well managed. We haven’t violated anybody’s civil liberties."

Google 4Q Earnings Miss Expectations & Plummets After Hours

Google Inc. reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.41 billion, up from $1.24 billion, or the same period a year ago. This however missed expectations and the stock dropped over $40 after hours