United States

For those who thought that the world's biggest company losing over $40 billion in market cap in an instant on disappointing Apple earnings, would have been sufficient to put a dent in US equity futures, we have some disappointing news: with just over 7 hours until the FOMC reveals its April statement, futures are practically unchanged, even though the Nasdaq appears set for an early bruising in the aftermath of what is becoming a disturbing quarter for tech companies. "It’s pretty disappointing,” Angus Nicholson, an analyst at IG Ltd., told Bloomberg.

The U.S. is planning on giving Israel the largest military assistance package in its history, according to a White House spokesperson.  An official from the Obama administration told Reuters, “We are prepared to sign an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Israel that would constitute the largest single pledge of military assistance to any country in US history“. Ynetnews.com reports: The statement came hours after 83 US senators sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to reach a military assistance deal with Israel.

To: General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
From: W.S. Lind
Re: A New Grand Strategy

Submitted by John Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute,

“You had to live - did live, from habit that became instinct - in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.”—George Orwell, 1984

In past ages, those who dared to speak out against tyranny - viewed as an act of treason - were blinded, castrated, disfigured, mutilated, rendered mute by having their tongues cut out of their heads, and ultimately crucified.

Authored by Pepe Escobar, originally posted Op-Ed at SputnikNews.com,

US President Barack Obama landed in Saudi Arabia for a GCC petrodollar summit and to proverbially “reassure Gulf allies” amidst the oiliest of storms.

The Doha summit this past weekend that was supposed to enshrine a cut in oil production by OPEC, in tandem with Russia – it was practically a done deal – ended up literally in the dust.