United States

In his final State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama noted in passing that the United States spends as much on defense as the next eight countries combined. He might have added that the proportions are similar for the Foreign Service and the intelligence community, which cost $50 billion and an estimated $80 billion respectively. The president might well have asked why, if that is so, is there so little bang for the buck in terms of what the U.S. taxpayer gets in return.

Submitted by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.com,

As economic turmoil worldwide becomes increasingly apparent, I have been receiving messages from readers expressing some concerns on the public “perception” of collapse. That is to say, there are questions on the average person’s concept of collapse versus the reality of collapse. This is a vital issue that I have discussed briefly in the past, but it deserves a more in-depth analysis.

Back in September 2012 we first presented "the world's biggest hedge fund nobody had ever heard of": a small, previously unknown company called Braeburn Capital which, however, managed more cash than even Ray Dalio's Bridgewater, the world's largest hedge fund.

How had the little firm operating out of a non-descript office building in Nevada achieved this claim to fame? By managing the cash hoard (now well over $200 billion) of the world's biggest and most valuable company: Apple.

Putin has announced plans to ban soybeans and corn imports into Russia from the United States over possible GMO contamination.  Russia’s food safety watchdog say that the contaminated products risk affecting food safety in Russia and could adversely affect other Eurasian Economic Union members. RT.com reports: The Russian agency says it notified US authorities on Monday to halt exports of corn contaminated with dry rot to Russia.

Confirming what we detailed earlier this week, queen of the unicorns Elizabath Holmes is in big trouble...

• *THERANOS 'NOT IN COMPLIANCE' WITH GOVERNMENT RULES, AGENCY SAYS
• *CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES COMMENTS IN LETTER
• *THERANOS HAD 'DEFICIENT PRACTICES' AT LABORATORY, CMS SAYS
• *PRACTICES POSED 'JEOPARDY TO PATIENT HEALTH AND SAFETY'

As Bloomberg reports,