United States

After two violently volatile days in which the market soared (Monday) then promptly retraced all gains (Tuesday), the overnight session has been relatively calm with futures and oil both unchanged even as the BBG dollar index rose to the highest level since April 4. This took place despite a substantial amount of macro data from both Japan, where the GDP came well above the expected 0.3%, instead printing 1.7% annualized, which pushed stocks lower as it meant the probability of more BOJ interventions or a delay of the sales tax hike both dropped.

Submitted by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

You are about to see a chart that is undeniable evidence that we have already entered a major economic slowdown. 

Ben Sasse is the man of the hour. On this first-term Republican senator from Nebraska lie the hopes of conservatives opposed to presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

Conservative columnists beg him to run for president. Erick Erickson, arguably the right’s best-known blogger, calls him a hero and “the voice of intellectual conservatives in the United States.”

Submitted by Jeff Thomas via InternationalMan.com,

For half a century, Americans have been largely unable to visit Cuba and have had to rely on the US government and media for an understanding of the political, social and economic conditions there. What has been described as the “American Berlin Wall” has been successful in providing Americans with quite an inaccurate view.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee..." -  Hosea 4:6 (KJV)

In the time that I've been here in this physical dimension, I've noticed that most people don't take the time to check things out for themselves.  A simple act of reading a few pages of letters can sometimes rather easily dispel dangerous rumors and myths.