Breakdown or breakthrough? Iran nuclear talks hit a snag
Time.com - Nobody was expecting a breakthrough at Wednesday's nuclear talks in Baghdad, but most weren't expecting a breakdown, either. Indeed, predictions were that Iran and the P5+1 (the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China) would engage on more detailed proposals for concrete, reciprocal confidence building measures, and then adjourn by day's end having scheduled a new round of talks in a few weeks.

US unveils new tactics to tackle Al Qaeda propaganda
RT - Hacking is a vital tool to fight extremist propaganda, US State Secretary Hillary Clinton has revealed. Washington has replaced Al Qaeda material on Yemeni tribal websites with information on damage the terror group has done to Yemeni civilians.

Israeli Night of Broken Glass: Africans attacked in Tel Aviv anti-migrant demo (PHOTOS)
RT - Thousands of Israelis, including high-profile politicians, attended an anti-African demonstration in Tel Aviv. The rally turned violent, with attacks on Africans and grocery shop windows being smashed. The gathering, which took place in Tel Aviv’s Hatikva neighborhood, targeted the influx of African asylum seekers and was organized by Michael Ben Ari, a Knesset member from the National Union party, along with far-right activists Itamar Ben-Guir and Baruch Marzel, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.

Let the Munich 11 Rest in Peace
Activist Post - Latest PR stunt aims at fueling fear and anger - will inevitably lead to more deaths on both sides. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has been leading the charge online advocating a "moment of silence" (Twitter hash tag #JustOneMinute ) at the London 2012 Summer Olympics for 11 Israeli athletes tragically slain in Munich, Germany during the 1972 Olympic Games.

VIDEO: Richmond, Canada, Passes Ban on Genetically Engineered Crops
Vancouver Sun - Richmond council has passed a motion banning Genetically Modified shrubs, plants, and food crops from being grown in city. Under the motions passed, Richmond will seek stronger labelling requirements and integrate education and awareness of the issues raised by GMOs into the city's public outreach programs.

Deal or no deal, Iran may be bombed – Israeli minister
RT - A military strike against Iranian facilities is not out of the question, even though Tehran has reached agreement on a probe with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, says Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.... The minister told Army Radio that "a nuclear Iran is intolerable and no options should be taken off the table," referring to the use of force. He said the only way Israel could see Iran develop its civilian nuclear industry is if it shuts down all of its uranium enrichment sites and uses imported fuel.

Russia test fires AMD-piercing strategic missile
RT - The Russian military have successfully launched a top secret advanced intercontinental ballistic missile. It is designed to counter the American antimissile shield currently being deployed in several regions.... The main purpose of the launch was to confirm feasibility of the design approaches incorporated into the missile, spokesman for the Forces Colonel Vadim Koval told journalists.

Syria says sanctions have cost country $4 billion
AP - Syria's oil minister acknowledged the heavy toll international sanctions have taken on the country's oil sector, saying Wednesday that they had sucked about $4 billion from the economy. Sufian Allaw said the sanctions levied by the United States and the European Union to put pressure on President Bashar Assad were to blame for the shortages that have left Syrians across the country standing in long lines to pay inflated prices for cooking gas and other products.

YouTube: UKIP Nigel Farage – Break up the euro and restore human dignity
May 22, 2012 - UK Independence party leader Nigel Farge says Greece will be destroyed if she does not leave the Eurozone.

Greek banks to get $23 billion from bailout fund
AP - Greece's four biggest commercial banks will receive an (EURO)18 billion ($23 billion) cash infusion from the European bailout fund. The recapitalization comes amid political uncertainty in the debt-stricken country after inconclusive May 6 elections saw a rise in support for anti-bailout parties and cast doubt over whether Greece's future use of the euro currency.

VIDEO: War-Gaming Greek Euro Exit Shows Hazards in 46-Hour Weekend
Bloomberg - Greece may have only a 46-hour window of opportunity should it need to plot a route out of the euro. That’s how much time the country’s leaders would probably have to enact any departure from the single currency while global markets are largely closed, from the end of trading in New York on a Friday to Monday’s market opening in Wellington, New Zealand, based on a synthesis of euro-exit scenarios from 21 economists, analysts and academics.

VIDEO: Eco-Fascism Bares Its Teeth: Global Warming Alarmist Wants to Barcode Babies
Paul Joseph Watson - Global warming alarmist Elizabeth Moon’s call for all babies to be forcibly implanted with a microchip to ensure that “anonymity would be impossible”... “It would be imprinted on everyone at birth. Point the scanner at someone and there it is,” she said, adding that the elimination of anonymity would enable people to be identified in both combat and non-combat operations. Moon’s proposal sounds like something out of Nazi concentration camps, where prisoners were tattooed with five digit Hollerith numbers to identify them using a punch card system developed by IBM.

VIDEO: Mark of the Beast: Bilderberg Pushes Mandatory Internet ID for Europe
Aaron Dykes - The European Union is now moving to create a mandatory electronic ID system for all EU citizens that would be implemented across Europe to standardize business both online and in person, authenticating users via a common ‘electronic signature.’ A single authenticating ID would guard access to the Internet, online data and most commerce. It is nothing short of an attempt to phase in a Mark of the Beast system, and a prominent Bilderberg attendee is behind the scheme.

French ban of Monsanto GM maize rejected by EU
Guardian - France's attempt to ban the planting of a Monsanto strain of genetically modified maize was rejected by the EU's food safety body on Monday. In response to scientific evidence submitted by France backing its bid to ban the GM maize, the European Food Safety Authority ruled that "there is no specific scientific evidence, in terms of risk to human and animal health or the environment" to support a ban.

Headlines or Headstones: Mexico journalists face dire choice
The Monitor - The constant threats of retaliation, attacks and manipulation of the media by organized crime have created an environment similar to working in a designated war zone, said Celeste Gonzalez, an assistant professor at the School of Journalism and Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona. Gonzalez said the only difference between reporting in Mexico and a designated war zone is the lack of rules of engagement and operational procedures.

Japan Quake Aftershock Tally Exceeds 5,000
ouramazingplanet.com - So far, 5,229 aftershocks have rattled the tectonic boundary that ruptured off the coast of Japan's Tohoku region in March 2011.... The Sunday (May 20) quake is listed as both magnitude 6.0 and 6.4. If it proves to be the latter, it would be the largest aftershock since March 14, when a magnitude-6.9 earthquake hit the region.

VIDEO: Arpaio not giving up on Obama birth certificate investigation
azfamily.com May 23, 2012 - A certified letter from officials in Hawaii has apparently not ended the birther battle in Arizona. Related article/video here.

Coming Soon: Cop Drones Bearing “Non-lethal” Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas
Kurt Nimmo - Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone. “Those are things that law enforcement utilizes day in and day out and in certain situations it might be advantageous to have this type of system on the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle),” McDaniel told The Daily. Related article here.

US nuclear sub ablaze in Portsmouth shipyard
RT - Six fire crew members were injured while trying to quell a massive blaze that engulfed the nuclear-powered submarine USS Miami. The sub was being serviced at a shipyard in New Hampshire, just next to the city of Portsmouth.... The sub’s reactor in the rear part of the vessel was not affected and no radiation leak was detected, authorities insist. It was not operating at the time the fire started.

VIDEO: Special ops practice for terrorists in Tampa
Tampa Bay Online - Two drills are taking place in Tampa this week. One practices what to do if a hurricane sweeps up Hillsborough Bay; the other is a response to a scenario in which terrorists kidnap Mayor Bob Buckhorn.... The exercise is designed to gauge the response of special operations forces from the United States and nine other nations in a hostage rescue in which Buckhorn is the hostage. Related videos here.

Confirmed: Fox News makes people dumb
RT - Researchers at Fairleigh Dickinson University conducted a study last year that yielded some inarguably unsurprising information about Fox News’ viewership. At the time, researchers concluded that, based off of a study that sampled residents of New Jersey, people that only watch Fox News are less informed on current events than people that don’t watch cable news at all. Now only months later, the school’s researchers have published their finding of a similar study that calls on a sample of participants from coast-to-coast and, according to the results, confirm that their earlier report wasn’t a fluke.

VIDEO: How To Buy A Politician
How do politicians (both Republicans and Democrats) cash in after they leave office? How does this legalized bribery corrupt the American government? The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks down examples showing of the influence of money on our political system.

'Pro-choice' Americans at record low, poll finds
ABC - The percent of Americans who identify as "pro-choice" regarding legalized abortion is at a new low of 41 percent, according to a newly released Gallup poll. The figure is one percent lower than the previous all-time low registered by Gallup, which was in May 2009.

VIDEO: Media Blackout As Obama Appoints First Ever Assassination Czar
Alexander Higgins - John Brennan, Obama’s chief counterterrorism advisor was a name that you did not see on the Mainstream media... Most recently he publicly spoke about the drone program calling it moral and ethical and just. According to reports from the Associated Press, John Brennan has now seized the lead in choosing who will be targeted for drone attacks and raids and Obama has delegated him the sole authority to designate people for assassination under the United States top-secret assassination program. RT video report.

YouTube: 10 More Years and Another 100 Billion For Afghanistan Is An Exit Strategy?
Reality Check: Ben Swann takes a look at the NATO summit in Chicago where President Obama announced plans to keep forces in Afghanistan until at least 2024.

American Heart Association: Tasers can cause death
USA Today - About 16,000 agencies internationally use Tasers, and officials have credited it with helping to reduce fatal police incidents. But the American Heart Association's premier journal, Circulation, published an article online Monday that examined eight cases involving the TASER X26 ECD. Seven of the people died. Dr. Douglas Zipes, of Indiana University's Krannert Institute of Cardiology, found that a shock from the Taser "can cause cardiac electric capture and provoke cardiac arrest" as a result of an abnormally rapid heart rate and uncontrolled, fluttering contractions.

YouTube: Is Your Congress member Smarter Than a 10th Grader?
RT - If you have ever wondered if Congress is run by children, your hunch apparently isn't far off. A recent study by the Sunlight Foundation showed that the speech complexity of the average Congressperson is at a tenth grade level. Unsurprisingly, the drop in rhetorical ability seems to mirror the decline in Congress' approval rating.

The Ron Paul Revolution Scored A Big Win In Kentucky
runronpaul.com - The main story out of last night’s Kentucky primaries has been the Bluegrass State’s apparent distaste for President Barack Obama. But the really interesting results of the night were at the House level, where Rand Paul protégé Thomas Massie scored a landslide victory over his Establishment-backed opponents in the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th District Congressional seat.

YouTube: Ron Paul - Suddenly Seems Electable

Obama almost loses Democratic primaries
RT - Even though US President Barack Obama has no real competition in the Democratic primaries leading up to Election Day, the commander-in-chief has still managed to embarrass his party by barely winning in several state elections.

Ben Swann Update on Affidavit: Do NOT sign!
Daily Paul - From Ben Swann's Facebook page: Massachusetts RNC delegates.. do not sign any affidavit! I posted last night a letter that has gone out reportedly to Massachusetts delegates requiring that they sign an affidavit stating that they will vote for Romney at the RNC or risk "the pain and penalty of perjury." This is a VERY serious issue. Massachusetts delegates need not take this lightly. I was emailed these quotes by Alison Wright. These are comments by Jerry Davis at Lawyers for Ron Paul: "1. "It IS ILLEGAL TO FORCE ANYONE TO VOTE ANY CERTAIN WAY...PERIOD!!!!"

Washington Times: Ron Paul has already won
Strangely, in spite of the success of Paul’s strategy in accumulating delegates, many pundits insist that Paul remains a nonfactor. These same pundits continue to claim that electorally Ron Paul cannot win the Republican nomination, and while the media miss the mark by discounting Paul as a contender, they miss the truly “big story” of the 2012 election. That is, that Ron Paul, mobilizing both young and old with his message of liberty tempered by personal responsibility, and government power tempered by accountability, has already won far more than the election.

Video: Ted Anderson, Owner of GCN & Midas Gold, is a Minnesota Delegate to Tampa!
Published on May 22, 2012 by RTAmerica - Ron Paul took the Republican Party Convention in Minnesota by storm. Paul was able tosnag 12 of the 13 delegates bringing his total to 32 of the states 40 GOP delegates. This marks a huge win for the Texas congressman and his supports, but can he keep it up? Ted Anderson, president of GCNLive.com, gives us some insight on why he voted Paul.

VIDEO: Police captain to be punished over OWS support?
RT - Retired Captain Ray Lewis served within the ranks of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Police Department for nearly a quarter of a century. Now he is at odds against the force’s higher ups, however, over his role with Occupy Wall Street.

Debka: Obama secretly approved shipment of anti-tank arms to Syria
RT - Military sources speaking with Israel’s Debka news agency report that the administration of US President Barack Obama has cut a deal with foreign intelligence that involves equipping Syrian rebels with modern anti-tank missiles. After 14 months of ongoing battles between the country’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, and opposition to his regime, suddenly the rebel forces are responding with weaponry reportedly sent with the blessing of President Obama.

US missiles 'kill four in Pakistan'
AFP - US missiles killed four militants in a Taliban stronghold of Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said, amid increasing strains with the West over a six-month blockade on NATO supplies into Afghanistan. A drone targeted a compound near Miranshah, the main town of the tribal district where Pakistan has resisted US pressure to launch a sweeping offensive against militants fighting US troops in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Saudis pledge $3.25 billion in aid to Qaeda-hit Yemen
(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, concerned that chaos in Yemen is creating an al Qaeda base on its doorstep, pledged $3.25 billion in aid to its neighbor at a donor group meeting two days after more than 90 Yemeni soldiers were killed in a suicide attack.

VIDEO: Millions in the streets: Spain protests cuts to education (PHOTOS)
RT - The majority of Spain's educational institutions have closed as teachers and students take to the streets to defend their rights. The government has cut billions of euros from educational sector expenses. The strike is taking place on all levels, from elementary schools to universities in all but three of Spain's 17 regions. As many as a million teachers and seven million students are expected to take part in Tuesday's demonstrations.

Cut interest rates even further IMF tells Osborne: And if that doesn't work, start to make tax cuts, says finance chief
Daily Mail -THE head of the world’s economic watchdog yesterday delivered an extraordinary call for the Bank of England to cut interest rates even further as British households were warned the income squeeze will last for another 18 months.

9/11 ‘truther’ leading Egyptian presidential race
Washington Times An Islamist who believes that the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States were an American conspiracy is the front-runner in Egypt’s presidential race, a new poll shows. Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, formerly a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, led the field of 13 candidates with 32 percent of the vote in a survey released Monday by the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

Brussels wants e-identities for EU citizens
EurActiv - Neelie Kroes [Editor's Note: Bilderberg attendee], the EU’s Digital Agenda Commissioner, will present by the beginning of June a new legislative proposal which aims “to facilitate cross-border electronic transactions” through the adoption of harmonised e-signatures, e-identities and electronic authentication services (eIAS) across EU member states, according to an internal document seen by EurActiv.

WHO Will Use Polio Vaccines to Depopulate Underdeveloped Nations
Susanne Posel - The World Health Organization (WHO) will declare polio a global health emergency this week.... WHO asserts that in 2011 the disease was reported to be running rampant throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, with 650 cases around the world.... WHO is seeking to secure $1billion to add to their existing funds. They will bring this topic to the attention of ministers of health at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland this week.... They also suggest that officials from polio-free countries have officials at airports to administer vaccinations to people at arriving from affected nations.

Could you be sued for texting with a driver? Experts say, 'maybe'
Could you be blamed for a car crash because you sent a text message? A New Jersey judge will decide later this week if the sender of a text message might be partially liable for a horrific auto accident that occurred because the driver was reading that message on his cell phone and drifted into oncoming traffic.

VIDEO: Virtual Terrorism: Al Qaeda Video Calls for 'Electronic Jihad'
The al Qaeda video calls upon the "covert mujahidin" to launch cyber attacks against the U.S. networks of both government and critical infrastructure, including the electric grid. The video was obtained by the FBI last year, and released today by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. "This is the clearest evidence we've seen that al Qaeda and other terrorist groups want to attack the cyber systems of our critical infrastructure," Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said in a statement.

Hawaii verifies Obama birth records to Arizona
The Ticket - The state of Hawaii said it has provided verification of the president's birth to Arizona's secretary of state, who claimed he needed proof of Obama's citizenship before he could place his name on the November ballot. Joshua Wisch, special assistant to Hawaii Attorney General David Louie, told The Associated Press that the matter is now resolved.

NDAA 2013: Congress approves domestic deceptive propaganda
RT - An amendment tagged on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 would allow for the United States government to create and distribute pro-American propaganda within the country’s own borders under the alleged purpose of putting al-Qaeda’s attempts at persuading the world against Western ideals on ice. Former US representatives went out of there way to ensure their citizens that they’d be excluded from government-created media blasts, but two lawmakers currently serving the country are looking to change all that.

Unmanned spy planes are being launched from 63 locations in 20 states - Is there one near you?
(NaturalNews) Following what has been described as a "landmark" Freedom of Information Act request, the federal government has been forced to reveal that unmanned spy drones are being launched from 63 sites in 20 states. Further, some of the drones are of a make and model that has been used overseas to target insurgents and terrorists with missiles, the government's information revealed.... At the same time, the EFF complaint disclosed, about 300 more state and local police departments have applications pending before the FAA to use drones they have already bought (many with federal - i.e., taxpayer - funds, no less).

VIDEO: Pennsylvania Constable to Sign Resolution Opposing the NDAA and Patriot Act
Activist Post - Pennsylvania State Constable Ed Quiggle, Jr., the elected Constable for the City of Sunbury’s 9th Ward, will sign a resolution in opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, also known as the NDAA, on Saturday, May 26th, 2012 at 10 a.m., in Cameron Park directly across the street from the Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The NDAA authorizes the federal government to arrest and indefinitely detain Americans and legal aliens without charge or trial.

Texas high school teaches Nazi oppression by making students wear red arm bands, treated like Jewish prisoners
(NaturalNews) A former student at Perryton High School in Perryton, Texas, has filed a lawsuit against the school's district for injuries he allegedly suffered during a teacher-mandated reenactment of the Holocaust. According to the suit, Andrew Yara, now 19, suffered a partially dislocated hip, dehydration, and a series of seizures after being forced to carry around several heavy student on his back as part of the bizarre education experiment.

Thousands walk to mark year since tornado hit Joplin, Missouri
(Reuters) - An estimated 5,000 people participated on Tuesday in a "walk of unity" to Joplin, Missouri, along the path of a deadly tornado that tore through the city one year ago, killing 161 people.... The walk was intended to underscore how Joplin's 50,000 residents came together with some 130,000 volunteers from many other communities to rebuild the city.

Cops confiscate cash on Tennessee highways
RT -A New Jersey man was recently pulled over for speeding in the state of Tennessee. Although George Reby drove off without be charged with a crime, he was instantly $22,000 poorer.... Reby was traveling across state lines with 20 grand in cash because he was looking to purchase an automobile he saw on the online auction site eBay. That cash was in his possession when Officer Larry Bates of the Monterey Police Department pulled him over for speeding. According to the cop, having the money just didn’t seem right.

Senate Dems back increase in air travel fee to close funding shortfall at TSA
The Hill - The Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday moved forward with legislation to increase airline passenger security fees, beating back a GOP attempt to keep them at current levels. The 2013 Homeland Security appropriations bill would increase one-way fees for passengers from $2.50 to $5 in order to close a budget shortfall at the Transportation Security Administration.

VIDEO: 'Hologram' to greet and guide travelers at N.Y. airports
Fox News - A female "avatar" -- in the form of a life-size hologram type of image -- will soon begin greeting and guiding people at special kiosks at the New York area's three airports.... She was designed to improve customer service, Port Authority officials said -- and she does not need lunch or bathroom breaks or overtime pay. The machines are being rented on a trial basis for about $180,000 for six months. It it part of a larger initiatvie to help travelers at the airports.

Hawaii Five-O: Sheriff Joe Sends Detectives to Honolulu
WND - In a major development in his probe of Barack Obama’s eligibility for Arizona’s 2012 presidential ballot, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has dispatched his lead Cold Case Posse investigator and a deputy detective to Hawaii. The mission to Obama’s purported birthplace comes as the Hawaii Department of Health continues to resist efforts by Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett to verify that the Honolulu agency has a valid birth certificate on file for Obama.

Bilderberg 2012 List Of Participants Revealed?
Intel Hub - Here is a list of Bilderberg Participants 2012 floating around on the web. I was unable to trace back the source to this list, so I have no idea if it is accurate. What stands out from this particular list is a plethora of Obama administration officials and American business kingpins. Also a formidable delegation from Spain, Italy and-significantly: Turkey (as a non-EU member Turkey is doing stunningly well. Is Bilderberg trying to sweet talk the Turks into joining?). Another curious lapse seems to be the absence of David Rockefeller’s name on the list- a lapse you wouldn’t expect in a fake list.

Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media
Guardian - The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda. A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an “online persona management service” that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.

Kucinich: "NATO Talks a Sham: War in Afghanistan is Not Ending"
Huffington Post - "Today, NATO leaders are meeting in Chicago to discuss the future of Afghanistan. The talks are being billed as discussions of plans to end the war. The war in Afghanistan is not ending. These talks are simply about financing the next phase of the war."

US Congressman Introduces Visa Waiver for Israelis
israelnationalnews.com - US Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) introduced legislation on Friday that would no longer require Israelis to obtain visas to visit the United States for tourism or business purposes.... “Israel is our closest friend and democratic ally in the Middle East,” Sherman said in a statement. “Adding Israel to the Visa Waiver Program will boost business, tourism, and job creation here in the U.S. and enhance cultural ties between our two nations.”

Constitutional victory: Controversial NDAA provisions blocked, at least temporarily, by federal judge
(NaturalNews) In a rare display of constitutional patriotism by a government authority, an Obama-appointed federal judge has put an indefinite block on the egregious National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). According to Bloomberg, U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest of Manhattan, N.Y., ruled in favor of plaintiffs who earlier had sued the Obama administration over the bill's unconstitutional arrest and detainment provisions, which provide no protection for American citizens.

Pistole: TSA Gropers Being Trained To Feel For Crotch Bombs
Steve Watson - Although reports today suggest that the TSA is looking to move away from physical pat downs, owing to public backlash, TSA head John Pistole admitted recently that screeners are being trained to pay specific attention to the crotches of travelers moving through airport security.

VIDEO: Ron Paul Revolution – I Hung My Head

VIDEO: Mitt Romney is not the guy. Ron Paul 2012 — Ron Paul is incorruptible!!
Note: According to Ben Swann all delegates are 100% unbound and can vote for whichever candidate they like at any time.

Ron Paul Supporters Submit Challenge to Oklahoma GOP State Convention
Attorneys representing grassroots supporters of presidential candidate Ron Paul delivered a letter, dated Tuesday, May 22nd to Oklahoma GOP Chairman Matt Pinnell challenging the, "the legitimacy and legality of the purported selection of at-large delegates, and alternates to the Republican National Convention at the May 12, 2012 Oklahoma Republican Party Convention." The letter contends that the election of the State Republican Executive Committee’s national delegate slate is void because convention chairman Marc Nuttle failed to conduct the vote by roll call ballot as required in party rules.

MA delegates asked to sign affidavit that they will vote for Romney on first ballot
Daily Paul - Massachusetts delegates to the RNC in Tampa have received a letter and affidavit that they are being asked to sign and return, affirming that, under the pain and penalty of perjury, they will vote for Mitt Romney in the first round of voting.

YouTube: Maddow: Ron Paul wins Minnesota and brings in money for struggling state GOP
MSNBC May 22, 2012.

YouTube: Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Discusses ‘Ron Paul’s Revolution’
Rand Paul and Brian Doherty (author of author of Ron Paul’s rEVOLution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired) spoke about the Ron Paul’s Revolution at The Cato Institute.

UN nuclear chief says deal with Iran reached
RT - The chief of the U.N. nuclear agency says he has reached a deal with Iran on probing suspected work on nuclear weapons and adds that the agreement will "be signed quite soon. " Yukiya Amano says some details still need to be worked out. But he tells reporters that Iranian officials say that those will not stand in the way of signing the deal, AP reports.

North Korea to boost nuclear deterrent after U.S. pressure
(Reuters) - North Korea vowed on Tuesday to bolster its nuclear deterrent in response to diplomatic pressure from Washington over a recent failed rocket launch. The United States, backed by the United Nations Security Council, has warned North Korea that it will face more sanctions if it undertakes what would be its third nuclear test.

China says Pentagon hypes Chinese military threat
AP - The annual Pentagon report to Congress on China's military always draws strenuous objections from Beijing. This year's report — which outlined a Chinese military modernization effort that is gaining momentum — comes as both Washington and Beijing are encouraging their militaries to built trust and improve communications. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said the Pentagon report exaggerates Chinese defense capabilities, falsely accuses China of launching cyber-attacks and plays up a military edge over rival Taiwan to boost U.S. weapon s

VIDEO: Obama: U.S. can’t wait for Afghanistan to be 'perfect'
The Ticket - President Obama acknowledged "risks" in his decision to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 but said war-weary Americans can't wait for that strife-torn country to be "perfect." "I don't think that there is ever going to be an optimal point where we say, this is all done, this is perfect, this is just the way we wanted it and now we can wrap up all our equipment and go home," Obama said at a press conference at the end of a two-day NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago.

The Netherlands Passes Net Neutrality Legislation
EFF.org - New legislation in the Netherlands makes it the first country in Europe to establish a legal framework supporting net neutrality. In addition to the net neutrality provisions, the law contains language that restricts when ISPs can wiretap their users, and limits the circumstances under which ISPs can cut off a subscriber’s Internet access altogether.

Obama says Yemen now a hub for foreign terrorists
AP - President Barack Obama says the United States is very worried about al-Qaida terrorism and extremism in Yemen. Obama says Yemen is drawing foreign terrorists who once might have gone to Pakistan's border area, where insurgents gather to fight NATO forces in Afghanistan. A suicide bomber blew himself up at a military parade rehearsal Monday in Yemen's capital, killing 96 soldiers in one of the deadliest attacks in the city in years. Al-Qaida's Yemen branch claimed responsibility for the attack.

Violence in Syria spills over into Lebanon
AP - Syria's war barreled over the border with an angry, raucous funeral Monday for an anti-Syrian cleric whose killing set off a night of deadly street battles in Beirut and raised fears that Lebanon is getting drawn into the chaos afflicting its neighbor.

VIDEO: European missile defense shield up and running – NATO
RT - The European missile shield is up and running, says NATO Secretary-General Fogh Rasmussen, who announced its “interim capability” to shoot down incoming missiles. Earlier Russia voiced strong concern over the issue.

10,000 Montreal Students Defy Anti-Protest Law Bill 78
Intel Hub - Up to 10,000 people attended a massive rally and march against Quebec’s emergency (close to martial law) bill 78 which was passed in 24 hours and severely limits the right to protest. Critics throughout the world have claimed that the new rules infringe on civil rights and are a step towards martial law. An article published on theintelhub.com by Andrew Gavin Marshall described the events leading up the passing of the emergency law and what the law actually does.

Unsafe Immunization Practices: Creating a Silent Epidemic in Developing Countries?
(NaturalNews) According to the World Health Organization, immunization providers are responsible for 1.3 million early deaths each year in emerging countries, due to using needles and syringes multiple times without sterilizing them. But, it doesn't stop there. Approximately 21.7 million people every year who line up for vaccines and other injections with these unsterilized needles and syringes are being infected with Hepatitis B. An additional 2 million are infected with Hepatitis C, and still another 250,000 receive HIV infections.

Is your doctor on this list?
How Industry Dollars Reach Your Doctors. Look under the State and then for your doctors name.

Judge in 9/11 Case at Guantanamo Weighs Splitting up Defendants and Holding Multiple Trials
NY Daily News.com - A special US military tribunal at Guantanamo is weighing whether to hold separate trials for five accused plotters of the September 11 attacks, a defense lawyer said. The men, who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, were formally charged earlier this month with crimes that include murder and terrorism. They face the death penalty if convicted for their roles in the Al-Qaeda attacks that claimed 2,976 lives in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

As The Elite Fences Itself In, Kissinger Announces Order Out Of Chaos
Jurriaan Maessen - In a recent statement Henry Kissinger admitted that social upheaval and mass civil unrest are to be used as a means of merging the US into an “international system”. “The United States has to be part of an international system that we create domestically”, he told The Harvard Crimson in the beginning of this month.

Video: Chicago: Establishment Creates Police State Theater for NATO War Council
Kurt Nimmo - Despite establishment media hype predicting a repeat of the violence at the 1968 Democratic convention, the anti-NATO protests in Chicago have so far been largely non-violent. Chicago cops tried to create a riot but not much came of it.... Chicago and the federal government squandered millions of tax payer dollars on a not-so secret “command center” to keep a watchful electronic eye on Americans exercising the First Amendment.

Chicago Braces for Final Day of Anti-NATO Protest, March on Boeing HQ
CBS - Chicago braced for more demonstrations Monday, with protesters marching to Boeing Corp. headquarters, a day after police clashed with a group of demonstrators at the end of a march protesting the NATO Summit. CBS Station WBBM correspondent Marissa Bailey reports the demonstration outside Boeing's headquarters on N. Riverside Plaza in the West Loop will protest the defense contractor building aircraft and missiles for the U.S. military. The protesters say Boeing is a "war machine that produces war machines."

US catholics sue Obama over contraception mandate
RT - Catholic groups in the US are suing the Obama administration over a law obliging employers to provide workers with birth control coverage. Religious institutions argue that the bill forces them to violate Catholic doctrine or face steep fines. Around 43 Catholic institutions across eight states have filed lawsuits against the regulations which are part of the Obama administration’s healthcare reform law.

Bomb threat forces evacuation at Utah spy site, FBI says
(Reuters) - A bomb threat forced the evacuation of a National Security Agency facility under construction in Utah on Monday but investigators found nothing suspicious, an FBI spokeswoman said. The site for the spy agency is being built at Camp Williams, a military base just south of Salt Lake City. The Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the project. FBI spokeswoman Deborah Bertram declined to say how the threat was received but said it led to an evacuation at the site.

NSA under fire: Supreme Court to review legality of warrantless wiretapping of Americans
RT - The US Supreme Court decided on Monday this week that they will consider a case that challenges the powers for the federal government established in the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, a legislation that allows authorities a wide breadth when getting away with snooping into private conversation in the name of national security.

VIDEO: CNN Anchor on NATO protest to police: The whole world is watching, does anybody deserve this?
After going through previous media blackouts on police overreach and brutality during Occupy protests, it’s an optimistic sign to hear a reporter in shock over the beatings of protesters at the NATO summit by authorities. CNN’s Don Lemon calls them out.

VIDEO: Teacher Yells At Student: Criminal Offense to Criticize Obama
Intel Hub - An audio recording of an exchange between a teacher and a student at North Rowan High School in North Carolina serves as a reminder that the school system is becoming a training ground for teaching kids to be subservient to the state while indoctrinating them into thinking that the First Amendment doesn’t exist. The clip features a conversation in which teacher Tanya Dixon-Neely tells students that it is a criminal offense to criticize Barack Obama and that they could be “arrested” for doing so.

Innocent Americans spent at least 10,000 years in jail
RT - The US Constitution guarantees a fair trial, but the number of Americans that will argue otherwise is incredible. At least 2,000 people have been sentenced to prison for crimes in the last 23 years, only to eventually be exonerated by the court.

Rise For Liberty Money Bomb Raises Over $800,000
Daily Paul - $800,000 and rising!

The Biggest Prize, California: Select Your Precincts to Mail Super Brochures
Daily Paul - LibertyUSApac.org is stepping up to the challenge to help Ron Paul win in California by mailing Ron Paul Super Brochures. They have a strategy to win delegates.

Old Neocon War Horse Cheney to Hold Fund-raiser for Mittens
Kurt Nimmo - Mitt Romney wants a warmonger and war criminal as his vice president – somebody just like Dick Cheney [video].... In short, Romney is attempting to draw in the neocons and their supporters. Democrats may have a field day linking Romney to the Bush-era warmongers, but then they would be hypocrites to do so – Obama has continued Bush’s legacy and has expanded the phony war on terror, including partaking in the unconstitutional invasion of Libya with NATO that resulted in the murder of around 30,000 people in the north African nation.

VIDEO: Ron "Paul Fest" Gains More Celebrities! Country Stars Burns and Poe Make Huge Announcement!
Daily Paul - "Burns & Poe is country-soaked, adrenaline-driven, fun-lovin’, on the rocks entertainment that makes for a don’t-blink, hold-tight, roller-coaster-of-a-ride, live show. Paul Festival information here. Watch the brand new music video! "I Need A Job"

60 Min Peter Thiel: Ron Paul Worth Every Cent of Investment
CBS 60 Minutes 5/20/2012 - Paypal Co-Founder / Entrepreneur Peter Thiel explains why investing 2.5 million in Ron Paul is worth it.

VIDEO: 'Life over war': US veterans return medals at NATO summit
msnbc.com - Dozens of anti-war veterans tossed their medals onto a Chicago street Sunday near where NATO began its two-day summit, calling them “representations of hate,” “lies” and “cheap tokens,” and with some making emotional pleas for forgiveness from the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. With many dressed in military fatigues, they had filed through the streets in formation, chanting "N-A-T-O, NATO has got to go," and “No NATO, no war, we don't work for you no more,” leading about 2,000 protesters on a 2.5-mile march.

Bin Laden died of natural causes says Former CIA agent
A former agent of the CIA has revealed that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has died of natural causes five years before the US announced his death.

US warns North Korea against another nuke test
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The top U.S. envoy for North Korea warned Pyongyang on Monday that any nuclear test would be a serious miscalculation that would unify the world in seeking swift, tough punishment.

UN nuclear chief in Iran on key mission
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- The head of the U.N. nuclear agency arrived Monday in Tehran on a key mission that could lead to the resumption of probes by the watchdog on whether Iran has secretly worked on an atomic weapon. It would also strength the Islamic Republic's negotiating hand in crucial nuclear talks with six world powers later this week in Baghdad.

UK troops may stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014 says official
RT - Plans for a compete Western pullout from Afghanistan seem to be drifting with Britain saying a small number of its soldiers may remain in the country beyond the 2014 NATO withdrawal deadline.

Syrian opposition gets shoulder-fired missiles
WND - There remains frustration in trying to track down up to 20,000 missing shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles taken out of the bunkers during the waning days of the regime of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin. Now that they have disappeared, and despite a U.S. program worth tens of millions of dollars to try and relocate them, only 5,000 have been turned in.

G8 Confab Calls for Action Against Iran, North Korea
Kurt Nimmo - During the G8 confab at Camp David this weekend, the “major industrial nations” called for turning up the heat on North Korea and Iran in response to their nuclear programs.

VIDEO: G8 summit ends with artificial ‘hopetimism’
RT - The annual G8 summit is over, with no tangible result in saving Europe from financial crisis.... Charlie McGrath, the founder of Wide Awake News, told RT.... “We keep talking about Greece over and over and over again for the last several years. But the problem is not just Greece, Greece is a relatively small economy,” McGrath warned. “The problem is the European debt load period, and nobody is addressing the real problem which is these banks that have loaded up the debt on all these countries.”

Spy-Butterfly: Israel developing insect drone for indoor surveillance
RT - The future is here and this is not a butterfly on your wall, as Israeli drones are getting tiny. Their latest project – a butterfly-shaped drone weighing just 20 grams - the smallest in its range so far – can gather intelligence inside buildings.

Big pharma 'research' suggests all people over 50 should take statins every day for life
(NaturalNews) Big pharma propaganda has reached a new height in the UK this week, with the release of a new study that appears to show the benefits of taking statins. The report goes on to claim that everyone over 50 years of age should be taking the drug on a daily basis, for the rest of their lives.

U.S. soliders forced to wear U.N. logo? - Appeal explains Clinton's secret executive order
WND - In the 1990s, conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly wrote a moving description of the plight of U.S. Army Specialist E-4 Michael G. New, a medic in the Third Infantry Division who was drummed out of the military because he refused to wear the uniform of the United Nations. “When American soldiers were killed over Iraq,” she wrote, “Vice President Al Gore told the widows and orphans of those men that ‘they died in the service of the United Nations.’ That wasn’t a slip of the tongue; his words reveal the Clinton administration’s plan to use our armed forces as U.N. mercenaries all over the world at the whim of U.N. bureaucrats.”

Lou Dobbs mystified by Obama-birth ‘taboo’
WND - Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs says he’s mystified by an apparent “taboo” Republicans and the national media have as they continue to bury any question or news story probing the eligibility of Barack Obama to be president of the United States.

Life in Occupied Chicago
Activist Post - Secret Service agents, NORTHCOM and National Guard forces, as well as thousands of state and local police seem everywhere.... Residents were advised to hunker down and stay out of harm's way as best as possible. For many, it's not easy. More on a city under siege below.

Obama Order Backing Yemen Dictator Threatens Free Speech, Critics Say
New American - President Obama is under fire after passing a so-called “Executive Order” threatening anyone, including American citizens, who interferes even “indirectly” with the transition to power of the new U.S. government-backed dictator of Yemen. Analysts expressed concern that the measure could be an attack on the First Amendment protection of free speech rights, suggesting that journalists and activists who oppose the Yemeni regime might find themselves targeted by the administration’s newly super-charged terror war.

MBTA to Spread Dead Bacteria on Red Line in Bio-Terror Test
Beacon Hill, MA Patch - In order to test sensors that detect biological agents that terror groups could release into subway systems, Homeland Security and the T plan to release dead bacteria at three Red Line stops during off-hours.

Army Convoy Heading Towards NATO Summit As Chicago Law Enforcement Prepares For War With Protesters
Intel Hub - With the city of Chicago investing at least a million dollars in riot control equipment and warning the Red Cross of possible evacuations, things are sure to get extremely hairy. Top that off with recently spotted army vehicles headed towards Chicago and you have a recipe for an extremely violent weekend.

VIDEO: Over 1,000 join 2nd day of anti-NATO protests in Chicago (PHOTOS)
RT - More than a thousand protesters have flooded downtown Chicago on the second day of demonstrations against the upcoming NATO summit. A few skirmishes took place with police using batons on activists. This comes as about 2,500 people attended a rally at a downtown plaza on Friday. However, the biggest demonstrations are expected to take place on Sunday when the NATO summit kicks off.

VIDEO: Nurses lead thousands in Chicago anti-NATO march (PHOTOS)
RT - Thousands of protesters took to Chicago’s streets ahead of the NATO summit due to kick off there on Sunday. National Nurses United teamed up with trade unions and the Occupy movement to form a mass rally in the Windy City. The NNU members demanded a Robin Hood tax to be introduced on banks’ financial transactions. That demand was rather a supplement to the protest against proposals to cut back nurses pensions.

VIDEO: Kucinich Anti-Drone Amendment Struck Down
Fox News - Three other amendments were rejected earlier in the day by voice vote, from: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), prohibits the Joint Special Operations Command from conducting drone strikes against targets whose identity is not known or is based solely on patterns of behavior (aka "signature" strikes).... The Kucinich-Conyers legislation flies directly in the face of the Obama administration's decision to execute those types of airstrikes, particularly against suspected terror targets in Yemen.

VIDEO: 6-foot-long, 100-pound missile falls off Apache helicopter near Texas homes
Activist Post - In Killeen, Texas, a training missile – which is actually never meant to leave the helicopter – fell off an Apache helicopter flying out of the Fort Hood military base. I wish I could say that this was the only example of the military doing things which seem nothing short of imbecilic, but that is far from the case. Watch the below video about the Navy spending another $262 million on drones that don’t work if you need another example...

GOP House leaders increase pressure on Holder to comply with subpoena
Fox News - [Rep. Darrel Issa, chairman of the chamber's investigative committee] wants to put Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with the October 2011 subpoena issued for the documents. House members say Holder has provided only select information, while the administration argues Holder has provided what is required for the congressional investigations.

4-year-old Texas girl taken from parents and heavily drugged by Child Protective Services
RT -The parents of a 4-year-old girl are outraged after their daughter was placed under the care of Child Protective Services and then heavily medicated with psychotropic drugs.... Rachel, at only three years old, was hooked on Risperdal, a drug used to treat Schizophrenia and Bi-Polar disorder. Sadly, she isn’t the only one either. A report from ABC News published in November 2011 reveals that around one-fourth of foster children examined by the Government Accountability Office were prescribed at least one psychiatric drugs, with thousands of youngsters forced to take doses higher than what the FDA approves.

The US government is collecting DNA from kids, whether or not they are involved in criminal activity
(NaturalNews) Documents recently released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF), show that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering collecting DNA samples from children 14 and up, and is even considering collecting samples from kids younger than that.

VIDEO: 2nd Grader Kicked Out of School for ‘Black Face’ MLK Tribute
KRDO - A second-grader at Meridian Ranch Elementary school in Colorado Springs was pulled out of class on Wednesday for painting his face black. Sean King dressed up as Martin Luther King, Jr. for a class project. “It was wax museum day for the second-graders and each one dressed up as a historical figure they were assigned,” said Sean’s mother, Michelle King-Roca.

Ron Paul Decisively Wins Minnesota and Carries Delegates in Multiple Other States
Supporters of 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul have propelled him to an historic win in Minnesota this weekend, with delegate gains having occurred in multiple other states as well. The recent achievements affirm Paul’s delegate-attainment strategy, and support the notion that he and his platform will be featured prominently at the Republican National Convention in Tampa this August.

YouTube: Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 5/21/12
On Indefinite Detention: The Tyranny Continues.

Rise For Liberty Money Bomb Rolls On!

Video/Audio: Ron Paul rocks Minnesota GOP Convention
Ron Paul full speech at 2012 Minnesota Republican State Conference 5-18-12. (Over 2100 delegates present.)

Ron Paul Picks Up National Delegates
Michigan Standard - Ron Paul has been picking up delegates in state after state, and Michigan was no different. Although the totals are not yet confirmed it looks like Ron Paul picked up 8 of the 30 voting delegates from Michigan for the national convention in Tampa. Additionally, at least one non-voting delegate and 11 alternates are Ron Paul supporters as well.

Should I Vote For Ron Paul 2012? Complete Guide to Ron Paul's Stance on Every Issue
PolicyMic - In order to do my part to help understand not just Paul, but libertarian philosophy in general, I put together a brief summary of where Paul stands on specific political issues taken from his speeches and writings.

Reality Check: Liberty Movement Taking Over GOP Part 1
Ben Swann takes a look at the hidden story that the Grand Old Party is becoming a whole new party. Why Rep. Ron Paul may only be a messenger of a movement that has already scored major victories this primary season.

Ron Paul co-sponsors Obama Impeachment Bill
Examiner - Hoping to soon pass committee and make it to the house is HCR 107, a bill threatening the possibility of the impeachment of the President of the United States for high crimes and misdemeanors, now thrust into the spotlight.

VIDEO: Arizona's Secretary Of State Threatens To Keep President Obama Off The Ballot
Business Insider- Talking Points Memo this morning pointed to this interview yesterday between Arizona conservative radio host and Secretary of State Ken Bennett. In the interview, Bennett said it would be "possible" that he keeps President Obama off the Arizona ballot in November unless he receives "confirmation" from the state of Hawaii that Barack Obama was born there.

Lung Disease Following Deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan
rtmagazine.com - Concern for deployment-related lung disease is on the rise, as more US troops and civilian contractors are reporting prolonged and unexplained respiratory symptoms after returning from southwest Asia. Several exposures of concern have been identified, including burn pit emissions, desert dusts, and industrial fires and emissions.

VIDEO: Chicago Police Hold Occupy Activists on State Terrorism Charges With Dubious Evidence
Common Dreams - The City of Chicago has filed charges against three Occupy activists, Jared Chase, Brent Beterly, and Brian Jacob Church, including possession of explosives or incendiary devices, material support for terrorism, and conspiracy. While police say the suspects had Molotov cocktail-making equipment, the National Lawyers Guild says they only had beer-making equipment and cell phones. Related article.