SAR #11262

The US has a Single Prayer medical system.

Collapse, Revised Edition: While there is little enthusiasm among senior European leaders for full fiscal union, there is sufficient agreement on the continent to extend and pretend the current put-offmanship long enough to protect European banks from a Greek default and Italy's slow collapse into insolvency. Unfortunately the German constitutional court has ruled out the mechanisms that would permit this happy resolution.

Disastrous Relief: The GOP is insisting that only $3.65 billion be approved for disaster relief to keep FEMA running, and that every penny of that must be offset by taking it from “elsewhere in the budget.” The Dems say that nearly twice that much - $6.9 billion – is needed and want it included in the continuing resolution needed to keep the government running after September 30. Neither side seems inclined to yield. Ah, I love the smell of government shutdown in the morning.

What's Permitted: August housing starts were down 5% m/m and 5.8% Y/Y, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 571,000 houses nationwide. Building permits were up a bit both m/m and Y/Y, so maybe one day soon...

Promises, Promises: Now balloons are now being floated to test the waters for dramatically changing the military retirement system and reneging on promises already made to retired warriors. Before the foaming at the mouth begins, please keep in mind that most of the retirees are enlisted men, with an average pension of about $26,000 a year. And remember what they've done to earn it.

The Doctor Is In: The IMF, which has prescribed austerity all-around, now says that austerity programs will limit global economic growth to 4% next year while cutting the US GDP expected growth from 2.5% to 1.5%.

What's That Smell? The Co-Chair of the Congressional Inquiry Into 9/11 (and former Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee), Bob Graham, is now calling for a new investigation into the 9/11 disaster, with emphasis on what the FBI knew and what the FBI covered up, and what the government knew about the Saudi role in the events. He joins 3 former members of the Commission, other Senators and Congressmen who feel there are many reasons for a re-do of the investigation.

O Lucky Man: In the last decade average wages have fallen across the board except for Lawyers, Doctors and PhDs, whose incomes have soared are up 3%. That's why it's called higher education.

Internment Anyone? Everyone: The Armed Services committee of the US Senate is considering changing federal detention laws to permit imprisoning citizens without charge. Without trials. Indefinitely. Through military channels.

Porn O'Graph: If no nails need hammering, no hammerers are needed.