STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Friday, 6 March 2015

[Tansy_Gold]

[font size=3]STOCK MARKET WATCH, Friday, 6 March 2015[font color=black][/font]

SMW for 5 March 2015

AT THE CLOSING BELL ON 5 March 2015
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Dow Jones 18,135.72 +38.82 (0.21%)
S&P 500 2,101.04 +2.51 (0.12%)
Nasdaq 4,982.81 +15.67 (0.32%)


[font color=red]10 Year 2.11% +0.01 (0.48%)
30 Year 2.73% +0.02 (0.74%) [font color=black]


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[font size=2]Market Conditions During Trading Hours[/font]
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(click on link for latest updates)
Market Updates
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[font size=2]Euro, Yen, Loonie, Silver and Gold[center]

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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Market Data and News:[/font][/font]
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Economic Calendar
Marketwatch Data
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Yahoo Finance
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Daily Job Cuts
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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Economic Blogs:[/font][/font]
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The Big Picture
Financial Sense
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Brad DeLong
Bonddad
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goldmansachs666
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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Essential Reading:[/font][/font]
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Matt Taibi: Secret and Lies of the Bailout


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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Government Issues:[/font][/font]
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LegitGov
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Earmark Database
USA spending.gov
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[font color=black][font size=2]Handy Links - Videos:[/font][/font]
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Charlie Rose talks with Roubini
Charlie Rose talks with Krugman
William Black: This Economic Disaster
Bill Moyers with Kevin Drum and David Corn
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[font color=red]Partial List of Financial Sector Officials Convicted since 1/20/09 [/font][font color=red]
2/2/12 David Higgs and Salmaan Siddiqui, Credit Suisse, plead guilty to conspiracy involving valuation of MBS
3/6/12 Allen Stanford, former Caribbean billionaire and general schmuck, convicted on 13 of 14 counts in $2.2B Ponzi scheme, faces 20+ years in prison
6/4/12 Matthew Kluger, lawyer, sentenced to 12 years in prison, along with co-conspirator stock trader Garrett Bauer (9 years) and co-conspirator Kenneth Robinson (not yet sentenced) for 17 year insider trading scheme.
6/14/12 Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years without parole.
6/15/12 Rajat Gupta, former Goldman Sachs director, found guilty of insider trading. Could face a decade in prison when sentenced later this year.
6/22/12 Timothy S. Durham, 49, former CEO of Fair Financial Company, convicted of one count conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud.
6/22/12 James F. Cochran, 56, former chairman of the board of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and six counts of wire fraud.
6/22/12 Rick D. Snow, 48, former CFO of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and three counts of wire fraud.
7/13/12 Russell Wassendorf Sr., CEO of collapsed brokerage firm Peregrine Financial Group Inc. arrested and charged with lying to regulators after admitting to authorities he embezzled "millions of dollars" and forged bank statements for "nearly twenty years."
8/22/12 Doug Whitman, Whitman Capital LLC hedge fund founder, convicted of insider trading following a trial in which he spent more than two days on the stand telling jurors he was innocent
10/26/12 UPDATE: Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta sentenced to two years in federal prison. He will, of course, appeal. . .
11/20/12 Hedge fund manager Matthew Martoma charged with insider trading at SAC Capital Advisors, and prosecutors are looking at Martoma's boss, Steven Cohen, for possible involvement.
02/14/13 Gilbert Lopez, former chief accounting officer of Stanford Financial Group, and former controller Mark Kuhrt sentenced to 20 yrs in prison for their roles in Allen Sanford's $7.2 billion Ponzi scheme.
03/29/13 Michael Sternberg, portfolio mgr at SAC Capital, arrested in NYC, charged with conspiracy and securities fraud. Pled not guilty and freed on $3m bail.
04/04/13 Matthew Marshall Taylor,fmr Goldman Sachs trader arrested, charged by CFTC w/defrauding his employer on $8BN futures bet "by intentionally concealing the true huge size, as well as the risk and potential profits or losses associated."
04/04/13 Matthew Taylor admits guilt, makes plea bargain. Sentencing set for 26 June; faces up to 20 years in prison but will likely only see 3-4 years. Says, "I am truly sorry."
04/11/13 Ex-KPMG LLP partner Scott London charged by federal prosecutors w/passing inside tips to a friend in exchange for cash, jewelry, and concert tickets; expected to plead guilty in May.
08/01/13 Fabrice Tourré convicted on six counts of security fraud, including "aiding and abetting" his former employer, Goldman Sachs
08/14/13 Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout charged with wire fraud, falsifying records, and conspiracy in connection with JP Morgan's "London Whale" trade.
08/19/13 Phillip A. Falcone, manager of hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners, agrees to admit to "wrongdoing" in market manipulation. Will banned from securities industry for 5 years and pay $18MM in disgorgement and fines.
09/16/13 Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout officially indicted on charges associated with "London Whale" trade.
02/06/14 Matthew Martoma convicted of insider trading while at hedge fund SAC (Stephen A. Cohen) Capital Advisors. Expected sentence 7-10 years.
03/24/14 Annette Bongiorno, Bernard Madoff's secretary; Daniel Bonventre, director of operations for investments; JoAnn Crupi, an account manager; and Jerome O'Hara and George Perez, both computer programmers convicted of conspiracy to defraud clients, securities fraud, and falsifying the books and records.
05/19/14 Credit Suisse, which has an investment bank branch in NYC, agrees to plead guilty and pay appx. $2.6 billion penalties for helping wealthy Americans hide wealth and avoid taxes.
09/08/14 Matthew Martoma, convicted SAC trader, sentenced to 9 years in prison plus forfeiture of $9.3 million, including home and bank accounts







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[font size=3][font color=red]This thread contains opinions and observations. Individuals may post their experiences, inferences and opinions on this thread. However, it should not be construed as advice. It is unethical (and probably illegal) for financial recommendations to be given here.[/font][/font][/font color=red][font color=black]

[Demeter]

1. There's never a fainting couch when you need one

Oh look! It's left-handed!

After the week it's been, I'm dreading Friday, and the Weekend memorial. But the show must go on!

[Demeter]

2. Did the troika defraud billions at the expense of thousands of depositors in Cyprus?

The allegation: Cyprus received loans only on the condition that its banks sold their branches in Greece to a competitor in Athens at a fraction of their value. ThePressProject publishes exclusively in Greece the investigation of German journalist Harald Schumann for the newspaper Tagesspiegel.

http://www.thepressproject.net/article/73470/How-the-troika-and-Piraeus-Bank-sealed-Cypruss-fate



As an experienced politician, Nicolas Papadopoulos is accustomed to difficult times. He has been an MP and head of the Cypriot Parliamentary Finance Committee for nine years. He is also head of the socially liberal Democratic Party (DIKO) so no one can accuse him of being a political radical. But when the 41 year old tells this story, his voice breaks and his fury brings tears to his eyes. "My country," he says, "is the victim of a daylight robbery." "They stole three and a half billion euros from us and gave it to a Greek bank." "People’s life savings, the money our citizens saved for their retirement." Now many will even lose their homes. "The troika and the Eurogroup decided this, and we were forced to agree since they had a gun to our heads '. It was "one of the biggest scandals in the history of the Eurozone."

So did Eurozone Finance Ministers and officials of the European Commission, the ECB and the IMF perpetrate a billion euro robbery? It sounds absurd. But the allegation is based on facts and documents. They show that officials in Brussels and Frankfurt imposed a highly controversial agreement on the country, under the terms of which customers of the Cypriot banks lost three billion euros, which a Greek bank then received as profit. So far parliamentarians and the European courts have not dealt at all with this question, and one reason for this is that the Cypriot government does not dare to speak publicly. It is is dependent on the goodwill of the ECB and the European Commission. Now, however, hundreds of Cypriots have appealed to the European Court of Justice and the Central Bank of Cyprus intends to launch an investigation.

The road to the controversial agreement began with the economic collapse of the Republic of Cyprus in 2012. Until then, the small country of 800,000 inhabitants was one of the richest in Europe. With low taxes and flexible control mechanisms, the island had become a financial centre and tax haven. The wealthy from all over the world, though mainly from Russia, hid money from their domestic tax authorities in Cyprus, creating a strong banking sector in the country. The balance sheets of the three main banks, the Laiki Bank, the Hellenic Bank and the Bank of Cyprus, added up to eight times the country's GDP. Glossy palatial banks and hundreds of luxurious law offices in Nicosia testify to that imported wealth.

The blow came in April 2012. The Greek debt haircut caused Cypriot banks losses of four billion euros, nearly one quarter of GDP. The government of former President Demetris Christofias provided support of 1.8 billion euros to the Laiki Bank, which had taken a particularly fierce blow. Soon after the government itself faced difficulties to refinance its growing debt. As previously in Greece, Ireland and Portugal, so Cyprus had to submit a request for a loan and negotiate with officials from the Troika. But Cyprus had no friends in the EU.

MORE--I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS FRIENDS IN THE EU. ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO DO AWAY WITH IT.

THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR EXPOSE' . IT SHOWS STEP BY STEP HOW THE EU IS THE BIGGEST PREDATOR OF THEM ALL, CONSUMING ITS MEMBER STATES AND LEAVING DESTRUCTION AND DEATH BEHIND.

TAKE SOME TIME AND READ IT.

[Demeter]

3. Greece eyes last central bank funds to avert IMF default By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11445627/Greece-eyes-last-central-bank-funds-to-avert-IMF-default.html

Greece is preparing to tap its final pension reserves at the country’s central bank if needed to avert a devastating default to the International Monetary Fund and keep the government going over the next two weeks.

The Greeks must pay the IMF €1.5bn in a series of deadlines this month, starting with €300m as soon as Friday. No developed country has ever defaulted to the IMF in the history of the Bretton Woods financial system. Such a move would shatter confidence and reduce Greece to a financial pariah in motley company with Zimbabwe.

George Stathakis, the economy minister, said the government still has hidden reserves to keep operations going for a few more weeks, brushing aside warnings that the state could run out of cash within 10 days. “These stories are exaggerated. We have various buffers, including €3bn or €4bn at the Bank of Greece," he told The Telegraph. It is understood that the central bank deposits are mostly part of Greece’s social security and pension system. Analysts say it is far from clear whether the government can legitimately tap this money without breaching other fiduciary obligations. “We think the funds are already down to €1.8bn. If they draw on this, how are they going to meet their pension bills next month?” said one banker.

TIME FOR THE GREEKS TO POLISH UP THEIR RELATIONS WITH THE PANTHEON OF GODS AND SET UP SOME WICKEDLY GOOD CURSES...

[Demeter]

4. Good news out of Russia – even the “non-system” opposition refuses to blame the Kremlin

http://thesaker.is/good-news-out-of-russia-even-the-non-system-opposition-refuses-to-blame-the-kremlin/

Honestly, I never thought the day would come where I would have anything good to say about the Russian “liberal” or “democratic” “non-system” opposition but apparently this day has come today. To my surprise, all the leaders of this opposition have so far made very moderate and reasonable statement and all those which I have heard have apparently dismissed the notion that the Kremlin was behind the murder. Now this might be self-evident for most of us, but for the Russian “liberal” or “democratic” “non-system” opposition this is quite a change of tone. Many have even said that this murder was a “provocation” (which in this context means “false flag”!) to destabilize Russia and create a crisis. Even Irina Khakamada, normally a real crackpot, has said that this was either a “provocation” or the action of a small group of extremists.

Maybe they are aware that the Russian public will not “buy” it, maybe MH17 was too clearly a false flag, or maybe they simply had a momentary moment of decency, but as far as I know nobody pointed the finger at Putin (okay, somebody somewhere probably did, I am just not aware of it). Again, this is quite remarkable.

Everybody, pro and anti Kremlin, agree that it is absolutely essential that this crime be solved. Since I personally believe that this was a US/UK organized false flag, I fully expect that somebody will be found and, as we say in Russian, that the “(trail) end will end in the water” meaning that there will be no proof of western involvement. If fact, even if the FSB *does* come across such proof, the Russians will most likely not make it public but use it behind the scenes. As for those who organized it, they also need somebody to get caught because if nobody ever gets caught, then this looks way too professional, but if a small cell of, say, rabid anti-Semitic nationalists, does get caught, then that exculpates all other possible suspects. Considering that the crime happened 200m away from the Kremlin, and that the city center is laced with cameras, I fully expect an arrest in the next 48 hours, a week max.

The bottom line is that in Russia this false flag is already a clear failure, not even the notorious Russian “liberal” or “democratic” “non-system” opposition wants to touch this thing. This is very good news indeed. In the West, of course, this is a different story, the AngloZionist will use that to a max, no doubt here at all.

[Demeter]

5. O’Malley serves notice to Wall Street ahead of possible presidential bid

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/02/28/omalley-serves-notice-to-wall-street-ahead-of-possible-presidential-bid/?postshare=6761425216153417

Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley signaled here Saturday that Wall Street regulation would be a major issue in his potential presidential bid, urging Democrats to fight for their principles on that and other defining issues.

“If a bank is too big to fail without harming the common good of our nation, then it’s too big and we must break it up before it breaks us,” O’Malley said in an address to about 300 Democrats gathered here for an annual “Issues Summit.”

His remarks, warmly received by an audience in an early presidential nominating state, come as O’Malley weighs a long-shot bid for the 2016 Democratic nomination. He is widely expected to try to run to the left of Hillary Rodham Clinton if both move forward...

WELL, IF ELIZABETH WON'T, O'MALLEY MIGHT BE THE TICKET...

[Demeter]

6. Eric Braverman Tried to Change the Clinton Foundation. Then He Quit.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/clinton-foundation-eric-braverman-115598_full.html#.VPRQZmY3Xaa

In December, the board of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation approved a salary of more than $395,000, plus bonus, for its Yale-educated CEO, Eric Braverman, while voting to extend his board term through 2017, according to sources familiar with the arrangement. Braverman, who had worked with Chelsea Clinton at the prestigious McKinsey & Company consultancy, had been brought in with the former first daughter’s support to help impose McKinsey-like management rigor to a foundation that had grown into a $2 billion charitable powerhouse.

But in January, only weeks after the board's show of support and just a year and a half after Braverman arrived, he abruptly resigned, and sources tell Politico his exit stemmed partly from a power struggle inside the foundation between and among the coterie of Clinton loyalists who have surrounded the former president for decades and who helped start and run the foundation. Some, including the president’s old Arkansas lawyer Bruce Lindsey, who preceded Braverman as CEO, raised concerns directly to Bill Clinton about the reforms implemented by Braverman, according to sources, and felt themselves marginalized by the growing influence of Chelsea Clinton and the new CEO she had helped recruit. The previously untold saga of Braverman’s brief, and occasionally fraught tenure trying to navigate the Clintons’ insular world highlights the challenges the family has faced trying to impose rigorous oversight onto a vast global foundation that relies on some of the same loyal megadonors Hillary Clinton will need for the presidential run sources have said she is all but certain to launch later this year.

Already, a spate of recent news stories in Politico and elsewhere have highlighted questions about the foundation’s aggressive fundraising both before and during Braverman’s tenure, including the news that the foundation had been accepting contributions from foreign governments with lax oversight from the State Department when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. The foundation has been Clinton’s main public platform since she left State in February 2013. The hiring a few months later of Braverman, who had been a partner in McKinsey’s Washington office, was seen as validation of Chelsea Clinton’s view that the foundation needed to address recommendations from a 2011 audit for tighter governance and budgeting, as well as more comprehensive policies to vet donors and avoid conflicts of interest.

When Braverman arrived to replace Lindsey as CEO, he moved quickly to adopt the auditor’s recommendations, and then some. He diversified the foundation’s board beyond the Clintons and their longtime political allies and restructured its finance department. He oversaw the creation of a $250 million endowment and implemented data-driven analytics to measure the effectiveness of foundation programs...But sources say Braverman’s modernization efforts were hampered by the occasionally conflicting visions of the three Clintons, and their rival staff factions. Some told Braverman, “You don’t know how this place works,” while others—including Lindsey—second-guessed Braverman to Bill Clinton, according to sources familiar with the situation. They said a repeated refrain from the old guard was that Braverman was in it for his own glory.

YEAH, SUUURE.....



The foundation announced that, while it was looking for a permanent successor, longtime Clinton loyalist Maura Pally would serve as acting CEO. Other than a stint at Bloomberg Philanthropies (which has donated more than $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation’s efforts), Pally had spent most of her professional life working for the Clintons, from Bill Clinton’s White House to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and subsequent State Department term... some family allies think Braverman’s experience offers lessons that could help Hillary Clinton as she chooses from the scores of operatives jockeying to work for a 2016 campaign. “This is the story of their lives. They’ve always been torn between the super, super loyalists who are protecting them and the extremely competent people who don’t owe their whole careers to them,” said one former Clinton aide. “They need to try to strike that balance. And her campaign, at least so far, seems to be bringing in competent people who haven’t all come from that world.”

RECYCLED HACKS FROM PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION FAILURES ARE DEEMED COMPETENT?

MORE

[Demeter]

7. You know, upon reflection, let's do a "Prince Charles"

and run Chelsea instead of her mother...if it weren't for the baby, it would be a really good idea, no worse than any other.

[Demeter]

8. RAHM EMANUEL REVIEW: When the Room Is Small and You Stink By Ramsin Canon

http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2015/02/26/when-the-room-is-small-and-you-stink/

...Rahm Emanuel may have unwittingly learned a lesson from his days in the Clinton White House, specifically during his central role in the passage of NAFTA: If the big money is behind you, it does not really matter how harmful a policy is. The effects will be diluted enough that you can market whatever narrative you want and drown out the rabble. The NAFTA campaign was a well-financed sales job, meant to convince the country not only that something bad was good, but that plenty of "jus' folks" were all for it. The "selling" of free trade was among Emanuel's greatest accomplishments. This was followed up by taking on the all-mighty welfare lobby with support from the rich and powerful. He helped end welfare as we know it. But beating labor and the poor in the 1990's with big business behind you might give you an over-inflated understanding of your political prowess.

In 2011, his ability to raise unlimited money at the snap of a finger--he famously raised over a quarter of a million dollars on the first day of his candidacy from only a few donors--cleared the field before him and he waltzed to an easy victory. Like Bobby Hansen on the Bulls, Rahm Emanuel has won championship after championship; unlike Hansen, though, Emanuel seems to think that the credit should go to him, instead of the Michael Jordans and Scottie Pippens who sign his checks.

What he reaped for this sin of hubris was a whirlwind of deep and abiding loathing after a series of bad decisions--firing library staff, cutting mental health centers, shutting down schools in black and brown communities, raising regressive fees, installing nickel-and-diming red light and speed cameras, and provoking a teachers' strike. It is notable that his campaign flacks, from David Axelrod on down, characterize these as "tough" decisions. These are not tough decisions; they are decisions that disproportionately harm poor and black and brown people. Ending mental health services for poor and working class people is a sad decision. Making the rich and powerful pay to keep those mental health services going is a tough decision.

Therein is Emanuel's problem, one he is not suited to solving alone: When the room is big and you stink, you can still make a good impression. But in a small room, everybody gets the stench.


MORE ZINGERS AT LINK

[Demeter]

13. Rahm's Accomplishments: Four years of Rahm's Achievements.

http://www.rahmsaccomplishments.com/

[Demeter]

9. Why shouldn't Hunter Biden join the board of a gas company in Ukraine?

http://www.theguardian.com/business/shortcuts/2014/may/14/hunter-biden-job-board-ukraine-biggest-gas-producer-burisma

Name: Hunter Biden.

Age: 44.

Appearance: Chip off the old block.

His names rings a bell. Is he related to someone famous? He's the son of Joe Biden, the US vice president.

What is he, sort of a wayward, ne'er-do-well playboy type? Not really. He's a graduate of Yale Law School and a former senior vice-president at MBNA America Bank.

Good for him. During the Clinton administration he worked in the US Department of Commerce. He's presently a partner in an investment firm. And counsel for a national law firm. And an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

I get it: he likes to keep busy. He has even found the time to join the board of a gas company called Burisma Holdings Ltd.

Never heard of it. Perhaps that's because it's a Ukrainian gas company; Ukraine's largest private gas producer, in fact. He's taking charge of the company's legal unit.

Isn't that a bit fishy? Why do you say that?

Because he's the vice-president's son! That's a coincidence. "This is totally based on merit," said Burisma's chairman, Alan Apter.

He doesn't sound very Ukrainian. He's American, as is the other new board member, Devon Archer.

Who? Devon Archer, who works with Hunter Biden at Rosemont Seneca partners, which is half owned by Rosemont Capital, a private equity firm founded by Archer and Christopher Heinz.

Who? Christopher Heinz … John Kerry's stepson.

I think Putin's propaganda people can take a long weekend; their work is being done for them...

IT'S LIKE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO!...A FEW MORE ROUNDS AT LINK

[DemReadingDU]

18. Hunter Biden tested positive for cocaine

He was discharged from the navy reserves. Not sure if he is still involved with the Ukraine gas company.

[MattSh]

19. All the "majors" in Ukraine gas have withdrawn.

Burisma is hanging in there; Baby Biden still occupies prime real estate on the Board of Directors.

http://burisma.com/en/director-list.html

via Google Translate:

Burisma Holdings may reduce investment in 2015 because of the tax burden - UA Energy

New fiscal legislation actually leveled the investment component in the gas industry in Ukraine. This was stated by Chief Financial Officer Burisma Holdings Alexander Gorbunenko on the Ukrainian Energy Forum.

The largest independent gas producer in Ukraine Burisma Holdings made a major partner of the Ukrainian Energy Forum, which was held in Kiev, 3-5 March 2015 The main topic of discussion at this Forum - "Diversification of supply and an increase in domestic production in order to ensure energy security of Ukraine."

"Now in Ukraine difficult situation in the gas industry. But it is precisely at this time you need to look for new ideas and new solutions, helping to maximize return of confidence on the part of foreign investors, - said Alexander Gorbunenko. - In the meantime, the state does little to implement the program of energy independence. The new fiscal legislation virtually leveled the investment component in the industry. "

According to the treasurer Burisma Holdings, for the past three years, the company's operating groups Burisma Holdings increased production of natural gas to more than 3 times, only in 2014th invest 2 billion USD. "For the current year investment program was scheduled for 3 billion USD and reaching the level of more than 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Sinister renewal of the" temporary "rental rates on a permanent basis, and loss of reduction factor to stimulate the drilling of new wells, as reflected in the changes in tax law, made it impossible for the implementation of development programs and have led to cuts in investment programs as our company, as well as key players in the local market, "- stated Alexander Gorbunenko.

Complete story at - http://uaenergy.com.ua/post/21597/urisma-oldings-mozhet-sokratit-investitsii-v-2015-g-iz-za/

[DemReadingDU]

20. Thanks for the update! n/t

[Demeter]

10. American Airlines To Phase Out Complimentary Cabin Pressurization

http://linkis.com/www.theonion.com/art/K9HUu

Explaining that the costs of the service have grown too high in recent years, American Airlines announced Tuesday that it will no longer offer free cabin pressurization to passengers starting March 15.

“Unfortunately, to stay competitive as a legacy carrier in today’s air travel market, it no longer makes economic sense for us to provide breathable air at altitude,” said American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, noting that despite the cutbacks, air pressurization would still be available to first- and business-class travelers as well as those willing to pay an additional fee.

“While we regret any altitude sickness, blood problems, dimmed vision, or hyperventilation that may result from air pressure less than a third normal levels, we remind our customers that such effects will diminish as soon as the aircraft descends below 10,000 feet.”

Parker added that the company is also planning to discontinue complimentary landing gear on flights under four hours.

YES, THAT'S THE ONION, SHOWING THE WRONG WAY TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF THE WORKING SLOBS

[Demeter]

11. We have a plan for fixing health care / Alexander, Hatch, Barrasso

Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) chairs the Senate Finance Committee. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about whether the Obama administration used the IRS to deliver health insurance subsidies to Americans in violation of the law. Millions of Americans may lose these subsidies if the court finds that the administration acted illegally. If that occurs, Republicans have a plan to protect Americans harmed by the administration’s actions.

When the court rules in King v. Burwell, we anticipate that it will hold the administration to the laws Congress passed, rather than the laws the administration wishes Congress had passed, and prohibit subsidies in states that opted not to set up their own exchanges, as the language in the law clearly states. Such a ruling could cause 6 million Americans to lose a subsidy they counted on, and for many the resulting insurance premiums would be unaffordable.

Republicans have a plan to create a bridge away from Obamacare.

First and most important: We would provide financial assistance to help Americans keep the coverage they picked for a transitional period. It would be unfair to allow families to lose their coverage, particularly in the middle of the year.

Most of these people have gone through the wringer to get this insurance. Millions lost their previous health-care plans because those plans didn’t meet Obamacare’s requirements; others no longer have access to the doctors or hospitals they were accustomed to; millions spent weeks trying to purchase insurance on the flawed Web site rolled out by the administration; and many have seen their out-of-pocket health costs or premiums skyrocket.

People do not deserve further disruption from this law....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-have-a-plan-for-fixing-health-care/2015/03/01/e0925502-becc-11e4-8668-4e7ba8439ca6_story.html

[MattSh]

15. Fixing health care or "fixing" health care?

Of course, if they fixed it the first time around, they wouldn't need to be fixing health care or "fixing" health care, whatever the case might be.

[Demeter]

17. Catapulting the propaganda, Matt. They got nothing

and every body knows it.

Now, if they went for straight, universal single payer, no exceptions, the GOP could OWN the White House and Congress for 100 years....

[xchrom]

12. US banks pass first phase of 'stress test'

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31759931


This was the first time since the tests began in 2009 that all banks had a capital level above the minimum amount.

But some Wall Street giants were among the worst performers.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase were among the five banks with the lowest readings for a capital ratio of at least 5%.

[xchrom]

14. ECB raises eurozone growth forecast

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31750117


It also said it would start its quantitative easing programme, first announced in January, next week.

Bank boss Mario Draghi said economic growth in the eurozone would strengthen slowly to reach 2.1% by 2017.

He also said there would be low negative inflation in the months ahead before prices began to rise in late 2015, with 1.8% inflation in 2017.

[Demeter]

16. Alice's response

[DemReadingDU]

21. Apple To Replace AT&T In The Dow

3/6/15 "As Goes Apple, So Goes America" - Apple To Replace AT&T In The Dow

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-06/goes-apple-so-goes-america-apple-replace-att-dow

[Demeter]

23. That's just so...wrong

[Hotler]

22. Oil drops, hit by dollar’s post-jobs report rally

The greenback was up 1% against major rivals following the jobs report, weighing on crude and other commodities that trade in dollars. A strong buck makes dollar-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

When the job market gets good oil falls, when jobs turn shitty oil goes up, so I guess the oil producers wish for high unemployment to make good money, go figure.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/oil-drops-hit-by-dollar%e2%80%99s-post-jobs-report-rally/ar-BBij6fz?ocid=iehp