23 people slain along US-Mexico border.

Twenty-three people were killed in about 24 hours in Chihuahua state plagued by drug violence on the US border, authorities said Saturday. Between late Friday and Saturday 13 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez, across from the US city of El Paso, Texas, Chihuahua state prosecutors said.Link

Petraeus hedges on Afghan withdrawal.

The new head of US forces in Afghanistan is reserving the right to back away from the July, 2011, deadline set by the Obama administration to begin withdrawal of US forces. Gen. David Petraeus, who took over as commander of the Afghanistan war effort from Gen. Stanley McChrystal last month, told NBC's Meet the Press that the nature of the withdrawal will depend completely on conditions on the ground at the time.Link

Ron Paul Vs. William F. Buckley - 1988.

Paralysis at the Fed.............

Ten years ago, one of America’s leading economists delivered a stinging critique of the Bank of Japan, Japan’s equivalent of the Federal Reserve, titled “Japanese Monetary Policy: A Case of Self-Induced Paralysis?” With only a few changes in wording, the critique applies to the Fed today. At the time, the Bank of Japan faced a situation broadly similar to that facing the Fed now. The economy was deeply depressed and showed few signs of improvement, and one might have expected the bank to take forceful action. But short-term interest rates — the usual tool of monetary policy — were near zero and could go no lower. And the Bank of Japan used that fact as an excuse to do no more.Link

Great White Shark Swims Up To Surfer - Watch more Funny Videos

Ron Paul could play spoiler.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), a two-time presidential contender, could wreak havoc for Republicans if he decides to make a third-party or independent bid for president in 2012. New numbers from Public Policy Polling show Paul winning 13 percent of the vote in a hypothetical three-way general election contest with President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). In that match-up, Obama led with 42 percent of the vote to Romney's 36 percent. Paul polls third with just 13 percent of the vote, but appears to peel away some significant support from Romney. Link

Continuing Russian wildfires...........

Though many have been contained, wildfires continue to rage throughout many parts of Russia. In a new twist to the situation, officials have confirmed that some forests that were contaminated with radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have now burned, but it was unclear what danger the smoke from such wildfires could pose. Monitoring stations have not registered any increase in radioactivity as yet. Recent windy conditions have temporarily cleared the smoke from Moscow's skies, but it could possibly return soon. The area of burning forests in Russia is now 927 sq km (358 sq mi), down from from 1,740 sq km (676 sq m) only 24 hours ago. The economic costs of the fires are now estimated at up to 15 billion dollars.Link