The surveillance society continues to grow unabated, as the city of Baltimore becomes the latest governmental entity to trample civil rights in the name of "public safety." - According to the Baltimore Sun, city officials have now authorized the recording of private conversations on public buses "to investigate crimes, accidents and poor customer service." Marked with signs to alert passengers that open mics are picking up every word they say, the first 10 buses with the new surveillance equipment began operation towards the end of October. Eventually, officials say they will expand the program to 340 buses, or about half the fleet, by next summer. The paper said the audio surveillance will be incorporated into the video surveillance systems already on board the buses (no plausible explanations on how an audio capability is supposed to enhance video surveillance, either).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an even more awkward time with Washington and re-energized critics at home who accused him on Wednesday of backing the loser in the US presidential election. - With Iran topping his conservative agenda, Netanyahu will have to contend with a strengthened second-term Democratic president after four years of frosty dealings with Barack Obama and a rift over how to curb Tehran's nuclear program. Facing his own re-election battle in January, polls give Netanyahu little chance of losing but perceptions that he has mishandled Israel's main ally have been seized on by opponents.

US President Barack Obama tells his supporters he returns to the White House 'more determined and more inspired than ever'. - Barack Obama has won a second term as US President after beating Republican challenger Mitt Romney following a bitter and costly election campaign. The Democrat sealed victory by winning in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Wisconsin, Virginia and Colorado - seven of the nine key battleground states. With only Florida left to call, Mr Obama has 303 electoral college votes to Mr Romney's 203 and is well over the crucial threshold of 270. The President was also ahead in the national vote, with the country-wide exit poll putting him on 50% - two points ahead of his Republican challenger. [Lest we forget... NDAA, drones, PATRIOT Act renewal/expansion, insurance cartel giveaway aka 'health care' reform, Guantanamo Bay still open (tribunals underway), forgiveness of Bush-era war criminals (heck, even some brand new war crimes), surrender to GOP on the debt ceiling (and everything else), Afghanistan until 2014, contractor$ in Iraq, etc.]

Stephen Lendman: Obama's Legacy of Shame
Stephen Lendman: Obama's Failed State of the Union
Stephen Lendman: Murder, Inc: Official Obama Policy
Glen Ford: Why Barack Obama is the More Effective Evil
Yves Smith: Barack Obama, the Great Deceiver
Philip Giraldi: Obama’s Report Card

Barack Obama has been elected to a second term as President of the United States. Republican candidate Mitt Romney has conceded the race, and wished Obama a successful term in his concession speech. - In his acceptance speech, Obama praised the American spirit[???] that helped the country unify and overcome its darkest hours[???], and said he would work with Republicans to move on and achieve their common goals[???]. Obama thanked all those who voted on Tuesday, and those who helped his campaign. He said he is returning to the White House more inspired than ever, and pledged to realize the vision of a prosperous, technologically superior, well-defended and inspirational America. In his concession speech, Romney thanked his supporters and called for national unity during a particularly difficult moment in America’s history. He said the country cannot afford partisan division, and wished Obama a successful term.

Examiner: Mitt Romney loses presidential race: What went wrong? - Video

Chris Floyd: You Got to Ride It: Journey Through a Post-Election Landscape - There was an election. The winner was a man pledged to murder and plunder. His followers rejoiced that the murder and plunder would be flavored to their taste, done by one of their own. The losers lamented the fate of the nation because their man would not be in charge of the murder and plunder. Bitterness was everywhere. Poison, illusion. The sun rose. The broken system, heaving and buckling under the weight of its foul excrescences, staggered on. No answers. No resolution. No mercy, not from the structures; only from ourselves, each to each, one to one, moment to moment, hands touching, clutching, tearing free, in the turbulence of the waves. You got to ride it best you can....

Greg Palast, author of Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps reveals vote stealing methodology

Washington's Blog: Evidence of Electronic Vote Fraud Pours In from Both Liberal and Conservative Sources
Stephen Lendman: Obama Votes for Romney

Israel to counter Palestinian attempt at UN - "If the Palestinians go to the UN General Assembly with a new unilateral initiative, they must know they will be subject to severe measures by Israel and the United States," the station quoted Lieberman as saying on October 24. - Israel is preparing to counter a Palestinian bid for enhanced United Nations status later this month, the AFP news agency has reported. "Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman convened Israel's 27 ambassadors in Europe for an urgent meeting this week in Vienna," to discuss the Palestinian bid, foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP on Tuesday. "The ambassadors will seek to define a diplomatic course with the Europeans intended to counter this initiative and to this end Lieberman will go to Vienna," he added. Meanwhile, the Middle East monitor, citing Israeli sources, reported that Lieberman had also asked EU officials to fix a definite time for elections in the occupied territories in order to replace Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, who was described as "an obstacle to peace." Lieberman reportedly said that Abbas was in a "weak position" and that it was the appropriate time to explore a "creative exit from the current situation." The comments came as Israel's private Channel 10 reported that Lieberman last month pledged to ensure the "collapse" of the Palestinian Authority (PA) if the bid for non-member status at the General Assembly moved forward.

Jason Ditz: Israeli Cabinet Talks ‘Punishment’ Over Palestinian UN Recognition
Reuters: Israel advances plans for 1,213 new West Bank settlement homes on stolen Palestinian land

Ahead of the second round of meetings between Argentina and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel has stepped up pressure over administration of president Cristina Fernandez demanding information about the state of negotiations, affirming the Middle East country is involved at all levels, political and moral in the AMIA case. As Buenos Aires considers first Geneva talks with Tehran positive in a diplomatic context not of secrecy but reserve, Israeli foreign office spokesman Yigal Palmor has told local Jewish News Agency they will not "allow" dialogue to be carried out in "darkness and opacity".

Killing Zone for the CIA's "Libya" Army and Militias

UK Prime Minister David Cameron says he would support offering Syrian President Bashar al-Assad safe passage out of Syria if it meant he would step down. - The status of the Syrian conflict is essentially that it is a bloody stalemate between the remaining Assad regime and [CIA's] armed rebel opposition, supported primarily by the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Riyad Hijab, Syria’s recently defected prime minister, told the Daily Telegraph that despite telling Assad “he needed to find a political solution to the crisis,” he “categorically refused.” “Bashar really thinks that he can settle this militarily,” Hijab said.

Marijuana is now legal in Colorado and Washington for recreational use and the possibility remains for Oregon State as well. - While the decision in Colorado is an historical one, it was not without controversy and was actually pretty close; the measure winning by a 6 point margin 53% to 47%. One strong opponent to the concept of recreational marijuana in his state was Governor John Hickenlooper who reacted to the decision in the following statement: “The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug.

HuffPo: Amendment 64 Passes: Colorado Legalizes Marijuana For Recreational Use