By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
The $2 billion loss of JP Morgan in derivatives trading is signaling, once again, the enormous risks big banks take with taxpayer backing.  All U.S. banks are covered by the FDIC, and if a loss is big enough, it could threaten the financial system just as it did in 2008.  JP Morgan has $70 trillion in total derivative exposure.  The entire world has a little more than $700 trillion in derivative exposure, and one bank has 10% of all the derivative exposure on the planet!  If JP …

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com  (Revised)
Last Friday, the government reported the gross domestic product (GDP) number for the first quarter, and it was 2.2%.  That was .8% lower than the 4th quarter’s 3% growth rate.  It was a big disappointment because most economists were expecting growth numbers closer to the 3% range. 

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
There are plenty of reasons why the U.S. dollar is under downward pressure.  There have been massive bailouts of the global banking system by the Federal Reserve, exploding deficits and a movement globally to move away from doing business in dollars.  Now, there is a new threat, and it is being pushed by U.S. foreign policy with Iran. 

In my mind, ever since Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) allowed the banks to value things like mortgage-backed securities and real estate at whatever  they think they will be worth in the future, the system was insolvent.  The banking insolvency problem in America is so profound (FASB) changed the accounting rules in April of 2009 to cover it up.  In short the big banks,who control most of the assets in this country, are a mess and the system needs to be fixed. 

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com  (Revised)
Subprime lending is back, and it is creating headlines like: “February auto sales rise to highest level in 4 years.”  That comes from a story last week from Reuters.  Reuters goes on to say, “U.S. auto sales rose nearly 16 percent in February and the annual sales rate leapt to its best level in four years . . . For a second month in a row, sales surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. 

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
Countries around the world have been actively seeking ways to not do business in dollars for the past few years.  The U.S. dollar is the so-called world reserve currency, but the big question is for how long?  China and Japan are beginning to shun the dollar in trade between the two countries.  Mind you, this is the 2nd biggest economy in the world doing business without dollars with the 3rd biggest economy in the world.  Russia and China, also, have an agreement to not use the dollar, …

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
It is official.  State and federal governments have condoned forgery, perjury and fraud in what’s been called the “robo-signing” foreclosure debacle.  Last week, the five biggest banks in America signed on to a $26 billion deal that, basically, lets them off with a slap on the wrist for fraudulently foreclosing on homes in the last few years. 

If the economy was doing so well, the Federal Reserve would not be announcing (last week) an extension of its zero interest rate policy until the end of 2014.  If the economy was truly in a real recovery the Fed would be hiking interest rates instead of giving away money for virtually nothing.  It is just not the U.S. that is doing badly, but the rest of the world is also tanking.  Just look shipping traffic around the globe.

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 
The Federal Reserve announced, this week, that it was keeping interest rates at near zero percent until at least 2014.  It sure doesn’t look like the so-called “recovery” is going very well.  The Fed also said it may “stimulate” the economy soon.  Print baby print—you wonder why gold has been rising in price? 

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
 I think most people are simply oblivious to the enormous dangers the world economy faces.  Oh, I think we will all get through Christmas and New Years without a meltdown, but all bets are off in 2012.  A new acquaintance of mine told me last Friday, “Isn’t the economy getting better?”  I just looked at her and shook my head in the negative.