Reuters | China has overtaken Japan to become the world's second-largest economy, the fruit of three decades of rapid growth that has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

Zerohedge.com | In an interview conducted with Business Week, Nassim Taleb discusses his view of the biggest black swan in the market currently, and isn't shy to call government debt a "Pure Ponzi scheme." - When asked where he the biggest potential source of systemic fragility is, he responds: "The massive one is government deficits.

Mineweb.co.za | UBS Investment Research advises investors to accumulate metals and mining stocks, but also to take their time accumulating, "using the inherent volatility of the market to maximize the risk/reward of their investment."

AntiWar.com | U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said he is wagering that sectarian violence will not surge after a massive reduction of U.S. combat troops next month. Ahead of that withdrawal, the violence continues. At least 34 Iraqis were killed and 60 more were wounded across the country. Security forces were targeted in several cities.

 Age of Autism | Abnormal brain growth and function are features of autism, an increasingly common developmental disorder that now affects 1 in 60 boys in the US. Now researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas, have found remarkably similar brain changes to those seen in autism in infant monkeys receiving the vaccine schedule used in the 1990’s that contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal.

Guardian |

WaketheChurch.org | BUY THE CONFERENCE DVD | ON SALE NOW Something closely resembling the fervor of Revolutionary War time preaching was present at the Faith and Liberty 2010 Conference, in Denver, Colorado, this past weekend. Keynote speakers Amb. Alan Keyes and Dr. Chuck Baldwin lit up the pulpit with the fire of the full Gospel interspersed with serious condemnation of the politicians and financial interests that have destroyed this country.

Amconmag.com | House of Representatives resolution 1553, introduced by Congressional Republicans, and currently working its way through the system will endorse an Israeli attack on Iran, which would be going to war by proxy as the US would almost immediately be drawn into the conflict when Tehran retaliates.

NYT | Figures in billions except for World War II and post-9/11 totals; all are in fiscal year 2011 dollars.

Science Daily |  General aptitude tests and specific mental ability tests are important tools for vocational guidance. Researchers are now asking whether performance on such tests is based on differences in brain structure, and if so, can brain scans be helpful in choosing a career? In a first step, researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Research Notes have investigated how well eight tests used in vocational guidance correlate to gray matter in areas throughout the brain.

Vancouver Sun | This spring, Northern Arizona University announced plans to use RFID devices, already contained in each student card, to track attendance at lectures and tutorials. The school's administration presents it as a sensible innovation that uses technology to save time and effort; instead of professors taking a roll call each class, or passing a sign-in sheet that's easy to tamper with, attendance will be automatically and effortlessly taken, and the whole process is no more a violation of privacy than any other method of taking attendance. But some students and privacy advocates see it as a slide down a slippery slope, pointing out that if sensors were distributed throughout the campus, it would be possible not only to see how many students showed up for a lecture and stayed until the end, but also to track and record the movements of every student.

Wired.com | The investment arms of the CIA and Google are both backing a company that monitors the web in real time — and says it uses that information to predict the future.

Moneyandmarkets.com | In his testimony before Congress last week, Ben Bernanke lifted the Fed’s skirt and gave us a glimpse of the disasters now sweeping through the U.S. economy.

Natural News | The President's Cancer Panel (PCP) recently released its yearly report to the President outlining the status of cancer in America. This year's report focuses primarily on environmental factors that contribute to cancer risk. According to the report, pharmaceutical drugs are a serious environmental pollutant, particularly in the way they continue to contaminate waterways across the country (and the world).