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For the past five years Greece, stuck in its worst depression in history with two-thirds of work eligible youths unemployed, has been actively blaming all of its problems on "(f)auxterity" even as we said all along that the Greek problems have nothing to do with how much money its government spends and everything to do with corrupt, complicit and frequently criminal politicians. Today we got the latest confirmation that we were correct after the Greek finance minister Stournaras asked for the resignation of the Greek privatisation agency chief, Stavridis, following a newspaper report that he traveled on the private plane of a businessman who just bought a state company with Stavridis' blessings.

In lieu of the Japanese government doing the right thing and finally coming clean about the epic environmental catastrophe that is Fukushima, which it hopes to simply dig under the rug even as the inconvenient reality gets worse and thousands of tons of radioactive water make their way into the ocean, one is forced to rely on third-party sources for information on this tragedy. We present a useful primer from Scientific American on Fukushima "water retention" problem and "what you need to know about the radioactive water leaking from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean."

In a session that has been painfully boring so far (yet which should pick up with CPI, jobless claims, industrial production and the NY Empire Fed on deck, as well as Wal-Mart earnings which will no doubt reflect the continuing disappointing retail plight) perhaps the only notable news was that Japan - the nation that brought you "Fukushima is contained" - was caught in yet another lie. Recall that the upside catalyst (and source of Yen weakness) two days ago was what we classified then as "paradoxical news" that Japan would cut corporate taxes in a move that somehow would offset the upcoming consumption tax hike. Turns out that, as our gut sense indicated, this was merely yet another BS trial balloon out of Japan, which admitted overnight that the entire report was a lie.

TRQ stock price is 80% lower today than it was a few years ago, yet the OT project is further along and now shipping concentrate..?

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Favoring “Friends” ... Harassing “Enemies” ... Propaganda ... Cyber-Warfare ... Track ‘Em and Whack ‘Em

• U.S. Regulator Subpoenas Banks Over Long Warehouse Queues (BBG)
• Apple Said to Prepare Holiday Refresh of IPhones to IPads (BBG)
• Fed's Yellen Says Stance on Banks Hardened (WSJ)
• Mexico opens up its energy sector (FT)
• Spin: Greek GDP marks gradual deceleration of recession (FT) ... spin aside, it dropped 4.6%, and in reality, probably over 10%
• Made-in-Canada Solution For BlackBerry Avoids Nortel Fate (BBG)
• America's Farm-Labor Pool Is Graying (WSJ)
• Video of 'lame' cattle stirs new concern over growth drugs (Reuters)
• Paulson Bid for Steinway Trumps Kohlberg Offer (WSJ)
• Egyptian government yet to decide on pro-Mursi vigils (Reuters)

It's only fitting that in a bizarro new normal, the news that passes for positive is either conflicting, reflexive or, well, simply bizarre. Last night was no exception as the "good" news came in the form of speculation that in order to promote its consumption tax hike, the Abe government would consider a corporate tax cut. How that helps the country with the 1 quadrillion yen in debt is not exactly clear, or how it makes consumer tax hikes any more palatable in a nation in which more people than anywhere in the world are retired and elderly, and thus removed from the corporate lifecycle, is just as nebulous. But the market liked it. Just as it liked the good ole' European cop out, of posting a surge in consumer confidence, or relying on reflexive indicators to represent an improvement in the economy, when in reality the only thing "improving" is the stock market. This happened when the German ZEW Economic Sentiment survey soared from 36.3 to 42.0 on expectations of a 39.9 print. So one must buy futures, or that's what the GETCO algo programming says.

In the world these days the markets often believe the rhetoric. This would be political rhetoric, corporate rhetoric or the prayers and hopes of the talking heads. This is especially true in the equity markets. Critical advice in this environment is, "forget what they tell you; just look at the numbers." So what is the Fed doing? As of July 31, 2013 they have parked $1,157 billion in foreign banks as compared with $1,112 billion in U.S. banks. To us this is a telling sign. The European banks are in trouble and the Fed is propping them up. One of the consequences of tapering, when it comes, may well be less available cash for this task and then the cracks in the European banks may well blow into gaping holes... "There is the plain fool, who does the wrong thing at all times everywhere, but there is the Wall Street fool, who thinks he must trade all the time."

• Solyndra Cola: California aims to 'bottle sunlight' in energy storage push (Reuters)
• Ackman may sues himself after all - Penney Board Assails Director William Ackman, Considered 'Rogue' After Releasing Deliberations (WSJ)
• CFTC subpoenas metals warehousing firm as inquiry heats up (Reuters)
• Obama Plan to Revamp NSA Faces Obstacles (WSJ)
• Japan growth slows in second quarter, adds to sales tax uncertainty (Reuters)
• China Urbanization to Hit Roadblocks Amid Local Opposition (BBG)
• Parents Losing Jobs a Hidden Cost to U.S. Head Start Budget Cuts (BBG)
• US seeks better access to Africa as part of trade pact review (FT)
• Singapore Cuts Trade Outlook as China Slowdown Caps Recovery (BBG)
• White House Sifts Fiscal Ideas With Band of Senators (WSJ)
• Spain may ask United Nations for support over Gibraltar (Reuters)
• Michigan Safety Net for Boomers Frays on Bankrupt Detroit (BBG)

While we have previously exposed the less than exuberant perspective of many Egyptians towards the US, it now seems the torrent of anti-US hostility has reached such large proportions that the mainstream media is forced to admit report it. As the WSJ reports, a headline in a major Egyptian state newspaper this week referred to the proposed U.S. envoy to Egypt as the "Ambassador of Death." Posters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, a center of pro-government rallies, depict President Barack Obama with a beard and turban, exclaiming his "support for terrorism." The moves, WSJ adds, highlight the depth of public distrust of U.S. policies, and draw from a "reservoir of anti-Americanism and conspiratorial theories". Of course, after yesterday's revelation of the staged Muslim Brotherhood riots, nobody really knows just where US-Egyptian sentiment really lays but it seems fair to say that it is not improving.

One of the more surprising news to hit the tape yesterday was that Saudi Arabia, exasperated and desperate by Russia's relentless support of the Syrian regime and refusal to abandon the Syrian army thus facilitating the Qatari plan to pass its natgas pipeline to Europe under Syria, had quietly approached Putin with a proposal for a huge arms deal and a pledge to boost Russian influence in the Arab world if only Putin would abandon Syria's Assad. It will hardly come as a surprise to anyone that in the aftermath of yesterday's dilettante mistake by Obama which alienated Putin from the western world (and its subservient states such as Saudi Arabia of course), has just said no. It will certainly come as no surprise because as we explained previously, the biggest loser from Russia abandoning Syria (something we predicted would never happen) would be none other than Russia's most important company - Gazprom - which would lose its energy grip over Europe as Qatar replaced it as a nat gas vendor. What is shocking in all of this is that Saudi Arabia was so stupid and/or naive to believe that Putin would voluntarily cede geopolitical control over the insolvent Eurozone, where he has more influence according to some than even the ECB, or Bernanke. Especially in the winter.

• Fukushima: "300 metric tons of contaminated water were likely leaking into the ocean daily" (WSJ)
• Unexpected strength in China trade data eases some gloom (Reuters) - actually, perfectly expected data fakery
• Pimco, BlackRock Seek to Bar California Mortgage Seizures (BBG)
• How will Amazon's Bezos change The Washington Post? (Reuters)
• Montreal Maine Railway Files for Bankruptcy After Crash (BBG)
• Fed Belongs to Everybody as Public Says It’s Our Money in Crisis (BBG)
• Local Russian TV channel broadcasts rare critical segment about Putin (Reuters)
• Loeb’s Reinsurer With No U.S. Staff Gains From Obama’s Jobs Act (BBG)
• As Berlusconi star fades, daughter Marina tipped as new leader (Reuters)
• Detroit Rattles Muni Market (WSJ)

Following yesterday’s announcement that Amazon.com founder Jeffrey Bezos would be purchasing daily newspaper The Washington Post, sources confirmed today that Post associate editor and legendary investigative journalist Bob Woodward had already been repositioned at a new staff position in one of Amazon’s main warehouses just outside of Seattle... “The one thing I’ll give him is that he does seem very curious,” Griffin added. “I mean, he’s always asking questions and he has a little notepad and a tape recorder out at all times, so hopefully he picks something up from all that.”

• Libor Settlements Said to Ease CFTC’s Path in Rate-Swaps Probe (BBG)
• Manhattan Homes Under $3 Million Never Harder to Buy (BBG)
• Just two years late: Abe Pledges Government Help to Stem Fukushima Water Leaks (BBG)
• Chesapeake drops energy leases in fracking-shy New York (Reuters)
• Hedge Fund Magnetar Won't Face Charges Tied to Mortgages (WSJ)
• U.S. envoy leaves Cairo after talks declared over (Reuters)
• Credit-Crisis Oracle Rajan to Head India’s Central Bank (BBG)
• Bank of England Changes Policy Tack (WSJ)