Saturday News: Because They Can . .

Why are oil prices rising? Because they can . . .

FP: Seven Questions: The Price of Fear
"Something funny has happened to the price of oil: It no longer reflects reality. The reason, according to Fadel Gheit, one of Wall Street's top energy analysts, is that “financial players have seized control of the oil markets”. Find out how they did it in this week’s Seven Questions."

[Via Grist.org, which is sponsoring today's candidate forum on climate & energy. Streaming here, just getting started.]

RIA Novosti: Russian prosecutors confirm arrest of deputy finance minister"
"MOSCOW, November 17 - Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak and two businessmen have been arrested on suspicion of attempted large-scale fraud, a source in the Prosecutor's Office said Saturday."

Left their "plausible deniability" cards at home.
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Spelunkers of Zod:

Luke Harding/Guardian: Sect members wait in Russian cave for world to end
"In the 17th century one group, the Old Believers, founded their own church in protest at reforms to orthodox rituals. To escape persecution, many settled in extremely lonely communities.

The cave was discovered after the daughter of one of the missing cult members complained to the local prosecutor, Russian media said. Police arrested Kuznetsov, who led investigators to the entrance. When they tried to approach with another priest gunshots were fired in the air, NTV reported."

Get the kids out, then let them go on their explosive journey.