Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Indiana Soybean Farmer Sees Monsanto Lawsuit Reach U.S. Supreme Court
February 13th, 2013Via: Guardian: As David versus Goliath battles go it is hard to imagine a more uneven fight than the one about to play out in front of the US supreme court between Vernon Hugh Bowman and Monsanto. On the one side is Bowman, a single 75-year-old Indiana soybean farmer who is still tending the same […]
China Eclipses U.S. as Biggest Trading Nation Measured in Goods
February 11th, 2013Via: Bloomberg: China surpassed the U.S. to become the world’s biggest trading nation last year as measured by the sum of exports and imports of goods, official figures from both countries show. U.S. exports and imports of goods last year totaled $3.82 trillion, the U.S. Commerce Department said last week. China’s customs administration reported last […]
Putin Likes The Shiny
February 11th, 2013If you’re a fan of the Putin, Action Man photos, you’ll find a keeper if you click through. Via: Bloomberg: When Vladimir Putin says the U.S. is endangering the global economy by abusing its dollar monopoly, he’s not just talking. He’s betting on it. Not only has Putin made Russia the world’s largest oil producer, […]
Americans Are Tapping Into Home Equity Again
February 8th, 2013Via: CNBC: Nearly 11 million borrowers are underwater on their mortgages, owing more than their homes are worth, according to CoreLogic, and yet home equity lines of credit are suddenly on the rise again. During the housing boom of the last decade Americans withdrew over $1 trillion in home equity. They did it through cash-out […]
Postal Service to Cut Saturday Mail to Trim Costs
February 6th, 2013Via: AP: The U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion annually, the financially struggling agency says. In an announcement scheduled for later Wednesday, the service is expected to say the Saturday mail cutback would begin […]
‘Between 60 and 80 percent of people’s time on the Internet at work has nothing to do with work.’
February 6th, 2013Not for long: Year after year, the software that runs computers and an array of other machines and devices becomes more sophisticated and powerful and capable of doing more efficiently tasks that humans have always done. Via: Kansas State University: Businesses must deal with weary-eyed office workers who are sitting behind computer screens and watching […]
Dell to Go Private in $24.4 Billion Deal
February 6th, 2013Disclosure: I’m long Dell (DELL) from $12.66. I don’t understand what all the bitching and moaning is about; unless these fund managers still believed in buy-and-hold and bought Dell in the high teens. These guys sound like a bunch of old farts in a Las Vegas bingo lounge, complaining about not being served enough cocktails. […]
McGraw-Hill, S&P Sued by U.S. Over Mortgage-Bond Ratings
February 5th, 2013*yawn* Via: Bloomberg: McGraw-Hill Cos. (MHP) and its Standard & Poor’s unit were sued by the U.S. over claims S&P knowingly understated the credit risks of instruments that were central to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The U.S. Justice Department filed a complaint yesterday in federal court in Los Angeles, accusing McGraw-Hill […]
States Considering Laws That Would Make it an Act of Terrorism to Report on Abuses at Factory Farms
February 4th, 2013Via: Global Possibilities: How do you keep consumers in the dark about the horrors of factory farms? By making it an “act of terrorism” for anyone to investigate animal cruelty, food safety or environmental violations on the corporate-controlled farms that produce the bulk of our meat, eggs and dairy products. And who better to write […]
School District Wants to Claim Ownership of Any Work Created by Students and Teachers
February 4th, 2013Oh sure. Via: Washington Post: A proposal by the Prince George’s County Board of Education to copyright work created by staff and students for school could mean that a picture drawn by a first-grader, a lesson plan developed by a teacher or an app created by a teen would belong to the school system, not […]
