Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Global Food Prices Hit New Record High
February 3rd, 2011Via: Telegraph: Global food prices have hit a new record high, amid fears that the escalating cost of bread and meat is adding to the turmoil in the Middle East. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) gave warning that the high prices, already above levels in 2008 which sparked riots, were likely […]
Cotton: Highest Prices in 150 Years
February 3rd, 2011Via: Reuters: U.S. cotton futures jumped for the third straight day on Wednesday, settling up the daily limit, as Asian mills fueled the rally on average volume. Cotton futures have rallied almost 25 percent since the middle of January, the latest wave of a historic run that began in 2010 and sent cotton prices to […]
Cracking the Scratch Lottery Code
February 2nd, 2011Via: Wired: As a trained statistician with degrees from MIT and Stanford University, Srivastava was intrigued by the technical problem posed by the lottery ticket. In fact, it reminded him a lot of his day job, which involves consulting for mining and oil companies. A typical assignment for Srivastava goes like this: A mining company […]
Fed Passes China in Treasury Holdings
February 2nd, 2011Via: Financial Times: The Federal Reserve has surpassed China as the leading holder of US Treasury securities even though it has yet to reach the halfway mark in its latest round of quantitative easing, according to official figures. Based on weekly data released on Thursday, the New York Fed’s holdings of Treasuries in its System […]
Bank Bailouts Explained
January 31st, 2011Related: Quantitative Easing Explained
New York City May Fire 21,000 Teachers
January 30th, 2011Via: Wall Street Journal: New York City could lose $1 billion in education aid from the state, forcing the nation’s largest school system to cut more than 21,000 teachers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday. As Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares to unveil his first budget proposal since taking office on New Year’s Day, Mr. Bloomberg and […]
Russia to Adopt Universal ID Card in 2012
January 29th, 2011It’s somewhat funny that articles like this mock conspiracy theorists and then go on to report that what some of us have been saying for years is now actually occurring. Via: Singularity Hub: For all those conspiracy theorists out there, 2012 just got a little more ominous. As required by legislation passed this last summer, […]
Dollar, Oil, Gold All Sharply Higher on Situation in Egypt
January 29th, 2011WARNING: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. Gold and oil typically move opposite to the dollar, but there’s nothing like a crisis with international implications to get them all moving up together. This is what we’re seeing as a result of events in Egypt right now. The move […]
The Organic Elite Surrenders to Monsanto: What Now?
January 29th, 2011Via: Organic Consumers: In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time […]
Spain’s Unemployment Rate Over 20%
January 28th, 2011Via: AFP: Spain announced Friday its jobless rate surged to a 13-year record above 20 percent at the end of 2010, the highest level in the industrialized world, as the economy struggled for air. It was more bad news for an economy fighting to regain the trust of financial markets and avoid being trapped in […]
