Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Efforts to Prosecute Blackwater Are Collapsing
October 21st, 2010Via: New York Times: Nearly four years after the federal government began a string of investigations and criminal prosecutions against Blackwater Worldwide personnel accused of murder and other violent crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the cases are beginning to fall apart, burdened by a legal obstacle of the government’s own making. Just a Couple of […]
Pentagon Plans $60 Billion Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia; Largest Ever
October 21st, 2010Via: Washington Post: The Defense Department has notified Congress that it wants to sell $60 billion worth of advanced aircraft and weapons to Saudi Arabia. The proposed sale, which includes helicopters, fighter jets, radar equipment and satellite-guided bombs, would be the largest arms deal to another country in U.S. history if the sale goes through […]
Boston College Law Student Asks for Refund on Tuition
October 21st, 2010*chortle* Via: Boston Herald: A third-year Boston College Law School student facing dismal job prospects and a mountain of student loan debt has offered the prestigious Hub institution a unique deal: Keep the degree … and give me back my tuition! In an open letter to BC Law’s Interim Dean George Brown posted on EagleiOnline— […]
Planetary Defense Coordination Office Proposed to Fight Asteroids
October 21st, 2010Maybe they’ll milk the space rocks before the little green men scenario??? Via: Space: A new report calls on NASA to establish a Planetary Defense Coordination Office to lead national and international efforts in protecting Earth against impacts by asteroids and comets. The final report of the Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense of the […]
Most Food Grown By Children in Chicago Public School Gardens Must Be Sold or Given Away
October 21st, 2010I’m pretty numb to much of the sludge that falls down this page… but this one is going to haunt me. Via: Chicago Tribune: It’s harvest time in Chicago Public School gardens full of chubby tomatoes, heavy squash and fragrant basil. These urban oases, carefully tended by teachers, students and volunteers, range from several square […]
Drug Companies Pay 17,000 U.S. Doctors to Market Drugs to Other Doctors
October 20th, 2010Via: Reuters: More than 17,000 doctors and other healthcare providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors about their products, a joint investigation by news organizations and non-profit groups found. More than 380 of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals took in more than $100,000 in 2009 and […]
Federal Reserve May Soon Begin Buying U.S. Debt at the Rate of $100 Billion Per Month
October 20th, 2010Via: Reuters: A string of Federal Reserve officials on Tuesday indicated the central bank will soon offer further monetary stimulus to the economy, with one saying $100 billion a month in bond buys may be appropriate. While internal differences on the unconventional policy are still evident, the consensus view at the Fed appears to be […]
British Government Will Eliminate Half Million Public Sector Jobs by 2015
October 20th, 2010Via: AP: Britain’s Treasury chief George Osborne said Wednesday the country’s government will make the largest cuts to public spending since World War II — slashing benefits and public sector jobs in a five-year austerity plan. Osborne confirmed he had ordered 83 billion pounds ($130 billion) in spending cuts through 2015, which he claims are […]
Chicago Sheriff Won’t Enforce Foreclosures for BofA, JPMorgan, and GMAC/Ally Financial Unless They Are Proven to Be Legal
October 20th, 2010Via: CNBC: Two of the largest U.S. mortgage servicers have said they will resume home foreclosures, but a big-city sheriff has news for them: he won’t enforce their foreclosure evictions. The sheriff for Cook County, Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago, said on Tuesday he will not enforce foreclosure evictions for Bank of America […]
China Halts Shipments of Rare Earth Minerals to the United States and Europe
October 20th, 2010Via: New York Times: China, which has been blocking shipments of crucial minerals to Japan for the last month, has now quietly halted shipments of those materials to the United States and Europe, three industry officials said on Tuesday. The Chinese action, involving rare earth minerals that are crucial to manufacturing many advanced products, seems […]
