Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Congressional Statements Ghostwritten by Genentech Lobbyists
November 15th, 2009Via: New York Times: In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident. Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest […]
Netherlands to Tax Drivers by the Kilometer; GPS Trackers in Every Vehicle
November 15th, 2009Via: AFP: The Dutch government said Friday it wants to introduce a “green” road tax by the kilometre from 2012 aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent and halving congestion. “Each vehicle will be equipped with a GPS device that tracks how many kilometres are driven and when and where. This data will […]
The Truth About Ikea
November 14th, 2009Via: Independent: The wholesome Scandinavian image of furniture and lifestyle giant Ikea has been rudely shaken by a new book which claims the company is hostile to foreign employees and uses Stasi-style secret police methods to spy on its thousands of staff worldwide. The explosive charges are made by a former senior Ikea executive Johan […]
Trade Deficit in U.S. Increases by Most Since 1999
November 13th, 2009Via: Bloomberg: The trade deficit in the U.S. widened in September by the most in a decade, reflecting rising demand for imported oil and automobiles as the economy rebounded from the worst recession since the 1930s. The gap grew a larger-than-anticipated 18 percent to $36.5 billion, the highest level since January, from a revised $30.8 […]
U.S. Posts $176.36 Billion Deficit for October
November 13th, 2009Via: Wall Street Journal: The federal government kicked off fiscal year 2010 by posting its widest-ever October budget deficit, the Treasury Department said Thursday. The $176.36 billion gap is more than $20 billion wider than the shortfall recorded in October 2008, driven up by lower tax receipts, stimulus-related revenue reductions and consistently high government outlays. […]
Feds Move to Seize Four Mosques, Tower Allegedly Linked to Iran
November 13th, 2009Via: AP: Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal […]
Questions on Gold
November 13th, 2009Warning: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. Some readers are asking for my thoughts on gold. At this time, my analysis from October 29th remains current. I’ll quote the key sentences below: The medium term picture on the dollar should concern dollar bears with shorter time horizons. Technically, […]
Boy Diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome After Swine Flu Shot
November 12th, 2009Via: MSNBC: A 14-year-old Virginia boy is weak and struggling to walk after coming down with a reported case of Guillain-Barre syndrome within hours after receiving the H1N1 vaccine for swine flu. Jordan McFarland, a high school athlete from Alexandria, Va., left Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Tuesday night in a wheelchair nearly a week […]
The Dow Priced in Gold
November 12th, 2009Via: Reuters:
Cuba Orders Extreme Measures to Cut Energy Use
November 12th, 2009Via: Reuters: Cuba has ordered all state enterprises to adopt “extreme measures” to cut energy usage through the end of the year in hopes of avoiding the dreaded blackouts that plagued the country following the 1991 collapse of its then-top ally, the Soviet Union. In documents seen by Reuters, government officials have been warned that […]
