Archive for April, 2016
Junk Food Kills Bacteria That Protect Against Obesity, Heart Disease and Cancer, Study Finds
April 18th, 2016This is from 2015. Via: Telegraph: Eating junk food kills stomach bacteria which protect against obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel conditions and autism, fresh studies have found. The human gut contains around 3,500 difference microbial species, which together make up some three pounds in weight. Scientists now believe a diet based on a […]
Here Come the Unregulated GMOs
April 18th, 2016Via: MIT Technology Review: People are arguing about whether genetically modified foods should carry labels. But the next generation of GMOs might not only be unlabeled—they might be unregulated. Over at Scientific American you can read a 6,000-word story about how one such plant, a GM mushroom, was created. The short version is that a […]
U.S. to Sail Submarine Drones in South China Sea
April 18th, 2016Via: Financial Times: As it watches China build up its presence in the South China Sea, one reclaimed island at a time, the US military is betting on a new technology to help retain its edge — submarine drones. During the past six months, the Pentagon has started to talk publicly about a once-secret programme […]
Norway’s $860 Billion Fund Drops 52 Companies Linked to Coal
April 17th, 2016Via: Bloomberg: Norway’s $860 billion sovereign wealth fund unveiled the first list of miners and power producers to be excluded from its portfolio following a ban on coal investments. The 52 companies being barred include American Electric Power Co. Inc., China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Whitehaven Coal Ltd., Tata Power Co. and Peabody Energy Corp., […]
Saudis Threaten to Sell $750 Billion in U.S. Treasuries Over 9/11 Bill
April 17th, 2016The word, “Bush” doesn’t appear in this piece even once. And what is Marvin up to these days? Via: New York Times: Saudi Arabia has told the Obama administration and members of Congress that it will sell off hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American assets held by the kingdom if Congress passes a […]
Japan: Toyota Halts Vehicle Production Due to Supply Disruptions After Earthquakes
April 17th, 2016Via: Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp , the world’s biggest-selling automaker, said on Sunday it would suspend much of its production at plants across Japan this week after earthquakes in the country’s south led to a shortage of parts, while some other manufacturers extended stoppages due to damage to factories. The earthquakes on Thursday and Saturday, […]
World’s Biggest Oil Producers Meet to Discuss Possible Freeze on Production
April 17th, 2016Via: Guardian: The world’s biggest oil producers will huddle in Doha on Sunday in a rare off-scheduled meeting where discussion about what they can do to staunch the continued global surplus of crude oil that’s weighed on prices for nearly two years. Hopes that members in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries cartel and non-Opec […]
Why, Where & How to Do Wind Electricity
April 16th, 2016Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — As New Zealand’s electricity cartel ramps up the war on solar power, I’m starting to take a more serious look at the end game: Disconnection from the grid. While I’m not sure how I want to handle this yet, one thing is certain: Wind power […]
When Lobbying Was Illegal
April 16th, 2016Via: Priceonomics: Wouldn’t it be nice if lobbying were illegal? It’s a tempting thought. But it seems impossible. Lobbying is a multi-billion dollar industry and an accepted—if hated—part of American politics. American courts have ruled that lobbying is constitutionally protected free speech, and lawyers and laymen alike generally accept this. The same is true of […]
Bernie Earned Less in Year than Hillary Made in Single Speech
April 15th, 2016Via: Weekly Standard: Bernie Sanders reportedly earned just over $200,000 in 2014. That same year, Hillary Clinton, Sanders’s top Democratic rival, gave about 45 paid speeches, many of which paid her more in a single hour than Sanders made the entire year. The Washington Post reports on Sanders’s income. “The senator from Vermont reported income […]
