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Palin Announces She Is Resigning As Alaska's Governor Later This Month
(2009-07-03 16:31:28)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska's
chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to
a second gubernatorial term in 2010.
Palin, a Republican, was elected governor in 2006. She was tapped
as Arizona Sen. John McCain' ...[Read More]
U.S. EPA Grants California's Request To Set Its Own Greenhouse Gas Limits
(2009-06-30 19:12:15)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday granted California's request
to set its own limits on greenhouse gases from autos - a long-sought
victory with limited impact now that the federal government has pledged
to impose national limits.
That decision grants Cali ...[Read More]
How A Loophole In Bank Rescue Plan Benefits G.E.
(2009-06-29 02:48:30)
Industrial giant becomes top recipient in debt-guarantee program.
General Electric, the world's largest industrial company, has quietly become the
biggest beneficiary of one of the government's key rescue programs for
banks.
At the same time, G.E. has avoided many of th ...[Read More]
In Argentina: The Vanishing Power Of Cristina Kirchner
(2009-06-27 23:32:16)
With Congressional elections set for Sunday,
Argentinians will pass judgment on their government's crisis management
this weekend. President Cristina Kirchner has been campaigning on
doctored statistics, but with the economy tanking, it is unlikely that
voters will be ...[Read More]
Commentary: Food Inc. - The Food Industry's Darkest Secrets
(2009-06-26 02:35:06)
The new film "Food Inc." is a shocking look at the health,
human rights and environmental nightmare that lands on our plate each
meal.
It turns out that figuring out the most simple thing - like
what's on your dinner plate, and where it came from - is actually a
pretty subver ...[Read More]
German Chancellor Merkel Wants More On Climate From Obama
(2009-06-26 02:34:48)
As far as German Chancellor Angela Merkel is
concerned, when it comes to combating climate change, U.S. President
Barack Obama refuses to go the distance. The U.S. has stalled progress on
a global agreement, and a bill currently before Congress is too anemic.
... [Read More]
German Budget Headed For Massive Shortfalls
(2009-06-24 22:44:30)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet on Wednesday
approved a draft budget plan which calls for 310 billion euros of new
debt in the next four years. In 2010, Berlin is expected to set a
post-war record for deficit spending.
In the early years of ...[Read More]
Germany Takes Lead In Saving Ecuador's Rainforest
(2009-06-24 16:07:38)
Oil companies are salivating over the supply
of
black gold beneath Ecuador's rainforest. The South American country is
pledging to keep the oil in the ground - if the international
community provides compensation. Now Germany has taken a leading role
in raising the n ...[Read More]
World Warming Faster Than Thought; Is Yesterday's Worst Case Scenario Today's Reality?
(2009-06-19 22:55:02)
Is climate change beyond our control? Respected
geo-researchers have presented a new prognosis for the global increase
in temperature. Yesterday's worst-case scenario is becoming today's
reality.
Two degrees - that value has long been the guideline fo ...[Read More]
Senate Votes To Impose U.S. Regulation Of Tobacco
(2009-06-11 16:37:43)
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to impose federal
regulation on cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, passing a landmark
bill to empower the Food and Drug Administration to control products that eventually kill half their regular users.
The legislation, with only min ...[Read More]
Success Of Climate Talks In Copenhagen Depend On Success In U.S.-China Talks
(2009-06-07 17:26:36)
For months the United States and China,
by far the world’s two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, have been
warily circling each other in hopes of breaking a long impasse on global warming policy.
They are, as President Obama's chief climate negotiator puts it, “the t ...[Read More]
Commentary: 2012, 2035 - What Threatens Us ...
(2009-06-07 17:26:09)
Intellpuke: This commentary was written by L'Express
journalist Jacques Attali and appeared on Truthout.org's Web site
edition for May 27, 2009. I thought it deserved a broader readership
and didn't want to let it fall through the cracks.
A massive release of met ...[Read More]
Kim Jong Il Picks Youngest Son As Heir To North Korea's Ruling Dynasty
(2009-06-02 16:02:35)
North Korea's ailing leader has chosen his youngest son - who is just 26,
attended a Swiss boarding school and reportedly admires basketball
great Michael Jordan - as heir to the family dynasty that rules the
secretive state, South Korea's intelligence service told lawmakers in Seoul.
... [Read More]
GM Files For Bankruptcy Protection, 14 U.S. Plants To Be Closed
(2009-06-01 16:30:42)
General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection this morning in a move that
President Obama said was necessary to restore the auto manufacturing
giant to competitiveness and help ensure the survival of the domestic
auto industry.
In a speech at the White House hours after GM file ...[Read More]
Parts Maker Magna Said To Reach Tentative Deal For G.M.'s Opel
(2009-05-29 17:51:35)
Negotiators from General Motors, Magna International and the German
government reached a tentative agreement on Friday that would have
Magna take a major stake in G.M.’s European operations alongside a
Russian bank, said a person briefed on the talks.
After a marathon meeting on W ...[Read More]
Obama Sets New Auto Emissions And Mileage Rules
(2009-05-19 15:19:30)
President Obama announced tough new nationwide rules for automobile emissions and
mileage standards on Tuesday, embracing standards that California has
sought to enact for years over the objections of the auto industry and
the Bush administration.
“For the first time in history, ...[Read More]
U.S. To Expand Immigrations Checks To All Local Jails
(2009-05-19 03:49:08)
The Obama administration is expanding a program initiated by President
George W. Bush aimed at checking the immigration status of virtually
every person booked into local jails. In four years, the measure could
result in a tenfold increase in illegal immigrants who have been
convicted ...[Read More]
Utah Governor Chosen As U.S. Ambassador To China
(2009-05-16 22:06:58)
President Obama on Saturday selected one of the nation’s leading
Republican governors to serve as the ambassador to China, nominating
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., for a diplomatic post that Obama called
“as important as any in the world.”
The decision renewed President Obama ...[Read More]
Editorial: The Climate Debate Heats Up
(2009-05-08 04:00:09)
Intellpuke: This editorial appeared in the New York Times edition for Friday, May 8, 2009.
Earlier this week, and not a moment too soon, President Obama put the
weight of his office behind a bill that aims to reduce the nation’s
dependence on foreign oil, tackle ... [Read More]
GM To Build More Cars Overseas
(2009-05-08 03:59:47)
The U.S. government is pouring billions into General Motors in hopes of reviving the domestic economy, but when the automaker
completes its restructuring plan, many of the company's new jobs will
be filled by workers overseas.
According to an outline the company has be ...[Read More]
U.S. Halts New York Pilot Program To Detect Biological Attacks
(2009-05-07 03:16:14)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is dismantling a next-generation
biological attack warning system in New York City subways because of
technical problems, said U.S. officials.
Robert Hooks, a deputy assistant secretary, said the department no
longer believes i ...[Read More]
Germany's Environment Minister: 'We Must Discuss Climate Change's Devastating Effects Openly'
(2009-04-23 18:31:25)
Intellpuke: In the following Spiegel interview, Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, of the Social Democratic Party,
discusses the prospects for climate protection in the economic crisis,
the shortcomings of President Obama's new emissions policies and the challenges
to ...[Read More]
F.B.I., States Law Enforcement Officials Vastly Expand DNA Database
(2009-04-18 17:27:28)
Law enforcement officials are vastly expanding their collection of
DNA to include millions more people who have been arrested or detained
but
not yet convicted. The move, intended to help solve more crimes, is
raising concerns about the privacy of petty offenders and people who
are presume ...[Read More]
In Mexico's Battle Against Drug Cartels, Its Army Becomes The Law
(2009-04-02 15:29:01)
President Felipe Calderon is rapidly escalating the Mexican army's
role in the war against drug traffickers, deploying nearly 50 percent
of its combat-ready troops along the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout
the country, while retired army officers take command of local police
forces and th ...[Read More]
Congress May Force Obama To Delay On Copenhagen Climate Change Deal
(2009-03-25 20:17:25)
U.S. President Obama may be forced to delay signing up to a new
international agreement on climate change in Copenhagen at the end of
the year because of the scale of opposition in the U.S. Congress, it
emerged Wednesday.
Senior
figures in the Obama administration have been warni ...[Read More]
Monsanto's Uphill Battle In Germany
(2009-03-06 21:44:37)
Business is booming worldwide for U.S. biotech
giant Monsanto, but in Germany the company has encountered fierce
resistance. A colorful alliance of beekeepers, anti-capitalism
protesters and conservative politicians are in the process of chasing
the global market lead ...[Read More]
Obama Administration Targets Aid For Troubled Homeowners
(2009-03-04 17:40:28)
The Obama administration Wednesday released guidelines of its massive
foreclosure prevention program and it includes a refinancing program
for homeowners with little equity in their homes and a loan
modification effort for borrowers at risk of losing their homes.
It i ...[Read More]
Ford Sales Drop 48 Percent In February
(2009-03-03 15:20:24)
New-vehicle sales results being released Tuesday are expected to show a
considerable drop-off in February after four months of relative
stability, despite some of the biggest discounts ever offered.
The Ford Motor Company said its sales last month were 4 ...[Read More]
Obama Plans Major Shifts In Government Spending
(2009-02-26 14:57:58)
President Obama's new budget blueprint estimates a stunning deficit of $1.75 trillion
for the current fiscal year, which began five months ago, then lays out
a wrenching change of course as he seeks to finance his own priorities
while stanching the flow of red ink.
By redirecting ...[Read More]
Obama Budget Anticipates Revenue From Auto Emission Limits
(2009-02-26 03:01:15)
A mandatory cap on the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, which
President Obama embraced on Tuesday as central to his domestic agenda,
would be designed to generate badly needed revenue for the government
while addressing arguably the world's most pressing environmental issue.
[Read More]
Finally! California Legislature Approves New Budget
(2009-02-19 15:25:14)
California's Senate and Assembly OK plan that includes major program
cuts and $12 billion in tax hikes. Republican Sen. Abel Maldonado cast
the key vote after Democrats agree to let voters decide on "open"
primary elections.
Voting at dawn to end a three-month impasse, the Cal ... [Read More]
Venezuelans Vote To Remove Term Limits
(2009-02-16 03:09:53)
Fourteen months after his first attempt failed, Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez won a referendum Sunday to eliminate term limits, paving
the way for him to rule far into the 21st century to carry out his
socialist transformation of this oil-rich country.
With more than
90 percen ...[Read More]
Obama Administration To Revamp Plan For Oil, Gas Exploration
(2009-02-11 15:17:13)
The Obama administration will set aside an "oil and gas or nothing"
approach to energy exploration on the outer continental shelf and
consider proposals for offshore wind farms alongside plans for new
drilling, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday.
Salazar said ...[Read More]
Popular Rage Grows As Global Financial Crisis Worsens
(2009-02-10 20:25:44)
As the global economic crisis deepens, tempers around the world are
getting shorter. French and British trade unions are organizing
strikes, Putin is sending troops into the streets and Beijing is trying
to buy itself calm.
In the cabinet of French President's Nicolas Sarkozy, th ...[Read More]
Republican Governors Push Congress To Pass Stimulus Bill
(2009-02-01 03:57:10)
Most Republican governors have broken with their Republican colleagues in
Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama's
economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education,
public works and health care.
Their state treasuries drained by
the finan ...[Read More]
Can Countries Really Go Bankrupt?
(2009-02-01 03:56:57)
The bailout packages aimed at shoring up financial markets in Europe
are getting increasingly expensive. A creeping depreciation of currency
is inevitable and state bankruptcies can no longer be ruled out. Could
the euro zone also fall victim to the global financial crisis?
"Ther ...[Read More]
U.S. Interior Dept. Ignored Science When Limiting Water To Grand Canyon
(2009-01-28 16:14:33)
U.S. Interior Department officials ignored key scientific findings when
they limited water flows in the Grand Canyon to optimize generation of
electric power there, risking damage to the ecology of the spectacular
national landmark, according to documents obtained by the Washington
Post. ...[Read More]
Europe's Gas Pipeline War
(2009-01-28 03:21:54)
The most recent conflict between Moscow and Kiev over natural gas
supplies has reignited the controversy over new transit routes. Europe
could get its future gas from the highly controversial Nord Stream
pipeline to the north, or via the Nabucco pipeline to the south - but
will either ever ...[Read More]
In Europe, Financial Crisis Drives Down The Cost Of Pollution
(2009-01-27 03:48:59)
As the economic effects of the financial crisis deepen, it has
become surprisingly cheap to pollute. Prices for carbon dioxide
emissions permits have fallen below 12 euros per ton. Some companies
are selling them to generate much needed cash.
The ongoing financial crisi ... [Read More]
The High Price Of Clean, Cheap Ethanol
(2009-01-22 21:18:15)
Brazil hopes to supply drivers worldwide with the fuel of the future
- cheap ethanol derived from sugarcane. It is considered an effective
antidote to climate change, but hundreds of thousands of Brazilian
plantation workers harvest the cane at slave wages.
In the middle of the n ...[Read More]
Venezuela's Chavez Reopens Oil Bids To West As Prices Plummet
(2009-01-15 02:56:55)
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, buffeted by falling oil prices that threaten to damage his efforts to
establish a Socialist-inspired state, is quietly courting Western oil
companies once again.
Until recently, Chavez had pushed foreign oil companies here
into a corner by nationaliz ...[Read More]
Commentary: Anti-Global Warming
(2008-12-28 00:58:45)
Editor: I get around a lot. I read lots (and lots and lots) of information. Not only news sites, but technical analysis, studies, etc. I may be the publisher of Free Internet Press, but by day job is technical ... [Read More]
Illinois Supreme Court Asked To Remove Blagojevich
(2008-12-12 16:38:10)
The attorney general of Illinois asked the state Supreme Court today
to temporarily remove Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (D) from office,
arguing that he cannot effectively fulfill his duties because of
federal corruption charges against him.
"His ability to provide
effective leadershi ...[Read More]
How To Save The Climate From The Recession
(2008-12-10 16:56:59)
Yvo de Boer, the United Nation's climate chief, is facing an uphill
task at Poznan. The world needs a new treaty on global warming to
replace the Kyoto Protocol, but many nations are now far more worried
about the economic crisis. The prospects of reaching a deal by next
year in Copenhagen ...[Read More]
Commentary: 'Omni-President' Sarkozy Fritters Away French Democracy
(2008-12-09 19:38:08)
Intellpuke: This commentary was written by Ullrich Fichtner
and appeared in Spiegel's online edition for Tuesday, December 9, 2008.
Mr. Fichtner's commentary follows:
Instead of living up to his promise to be the president of all
Frenchmen, Nicolas Sarkozy is splitti ...[Read More]
Native Hunters: Climate Is Thinning Caribou Herds
(2008-12-07 17:42:07)
Chief Bill Erasmus of the Dene nation in northern Canada brought a stark warning about the climate crisis:[Read More]
DOH! Iraq War Longer, More Costly Than Expected, Says Bush
(2008-12-05 15:33:15)
President Bush said Fiday that the fight in Iraq has been longer and
more costly than expected, but he defended the U.S.-led invasion,
saying the world could not risk leaving Saddam Hussein's power
unchecked.
In a speech he was delivering later Friday, Bush defended his Middle
...[Read More]
Putin Seeks To Assure Russians Over Economic Concerns
(2008-12-04 17:03:58)
Confronting growing public anxiety over a faltering economy, Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin assured Russians on Thursday the country would
make it through the global financial crisis with "minimal losses" and
pledged to boost pension payments and other spending to help those
suffering in the ...[Read More]
Detroit Execs Face Skeptical Senators
(2008-12-04 17:03:13)
Executives of the Big Three U.S. automakers renewed their appeals
Thursday for as much as $38 billion in federal loans to help them
survive
the current economic recession, acknowledging past mistakes in their
business models but warning of potentially devastating consequences if
any of ...[Read More]
G.M. Accepts Need For Drastic Cuts To Get U.S. Aid
(2008-12-03 00:21:30)
General Motors, increasingly desperate for a federal bailout to stave off financial
collapse, told Congress on Tuesday that it was willing to drastically
shrink every aspect of its operations to ensure its long-term survival.
On the same day that the industry reported its worst sal ...[Read More]
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