Alternative News

Santa Monica residents push city council to rein in outdoors fitness classes

"The city is considering a proposal that would require fitness trainers running their classes on city grounds pay a $100 fee and 15 percent of their gross revenues. Classes may also be limited to no more than two students per trainer, unless instructors working in larger venues provide proof of insurance on top of paying the fees. But some trainers have responded that while they don’t pay rent for teaching outdoors, they already pay the city for the proper permits and licensing to operate their businesses, on top of their own insurance and CPR certification fees." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSanta Monica residents push city council to rein in outdoors fitness classes

Brain scans reveal fructose link to overeating

"People who consume fructose instead of sugar derived from cane or other natural sources feel less satisfied by their food and tend to consume more, according to research published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Stacked next to brain scans of individuals who consumed glucose, the results showed a clear divergence in areas of the brain regulating appetite and reward processing. It is the first scientific literature to directly link fructose consumption to obesity-causing behaviors. Similar research published in November found that use of high fructose corn syrup correlates to significantly higher rates of type 2 diabetes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBrain scans reveal fructose link to overeating

Where to Be Born in 2013

"Economist Intelligence Unit has calculated where are the best places to be born in 2013. Its quality-of-life index links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys—how happy people say they are—to objective determinants of the quality of life across countries. Not surprising, Switzerland, perhaps the freest country in the world, tops another list of best country to live in." Continue reading →

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Hollywood Gets Tax Break Extension, While Payroll Extension Break Ended

"Section 317 of the freshly approved legislation includes an extension for 'special expensing rules for certain film and television productions.' The fiscal cliff deal extends the tax incentives through 2013--even as payroll taxes rise on ordinary Americans. The original tax incentive applied to productions costing less than $15 million to make ($20 million in low-income areas). The 2008 extension applies to all films, up to a deduction of $15 million (or $20 million in low-income areas). The incentive is especially generous to television series; it applies to each TV episode." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHollywood Gets Tax Break Extension, While Payroll Extension Break Ended

ProPublica: Govt Now Runs the US Mortgage Marketplace

"The American home mortgage market has, for all practical purposes, become nationalized since the 2008 financial meltdown, according to an analysis by ProPublica, the non-profit investigative journalism project. The takeover, without which the housing market could barely function, has occurred against a backdrop of little planning or public discussion. In fact, nine out of every 10 new mortgages are now backed by the U.S. taxpayer, up from three in 10 in 2006. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the taxpayer-supported housing giants, alone guaranteed 69 percent of new mortgages in the first nine months of 2012." Continue reading →

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America’s Allies Feed Christians to the Dogs

"Andrei Arbashe, a young Syrian Christian, had just gotten married and his wife was about to give birth. He had his life ahead of him. But thanks to the US/Saudi/Qatari/Israeli-supported rebels that was not to be. Instead, as the Australian reports today, he was beheaded by Obama and Hillary's rebels, cut into pieces, and fed to the dogs. His 'crime' was nothing more than his being a Christian whose brother was overheard complaining of the brutality of the rebels. The rebels are also schooling the children in the arts of beheading bound prisoners whose crime is loyalty to the Syrian government." Continue reading →

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End War at Home, End War Abroad

"The home invaders that traumatized Hill’s children were from the Ogden Police Department. Yet Hill was not wanted for any crime. He had been mistaken for a different man, charged with 'desertion' from the military. In pursuit of a suspect accused of a non-violent offense, police armed themselves with multiple assault rifles and tactical weapons and chose to invade a home in the middle of the night. They stated their willingness to kill anyone who held a gun to defend their home from such a raid. And these were police in Utah, where gun ownership is common." Continue reading →

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Pentagon Cries Poor, Starts $10 Billion Nuclear Weapon Upgrade

"The $178 million, three-year contract with Boeing is for a prototype 'tail kit' for the B61 nuclear weapon. The fins and control systems will be similar to the ones on today’s conventional, GPS-guided bombs, potentially making this enhanced version of the B61 the most accurate weapon of mass destruction ever. It’s one part of a bigger package of improvements to the B61 that the Pentagon insists it needs in order to keep this slice of its nuclear arsenal ready for war, if needed. Everything from the spin rocket motors to the electronic neutron generators will be refreshed. Total cost: an estimated $10 billion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPentagon Cries Poor, Starts $10 Billion Nuclear Weapon Upgrade

Policing in Prince George’s County, Maryland

"Other Maryland students were roughed up and badly injured by the police after the basketball game. At least three were knocked unconscious; two of them required medical care. Nine students (in addition to Mr. McKenna) received a total of $1.6 million in settlements from the county stemming from police violence. In the absence of video evidence in those cases, the officers who used Maryland students as punching bags faced no disciplinary consequences." Continue reading →

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