crony capitalism

USDA skeptical of Monsanto sabotage claim in ‘zombie wheat’ probe

"The Department of Agriculture, which is conducting a secretive investigation into the renegade GM wheat outbreak, maintains the GM wheat remained confined to a single 125-acre field on a single farm in eastern Oregon. Officials said there was no evidence the contaminated wheat was in the marketplace. The stakes are high for America’s wheat exports, with Japan and South Korea cancelling shipments; for Monsanto, which faces lawsuits from farmers for falling wheat prices and a consumer backlash against GM products; and for the US government, which must shore up confidence in the safety and integrity of the food supply." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUSDA skeptical of Monsanto sabotage claim in ‘zombie wheat’ probe

Monsanto unapproved GMO wheat was in Colorado government storage facility until 2011

"Monsanto Co’s unapproved, experimental genetically engineered wheat, which is feared to have potentially contaminated U.S. wheat supplies after it was found growing in an Oregon field this spring, was kept in a U.S. government storage facility until at least late 2011, according to documents obtained by Reuters. The revelation that the seed for the controversial genetically engineered wheat was kept viable in a Colorado storage facility as recently as a year and a half ago comes as the U.S. government is investigating how the strain of experimental wheat wound up growing in an Oregon field this spring." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMonsanto unapproved GMO wheat was in Colorado government storage facility until 2011

Fracking ban halts first shale gas project in Spain

"Spain’s richest shale gas reserves have been determined to exist in the northern region of Cantabria, but back in April the local Cantabrian government implemented the country’s first fracking ban, worried that such activities may pollute the local sources of drinking water. The Spanish fossil fuel trade group, Aciep, has made claims that Spain boasts enough prospective natural gas resources to meet the country’s domestic demand for more than 70 years. The Spanish government has worked to reduce barriers to energy for any international oil and gas companies trying to develop shale gas in the country." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFracking ban halts first shale gas project in Spain

60,000 in Tokyo protest government plans to restart nuclear power

"The Japanese government has previously stated that it will most likely allow those reactors to return to power which have been approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), whose new safety guidelines are scheduled to be adopted in July. One of Japan’s largest-ever protests saw 170,000 people gather in a similar fashion in July 2012, around the same time that then-Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda decided on the first two reactor restarts since the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. As of now, the anti-nuclear protestors say they have collected over 8 million signatures of those opposed to reactor restarts." Continue reading →

Continue Reading60,000 in Tokyo protest government plans to restart nuclear power

Ohio Dept. Of Insurance: Obamacare To Increase Premiums By 88 Percent

"Last week, the Ohio Department of Insurance announced that, based on the rates submitted by insurers to date, the average individual-market health insurance premium in 2014 will come in around $420, 'representing an increase of 88 percent' relative to 2013. 'We have warned of these increases,' said Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor in a statement. 'Consumers will have fewer choices and pay much higher premiums for their health insurance starting in 2014.' According to actuarial firm Milliman, the two biggest drivers of the increase are (1) risk pool composition changes and (2) Obamacare’s required expansion of insurance benefits." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOhio Dept. Of Insurance: Obamacare To Increase Premiums By 88 Percent

Texas City Council Rejects Red Light Camera Initiative

"The city council in Sugar Land, Texas does not want voters to have a say in whether red light cameras are used in the Houston suburb. Although more than 3000 residents signed a petition requesting the issue be placed on the November ballot, and the city secretary verified a sufficient number met the legal requirement, the council voted Tuesday to reject the petition. The council's decision protects the four intersection cameras operated by American Traffic Solutions, one of which only began issuing $75 tickets a month ago. Before that device was added, the cameras issued 10,549 tickets worth $791,175 in a twelve-month period." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas City Council Rejects Red Light Camera Initiative

US, EU kick off Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks despite Snowden revelations

"The main goal is to agree on removing bureaucratic, regulatory and protectionist barriers to more open trade and investment to create what would be the world’s largest free-trade area, involving 820 million people. Key focuses of the talks ahead include agricultural trade, cross-border investment, intellectual property rights and regulatory harmonization. To avoid stalling the talks, separate US-EU discussions on the NSA activities were held quietly this week at the Department of Justice. Washington will push Europe to open up to US biotechnology products like genetically modified foods, which many European consumers consider dangerous." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS, EU kick off Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks despite Snowden revelations

Paul Rosenberg: 9 Plagues That Are Collapsing Capitalism

"Our marginally capitalist, partly-free market systems are approaching a massive collapse. Not because of what capitalism is, mind you, but because the powers that be have bastardized it. Capitalism can bear many distortions and abuses, but it is not indestructible. And, make no mistake, the ‘capitalist’ system we have today has been massively corrupted, so much so that it’s sagging under the load… and will continue to do so until the proverbial straw breaks its back." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Rosenberg: 9 Plagues That Are Collapsing Capitalism

Virginia health centers get $2.5M to ‘promote Obamacare on taxpayer dime’

"Virginia health centers will receive 22 federal grants totaling more than $2.5 million to enroll clients in Obamacare, part of a $150 million national campaign. The largest recipient is the New Canton-based Central Virginia Health Services, which will get $266,020. On a per-capita basis, the 51 new hires in Virginia would be paid an average of $49,000. Skeptics say the overhead costs are emblematic of the Obamacare program. 'There are over 1,200 community health centers throughout the country who are getting a chunk of $150 million in outreach funding for the rollout of Obamacare,' said Ben Domenech at the conservative Heartland Institute." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVirginia health centers get $2.5M to ‘promote Obamacare on taxpayer dime’

Loophole lets Colorado lawmakers avoid photo radar fines

"A loophole in state law has allowed Colorado state senators and representatives to avoid photo radar tickets because of special treatment given to lawmakers when they get license plates. Most license plates are issued to specific vehicles. But license plates for lawmakers are issued to individuals and aren't registered in state computers. The city has an aggressive photo radar program that sends out millions of dollars in photo radar tickets every year. However, police have not been able to send citations to legislators whose cars carry the special plates." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLoophole lets Colorado lawmakers avoid photo radar fines