Mainstream News

Quicken Loans founder: Detroit bankruptcy a ‘step toward a better and brighter tomorrow’

"Dan Gilbert, whose affiliated companies own more than 30 buildings and 7.5 million square feet of real estate in downtown Detroit, said the city's apparent move toward bankruptcy is a 'first step toward a better and brighter tomorrow for our city.' His full statement is below. The Quicken Loans founder, a self-described optimist, has been investing in Detroit at an unrelenting clip for at least the past three years. Gilbert's umbrella company, Rock Ventures, which includes some 75 companies, now employs about 9,200 people in downtown Detroit, and has a total workforce of about 15,000 employees nationwide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingQuicken Loans founder: Detroit bankruptcy a ‘step toward a better and brighter tomorrow’

Obama in crossfire as battle for control of the Fed heats up

"At stake is the chairmanship of an organization whose global influence has grown ever larger in recent years. The impact of the Fed’s policies can be seen everywhere. On top of its global role, the Fed has beefed up its activities as regulator in the US. Whoever gets the job will be taking over a position more powerful than the one Bernanke inherited when he was appointed in 2006. Obama said recently that the appointment 'is definitely one of the most important economic decisions I will make in the remainder of my presidency. The Federal Reserve chairman is not just one of the most important economic policymakers in America. He or she is one of the most important policymakers in the world.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama in crossfire as battle for control of the Fed heats up

World’s Nicest Traffic Cop Has Issued 25,000 Tickets With Zero Complaints

"53-year-old Elton Simmons has been a Sheriff's Deputy for Los Angeles County for just over 20 years. In that time Simmons has made more than 25,000 traffic stops and surprisingly, has not received a single complaint. Simmons says his motto is 'Do good, be good, treat people good', and receiving a ticket from him might actually make your day." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWorld’s Nicest Traffic Cop Has Issued 25,000 Tickets With Zero Complaints

Gun Crime ‘Out of Control’ Despite Strict Australia Laws

"As former Australian politician Tim Fischer turns the shooting of Christopher Lane into an opportunity to push a travel boycott until the U.S. changes its gun laws, police in Sydney launched 'a new plan to tackle out-of-control gun violence' there. Australia implemented a massive purge of guns in 1996, which included bans on 'assault weapons' and other semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. Yet 17 years after the implementation of gun control schemes that are very similar in many ways to those being pushed by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the NSW police department is launching a new operation to rein in gun violence." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Crime ‘Out of Control’ Despite Strict Australia Laws

School District Ends Policy Of Forcing Students To Kneel Down For Dismissal

"School district officials in San Bernardino County say they will discontinue a policy that required elementary school students to kneel down before being dismissed to class. Principal Dana Carter at Calimesa Elementary School had reportedly instituted the policy, which called for students at various times of the school day to kneel down on one knee and wait for the principal or another administrator to dismiss them, as a safety measure. Yucaipa Calimesa Unified School District Superintendent Cali Binks told KCAL9 the policy – which was described as 'positive behavior intervention' – will no longer be enforced at Calimesa Elementary after several parents spoke out against the practice." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSchool District Ends Policy Of Forcing Students To Kneel Down For Dismissal

Striking teachers block access to Mexico City airport

"Thousands of teachers severely disrupted access to Mexico City’s international airport, forcing some travelers to abandon cars and roll suitcases on foot during a protest against education reform. President Enrique Pena Nieto pushed through Congress changes to the constitution in December in order to put education, which was in the hands of powerful unions, back under government control and require teachers to undergo mandatory performance appraisals. More than 70,000 teachers went on strike in southern Mexico, leaving more than one million children without classes at the start of the school year this week." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStriking teachers block access to Mexico City airport

An ‘aporkalypse’ has Texas fighting losing battle against feral pig menace

"Dallas created a task force to tackle its pig problem and it is cooperating with affected neighbouring cities such as Arlington and Fort Worth. It is illegal for civilians to discharge a firearm inside Dallas’ city limits so the hogs must be caught and then slaughtered elsewhere. The number of feral hogs in Texas is predicted to grow by 16% annually, roughly doubling in five years. They already cause an estimated $52m in damage to the state’s agriculture industry each year. And they are becoming partial to the comforts of suburban life. A proposal allowing bow-hunters to shoot them and donate the meat to the homeless was rejected on safety grounds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAn ‘aporkalypse’ has Texas fighting losing battle against feral pig menace

Fargo man charged with coin theft from UPS hub

"A Fargo man has been charged in the theft from the UPS shipping center here of more than $65,000 worth of gold and silver coins being shipped by Treasure Island Coins to a customer. The first theft, which was of 20 American Eagle gold coins worth $33,797, was on April 15. The second, of 100 American Eagle silver coins worth $2,570, was on June 6. The third was six days after that. Twenty Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins worth $28,840 were stolen. Keller told police that Pulicicchio was best friends with someone who worked at UPS." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFargo man charged with coin theft from UPS hub

Moody’s considers downgrading top US banks

"Moody's has warned that it could cut the credit ratings of the six biggest US banks, saying the federal government may be less likely to bail them out if they got into trouble in the future. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo could be downgraded, the rating agency said on Thursday. The review by the second-largest rating agency in terms of market share follows a similar statement from rival Standard & Poor's in June, and comes as governments are reshaping the regulation of banking and trying to prevent a repeat of the bailouts of the credit crisis era. Lower credit ratings could raise the cost of capital for bank holding companies." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMoody’s considers downgrading top US banks

Gold’s rebound: Why it’s believable this time

"Kelly Teoh, market strategist at IG Markets who believes the upside in gold has legs, said investors are moving into the precious metal because Asian currencies are under tremendous pressure. 'If you look at all the various asset classes, the U.S. equities are at all-time highs, Asian ex-Japan equities are lagging, commodities is the only asset class that's underperformed so I see value in that,' she added. Barclays' chief technical strategist Dhiren Sarin says gold has either already formed, or is in the process, of establishing a 'very strong base.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGold’s rebound: Why it’s believable this time