Thursday, February 09, 2012

Clean green fraud

EDITORIAL: Clean green fraud - Washington Times
Last week, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, Michigan Republican, and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield, Kentucky Republican, opened their own investigation into the fraudulent outfits that sell tradeable biodiesel fuel credits to legitimate companies that need to meet the arbitrary mandates established by the EPA and Congress.

Articles: First Global Warming - Now Global Sweetening!

Articles: First Global Warming - Now Global Sweetening!
Yes, my friends, President Obama's fellow travelers within the progressive movement have decided that they have to find a new excuse for imposing government controls since climate change (née global warming) failed to achieve their overarching goal of controlling the car you drive; the fuel you're allowed to use; the type of light bulb you are allowed to use; and, after they get the "smart grid" in place, how warm you'll be allowed to keep your home.
Apparently, three researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have decided that sugar must be regulated in the same way in which tobacco and alcohol are regulated.

Greek death spiral accelerates

Greek death spiral accelerates – Telegraph Blogs
Another normal day at the Hellenic Statistical Authority.
We learn that:
Greece's manufacturing output contracted by 15.5pc in December from a year earlier.
Industrial output fell 11.3pc, compared to minus 7.8pc in November.
Unemployment jumped to 20.9pc in November, up from 18.2pc a month earlier.

I have little further to add.
This is what a death spiral looks like.

America’s youth has lowest employment rate in 60 years

America’s youth has lowest employment rate in 60 years Washington Free Beacon
Just 54 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 currently have jobs, according to a study released Thursday by the Pew Research Center.

White firefighters are awarded $2.7 million in bias case

White firefighters are awarded $2.7 million in bias case - City of Buffalo - The Buffalo News
Twelve white Buffalo firefighters will get an average of $230,430 each in back pay, pension benefits and damages -- a total of almost $2.77 million -- for emotional distress because the City of Buffalo illegally passed them over for promotions, a state judge has ruled.
The 12 men sued the city in 2007, contending that the city illegally allowed two promotional lists to expire because minority firefighters had fared poorly on civil service exams.

Green Economy Sputtering

Green Economy Sputtering Washington Free Beacon
The Chronicle reports:
The green economy that California officials hoped would add jobs during the depths of the recent recession actually lost positions instead, according to a new report. …

Solyndra fire sale

Solyndra fire sale Washington Free Beacon
The Washington Times reports that Solyndra, the failed solar panel company on the receiving end of a $535 million taxpayer-guaranteed loan, made a series of suspicious inventory sales just month before filing for bankruptcy, in an effort to stay afloat:

The ‘People’s’ Convention?

The ‘People’s’ Convention? Washington Free Beacon
DNC in Charlotte to Feature Million-dollar tickets, luxury suites, concierge services for the 1 Percent

Freeze forces Germany to restart nuclear reactors

Freeze forces Germany to restart nuclear reactors: Report - The Times of India
BERLIN: The cold snap gripping Europe has forced Germany, which last year decided to abandon nuclear power, to restart several reactors taken off line, the daily Handelsblatt reports in its Thursday issue.

Hoyer: ‘The Fact Is You Don’t Need a Budget’

Hoyer: ‘The Fact Is You Don’t Need a Budget’ CNSnews.com
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that Congress does not need an official federal budget because it can just adopt appropriations bills and authorization policies as needed to keep operating.

» Immigration and Customs Enforcement Hires Officer to Chat With Detainees

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Hires Officer to Chat With Detainees - Big Government
In a time when America’s immigration system is swamped – when illegal immigrants are routinely caught and released, many of whom are dangerous – it seems that one of ICE’s top priorities is public relations with illegal immigration advocates.
Yesterday, Andrew Lorenzen-Strait announced via the Department of Homeland Security website that he had been named ICE’s “first-ever public advocate.”
Lorenzen-Strait
His job will be to “serve as a point of contact for individuals, including those in immigration proceedings, NGOs, and other community and advocacy groups, who have concerns, questions, recommendations or important issues they would like to raise.”

Navy SEAL chief Bill McRaven warned to keep operations secret

Navy SEAL chief Bill McRaven warned to keep operations secret Mail Online
The commander of the Navy SEALs raids which killed Osama bin Laden and rescued hostage Jessica Buchanan has been berated by a retired Lt General for publicising such operations - and putting future deployments at risk.
Admiral Bill McRaven, who led the bin Laden raid and heads the U.S. Special Operations Command, was told by retired Army Lieutenant General James Vaught to 'get the hell out of the media' to safeguard the secrets and security of special operations.
According to ABC News, Vaught told McRaven: 'Since the time when your wonderful team went and drug bin Laden out and got rid of him, and more recently when you went down and rescued the group in Somalia, or wherever the hell they were, they’ve been splashing all of this all over the media.
'I flat don’t understand that.'