Category Archives: planetkillers

{The next bubble to impoverish US warming up!} Wall Street Sets Its Sights on Renters | Inter Press Service

Right as housing prices bottomed out around January 2012, large institutional investors began buying distressed properties in regions hit hard by the foreclosure crisis; they’ve purchased at least 200,000 to date.

In only a year, private equity giant Blackstone Group went from owning no single-family rental properties (SFRs) to being the U.S.’ single largest landlord.

Now, several companies, including Blackstone, are packaging their SFRs into bonds similar to the mortgage backed securities that fueled the financial crisis.

Like those securities, SFR bonds are backed by homes; but this time rental payments, rather than mortgage payments, pay the interest. Securitisation frees up money, allowing big buyers to purchase more properties with less capital by increasing their leverage – and risk.

via Wall Street Sets Its Sights on Renters | Inter Press Service.

“Because I can and want to! Nah, naw, nah, na! Despite U.N. ruling, Japan says it will resume whaling – UPI.com

Despite a whaling ban imposed months earlier by the International Court of Justice, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said Japan plans to resume its whale hunt in the Antarctic.

“I want to aim for the resumption of commercial whaling by conducting whaling research.”

The ICJ ruled on March 31 that Japan’s annual whale hunt — conducted under the auspices of a scientific research program — did not conform to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, and ordered Japan to stop the program.

It is unclear how Japan intends to bypass the ban.

via Despite U.N. ruling, Japan says it will resume whaling – UPI.com.

Single Dose of Antibiotic Found Effective in Quelling MRSA – NYTimes.com

Any questions about thoroughness of the research and lack or any bias?
“The study was led by researchers at Duke University and designed and funded by the Medicines Company, the maker of the antibiotic, oritavancin. The drug, to be sold as Orbactiv, may be approved by the Food and Drug Administration as early as August under a special fast-track process, the company said.” Hope it works well but if it adds to the problem of drug resistant bacteria – this model of research must change.

via Single Dose of Antibiotic Found Effective in Quelling MRSA – NYTimes.com.

Massive Investigation Uncovers White Supremacist Criminal Network in Oregon | Hatewatch

A massive investigation in Oregon shows evidence of a criminal web – involving guns, drugs, stolen property, identity theft and violence – linking white supremacists and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

“Operation White Christmas,” as the year-old investigation is code-named, so far has resulted in the arrests of 54 individuals, mostly in the Portland area, leading to 11 criminal cases in state court and another 43 in federal court.

As for its scope, the investigation based in Portland and Multnomah County rivals the prosecutions of members of another violent gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

The Oregon suspects variously are affiliated with at least five known street and prison white supremacist gangs – European Kindred (EK); Rude Crude Brood; All Ona Bitch (AOB); Fat Bitch Killers (FBK) and Insane Peckerwood Syndicate (IPS), authorities say.

Josh Sparks

Others arrested, investigators say, are associates of the Gypsy Jokers outlaw motorcycle gang whose members were believed to be involved in firearms and drug trafficking with the white supremacist gangs.

via Massive Investigation Uncovers White Supremacist Criminal Network in Oregon | Hatewatch.

Pimping for Coal and Air to Poison Us All – A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of emissions of carbon dioxide from new or existing power plants under certain circumstances. (S. 2414) – GovTrack.us

Super Mitch – the fool – McConnell – S. 2414: A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of emissions of carbon dioxide from new or existing power plants

via A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of emissions of carbon dioxide from new or existing power plants under certain circumstances. (S. 2414) – GovTrack.us.

Bill Gates declares war on world’s (surprisingly) deadliest creature | Green Prophet

Mosquitoes and I are not on friendly terms but I do like birds and many other living things which were once nearly all killed off by DDT – Today is Rachel Carson’s birthday, so this is all appropriate. One of the biggest facilitators of skeeters breeding out of control is the number two in your infographic – humans! As we cut down forests, stop rivers from flowing, etc., we more often than not create the best breeding grounds for the types of mosquitoes that are vectors for diseases that effect us – see the connection. Mosquitoes are nature’s control mechanism for out of control humans. Do we need a new DDT or do we need to learn how to not create breeding grounds for mosquitoes and in turn not destroy nature or ourselves.

via Bill Gates declares war on world’s (surprisingly) deadliest creature | Green Prophet.

The White Death, Revived – In The Fray

Paul Nunn, the WHO’s TB coordinator, says that these deadly strains have cropped up in certain European countries, too, though the reports have yet to be published. “If the health system of the world fails, the highly resistant strains will replace the old,” he adds. “We’ll see a worsening of the situation if nothing is done.” On the other hand, it may be only when the resistant strains become a major problem in rich countries that the profit-seeking pharmaceutical industry will take notice and pour real money into the development of potent new treatments.

Without effective drugs to combat the most resistant strains, doctors may have to revert to remedies from an earlier era. Udwadia recalls his first patient with untreatable TB. Twenty-six years old, she had spent the last five years trying a variety of anti-TB drugs, all of which had failed. As a last resort, she underwent a pneumonectomy, a high-risk medical procedure to remove a lung. The woman later died of complications from the surgery. The procedure had not been used on tuberculosis patients since the introduction of antibiotic treatments six decades ago.

via The White Death, Revived – In The Fray.

Double Blind | Sects and Violence in the Ancient World

When I read Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics as a child, I assumed that I’d not live to worry about them in real life. What we don’t know can indeed hurt us. Time magazine frightens me sometimes. This week’s offerings include a small blurb about drones. When I was a kid, a drone was a bee—dangerous in its own right—or it was a verb used to describe an uninspired teacher or preacher’s monotoned wisdom. Now drones are robotic planes that can operate themselves without human input. Time reveals that technology has been developed that would allow drones to kill without human input. Asimov’s laws have become truly science fiction. Proponents argue that “collateral damage” might be minimized if we allow robots to kill with precision, and some have argued that the research should be prohibited. The fact that it has been developed, however, means the line in the sand has been crossed. If it has been done once, it will be done again.

via Double Blind | Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

A Republican World – ‘Waiting lists at the Veteran’s Administration is a moral outrage; which is why Republicans are willing to block the opening of 27 new clinics until they get new sanctions against Iran’* | The Last Of The Millenniums

A Republican World – ‘Waiting lists at the Veteran’s Administration is a moral outrage; which is why Republicans are willing to block the opening of 27 new clinics until they get new sanctions against Iran’*

via A Republican World – ‘Waiting lists at the Veteran’s Administration is a moral outrage; which is why Republicans are willing to block the opening of 27 new clinics until they get new sanctions against Iran’* | The Last Of The Millenniums.