Category Archives: Profiteering

Chile rejects Patagonia wilderness dam project | News | DW.DE | 11.06.2014

There were scenes of jubilation in the capital city Santiago’s Plaza Italia as opponents of the dam heard the news.

“This is a historic day,” Juan Pablo Orrego, international coordinator of the Patagonia Without Dams campaign, told IPS news agency after the decision was announced.

“I am moved that the citizens… managed to finally inspire a government to do the right thing in the face of a mega-project,” he added.

“We did it. We won. Viva Chile!” and “Goodbye HidroAysen!” were among the messages tweeted on the group’s Twitter account.

The company may still appeal the project. The dam project, one of numerous schemes around the world that have sparked protests, would generate a about a third of Chile’s current energy needs. Experts say that Chile, which has a heavy reliance on a energy-intensive mining industry, will have to triple its current 18,000-megawatt power generation capacity within 15 years.

However, since being elected last year, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet had said the plan was not viable.

via Chile rejects Patagonia wilderness dam project | News | DW.DE | 11.06.2014.

{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.

ELLE UK Persuades Pharrell Williams into Becoming the Latest Red Face Disgrace

It’s time we stop settling for meaningless apologies and demand that celebrities and brands be held accountable for their actions. It may seem overkill, but we should still be bombarding ELLE, ELLE UK, American Express, and Pharrell’s label and discussing why this is an issue that cannot be fixed with words. Corrective actions must be taken because the only way to stop this willful ignorance is if the offenders feel the consequences, whether it’s through fines or being dropped from labels and tours or losing sponsorships. At this point, an apology doesn’t it cut it because the magazine will still be released with the same cover and the same disrespectful photographs. Pharrell and ELLE magazine will still be promoting and profiting from their blatant disregard of indigenous people and that is unacceptable. Our ancestors did not sacrifice their lives to preserve our cultural heritage so that vapid celebrities, designers and hipsters could feel superior, exotic and trendy by playing “Indian”.

via ELLE UK Persuades Pharrell Williams into Becoming the Latest Red Face Disgrace.

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.

A Men’s Rights Group Crowdfunded $25,000 for Extra Security Because of ‘Bullies’ – The Wire

A Voice For Men’s homepage currently links to a change.org petition demanding that society “class feminism as a terrorist group.”

A Voice for Men has said that it welcomes “peaceful” protests of their conference, which makes sense. As a philosophy, Men’s Rights depends on the conviction that men and men’s rights activists are the most persecuted people on the planet. Protesters — not to mention fundraising for a security detail — helps to sell that idea.

via A Men’s Rights Group Crowdfunded $25,000 for Extra Security Because of ‘Bullies’ – The Wire.

Quality Egg Agrees to Pay $6.8M Fine for Selling Tainted Eggs

If you were a young and dumb kid who steals an egg truck – it’s see ya in 5 years! Endanger thousands of people and make many ill? Pay a fine! Buy local or forget eggs.

An Iowa company has agreed to pay $6.8 million in fines for crimes that include selling the tainted eggs that caused a nationwide salmonella outbreak in 2010.

A plea agreement filed Monday by federal prosecutors calls for Quality Egg to plead guilty Tuesday to charges of bribery, selling misbranded eggs and introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

The company is admitting that, between 2006 and 2010, it intentionally sold eggs to customers in Arizona, California and elsewhere with false labels that disguised how old they were.

The company says its employees twice bribed a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector in 2010 to approve eggs that didn’t meet federal quality standards.

Company owners Austin and Peter DeCoster are expected to plead guilty Tuesday to introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

via Quality Egg Agrees to Pay $6.8M Fine for Selling Tainted Eggs.

#YesAllWomen reveals the constant barrage of sexism that women face | Jessica Valenti | Comment is free | theguardian.com

Valenti

The reason women mobilized so quickly after the shooting is because we recognized immediately the language and ideology in Rodger’s videos and manifesto: the over-the-top sexual entitlement; the rage against women who “dared” to reject him; the antiquated, but nonetheless terrifying, belief that women should not be in control of their own sexual choices. Regardless of Rodger’s mental health issues – which we still don’t know much about – his ideas were not “crazy” by the standards of the world today. They are the norm.

So students protested in a walk to Rodger’s apartment holding signs with slogans like, “Nobody is entitled to a woman’s body”. A new Tumblr, When Women Refuse, listed story after story of women who suffered violence after rejecting a man’s sexual advances. And the Twitter hashtag #YesAllWomen went viral as hundreds of thousands of people shared their experiences with misogyny.

via #YesAllWomen reveals the constant barrage of sexism that women face | Jessica Valenti | Comment is free | theguardian.com.