Get Out of Dodge!

Construction Spending in U.S. Fell Twice as Much as Forecast

By Matrix | Published: September 2, 2010

Construction spending in July fell twice as much as forecast, led by a slump in homebuilding that will depress U.S. economic growth.

The 1 percent drop brought spending to $805.2 billion, the lowest level in a decade, after a revised 0.8 percent drop in June that wiped out a previously estimated gain, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Spending on federal government projects fell by the most in a year.

Posted in Economics | Leave a comment

Crews extinguishes fire after evacuation of Mariner oil platform in Gulf of Mexico

By Matrix | Published: September 2, 2010

Source: washingtonpost.com

Firefighting vessels were dispatched to battle the blaze and succeeded in extinguishing it Thursday afternoon, the Coast Guard reported.

Coast Guard officials initially said one of the 13 rig workers was hurt and that the incident left a mile-long oil sheen on the water. But the company that owns the platform, Houston-based Mariner Energy Inc., disputed those accounts, saying no one was injured and no oil sheen was detected. The Coast Guard later backed away from the oil sheen report, saying that crews were unable to confirm it.

Posted in Economics, Terrorism | Leave a comment

Steven Rattner’s ‘Overhaul’ Pulls No Punches On Obama Administration’s Auto Rescue

By Matrix | Published: September 2, 2010

Source: huffingtonpost.com

Rattner depicts White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as a force to be reckoned with who disparaged unions — once quipping “Fuck the UAW” — and who effectively supervised Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner during his first rocky months on the job by dictating his public appearances and staff picks.

He also depicts infighting between economic advisers Larry Summers and Austan Goolsbee and describes FDIC Chair Sheila Bair as a stubborn obstacle to the work of the auto rescue team. And Rattner paints colorful portraits of auto executives such as Fiat Chairman Sergio Marchionne, who once barked to Chrysler executives, “Do you think I am fucking stupid?”

Posted in Economics, Organized Crime | Leave a comment

‘Peak Oil’ and the German Government: Military Study Warns of a Potentially Drastic Oil Crisis

By Matrix | Published: September 2, 2010

Source: SPIEGEL ONLINE

According to the German report, there is “some probability that peak oil will occur around the year 2010 and that the impact on security is expected to be felt 15 to 30 years later.” The Bundeswehr prediction is consistent with those of well-known scientists who assume global oil production has either already passed its peak or will do so this year.
…
The scenarios outlined by the Bundeswehr Transformation Center are drastic. Even more explosive politically are recommendations to the government that the energy experts have put forward based on these scenarios. They argue that “states dependent on oil imports” will be forced to “show more pragmatism toward oil-producing states in their foreign policy.” Political priorities will have to be somewhat subordinated, they claim, to the overriding concern of securing energy supplies.

For example: Germany would have to be more flexible in relation toward Russia’s foreign policy objectives. It would also have to show more restraint in its foreign policy toward Israel, to avoid alienating Arab oil-producing nations. Unconditional support for Israel and its right to exist is currently a cornerstone of German foreign policy.

Posted in Economics, Energy | Leave a comment

Former LANL Employee Sentenced for Stealing Irradiated Gold

By Matrix | Published: August 31, 2010

Source: The Albuquerque Division: Department of Justice Press Release

Earlier today, Alex Maestas, 46, a former employee of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), was sentenced in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico to a one-year term of imprisonment to be followed by three years’ supervised release by Senior United States District Judge C. LeRoy Hansen for stealing a two ounce piece of gold, valued at approximately $2,000, from a LANL processing facility. The gold, which was taken by Maestas on March 24, 2009, was contaminated with a small amount of americium and plutonimum, which rendered the gold radioactive. According to federal prosecutors, the radioactive plutonium in the gold posed a serious health risk because it could have proven deadly if inhaled or ingested.

Maestas was charged by indictment in October 2009 with theft of government property, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, and with engaging in a prohibited transaction involving nuclear materials, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 831, based on an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The investigation was initated on March 24, 2009 after DOE personnel responded to an alarm sounded by a contamination monitor as Maestas attempted to leave the LANL processing facility at which he was then employed with the gold in hand. Maestas entered a guilty plea to theft of government property on January 28, 2010. During his plea hearing, Maestas admitted to stealing the gold and knowing that “the gold was taken from an area that was used to store materials that contained plutonium and nuclear material.”

During today’s sentencing hearing, Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Fred Federici argued that, at the time he took the gold, Maestas knew that he potentially exposing the public to radioactive contamination that could cause death or serious bodily injury. AUSA Federici asked Judge Hansen to increase Maestas’ term of imprisonment based on the fact that Maestas was clearly conscious of the serious risks associated with his improper removal of the gold. Read More »

Posted in Crime, Economics | Leave a comment

Corn Climbs to 14-Month High on Dry U.S. Weather, Wheat Gains

By Matrix | Published: August 31, 2010

Source: BusinessWeek

Corn futures rose to the highest in 14 months in Chicago on speculation the U.S., the top producer and exporter, may miss a record harvest and as growing areas in China face floods. Wheat gained on export demand.

December-delivery corn rose 1.5 percent to $4.425 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade at 2:14 p.m. Paris time, the highest price since June 2009, while May-delivery corn in Dalian rose 0.5 percent to 2,038 yuan ($300) per metric ton, the highest level since at least 2004.

Posted in Agriculture, Economics | Leave a comment

NY legislators want chickens vaccinated

By Matrix | Published: August 30, 2010

There’s enough crap in the system already. This idiotic proposal won’t help, but then again I’m not inclined to ever think it was designed to help, at least with ‘food safety.’

Source: The Associated Press

Two New York State legislators want to require farmers in the state to vaccinate hens against salmonella, which sickened thousands of Americans and triggered the largest egg recall in U.S. history.

State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh announced their proposal Sunday in front of a Lower East Side supermarket in the wake of a nationwide recall of more than a half billion eggs. None of the recalled eggs came from New York.

“The massive outbreaks of food-borne illness in recent months leave no doubt that our food safety system is failing us, threatening everyone’s well-being and sometimes costing people’s lives,” Kavanagh, a Manhattan Democrat, said at a news conference.

Posted in Agriculture, Kill Off, Pestilence | Leave a comment

Mexico to ban payment in cash

By Matrix | Published: August 30, 2010

Source: PressTV

“This illicit money is vital for the criminal. That is what they seek, this money. It is also vital to finance their activities,” said Calderon, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

If approved by the legislature, the legislation would not allow anyone to buy real estate in cash. Neither would it permit anyone to spend more than MXN 100,000 (USD 7,700) in cash on vehicles, boats, airplanes and luxury goods.

Violators of the new legislation would face up to 15 years in prison.

Posted in Economics, New World Order | Leave a comment