Vietnamese women wed foreigners to help family. Ben Stocking. AP. 8/10/2008.
TAN LOC ISLAND, Vietnam (AP) -- Nearly 70 young Vietnamese women swept past in groups of five, twirling and posing like fashion models, all competing for the hand of a Taiwanese man who had paid a matchmaking service about $6,000 for the privilege of marrying one of them.
TAN LOC ISLAND, Vietnam (AP) -- Nearly 70 young Vietnamese women swept past in groups of five, twirling and posing like fashion models, all competing for the hand of a Taiwanese man who had paid a matchmaking service about $6,000 for the privilege of marrying one of them.
Continue reading Vietnamese women wed foreigners to help family .
On a planet 4C hotter, all we can prepare for is extinction. Oliver Tickell. Guardian/UK. 8/11/2008.
We need to get prepared for four degrees of global warming, Bob Watson told the Guardian last week. At first sight this looks like wise counsel from the climate science adviser to Defra. But the idea that we could adapt to a 4C rise is absurd and dangerous. Global warming on this scale would be a catastrophe that would mean, in the immortal words that Chief Seattle probably never spoke, "the end of living and the beginning of survival" for humankind. Or perhaps the beginning of our extinction.
We need to get prepared for four degrees of global warming, Bob Watson told the Guardian last week. At first sight this looks like wise counsel from the climate science adviser to Defra. But the idea that we could adapt to a 4C rise is absurd and dangerous. Global warming on this scale would be a catastrophe that would mean, in the immortal words that Chief Seattle probably never spoke, "the end of living and the beginning of survival" for humankind. Or perhaps the beginning of our extinction.
Continue reading On a planet 4C hotter, all we can prepare for is extinction.
Comparison of the Reported Tax Liabilities of Foreign- and U.S.-Controlled Corporations, 1998-2005. General Accounting Office. GAO-08-957. 7/24/2008.
- Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 32 pages) Accessible Text
Concerns about transfer pricing abuse have led researchers to compare the tax liabilities of foreign- and U.S.-controlled corporations. (Transfer prices are the prices related companies charge on intercompany transactions.) However, such comparisons are complicated because other factors may explain the differences in reported tax liabilities. In three prior reports, GAO found differences in the percentages of foreign-controlled and U.S.-controlled corporations reporting no tax liability. GAO was asked to update the previous reports by comparing: (1) the tax liabilities of foreign-controlled domestic corporations (FCDC) and U.S.-controlled corporations (USCC)-including those reporting zero tax liabilities for 1998 through 2005 (the latest available data) and (2) characteristics of FCDCs and USCCs such as age, size, and industry. GAO analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service's Statistics of Income samples of corporate tax returns. GAO does not make any recommendations in this report. In commenting on a draft of this report, IRS provided comments on technical issues, which we incorporated into this report where appropriate.
FCDCs reported lower tax liabilities than USCCs by most measures shown in this report. A greater percentage of large FCDCs reported no tax liability in a given year from 1998 through 2005. For all corporations, a higher percentage of FCDCs reported no tax liabilities than USCCs through 2001 but differences after 2001 were not statistically significant. Most large FCDCs and USCCs that reported no tax liability in 2005 also reported that they had no current-year income. A smaller proportion of these corporations had losses from prior years and tax credits that eliminated any tax liability. By another measure, large FCDCs were more likely to report no tax liability over multiple years than large USCCs. In 2005, comparisons of FCDCs and USCCs based on ratios of reported tax liabilities to gross receipts or total assets showed that FCDCs reported less tax than USCCs. FCDCs and USCCs differed in age, size, and industry. FCDCs were younger than USCCs in that a greater percentage had been incorporated for 3 years or less from 1998 through 2005. In 2005, FCDCs were larger on average than USCCs in that they reported higher average gross receipts and assets than USCCs. A comparison by industry in 2005 showed that large FCDCs were relatively more concentrated in manufacturing and wholesale trade, while large USCCs were more evenly distributed across industries. GAO did not attempt to determine the extent to which these factors and others, such as transfer pricing abuse, explain differences in tax liabilities.
Amazon Rainforest Threatened By New Wave of Oil and Gas Exploration. Iam Sample. Guardian/UK. 8/13/2008.
With over 35 multinational companies racing to tap into oil and gas reserves situated in peak biodiversity spots, conservationists urge an environmental impact assessment
Continue reading Amazon Rainforest Threatened By New Wave of Oil and Gas Exploration.
Minorities expected to be majority in 2050. CNN. 8/13/2008.
By 2050, minorities will be the majority in America, and the number of residents older than 65 will more than double, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
By 2050, minorities will be the majority in America, and the number of residents older than 65 will more than double, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Continue reading Minorities expected to be majority in 2050.
Wal-Mart to invest $1bn in Brazil. BBC. 8/13/2008.
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, says it will invest some 1.8bn reais ($1.1bn; £588m) to expand in Brazil.
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, says it will invest some 1.8bn reais ($1.1bn; £588m) to expand in Brazil.
Continue reading Wal-Mart to invest $1bn in Brazil .
Mumbai's slum solution?. Mukul Devichand. BBC. 8/14/2008.
Mukesh Mehta wears a crisp shirt and tie as he picks his way past makeshift shacks and stinking open gutters in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum.
Mukesh Mehta wears a crisp shirt and tie as he picks his way past makeshift shacks and stinking open gutters in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum.
Continue reading Mumbai's slum solution? .
Struggling with India's gender bias. Steve Bradshaw. BBC. 8/19/2008.
The number of female foetuses being aborted in India is rising, as ultrasound is increasingly used to predict the sex of babies.
The number of female foetuses being aborted in India is rising, as ultrasound is increasingly used to predict the sex of babies.
Continue reading Struggling with India's gender bias .
Behind the growing instability in Nigeria. Eugene Puryear. Intelligence Daily. 8/20/08.
As oil prices continue their dramatic rise, public interest in oil-producing countries is growing. Nigeria--the world's sixth largest oil producer--is of particular interest.
As oil prices continue their dramatic rise, public interest in oil-producing countries is growing. Nigeria--the world's sixth largest oil producer--is of particular interest.
Continue reading Behind the growing instability in Nigeria.
World Water Crisis Underlies World Food Crisis. Environmental News Service. 8/20/08.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The world's supplies of clean, fresh water cannot sustain today's "profligate" use and inadequate management, which have brought shrinking food supplies and rising food costs to most countries, WWF Director General James Leape told the opening session of World Water Week in Stockholm [on Monday].
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The world's supplies of clean, fresh water cannot sustain today's "profligate" use and inadequate management, which have brought shrinking food supplies and rising food costs to most countries, WWF Director General James Leape told the opening session of World Water Week in Stockholm [on Monday].
Continue reading World Water Crisis Underlies World Food Crisis.
Climate change? Blame your stuff. Scott Learn. Oregonian. 8/01/2008.
Burning gas is a big greenhouse gas culprit, but manufacturing things to buy is also a large source; Oregon wants to track it
Burning gas is a big greenhouse gas culprit, but manufacturing things to buy is also a large source; Oregon wants to track it
Continue reading Climate change? Blame your stuff.
Unequal America: Causes and consequences of the wide--and growing--gap between rich and poor. Elizabeth Gudrais. Harvard Magazine. July/August 2008.
When Majid Ezzati thinks about declining life expectancy, he says, "I think of an epidemic like HIV, or I think of the collapse of a social system, like in the former Soviet Union." But such a decline is happening right now in some parts of the United States. Between 1983 and 1999, men's life expectancy decreased in more than 50 U.S. counties, according to a recent study by Ezzati, associate professor of international health at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), and colleagues. For women, the news was even worse: life expectancy decreased in more than 900 counties--more than a quarter of the total. This means 4 percent of American men and 19 percent of American women can expect their lives to be shorter than or, at best, the same length as those of people in their home counties two decades ago.
When Majid Ezzati thinks about declining life expectancy, he says, "I think of an epidemic like HIV, or I think of the collapse of a social system, like in the former Soviet Union." But such a decline is happening right now in some parts of the United States. Between 1983 and 1999, men's life expectancy decreased in more than 50 U.S. counties, according to a recent study by Ezzati, associate professor of international health at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), and colleagues. For women, the news was even worse: life expectancy decreased in more than 900 counties--more than a quarter of the total. This means 4 percent of American men and 19 percent of American women can expect their lives to be shorter than or, at best, the same length as those of people in their home counties two decades ago.
KENYA: Water Studies - But Where Are the Water Supplies?. Rosalia Omungo. Inter Press Services. 6/02/2008.
The road leading to the informal settlement of Korogocho is narrow and winding. Here, in Nairobi's third largest slum, up to 150,000 people are crammed into an area of just over one square kilometre, their shanties made of cardboard, wood or metal.
The road leading to the informal settlement of Korogocho is narrow and winding. Here, in Nairobi's third largest slum, up to 150,000 people are crammed into an area of just over one square kilometre, their shanties made of cardboard, wood or metal.
Continue reading KENYA: Water Studies - But Where Are the Water Supplies?.
More Women May Retire Poor. Candice Choi. ABC News. 7/09/2008.
Women may not earn as much as men or fly up the corporate ladder as quickly, but they get the last laugh since they live longer. Right?
Women may not earn as much as men or fly up the corporate ladder as quickly, but they get the last laugh since they live longer. Right?
Continue reading More Women May Retire Poor.
The Great Immigration Panic. NY Times Editorial. 6/03/2008.
Someday, the country will recognize the true cost of its war on illegal immigration. We don't mean dollars, though those are being squandered by the billions. The true cost is to the national identity: the sense of who we are and what we value. It will hit us once the enforcement fever breaks, when we look at what has been done and no longer recognize the country that did it.
Someday, the country will recognize the true cost of its war on illegal immigration. We don't mean dollars, though those are being squandered by the billions. The true cost is to the national identity: the sense of who we are and what we value. It will hit us once the enforcement fever breaks, when we look at what has been done and no longer recognize the country that did it.
Continue reading The Great Immigration Panic.
AFRICA: Critics Target U.S. Military Command. Lawrence Delevingne. Inter Press Service. 6/02/2008.
In just a few months, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) -- Washington's latest military oversight structure for the continent -- is expected to be fully operational.
In just a few months, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) -- Washington's latest military oversight structure for the continent -- is expected to be fully operational.
Continue reading AFRICA: Critics Target U.S. Military Command.
Where Credit Is Due: A Timeline of the Mortgage Crisis. Naomi Prins, Mother Jones. July/August 2008.
1913: Federal Reserve Act creates national banking system.
1914: Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair or deceptive business practices.
1933: With memories of 1929 stock crash still fresh, Glass-Steagall Act separates "commercial banks" focusing on consumer activities (checking, savings) from "investment banks," which deal with speculative trading and mergers.
1968: Truth in Lending Act requires banks to disclose loan terms & fees.
1970: Bank Holding Company Act Amendments first step toward weakening Glass-Steagall; allow commercial banks, via holding companies, to both accept deposits and make commercial loans.
1978: Supreme Court's Marquette decision gives banks the right to make loans in states other than where they are headquartered; lenders rush to places with the weakest consumer protections, e.g. Delaware and South Dakota.
Continue reading Where Credit Is Due: A Timeline of the Mortgage Crisis.
Survey: Risky acts more likely for Hispanic teens. CNN. 6/04/2008.
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Hispanic high school students use drugs and attempt suicide at higher rates than their black or white classmates, according to a new federal survey that shows a continuation of a disturbing trend.
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Hispanic high school students use drugs and attempt suicide at higher rates than their black or white classmates, according to a new federal survey that shows a continuation of a disturbing trend.
Continue reading Survey: Risky acts more likely for Hispanic teens.
Africa's Unnatural Disaster. Sameer Dossani. Foreign Policy in Focus. 6/26/2008.
While the mainstream media doesn't always ignore the pressing issue of hunger in Africa, it rarely explores the root causes of this problem. Behind most news on the issue, there's an assumption that casts hunger as a natural result of unfortunate weather conditions, coupled with bureaucratic inefficiency and bad economic planning.
While the mainstream media doesn't always ignore the pressing issue of hunger in Africa, it rarely explores the root causes of this problem. Behind most news on the issue, there's an assumption that casts hunger as a natural result of unfortunate weather conditions, coupled with bureaucratic inefficiency and bad economic planning.
Continue reading Africa's Unnatural Disaster.
S Africa Chinese 'become black'. BBC. 6/18/2008.
The High Court in South Africa has ruled that Chinese South Africans are to be reclassified as black people.
The High Court in South Africa has ruled that Chinese South Africans are to be reclassified as black people.
Continue reading S Africa Chinese 'become black'.
Got Water? Elizabeth de la Vargas. Mother Jones. 7/22/2008.
"Lisa, the whole reason we have elected officials is so we don't have to think all the time. Just like that rainforest scare a few years back. Our officials saw there was a problem and they fixed it, didn't they?"--Homer Simpson
On June 24, 2008, Louie and I curled up on the couch to watch seven of the nation's foremost water resources experts testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Continue reading Got Water?.
Poison Pill Slipped Into Indian Health Bill. Michelle Chen. In These Times. 7/09/2008.
Pro-life amendment used to derail legislation.
When it comes to their health, American Indian women face extraordinary barriers -- from high disease risks to increased incidents of sexual violence. They now face another obstacle, rooted in the political battleground of abortion.
Continue reading Poison Pill Slipped Into Indian Health Bill.
INDIA: Public Hearings Grant Justice to Rural Women. Nitin Jugran. Inter Press Services. 6/02/2008.
SAWAI MADHOPUR, Rajasthan, Jun 2 (IPS) - The Indian state of Rajasthan is historically known for its cultural traditions and the epic tales of valour of its womenfolk are legendary. But sadly, today, this state fails to present a vibrant picture with regard to the status of its women who lead a backward existence.
SAWAI MADHOPUR, Rajasthan, Jun 2 (IPS) - The Indian state of Rajasthan is historically known for its cultural traditions and the epic tales of valour of its womenfolk are legendary. But sadly, today, this state fails to present a vibrant picture with regard to the status of its women who lead a backward existence.
Continue reading INDIA: Public Hearings Grant Justice to Rural Women.
New fight for Congo's riches. Nick Mathiason. Guardian/UK. 6/29/2008.
Scores of lucrative mining concessions handed out by President Joseph Kabila are in doubt after a report questioned their legality. Will a programme of renegotiation finally allow a beleaguered nation to exploit its huge mineral wealth?
Scores of lucrative mining concessions handed out by President Joseph Kabila are in doubt after a report questioned their legality. Will a programme of renegotiation finally allow a beleaguered nation to exploit its huge mineral wealth?
Continue reading New fight for Congo's riches.
Why Children Are Not 'Little Adults'. NY Times. 7/10/2008.
Earlier this week, the nation's leading pediatric group issued guidelines suggesting that some high-risk children be given cholesterol-lowering statin drugs that are typically prescribed for middle-aged men. The news shocked many pediatricians, who predicted a backlash from the public and doctors.
Earlier this week, the nation's leading pediatric group issued guidelines suggesting that some high-risk children be given cholesterol-lowering statin drugs that are typically prescribed for middle-aged men. The news shocked many pediatricians, who predicted a backlash from the public and doctors.
Continue reading Why Children Are Not 'Little Adults'.
Borrow a Muslim? A 'living library' to prick stereotypes. Mark Rice-Oxley. Christian Science Monitor. Mark Rice-Oxley. Christian Science Monitor. 6/ 04/2008.
In 12 countries, people check out people for a 30-minute conversation to challenge their own prejudices.
Continue reading Borrow a Muslim? A 'living library' to prick stereotypes.
As G-8 meets, free trade under fire. Mark Trumbull. Christian Science Monitor. 7/07/2008.
Recent economic woes are raising new doubts about the benefits of globalization.
Continue reading As G-8 meets, free trade under fire.
Indonesia's answer to rising food prices. Simon Montlake. Christian Science Monitor. 7/14/2008.
A top rice importer last year, Indonesia's government is allocating more land to grow it and other food crops.
Continue reading Indonesia's answer to rising food prices.
New pressures force U.S. farmers south of the border. Sara Miller Llana. Christian Science Monitor. 7/15/2008.
Tougher immigration control and stricter environmental and food safety regulations are prompting US firms to move farms to Mexico, Brazil, and everywhere in between.
Continue reading New pressures force U.S. farmers south of the border.
Hippie town's homeless attack portends trend. Evelyn Nieves. AP. 7/17/08.
BOLINAS, Calif. (AP) -- Ricky Green wandered into this town some months ago, a stranger just a bit stranger than most. He had shed his middle-class respectability - a job as a graphic artist in the 'burbs - strapped a guitar over his shoulder and landed here on what he told people was "a spiritual journey."
Continue reading Hippie town's homeless attack portends trend .
The WTO's Raw Deal on Services. 7/17/08. FPIF.
Desperate to clinch a new global trade deal, World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy is planning to convene a "mini-ministerial" meeting in the third week of July. The aim of the meeting is to come up with agreements to liberalize trade in agriculture, industry, and services. These sectors have been the focus of the so-called Doha Round of WTO negotiations that have dragged on since 2001.
Continue reading The WTO's Raw Deal on Services .
Biofuel Land Demand Puts Peasants at Risk: Report. Reuters. 6/02/2008.
ROME - The rise of biofuels is not only adding to the global food price crisis but also poses a risk for peasants, pushed off their land to make way for energy crops, a report prepared for this week's food summit said.
ROME - The rise of biofuels is not only adding to the global food price crisis but also poses a risk for peasants, pushed off their land to make way for energy crops, a report prepared for this week's food summit said.
Continue reading Biofuel Land Demand Puts Peasants at Risk: Report.
Watchdog: NASA misled on global warming studies. CNN. 6/02/2008.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- NASA's press office "marginalized or mischaracterized" studies on global warming between 2004 and 2006, the agency's own internal watchdog concluded.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- NASA's press office "marginalized or mischaracterized" studies on global warming between 2004 and 2006, the agency's own internal watchdog concluded.
Continue reading Watchdog: NASA misled on global warming studies.
'Everyone's starving' in Ethiopia, aid worker says. CNN. 6/09/2008.
SHASHAMANE, Ethiopia (AP) -- Like so many other victims of Ethiopia's hunger crisis, Usheto Beriso weighs just half what he should. He is always cold and swaddled in a blanket. His limbs are stick-thin.
SHASHAMANE, Ethiopia (AP) -- Like so many other victims of Ethiopia's hunger crisis, Usheto Beriso weighs just half what he should. He is always cold and swaddled in a blanket. His limbs are stick-thin.
Continue reading 'Everyone's starving' in Ethiopia, aid worker says.
Worries Mount as Farmers Push for Big Harvest . David Streitfeld & Keith Bradsher, NY Times. 6/10/2008.
GRIFFIN, Ind. -- In a year when global harvests need to be excellent to ease the threat of pervasive food shortages, evidence is mounting that they will be average at best. Some farmers are starting to fear disaster.
GRIFFIN, Ind. -- In a year when global harvests need to be excellent to ease the threat of pervasive food shortages, evidence is mounting that they will be average at best. Some farmers are starting to fear disaster.
Continue reading Worries Mount as Farmers Push for Big Harvest .
ECONOMY: Global Woes Hit Developing Countries. Abid Aslam. Inter Press Service. 6/10/2008.
WASHINGTON, Jun 10 (IPS) - The global credit crunch unleashed in the United States is combining with runaway food and fuel prices to put the squeeze on developing countries, according to the World Bank.
WASHINGTON, Jun 10 (IPS) - The global credit crunch unleashed in the United States is combining with runaway food and fuel prices to put the squeeze on developing countries, according to the World Bank.
Continue reading ECONOMY: Global Woes Hit Developing Countries.
New Criminal Record: 7.2 Million. Darryl Fear. Washington Post. 6/12/2008.
The number of people under supervision in the nation's criminal justice system rose to 7.2 million in 2006, the highest ever, costing states tens of billions of dollars to house and monitor offenders as they go in and out of jails and prisons.
The number of people under supervision in the nation's criminal justice system rose to 7.2 million in 2006, the highest ever, costing states tens of billions of dollars to house and monitor offenders as they go in and out of jails and prisons.
Continue reading New Criminal Record: 7.2 Million.
Plutocracy Reborn. The Nation. 6/11/2008.
Chart One: Re-creating the Gap that Gave Us the Great Depression
Chart One: Re-creating the Gap that Gave Us the Great Depression
The most precise data on the income of America's most affluent have come, in recent years, from the work of economists Emmanuel Saez and Thomas Piketty. Their most recently updated figures for income inequality in the United States, available online from the Emmanuel Saez home page, cover the years 1913 (the first year of the modern federal income tax) through 2006.
Continue reading Plutocracy Reborn.
Race and Extreme Inequality. Dedrick Muhammad. The Nation. 6/11/2008.
The current presidential campaign has sparked a lot of conversation about race, but it has primarily been at the symbolic and interpersonal level. It has failed to probe the underlying substance of racial economic disparities and the slow rate of progress toward equity in wealth and wages. Too many Americans naïvely see the strong presidential candidacy of Illinois Senator Barack Obama as evidence of the resolution of the racial divide.
The current presidential campaign has sparked a lot of conversation about race, but it has primarily been at the symbolic and interpersonal level. It has failed to probe the underlying substance of racial economic disparities and the slow rate of progress toward equity in wealth and wages. Too many Americans naïvely see the strong presidential candidacy of Illinois Senator Barack Obama as evidence of the resolution of the racial divide.
Continue reading Race and Extreme Inequality.
The Rich and the Rest of Us. John Cavanagh & Chuck Collins. The Nation. 6/11/2008.
Over the past three decades, market-worshiping politicians and their corporate backers have engineered the most colossal redistribution of wealth in modern world history, a redistribution from the bottom up, from working people to a tiny global elite.
Over the past three decades, market-worshiping politicians and their corporate backers have engineered the most colossal redistribution of wealth in modern world history, a redistribution from the bottom up, from working people to a tiny global elite.
Continue reading The Rich and the Rest of Us.
U.S. says ending trade barriers key to food crisis. Reuters. 6/13/2008.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is boosting food aid and development support to combat the global food crisis, but poor countries must also scrap ill-considered export bans and farm trade barriers, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is boosting food aid and development support to combat the global food crisis, but poor countries must also scrap ill-considered export bans and farm trade barriers, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
Continue reading U.S. says ending trade barriers key to food crisis.
South Korea's Beef with America. Christine Ahn. Foreign Policy in Focus. 6/13/2008.
On June 10, one million South Koreans from all walks of life poured onto the streets of Seoul, the nation's capital, to protest the newly elected President Lee Myung Bak's deal with the United States to fully open Korean markets to U.S. beef.
On June 10, one million South Koreans from all walks of life poured onto the streets of Seoul, the nation's capital, to protest the newly elected President Lee Myung Bak's deal with the United States to fully open Korean markets to U.S. beef.
Continue reading South Korea's Beef with America.
Falling like a ton of bricks. Nick Mathiason. Guardian/UK. 6/15/2008.
After 15 years of continuous growth, the housebuilding industry is coming apart. With his company's shares down 90 per cent, Mark Clare, boss of Barratt, tells Nick Mathiason he suspects a 'short-selling conspiracy' - but hints he needs to raise cash
After 15 years of continuous growth, the housebuilding industry is coming apart. With his company's shares down 90 per cent, Mark Clare, boss of Barratt, tells Nick Mathiason he suspects a 'short-selling conspiracy' - but hints he needs to raise cash
Continue reading Falling like a ton of bricks.
New homes slump worst since 1945. Nick Mathiason. Guardian/UK. 6/15/2009.
The number of homes built in Britain this year will plunge to its lowest level since 1945 and plummeting construction activity is expected to lead to the loss of 100,000 jobs. The country's most senior housebuilders confirm that completions will be around 100,000, some 70,000 less than last year.
The number of homes built in Britain this year will plunge to its lowest level since 1945 and plummeting construction activity is expected to lead to the loss of 100,000 jobs. The country's most senior housebuilders confirm that completions will be around 100,000, some 70,000 less than last year.
Continue reading New homes slump worst since 1945.
We won't be Berlusconi's scapegoats, say Gypsies. Tom Kington. Guardian/UK. 6/15/2008.
Tom Kington in Rome meets families evicted by the city's new right-wing mayor at their isolated camp and hears them demand 'a few rights'
Tom Kington in Rome meets families evicted by the city's new right-wing mayor at their isolated camp and hears them demand 'a few rights'
Continue reading We won't be Berlusconi's scapegoats, say Gypsies.
$40bn shortfall in Africa aid endangers 5 million lives. Tracy McVeigh. Guardian/UK. 6/15/2008.
Watchdog proposes a special tax as the foot-dragging by G8 nations undermines a decade of progress
Watchdog proposes a special tax as the foot-dragging by G8 nations undermines a decade of progress
Continue reading $40bn shortfall in Africa aid endangers 5 million lives.
The United States of Advertising. Kevin Connolly. BBC. 6/14/2008.
I have been taking a keen interest in television adverts for indigestion products lately.
This habit more or less coincided with my discovery of beef jerky, an American food whose classiness you can judge from the fact that it is mainly found in petrol stations.
I have been taking a keen interest in television adverts for indigestion products lately.
This habit more or less coincided with my discovery of beef jerky, an American food whose classiness you can judge from the fact that it is mainly found in petrol stations.
Continue reading The United States of Advertising.
.Inside the RUF: at last the child soldiers of Sierra Leone have their say. Hannah Strange. Times Online/UK. 6/16/2008.
The trial of the rebel leaders behind a devastating civil war is soon to come to a close. The child soldiers who knew them tell their stories
Study: Language barrier can keep children from getting healthcare. Patrick McGee. Huston Star-Telegram. 6/16/2008.
Children from homes where English is not the primary language have far more health problems than other kids in the U.S. and have less access to health insurance.
Children from homes where English is not the primary language have far more health problems than other kids in the U.S. and have less access to health insurance.
The impact goes beyond those youngsters and their families, said study author Dr. Glenn Flores, director of general pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Continue reading Study: Language barrier can keep children from getting healthcare.
Illegal dumping plagues some Los Angeles neighborhoods. Robert J. Lopez. LA Times. 6/16/2008.
For Alex Rodriguez, the rats and stench are the worst things about the rubbish routinely dumped on the street and alley in his South Los Angeles neighborhood.
For Alex Rodriguez, the rats and stench are the worst things about the rubbish routinely dumped on the street and alley in his South Los Angeles neighborhood.
Continue reading Illegal dumping plagues some Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Human cost of Brazil's biofuels boom. Patrick J. McDonnell. LA Times. 6/16/2008.
The country is a key producer of ethanol. Many of those cutting the sugar cane used to make the fuel are said to endure primitive conditions.
The country is a key producer of ethanol. Many of those cutting the sugar cane used to make the fuel are said to endure primitive conditions.
Continue reading Human cost of Brazil's biofuels boom.
World crude production has peaked: Pickens. Jasmin Melvin & Missy Ryan. Reuters. 6/17/2008.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World crude oil production has topped out at 85 million barrels per day even as demand keeps climbing, helping to drive a stunning surge in prices, billionaire oil investor T. Boone Pickens said on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World crude oil production has topped out at 85 million barrels per day even as demand keeps climbing, helping to drive a stunning surge in prices, billionaire oil investor T. Boone Pickens said on Tuesday.
Continue reading World crude production has peaked: Pickens.
RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert. Abrose Evans-Pritchard. Telegraph/UK. 6/18/2008.
The Royal Bank of Scotland has advised clients to brace for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next three months as inflation paralyses the major central banks.
The Royal Bank of Scotland has advised clients to brace for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next three months as inflation paralyses the major central banks.
Continue reading RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert.
Conflicts Fuelled by Climate Change Causing New Refugee Crisis, Warns UN. Julian Borger. Guardian/UK. 6/17/2008.
Climate change is fuelling conflicts around the world and helping to drive the number of people forced out of their homes to new highs, the head of the UN's refugee agency said yesterday. After a few years of improvement, thanks mainly to large-scale resettlement in Afghanistan, the numbers of civilians uprooted by conflict is again rising. During 2007 the total jumped to 37.4 million, an increase of more than 3 million, according to statistics published today.
Climate change is fuelling conflicts around the world and helping to drive the number of people forced out of their homes to new highs, the head of the UN's refugee agency said yesterday. After a few years of improvement, thanks mainly to large-scale resettlement in Afghanistan, the numbers of civilians uprooted by conflict is again rising. During 2007 the total jumped to 37.4 million, an increase of more than 3 million, according to statistics published today.
Continue reading Conflicts Fuelled by Climate Change Causing New Refugee Crisis, Warns UN.
Destroying African Agriculture. Walden Bello. Foreign Policy in Focus. 6/03/2008.
Biofuel production is certainly one of the culprits in the current global food crisis. But while the diversion of corn from food to biofuel feedstock has been a factor in food prices shooting up, the more primordial problem has been the conversion of economies that are largely food-self-sufficient into chronic food importers. Here the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) figure as much more important villains.
Biofuel production is certainly one of the culprits in the current global food crisis. But while the diversion of corn from food to biofuel feedstock has been a factor in food prices shooting up, the more primordial problem has been the conversion of economies that are largely food-self-sufficient into chronic food importers. Here the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) figure as much more important villains.
Continue reading Destroying African Agriculture.
Bioenergy: Fuelling the food crisis?. Stephanie Holmes. BBC. 6/04/2008.
The biofuel debate is electrifying the UN food price crisis summit in Rome, pitting nations against each other and risking transforming bioenergy - once hailed as the ultimate green fuel - into the villain of the piece, the root cause behind global food price spikes.
The biofuel debate is electrifying the UN food price crisis summit in Rome, pitting nations against each other and risking transforming bioenergy - once hailed as the ultimate green fuel - into the villain of the piece, the root cause behind global food price spikes.
Continue reading Bioenergy: Fuelling the food crisis?.
Price rises hit Indonesia parents. Lucy Williamson. BBC. 6/04/2008.
Financial pressures in Indonesia are driving more families to give up their children, a report says.
Financial pressures in Indonesia are driving more families to give up their children, a report says.
Continue reading Price rises hit Indonesia parents.
FRANCE: Noble Ignorance Fails the Minorities. Hilaire Arvil. IPS. 6/04/2008.
PARIS, Jun 4 (IPS) - According to the French constitution, France has no minorities. French law makes it illegal to record citizens' ethnic origin or religion. But in the face of mounting discrimination, France recently introduced corrective institutions. However, the system is still in its infancy.
PARIS, Jun 4 (IPS) - According to the French constitution, France has no minorities. French law makes it illegal to record citizens' ethnic origin or religion. But in the face of mounting discrimination, France recently introduced corrective institutions. However, the system is still in its infancy.
Continue reading FRANCE: Noble Ignorance Fails the Minorities.
Monsanto Seeks Big Increase in Crop Yields. Andrew Pollack, NY Times. 6/05/2008.
Monsanto, the leader in agricultural biotechnology, pledged Wednesday to develop seeds that would double the yields of corn, soybeans and cotton by 2030 and would require 30 percent less water, land and energy to grow.
Monsanto, the leader in agricultural biotechnology, pledged Wednesday to develop seeds that would double the yields of corn, soybeans and cotton by 2030 and would require 30 percent less water, land and energy to grow.
Continue reading Monsanto Seeks Big Increase in Crop Yields.
Boeing, Dow Chemical Fined 926 Million Over Nuclear Pollution. Agence France Presse. 6/04/2008.
LOS ANGELES - A Denver, Colorado court has fined Dow Chemical Co. and Boeing Co. a combined 926 million dollars for property damages caused by plutonium contamination from a nuclear weapons plant.
LOS ANGELES - A Denver, Colorado court has fined Dow Chemical Co. and Boeing Co. a combined 926 million dollars for property damages caused by plutonium contamination from a nuclear weapons plant.
Continue reading Boeing, Dow Chemical Fined 926 Million Over Nuclear Pollution.
Analysis: US Terrorism List Also a Political Tool. Foster Klug. AP. 6/04/2008.
WASHINGTON - North Korea has not been linked to a terrorist attack in more than two decades, but it is still on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Now, it may be on the verge of its coveted goal of getting removed for reasons having little to do with terrorism.
WASHINGTON - North Korea has not been linked to a terrorist attack in more than two decades, but it is still on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Now, it may be on the verge of its coveted goal of getting removed for reasons having little to do with terrorism.
Continue reading Analysis: US Terrorism List Also a Political Tool.
Senate committee: Bush knew Iraq claims weren't true. Jonathan S. Landay. McClatchy. 6/05/2008.
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other top officials promoted the invasion of Iraq with public statements that weren't supported by intelligence or that concealed differences among intelligence agencies, the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Thursday in a report that was delayed by bitter partisan infighting.
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other top officials promoted the invasion of Iraq with public statements that weren't supported by intelligence or that concealed differences among intelligence agencies, the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Thursday in a report that was delayed by bitter partisan infighting.
Continue reading Senate committee: Bush knew Iraq claims weren't true.
Turning Los Angeles wastewater to tap water. Rich Connell. LA Times. 6/07/2008.
Politics killed a 1990s plan to recycle, but drought, technology and Orange County's success offer hope.
Politics killed a 1990s plan to recycle, but drought, technology and Orange County's success offer hope.
Continue reading Turning Los Angeles wastewater to tap water.
Chinese illegal immigrants discovered in Texas border town. CNN. 6/06/2008.
LA JOYA, Texas (AP) -- Local police are accustomed to dealing with illegal border crossings but were astounded by the video of 15 Chinese immigrants unfolding themselves from the back of a sport-utility vehicle near this small border town.
LA JOYA, Texas (AP) -- Local police are accustomed to dealing with illegal border crossings but were astounded by the video of 15 Chinese immigrants unfolding themselves from the back of a sport-utility vehicle near this small border town.
Continue reading Chinese illegal immigrants discovered in Texas border town.
HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Children in the Path of the (AIDS) Pandemic. Kathryn Strachan. Inter Press Service. 6/06/2008.
JOHANNESBURG, Jun 6 (IPS) - There is barely a path leading down the steep incline and through the dense bush to the Mabuyakhulu homestead. It would be easy to pass by without finding 13 year old Zanele* and her eight year old sister Andiswa who stay there on their own.
JOHANNESBURG, Jun 6 (IPS) - There is barely a path leading down the steep incline and through the dense bush to the Mabuyakhulu homestead. It would be easy to pass by without finding 13 year old Zanele* and her eight year old sister Andiswa who stay there on their own.
HEALTH-CUBA: Free Sex Change Operations Approved. Dalia Acosta. Inter Press Service. 6/06/2008.
HAVANA, Jun 6 (IPS) - New horizons opened up for transsexuals in Cuba with the approval of a Public Health Ministry resolution that establishes guidelines for their health care, including free gender reassignment operations.
HAVANA, Jun 6 (IPS) - New horizons opened up for transsexuals in Cuba with the approval of a Public Health Ministry resolution that establishes guidelines for their health care, including free gender reassignment operations.
Continue reading HEALTH-CUBA: Free Sex Change Operations Approved.
In India, a bank for street children. Henry Chu. LA Times. 6/07/2008.
Run almost entirely by the youths, a bare-bones bank sponsored by a charity offers a place to stash meager earnings and learn about saving and planning.
Run almost entirely by the youths, a bare-bones bank sponsored by a charity offers a place to stash meager earnings and learn about saving and planning.
Continue reading In India, a bank for street children.
World hunger's urban edge. Stephanie Holmes. BBC. 6/05/2008,
The global food price crisis has revealed not only the new face of hunger but also its voice.
The global food price crisis has revealed not only the new face of hunger but also its voice.
Continue reading World hunger's urban edge.
Former nun helps Mexico 'femicide' victims recover. Sara Miller Llana. Christian Science Monitor. 6/05/2008.
Linabel Sarlat runs a support center to help bring economic and spiritual renewal to the women of Anapra, Mexico.
Continue reading Former nun helps Mexico 'femicide' victims recover.
Americans $1.7 trillion poorer. Tami Luhby. CNN. 6/05/2008.
Americans' net worth falls for the second straight quarter as home and stock prices decline, but it may not hurt consumer spending, experts say.
Continue reading Americans $1.7 trillion poorer.
DEVELOPMENT: Food Summit Agrees Greater Liberalisation. Sabina Zaccaro. Inter Press Service. 6/05/2008.
ROME, Jun 5 (IPS) - The three-day world summit called by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation to respond to the food crisis ended with plans and pledges - and a new push to liberalisation.
ROME, Jun 5 (IPS) - The three-day world summit called by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation to respond to the food crisis ended with plans and pledges - and a new push to liberalisation.
Continue reading DEVELOPMENT: Food Summit Agrees Greater Liberalisation .
Solving the global food crisis starts with women's rights. Yifat Susskind. The Progressive. 6/03/2008.
Solving the food crisis means empowering women.
Solving the food crisis means empowering women.
Continue reading Solving the global food crisis starts with women's rights.
James Byrd, Jr.:10 Years Later, 'Horrific Death' in Jasper Won't Fade From Memory. Bill Hanna. Star-Telegram - TX. 6/08/2008.
Ten years after the brutal dragging death of James Byrd Jr., his family is unwilling to let his memory quietly fade away.
Ten years after the brutal dragging death of James Byrd Jr., his family is unwilling to let his memory quietly fade away.
U.S.-born children feel effects of immigration raids. Anna Gorman. 6/08/2008.
Federal agents say they try to act humanely when a parent is arrested, but advocates charge that youngsters are often traumatized and are sometimes left without supervision.
Federal agents say they try to act humanely when a parent is arrested, but advocates charge that youngsters are often traumatized and are sometimes left without supervision.
Continue reading U.S.-born children feel effects of immigration raids.
In Burma (Myanmar), how many cyclone orphans?. Christian Science Monitor. 6/09/08.
Aid groups are trying to curb child labor and reconnect families - without the help of surnames.
Continue reading In Burma (Myanmar), how many cyclone orphans?.
Japan's Ainu hope new identity leads to more rights. Takehiko Kambayashi. Christian Science Monitor. 6/09/2008.
URAKAWA, JAPAN - While Friday's parliamentary decision to recognize the ethnic Ainu as Japan's indigenous people is a major step for a country long proud of being ethnically homogeneous, for many members of the long-discriminated-against minority it's not enough.
URAKAWA, JAPAN - While Friday's parliamentary decision to recognize the ethnic Ainu as Japan's indigenous people is a major step for a country long proud of being ethnically homogeneous, for many members of the long-discriminated-against minority it's not enough.
Continue reading Japan's Ainu hope new identity leads to more rights.
FRANCE: Noble Ignorance Fails the Minorities. Hilaire Avril. IPS. 6/04/2008.
PARIS, Jun 4 (IPS) - According to the French constitution, France has no minorities. French law makes it illegal to record citizens' ethnic origin or religion. But in the face of mounting discrimination, France recently introduced corrective institutions. However, the system is still in its infancy.
PARIS, Jun 4 (IPS) - According to the French constitution, France has no minorities. French law makes it illegal to record citizens' ethnic origin or religion. But in the face of mounting discrimination, France recently introduced corrective institutions. However, the system is still in its infancy.
Continue reading FRANCE: Noble Ignorance Fails the Minorities.
Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause. Kevin Merida, Wa. Post. 5/13/2008.
Danielle Ross was alone in an empty room at the Obama campaign headquarters in Kokomo, Ind., a cellphone in one hand, a voter call list in the other. She was stretched out on the carpeted floor wearing laceless sky-blue Converses, stories from the trail on her mind. It was the day before Indiana's primary, and she had just been chased by dogs while canvassing in a Kokomo suburb. But that was not the worst thing to occur since she postponed her sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University, in part to hopscotch America stumping for Barack Obama.
Danielle Ross was alone in an empty room at the Obama campaign headquarters in Kokomo, Ind., a cellphone in one hand, a voter call list in the other. She was stretched out on the carpeted floor wearing laceless sky-blue Converses, stories from the trail on her mind. It was the day before Indiana's primary, and she had just been chased by dogs while canvassing in a Kokomo suburb. But that was not the worst thing to occur since she postponed her sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University, in part to hopscotch America stumping for Barack Obama.
Continue reading Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause.
Experts see no early end to world's food crisis. Renee Schoof. McClatchy. 5/14/2008.
WASHINGTON -- The world's deep hunger crisis could go on for years, and in the long run it'll take a new scientific agricultural revolution to help farmers in the poorest countries produce enough food, experts said Wednesday at congressional hearings.
WASHINGTON -- The world's deep hunger crisis could go on for years, and in the long run it'll take a new scientific agricultural revolution to help farmers in the poorest countries produce enough food, experts said Wednesday at congressional hearings.
Continue reading