News of the Week
"Hide the Decline" *************** 'Missing heat' climate paper: Journal editor resigns Reviewers of Spencer paper all sceptics, says Wagner By Andrew Orlowski Wolfgang Wagner, the editor of new open access science journal Remote Sensing has resigned, re-opening the debate about the politicisation of science publishing. *************** Reasons to be a Global Warming Skeptic *************** White House shelves smog rule in huge defeat for green groups By Ben Geman and Erik Wasson The White House announced Friday that it is shelving a major planned Environmental Protection Agency regulation that would have tightened smog standards, dealing a huge blow to environmentalists that had pushed the Obama administration to resist industry pressure to abandon the regulation. *************** Green Energy Scandal? Solyndra, Despite Sweetheart Gov’t Loans, Closes Its Doors Solyndra, a California business which manufactures solar panels, has shuttered and is filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy. This comes just over a year after the company was touted by the President as an example of public-private partnership and the bright future of green energy. *************** Climate McCarthyism Strikes Again About six weeks ago Dr. Roy Spencer of the University of Alabama Huntsville (a center for lots of NASA activity and climate research) published an important new paper with William Braswell in the Journal of Remote Sensing entitled “On the Misdiagnosis of Climate Feedbacks from Variations in Earth’s Radiant Energy Balance.” *************** Lawrence Solomon: Science getting settled New, convincing evidence indicates global warming is caused by cosmic rays and the sun — not humans The science is now all-but-settled on global warming, convincing new evidence demonstrates, but Al Gore, the IPCC and other global warming doomsayers won’t be celebrating. The new findings point to cosmic rays and the sun — not human activities — as the dominant controller of climate on Earth. War & Terror *************** WikiLeaks releases mystery file WASHINGTON — WikiLeaks released a mysterious encrypted file on Wednesday after telling its followers on Twitter to stand by for "an important announcement." *************** China confronts Indian navy vessel By Ben Bland in Hanoi and Girija Shivakumar in New Delhi A Chinese warship confronted an Indian navy vessel shortly after it left Vietnamese waters in late July in the first such reported encounter between the two countries’ navies in the South China Sea. *************** Israel sends 2 warships to Egyptian border Military sources tell AP Israeli Navy sent additional warships to maritime border with Egypt following intelligence indicating viable terror threat. Meanwhile, Iran set to send 15th fleet to area as well as 'to thwart pirate activity' *************** Jihadists plot to take over Libya U.S. steps up surveillance of suspects among rebels *************** US Authorities Investigate Incursion By Mexican Federal Police By Web Producer Fernie Ortiz EL PASO, Texas -- Border Patrol officials are investigating an incursion by Mexican federal police into the United State on Thursday morning. National *************** Cover-up in ATF gunwalker case? By Sharyl Attkisson *************** Adventures In Babysitting: Nanny State To Sue For Rest Break? Posted by Senator Doug LaMalfa How will parents react when they find out they will be expected to provide workers’ compensation benefits, rest and meal breaks and paid vacation time for…babysitters? Dinner and a movie night may soon become much more complicated. *************** Nuclear Power For Moon And Mars Bases A reactor for the equivalent of 8 Earth-bound homes would be the size of a carry-on suitcase. *************** Goodwin Liu confirmed to Calif. Supreme Court Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer Sacramento -- Barely three months after Senate Republicans denounced Goodwin Liu as a left-wing extremist and torpedoed his nomination to a federal appeals court, he was lauded as a brilliant and open-minded legal scholar Wednesday and confirmed to a seat on the California Supreme Court. *************** FEMA'S use of term 'federal family' for government expands under Obama By George Bennett Don’t think of it as the federal government but as your “federal family.” *************** DOJ Advises Gibson Guitar to Export Labor to Madagascar Posted by Ben Howe The Gibson Guitar saga has taken a sinister turn. *************** Obamacare and the Jurisprudence of Clarence Thomas Liberals acknowledge the threat he represents. In the glossy pages of The New Yorker, in graceful prose and with good reporting, the dreams and nightmares of the admirers of Barack Obama and his policies lie exposed. *************** Generation of homeowners stuck in first houses They're trapped, like so many members of their generation. *************** Many Mock Kansas State's Environmental Mascot Kansas State University recently introduced EcoKat, a special mascot to promote environmental causes -- and the fans are not thrilled *************** ATF head removed by DoJ after 'fast and furious' controversy By Jordy Yager The head of the ATF has been removed after months of speculation about his role in a botched gun tracking operation that may have contributed to the death of a Border Patrol agent. *************** Biodegradable products are often worse for the planet Maybe choose a plastic cup, not a cardboard one By Lewis Page Stateside boffins say that, contrary to popular perception, it would often be better for the planet if people avoided using biodegradable products compliant with the recommended US government guidelines. *************** NM governor gets perfect score on renewal of her concealed-carry permit By Milan Simonich / Texas-New Mexico Newspapers *************** Reining in the Regulatory Beast *************** Jane Fonda told friends her biggest regret is not sleeping with Che Guevara Another of her ideas was to dress protesters as dead Vietcong fighters — in white make-up and black leotards — to demonstrate on the lawn of comedian Bob Hope, who had been entertaining U.S. troops. Economy
& Taxes *************** US economy created no job growth in August, data show First time since 1945 that government has reported net monthly job change of zero *************** Recession Looms in Brazil and Canada; Asia Exports Sink; Global Economy Deteriorates Rapidly led by BRICs; Asia Stagflation; PIMCO Admits Mistake In spite of all the denials, the US, Europe, and Australia are in recession. Brazil and Canada just entered the recession zone as well. *************** 'Green' jobs success story of the day: $20 million for 14 jobs in Seattle *************** How Does a Wine Monopoly Lose Money? Jacob Sullum In a report issued today, Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner says the state liquor control board's wine vending machines, a wonderful illustration of what happens when a government monopoly tries to act more like a business, are operating at a loss, costing taxpayers more than $1 million since they were introduced a year ago. *************** Three NLRB decisions ‘will kill jobs and force business closures,’ critics say *************** Obama's regulatory flood is drowning economic growth By: Examiner Editorial One doesn't have to look far for an explanation of why the economy grew at an anemic 1 percent rate during the last quarter. *************** Euro bail-out in doubt as 'hysteria' sweeps Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel no longer has enough coalition votes in the Bundestag to secure backing for Europe's revamped rescue machinery, threatening a consitutional crisis in Germany and a fresh eruption of the euro debt saga. *************** House GOP announces jobs plan focused on cutting regs, taxes By Erik Wasson House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Monday laid out an ambitious anti-tax and regulations agenda for the fall. *************** International *************** Nearly 40 percent of Europeans suffer mental illness By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Europeans are plagued by mental and neurological illnesses, with almost 165 million people or 38 percent of the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or dementia, according to a large new study. *************** Libyan rebels round up black Africans By BEN HUBBARD - Associated Press TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Rebel forces and armed civilians are rounding up thousands of black Libyans and migrants from sub-Sahara Africa, accusing them of fighting for ousted strongman Moammar Gadhafi and holding them in makeshift jails across the capital. *************** Opinion *************** Buzz Ballad: Illegal Wood *************** Free To Choose and Farmageddon Posted by Jeff Carter Last night I went to see the documentary Farmageddon in Chicago. I also stayed for the full panel discussion. *************** New Blue Nightmare: Clarence Thomas and the Amendment of Doom Walter Russell Mead Lord of the Rings aficionados know that the evil lord Sauron paid little attention to the danger posed by two hobbits slowly struggling across the mountains and deserts of Mordor until he suddenly realized that the ring on which all his power depended was about to be hurled into the pits of Mount Doom. Jeffrey Toobin’s gripping, must-read profile of Clarence and Virginia Thomas in the New Yorker gives readers new insight into what Sauron must have felt: Toobin argues that the only Black man in public life that liberals could safely mock and despise may be on the point of bringing the Blue Empire down. *************** |
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