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October 7, 2012
To Drive or Not To Drive: Two South American Countries Consider Congestion Pricing
By Transportation Nation | 10/03/2012 – 3:12 pm
[font size="1"](photo by Alex E. Proimos via flickr)[/font]
(Drew Reed — This Big City) Whether they own a Prius or a Hummer, a Porsche or a Pinto, or anything in between, car owners all over the world can agree on one thing: they don’t want to pay to use the roads they drive on. User fees like toll roads, congestion pricing, or others, are almost always met with scorn. Some of the best know examples of this have been in London and New York, where despite the transit friendly culture the measures have been met with controversy. Not surprisingly, similar proposals made in more car-oriented cities have gone down in flames.
The core rationale for user fees on roadways generally falls into two categories. The first is the idea that, since roads are expensive to build and maintain, the people who directly benefit should help to pay for them. While no form of direct payment for roads is ever going to be immensely popular, this idea is generally well received. People who feel their tolls are being used for something are likely to quietly accept them.
The second rationale for road user fees is that they should be used as a mechanism to promote driving patterns that utilize limited road space and car-related infrastructure in heavily urbanized areas more efficiently. This is often met with outrage. And despite the potential benefits of such measures, some of this outrage is understandable. When people have to pay for something, they like to know what it is they’re paying for. Congestion pricing struggles to convince people it needs to exist. For as much as everyone likes to complain about traffic, they have trouble accepting that they are part of the problem, instead embracing solutions that only apply to everyone else.
This equation changes slightly when applied outside of car-saturated first world countries. A recent congestion pricing project in Santiago, Chile, calls for pay centres placed to cover all vehicle entrances to the business district on the eastern side of the city, and charge a nominal fee to all vehicles entering the district that don’t belong to residents or workers. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://transportationnation.org/2012/10/03/to-drive-or-not-to-drive-two-south-american-countries-consider-congestion-pricing/
To Drive or Not To Drive: Two South American Countries Consider Congestion Pricing
To Drive or Not To Drive: Two South American Countries Consider Congestion Pricing
By Transportation Nation | 10/03/2012 – 3:12 pm
[font size="1"](photo by Alex E. Proimos via flickr)[/font]
(Drew Reed — This Big City) Whether they own a Prius or a Hummer, a Porsche or a Pinto, or anything in between, car owners all over the world can agree on one thing: they don’t want to pay to use the roads they drive on. User fees like toll roads, congestion pricing, or others, are almost always met with scorn. Some of the best know examples of this have been in London and New York, where despite the transit friendly culture the measures have been met with controversy. Not surprisingly, similar proposals made in more car-oriented cities have gone down in flames.
The core rationale for user fees on roadways generally falls into two categories. The first is the idea that, since roads are expensive to build and maintain, the people who directly benefit should help to pay for them. While no form of direct payment for roads is ever going to be immensely popular, this idea is generally well received. People who feel their tolls are being used for something are likely to quietly accept them.
The second rationale for road user fees is that they should be used as a mechanism to promote driving patterns that utilize limited road space and car-related infrastructure in heavily urbanized areas more efficiently. This is often met with outrage. And despite the potential benefits of such measures, some of this outrage is understandable. When people have to pay for something, they like to know what it is they’re paying for. Congestion pricing struggles to convince people it needs to exist. For as much as everyone likes to complain about traffic, they have trouble accepting that they are part of the problem, instead embracing solutions that only apply to everyone else.
This equation changes slightly when applied outside of car-saturated first world countries. A recent congestion pricing project in Santiago, Chile, calls for pay centres placed to cover all vehicle entrances to the business district on the eastern side of the city, and charge a nominal fee to all vehicles entering the district that don’t belong to residents or workers. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://transportationnation.org/2012/10/03/to-drive-or-not-to-drive-two-south-american-countries-consider-congestion-pricing/
October 7, 2012
BEIJING (Reuters) - Shanghai Masters organizers have increased security for the tournament starting on Saturday after an online threat to decapitate world number one Roger Federer, the Shanghai Youth Daily newspaper reported on Friday.
"On October 6 I plan to assassinate Federer in order to exterminate tennis," read a post by "Blue Cat Polytheistic Leader 07" on a Federer fan website on September 25, the newspaper's website said.
The paper said the post was accompanied by a "very scary" computer modified image showing a decapitated Federer.
Federer may go directly from the airport's VIP arrival hall to his hotel as part of the precautions, Yang Yibin, the tournament director, told the paper in an interview earlier in the week. It said Shanghai police were investigating. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/security-increased-shanghai-federer-death-threat-120806334--ten.html
Security increased in Shanghai after Federer death threat
BEIJING (Reuters) - Shanghai Masters organizers have increased security for the tournament starting on Saturday after an online threat to decapitate world number one Roger Federer, the Shanghai Youth Daily newspaper reported on Friday.
"On October 6 I plan to assassinate Federer in order to exterminate tennis," read a post by "Blue Cat Polytheistic Leader 07" on a Federer fan website on September 25, the newspaper's website said.
The paper said the post was accompanied by a "very scary" computer modified image showing a decapitated Federer.
Federer may go directly from the airport's VIP arrival hall to his hotel as part of the precautions, Yang Yibin, the tournament director, told the paper in an interview earlier in the week. It said Shanghai police were investigating. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/security-increased-shanghai-federer-death-threat-120806334--ten.html
October 6, 2012
from Grist:
We’re No. 1! (In climate denier coverage)
By Stephen Lacey
Cross-posted from Climate Progress
America is unique when it comes to giving a platform to climate deniers and skeptics.
According to a new analysis of data released last year, American newspapers are far more likely to publish uncontested claims from climate deniers, many of whom challenge whether the planet is warming at all and are “almost exclusively found” in the U.S. media. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
The researchers were trying to answer three important questions: Is climate denial and disinformation as prevalent in the newspapers outside America? Is it mostly right-wing papers publishing these pieces? And what types of skeptics are being published in different countries?
In all three categories, the U.S. emerged as a unique leader in promoting climate denial in the press. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://grist.org/climate-energy/were-no-1-in-climate-denier-coverage/
We’re No. 1! (In climate denier coverage)
from Grist:
We’re No. 1! (In climate denier coverage)
By Stephen Lacey
Cross-posted from Climate Progress
America is unique when it comes to giving a platform to climate deniers and skeptics.
According to a new analysis of data released last year, American newspapers are far more likely to publish uncontested claims from climate deniers, many of whom challenge whether the planet is warming at all and are “almost exclusively found” in the U.S. media. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
The researchers were trying to answer three important questions: Is climate denial and disinformation as prevalent in the newspapers outside America? Is it mostly right-wing papers publishing these pieces? And what types of skeptics are being published in different countries?
In all three categories, the U.S. emerged as a unique leader in promoting climate denial in the press. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://grist.org/climate-energy/were-no-1-in-climate-denier-coverage/
October 6, 2012
Published on Oct 3, 2012 by RTAmerica
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that the US government can indefinitely detain anyone under the National Defense Authorization Act. This comes as a blow to the ruling that was given earlier this year, when US District Court Judge Catherine Forrest ruled that the NDAA was unconstitutional. So what does this mean for journalists and why was it overturned? Carl Mayer, attorney for The Mayer Law Group, joins us with the latest.
Americans can be indefinitely detained - NDAA supported by court
Published on Oct 3, 2012 by RTAmerica
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that the US government can indefinitely detain anyone under the National Defense Authorization Act. This comes as a blow to the ruling that was given earlier this year, when US District Court Judge Catherine Forrest ruled that the NDAA was unconstitutional. So what does this mean for journalists and why was it overturned? Carl Mayer, attorney for The Mayer Law Group, joins us with the latest.
October 6, 2012
from the Guardian UK:
[font size="1"]The lips on either side of the acorn worm's head reminded scientists of Yoda's floppy ears. Photograph: Allstar/David Shale[/font]
A worm from an ecosystem far, far away has been named after the Star Wars character Yoda.
Yoda purpurata is one of three new species of deep-sea acorn worms discovered 1.5 miles beneath the Atlantic.
Scientists coined the genus name because the large lips on either side of the creature's head reminded them of the Jedi master's floppy ears. The creature is a dark reddish-purple – hence the other part of the worm's name, which is Latin for purple.
The Yoda worm, technically known as an enteropneust, is described in the latest issue of the journal Invertebrate Biology. ........(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/oct/05/yoda-worm-star-wars
Jedi Master Worm
from the Guardian UK:
[font size="1"]The lips on either side of the acorn worm's head reminded scientists of Yoda's floppy ears. Photograph: Allstar/David Shale[/font]
A worm from an ecosystem far, far away has been named after the Star Wars character Yoda.
Yoda purpurata is one of three new species of deep-sea acorn worms discovered 1.5 miles beneath the Atlantic.
Scientists coined the genus name because the large lips on either side of the creature's head reminded them of the Jedi master's floppy ears. The creature is a dark reddish-purple – hence the other part of the worm's name, which is Latin for purple.
The Yoda worm, technically known as an enteropneust, is described in the latest issue of the journal Invertebrate Biology. ........(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/oct/05/yoda-worm-star-wars
October 6, 2012
By Marian Wang, ProPublica, Beckie Supiano and Andrea Fuller, The Chronicle of Higher Education Oct. 4, 2012, 9:22 p.m.
More than a decade after Aurora Almendral first set foot on her dream college campus, she and her mother still shoulder the cost of that choice.
Almendral had been accepted to New York University in 1998, but even after adding up scholarships, grants, and the max she could take out in federal student loans, the private university — among nation's costliest — still seemed out of reach. One program filled the gap: Aurora's mother, Gemma Nemenzo, was eligible for a different federal loan meant to help parents finance their children's college costs. Despite her mother's modest income at the time — about $25,000 a year as a freelance writer, she estimates — the government quickly approved her for the loan. There was a simple credit check, but no check of income or whether Nemenzo, a single mom, could afford to repay the loans.
Nemenzo took out $17,000 in federal parent loans for the first two years her daughter attended NYU. But the burden soon became too much. With financial strains mounting, Almendral — who had promised to repay the loans herself —withdrew after her sophomore year. She later finished her degree at the far less expensive Hunter College, part of the public City University of New York, and went on to earn a Fulbright scholarship.
Today, a dozen years on, Nemenzo's debt not only remains, it's also nearly doubled with fees and interest to $33,000. Though Almendral is paying on the loans herself, her mother continues to pay the price for loans she couldn't afford: Falling into delinquency on the loans had damaged her credit, making her ineligible to borrow more when it came time for Aurora's sister to go to college. .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-govt-is-saddling-parents-with-college-loans-they-cant-afford
No Income? No Problem! How the Gov’t Is Saddling Parents with College Loans They Can’t Afford
By Marian Wang, ProPublica, Beckie Supiano and Andrea Fuller, The Chronicle of Higher Education Oct. 4, 2012, 9:22 p.m.
More than a decade after Aurora Almendral first set foot on her dream college campus, she and her mother still shoulder the cost of that choice.
Almendral had been accepted to New York University in 1998, but even after adding up scholarships, grants, and the max she could take out in federal student loans, the private university — among nation's costliest — still seemed out of reach. One program filled the gap: Aurora's mother, Gemma Nemenzo, was eligible for a different federal loan meant to help parents finance their children's college costs. Despite her mother's modest income at the time — about $25,000 a year as a freelance writer, she estimates — the government quickly approved her for the loan. There was a simple credit check, but no check of income or whether Nemenzo, a single mom, could afford to repay the loans.
Nemenzo took out $17,000 in federal parent loans for the first two years her daughter attended NYU. But the burden soon became too much. With financial strains mounting, Almendral — who had promised to repay the loans herself —withdrew after her sophomore year. She later finished her degree at the far less expensive Hunter College, part of the public City University of New York, and went on to earn a Fulbright scholarship.
Today, a dozen years on, Nemenzo's debt not only remains, it's also nearly doubled with fees and interest to $33,000. Though Almendral is paying on the loans herself, her mother continues to pay the price for loans she couldn't afford: Falling into delinquency on the loans had damaged her credit, making her ineligible to borrow more when it came time for Aurora's sister to go to college. .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-govt-is-saddling-parents-with-college-loans-they-cant-afford
October 6, 2012
Dark Money Group Told IRS It Wouldn’t Be Political—Then Spent $1 Million on Campaign Ads
by Justin Elliott
ProPublica, Oct. 4, 2012, 12:17 p.m.
A dark money nonprofit group that has run more than $1 million in ads in the Ohio race for U.S. Senate told the IRS last year it did not plan to spend any money to influence elections when it applied for recognition of its tax-exempt status.
ProPublica first reported on the group, the Government Integrity Fund, after information from television station political ad files became available online, showing extensive spending by the Fund.
The group’s filings with the IRS illustrate how “social welfare” nonprofits, also known as 501(c)(4)s, are playing an aggressive role in this election, pouring tens of millions of dollars into races around the country, while taking advantage of the donor anonymity their tax status provides.
The Fund applied for IRS recognition last December and received the IRS’ approval less than two months later. ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-group-told-IRS-wouldnt-be-political-spent-million-on-ads/single#republish
Dark Money Group Told IRS It Wouldn’t Be Political—Then Spent $1 Million on Campaign Ads
Dark Money Group Told IRS It Wouldn’t Be Political—Then Spent $1 Million on Campaign Ads
by Justin Elliott
ProPublica, Oct. 4, 2012, 12:17 p.m.
A dark money nonprofit group that has run more than $1 million in ads in the Ohio race for U.S. Senate told the IRS last year it did not plan to spend any money to influence elections when it applied for recognition of its tax-exempt status.
ProPublica first reported on the group, the Government Integrity Fund, after information from television station political ad files became available online, showing extensive spending by the Fund.
The group’s filings with the IRS illustrate how “social welfare” nonprofits, also known as 501(c)(4)s, are playing an aggressive role in this election, pouring tens of millions of dollars into races around the country, while taking advantage of the donor anonymity their tax status provides.
The Fund applied for IRS recognition last December and received the IRS’ approval less than two months later. ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-group-told-IRS-wouldnt-be-political-spent-million-on-ads/single#republish
October 6, 2012
Published on Oct 2, 2012 by SOCAPmarkets
Gar Alperovitz, Co-Founder, The Democracy Collaborative
How do we align natural systems, human organizations, and economic design in order to create a resilient and equitable economy and society? One key is democratizing ownership at sophisticated levels, which could be the next major advance in social investing.
How Do We Build the New, Democratic Economy We Need? - Gar Alperovitz
Published on Oct 2, 2012 by SOCAPmarkets
Gar Alperovitz, Co-Founder, The Democracy Collaborative
How do we align natural systems, human organizations, and economic design in order to create a resilient and equitable economy and society? One key is democratizing ownership at sophisticated levels, which could be the next major advance in social investing.
October 5, 2012
Published on Oct 4, 2012 by RussiaToday
In this episode, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert bring a bankster rat onto set to discuss the civil suit against JP Morgan's mortgage fraud. We revisit episode 97 of the Keiser Report on which journalist Teri Buhl had first warned you about the residential mortgage back security fraud issue on JP Morgan's balance sheet - thanks to their purchase of Bear Stearns. In the second half of the show, Max Keiser talks to Dr. Michael Hudson, author of The Bubble and Beyond: Fictitious Capital, Debt Deflation and Global Crisis, about Timothy Geithner's role in facilitating the takeover of the banking system by the Wall Street mafia and about the oligarchic counter revolution against democracy in Europe.
Keiser Report: Cadavers Collateralized Debt
Published on Oct 4, 2012 by RussiaToday
In this episode, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert bring a bankster rat onto set to discuss the civil suit against JP Morgan's mortgage fraud. We revisit episode 97 of the Keiser Report on which journalist Teri Buhl had first warned you about the residential mortgage back security fraud issue on JP Morgan's balance sheet - thanks to their purchase of Bear Stearns. In the second half of the show, Max Keiser talks to Dr. Michael Hudson, author of The Bubble and Beyond: Fictitious Capital, Debt Deflation and Global Crisis, about Timothy Geithner's role in facilitating the takeover of the banking system by the Wall Street mafia and about the oligarchic counter revolution against democracy in Europe.
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