Category Archives: U.S.

Idaho, Technology, U.S.

Still no Luck at the Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho

Rescuers are bringing in more equipment to dig out Larry Marek.  A section of roof caved in on him and his brother last Friday, his brother got out.

The latest info is that a large diamond drill will be used to drill a hole through the debris, to try and determine if Marek is alive.  It could take two days to drill through the 185 feet (56.3 meters) of dirt.

Rescue efforts are slow because the size of the collapse was underestimated.  Rescuers are also waiting for parts, so they can use a bigger drone digger.

The company that owns the Lucky Friday mine, Hecla, has a good safety record going back to 2000.  But there have been accidents at other Idaho mines.  Last June a miner was killed when a slab of rock fell on him, while he was working at the Galena Mine.

 

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

Obama increasing College funding…in China!!!

So you voted for Barack Obama because you’re hoping to go to college, but can’t afford the skyrocketing costs.  You thought Obama was going to help you pay for college?  You’re right, if your going to college in China!

Last week Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, announced that the U.S. State Department will spend U.S.$3 million on scholarships for study in China.  On top of that First Lady Michelle Obama announced that they have convinced U.S. corporations to help fund U.S.$3.25 million for the “100,000 Strong Initiative”.   Those corporations include Caterpillar, Citigroup and Coca-Cola.

The program is in addition to the usual Fulbright scholarship program.

So now even college students are being shipped off to China!   I guess it makes sense, you know, follow the jobs.

International, U.S.

New Chinese Water Torture, dumping U.S. bonds a little at a time

For the fourth month in a row, China is selling off its U.S. Treasury bonds (U.S. Sovereign debt).  China is the biggest holder of U.S. bonds, but since February, they’ve been getting rid of them, a little at a time.

So far the Chinese have sold U.S.$600 million in U.S. bonds, that’s according to the U.S. Treasury.

Japan has the second biggest holdings of U.S. Treasuries, but there is concern that Japan will sell them off, to help pay for rebuilding after the March 11 disasters.

International, U.S.

German reporter banned from U.S. due to investigation of U.S. Official kidnapping children

“It seems to me that the attitude of the State Department has to do with my investigations in the U.S. National Archives.”-Gabriela Weber, investigative journalist

Gabriela Weber, known for investigating NAZI war criminals in South America, has followed a trail of illegal child adoptions right to the United States government.  And that has gotten her banned from entering the U.S. legally.

Weber discovered that U.S. embassy officials were involved with illegal adoptions of children belonging to people who were “disappeared” during Argentina’s “dirty war“.

U.S. officials refuse to comment on the grounds it would violate the privacy of those who were “adopted”.

Weber claims that she has evidence directly linking former U.S. military attache William Desreis to the illegal “adoptions” of Argentinian children, whose parents were “disappeared” by the military dictators of Argentina, at that time (1976-1983).

Weber tried to go to the United States in 2010, to follow the trail, and confirm her findings in Argentina, but she was thrown out after only seven hours, even though she had proper visa documents.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

Former U.S. official says don’t blame China for U.S. economic problems, yet

“If we didn’t import from China, we’d import from somewhere else.”-Henry Paulson, former U.S. Treasury Secretary

Henry Paulson is saying that if U.S. corporations didn’t have China to ship jobs to, they’d ship off U.S. jobs somewhere else.  He, and others, believe that by shipping off U.S. jobs to other countries, it helps to keep inflation down.

Of course it does, because that means less people working which brings down consumer spending which helps keep inflation down.  Inflation traditionally goes up when the economy is good and people spend more money, which is what is happening in China right now.

There is worry that the fast growing inflation in China could spread to the rest of the world.  For those countries whose economies are in trouble it’s not a good thing: “If China has problems, our problems would be more difficult.”-Henry Paulson

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

North Dakota flooded, Red River flooding Canada, called “unprecedented”, will affect wheat production

The Red River has flooded North Dakota, now flooding in Manitoba, Canada is being called “unprecedented”.

Emergency Measures Minister, Steve Ashton, says this is one of the worst flood situations Manitoba has seen in 150 years.  The flood is expected to hit Winnipeg by the first of May.

“Flood fighters” in North Dakota are still dealing with the flooding.  Officials there say it’s being caused by ground that is too saturated to handle the snowmelt, along with rain.   The flooding will affect U.S. spring wheat production, and sugar beat production.

In Canada, the flooding will affect wheat and canola production.

It’s not just the Red River that’s flooding.  About 100 North Dakota National Guard personnel are working to shore up the levee along the Sheyenne River.

Flooding in Canada also damaged rail lines used by the Canadian Pacific railways.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Credit Rating of United States trashed, kind of

Today, April 18, Standard & Poors downgraded the long term credit rating of the U.S., to a negative rating!

“More than two years after the beginning of the recent crisis, U.S. policymakers have still not agreed on how to reverse recent fiscal deterioration or address longer-term fiscal pressures.”-Nikola Swann, Standard & Poor’s

Standard & Poor’s is one of three major agencies that evaluate government and corporate debt.  The S & P analysts think the division between Democrat and Republican law makers is too far apart for them to make any real progress in dealing with the country’s public debt.

Investors with the Dow Jones reacted by dropping the industrial average by 200 points in the first half hour of trading.

The downgrade of the U.S. follows the downgrading of Ireland’s banks, as well as several other international financing issues.   Even though S & P dropped the U.S. credit rating to “negative”, they still maintain a AAA/A-1+ rating on U.S. sovereign debt.

Long term debt, money borrowed from financial institutions, is debt that will take more than ten years to be paid back.  Sovereign debt refers to government bonds.

 

 

International, U.S.

U.S. Air Force sends help to fight Mexican Coahuila Fire

About 30 USAF reservists, from Colorado, headed to Texas on April 16.  They will be using their C-130 Hercules transports to drop fire retardant on the Coahuila fire in Mexico.   That fire is the largest fire in Mexico’s history, as of April 16 it was within 96.5km (60 miles) of the Texas border.

The USAF is also using C-130s to fight the largest fires in Texas’ history as well.

 

 

U.S.

Texas fire 1 million+ Acres, Texas asks Obama for help

I used to live in Texas, back in the mid 1980s, and asking the Federal government for anything was a dishonorable thing to do, if you’re from Texas.  I guess things are pretty bad if Texas Governor Rick Perry is asking President Obama for help.

“Texas is reaching its capacity to respond to these emergencies and is in need of federal assistance. I urge President Obama to approve our request quickly.”-Rick Perry, Texas Governor

One person has been arrested for starting one of the fires, near Austin.

Because of bad weather conditions, drought and winds, it looks like the fires will get worse: “It doesn’t look good, going into the season, to already have a fire this size, without any rain in sight.”-Chris Morris, National Weather Service.

Texas Forest Service officials say conditions are still explosive.  The fire is now burning residential areas.  Officials say, as of April 17, the fires have burned one million acres (404,685 hectares)