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When it comes down to it, the oil sands in Alberta will be tapped and extracted no matter what, pipeline or no pipeline. This almost completely eliminates the immediate environmental question (the larger question of removing all fossil fuels and the effect on global climate change excepted) as the oil region is already...
The only question is whether it will be transported via train, plane, and automobile, or by the proposed pipeline through much of the United States. The eventual answer will be the latter, as blocking the pipeline has many potential negatives for the United States and allowing it has many positives. Blocking the constr...
Even with these reasons to support the construction, it turns out that the biggest reason to create the pipeline according to proponents is not as strong as originally thought: job creation. The SEIS report states that while roughly 20,000 jobs will be created for the two years of expected construction time, only about...
The New York Post recently reported that a plain white dress shirt, worn by a volunteer who spent about 48 hours at Ground Zero immediately after the attacks, is laden with extremely high levels of asbestos.
The shirt, belonging to community liaison Yehuda Kaploun, was stowed away by the volunteer in a plastic bag just a few days after the attack. Kaploun originally saved the shirt to honor those who had perished in the attacks on the World Trade Center, including his friend Father Mychal Judge. Today, he hopes the finding...
Kaploun, at the time a 35-year-old liaison between the Police and Fire departments and the Orthodox Jewish community, as well as a part-time Hatzolah Ambulance volunteer, was told that the analyzed portions of his shirt collar revealed an extremely toxic concentration of chrysotile asbestos - 93,000 times higher than t...
The shirt was also found to be contaminated with zinc, mercury, antimony, barium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead and molybdenum, which are just some of the heavy metals that burned in the fires that lasted for nearly four months after the attacks.
In early April, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 62% of the individuals caught in the dust cloud of the fallen towers were suffering respiratory problems. In addition, 46% of those who lived or worked in the area (but avoided the dust cloud) also reported consistent respiratory illnesses.
Though these numbers are staggering, they are sure to worsen as many asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, take 10-40 years to surface. That means, in the next 5 to 10 years, New York City could be facing a serious health crisis.
Nordqvist, Christian. "9/11 Ground Zero Volunteer Saves Asbestos-Laden Shirt." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 14 Apr. 2006. Web.
Residents are invited to offer input on Cook County’s first long-range transportation plan in 70 years at a series of open houses that begin Tuesday.
After nine months of work, the county is seeking residential and business input on transportation priorities and potential long-range scenarios.
“Cook County wants to produce a plan that links transportation to jobs and economic development, supports more livable and sustainable communities, and addresses infrastructure needs 25 years in the future,” a flier outlining the open house schedule said.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced the planning process in February. The last such plan identified the corridors for today’s Chicago-area expressway system.
But cars have not been the top priority of survey respondents so far. About 1,600 survey respondents have indicated they want to move beyond planning primarily for automobiles and to instead explore opportunities to reduce congestion and enhance public transportation and bicycling, according to the project’s website, c...
No formal presentation will be made during the open houses but visitors will be encouraged to review different scenarios on transportation priorities, ask questions and provide comments.
Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Franklin Park Police Station Community Room, 9451 W. Belmont, Franklin Park.
Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Northbrook Village Hall Board Room, 1225 Cedar Lane, Northbrook.
Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Chaddick Institute of DePaul University, 14 E Jackson, Chicago, in the 16th floor Dublin Room.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 Ravinia Avenue, Orland Park.
From this time forward, the dictionary entry for "schadenfreude" -- taking pleasure from another person's misfortune -- will come with a photograph of Martin Shkreli, 32, in federal custody.
Shkreli is the pharmaceutical company wunderkind who won worldwide obloquy by acquiring the rights to an orphan drug used by cancer and HIV patients and jacking up the price 5,000%, an exploit we reported here.
At the time, we also reported that Shkreli was being sued for self-dealing and other misdeeds by Retrophin, a biotech firm he had founded. That case has now morphed into a federal indictment and Securities and Exchange Commission civil complaint, both unsealed Thursday just after Shkreli was arrested by federal agents ...
Shkreli was the paradigm faithless servant...[who] used his control over Retrophin to enrich himself.
The SEC complaint and federal indictment closely track the Retrophin complaint. They tell of an alleged scheme by Shkreli and a cohort based on a series of hedge funds Shkreli founded with millions of dollars from wealthy investors, involving faked documents, sham transactions, and lies about his investment record and ...
"Shkreli was the paradigm faithless servant...[who] used his control over Retrophin to enrich himself," the company said in its lawsuit.
The documents raise plenty of questions about why investors with millions of dollars to spare would be taken in by a thirtysomething investment guru, and why some allegedly agreed to sign transparently bogus "consulting agreements" with Retrophin to conceal repayments of their hedge-fund losses. If the allegations in t...
But what interests us more is what the cases say about Shkreli's investment skills. In a word, they were terrible.
Start with Shkreli's record as head of MSMB Capital Management, the hedge fund he launched in 2009. According to the SEC, he took in $660,000 from investors starting in November 2009; by November 2010, $331 was left. Some of the money allegedly went to fund Shkreli's lifestyle, but most was lost in trading. This was in...
He took in another $2.35 million in investments in December 2010 and January 2011, the SEC says, including $1.25 million from a single investor. By the end of January, half the money was gone, and by the end of February it was all gone and MSMB was in the red. This was during a period in which the S&P 500 index gained ...
But Shkreli's biggest blunder was an enormous short position in Orexigen Therapeutics, a La Jolla biopharma firm with an obesity drug. Shkreli shorted 32 million shares of Orexigen on Feb. 1, 2011, when it was trading about $2.50 per share.
This was a massive bet that it would fall from there. But what was curious about this trade was that Orexigen shares had just taken a huge hit, falling from $9.09 the day before, when the Food and Drug Administration had issued a report questioning the obesity drug's cardiovascular safety. Shkreli, in other words, shor...
Worse, according to the SEC, Shkreli had misrepresented to Merrill Lynch that he had "located" the shares to short. (Technically, short-sellers are supposed to borrow shares that they're selling; in practice, they need not have these share in hand, only to know where they can borrow them if they have to. Shkreli said h...
As outlined in the indictment and lawsuits, Shkreli's career as a hedge fund manager displayed the same qualities that have made him such a detestable symbol of industry greed: brashness, an almost pathological self-confidence, and a buzz of business acumen that is deeply misleading. He portrayed his policy of jacking ...
Shkreli may go down in history as the face of pharmaceutical greed. But the cases brought against him paint him as something else: an investment hotshot who couldn't get anything right.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed concern about the continuing build-up of Ethiopian troops near the border with Eritrea.
The neighbours signed a peace accord to end their 1998-2000 war over the border and promised to respect the demarcation of the border set by an independent commission.
But Ethiopia rejected the decision until November 2004, when it said it accepted the commission's ruling in principle but wanted "adjustments".
Eritrea says the Ethiopian position has not changed.
In his latest report to the UN Security Council on the matter, Annan said there had been a "steady increase" of Ethiopian forces near the border area since December and that the deployment appeared to be continuing.
"I am concerned about a possible rise in tensions along the border in view of the build-up," he said.
The UN chief also expressed concern about new construction in areas that were awarded to Eritrea by the boundary commission, which he warned "could be interpreted as an effort to create facts on the ground".
He asked the council to approve another six-month extension of peacekeepers in the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea until 15 September, and urged an end to the impasse over the border dispute.
"A stalemate in the peace process is a source of instability.
This is exacerbated when troops are amassed in the border region," Annan said, urging both sides to "refrain from any action that could destabilise the situation".
He also recommended another Security Council working trip to both countries as a sign of international support for the peace process.
Beware what you ask for–you just might get it.
That’s what disgruntled AstraZeneca investors discovered Thursday.
The sudden exit of embattled Chief Executive David Brennan might have satisfied those who have long felt the British group needs a fresh approach. But the lack of a successor to replace Mr. Brennan–and address the drug maker’s deep structural problems and thin product pipeline–leaves the company in desperate need of a ...
Indeed, it triggered a steep slide in AstraZeneca’s share price. By Thursday afternoon (1230 GMT) the stock was down 6%, wiping £2 billion off the company’s market value.
Iraqi forces have done little to slow ISIS' march toward Baghdad. Anderson spoke with The New Yorker's Dexter Filkins about the state of Iraq's military and America's role in creating the current government they are supposed to protect.
Peter Bergen explains to Anderson how "there is no longer a border between Syria and Iraq" because of ISIS.
The annual fundraiser for Mid City Nutrition will be March 22.
The Empty Bowls fundraiser is in its 15th year, so if you had purchased a bowl every year since the start, you'd have a nice set of dishes.
They wouldn't match, but every time you looked at them, you'd get a reminder of the hungry people in the community and the help provided through the Mid City Nutrition soup kitchen.
That's the idea behind Empty Bowls.
"You're talking about a handmade bowl from a local potter, and you take it home to remind yourself that there are people in your community who are hungry," said Alice Rieves.
Rieves is coordinating the artists making bowls for this year's event, which will be 4:30 to 7 p.m. March 22 at St. Stephen's School, 2865 Henry St., Port Huron Township. She also is the former director of Mid City Nutrition.
"Everything we make on the Empty Bowls is 100 percent profit because every single thing is donated," Rieves said.
Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. The price includes a handmade bowl by a local artist and soup in a bread bowl.
"It's the only fundraiser that Mid City has during the year," Rieves said. "Every other penny that comes in, comes in through checks in the mail. When I was director, it was every day because people understand hunger.
"This particular fundraiser is so awesome. You might not see somebody from year to year, but you know you are going to see them at Empty Bowls."
Sally Haas, of Clyde Township, makes bowls for the event.
"I just like helping," she said. "I've never been to the actual event, which is funny to me because I've done it every year."
She said the bowls are worked on a potter's wheel and are about the size of a cereal bowl.
"Sometimes I paint them," she said. "I've painted houseflies on some of them. I was told that they sold out."
Deborah Bassett-Maxwell also makes bowls at Red Mudd Studio in Kimball Township.
"I usually do at least 25 bowls a year for them," she said. "Each year I try to do a different set for them. This year, it's a new glaze pattern."
She said she has volunteered at the event, wrapping bowls after they've been selected.
"It's a lot of fun," she said. "The people have a hard time choosing the right bowl."
Last year, Empty Bowls raised $40,875 for Mid City Nutrition, which helped provide 65,687 meals.
Rieves said the soup kitchen will be making a white chicken chili for the fundraiser, and area restaurants will be bringing in soup. Chef Mike Moretz and volunteers will make about 400 to 450 bread bowls, and students from the Baker College Culinary Institute of Michigan will be baking cookies.
"It's a humble, simple meal served very humbly and simply," Rieves said.
"... None of this would be possible, and I said it for 23 years before I retired, none of it would be possible without the generosity of this community."
The Empty Bowls fundraiser to benefit Mid City Nutrition will be 4:30-7 p.m. at the former St. Stephen's School, 2865 Henry St., Port Huron Township.
Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
Tickets are available at Mid City Nutrition, Proper Framing, The Exquisite Corpse Coffee House, Weekends, Happy Dog Yoga Studio, St. Clair County Community Mental Health or by contacting Donna Baker at (810) 334-6221.
The event will include a silent auction from 4:30-6:15 p.m.
Mid City Nutrition is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MidCityNutrition.
I’m not into Halloween, but I appreciate the people who really, really love it. You know the types, the ones that plan out elaborate costumes decades in advance, the folks who decorate their houses so well that it rivals the haunted houses of theme parks, the people who buy the best candy, the people who host the best ...
I think Amanda Destro Pierson, the person who made this Monster House Garage, is one of those people. She transformed her garage into the mouth of a monster so every time it opens, it looks like it’s gulping down a car. It’s pretty clever and a lot of fun, exactly what Halloween should be.
Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular activities near Hutchinson Island, a 21-mile-long barrier island on south Florida’s Treasure Coast. The long, narrow strip of land is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Indian River on the west. The island starts just east of Fort Pierce with the southern end of t...
The St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park (floridastateparks.org), in Stuart, offers scuba diving and snorkeling areas. You need a boat to reach the park, located .65 miles south of the St. Lucie Inlet. The park protects a large population of loggerhead, leatherback and green turtles that come ashore to nest in the summe...
A half-mile of beach at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park (floridastateparks.org) makes an ideal location for snorkeling, swimming and enjoying the sunshine. Scuba diving is available on a reef in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 yards from the beach. Snorkeling gives you glimpses of colorful tropical sea life in exceptionally...
One of the best snorkeling areas near the island lies on Bathtub Reef Beach, a public beach in Stuart. Scuba diving takes place in the reef located just offshore. A reef made by tiny worms that build homes that resemble tubes, protects the shallow, warm water. Snorkelers also find the shallow waters mean no crashing wa...
Use a “Diver-Down” flag, required by Florida state law, whenever you dive or snorkel. To learn more about the sea creatures spotted while diving or snorkeling, visit the Florida Oceanographic Society Coastal Science Center (floridaocean.org) in Stuart. If you need a boat, half-day and full-day boat rentals are availabl...
Wagner, Nancy. "Snorkeling & Diving Near Hutchinson Island, Florida." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/snorkeling-diving-near-hutchinson-island-florida-104625.html. Accessed 24 April 2019.
PARIS — Two centrist allies of President Emmanuel Macron of France left the government on Wednesday, clouded by allegations that their party had misused European Union funds.
The resignations of the two officials — François Bayrou, the justice minister, and Marielle de Sarnez, the minister for European affairs — cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a minor cabinet shuffle later on Wednesday. A day earlier, Sylvie Goulard, the defense minister, announced that she would step down.
Mr. Macron’s prime minister, Édouard Philippe, announced the formation of a new cabinet on Wednesday, after legislative elections on Sunday that gave Mr. Macron and his centrist allies a decisive majority in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament. Florence Parly, a senior executive at the French national ...
Although the resignations will not hamper Mr. Macron’s ability to govern, they may undermine the president’s vow to transform French politics, which was meant to signal an intention to break from ethical scandals of the past.
Mr. Bayrou and Ms. de Sarnez are cornerstones of MoDem, or Democratic Movement, a centrist party led by Mr. Bayrou that aligned with Mr. Macron during the presidential campaign. Ms. Goulard was elected to the European Parliament with MoDem in 2009 and 2014, but she has recently distanced herself from the party. Mr. Mac...
Because his party won more than 289 seats, an absolute majority, Mr. Macron will not depend on his centrist allies for votes.
MoDem has been accused of using European Union funds to pay aides who were actually doing work for the party. In 2009, six of its members were elected or re-elected to the European Parliament, including Ms. de Sarnez and Ms. Goulard.
“I won’t accept being forced to remain silent when the honor of those I represent is at stake,” Mr. Bayrou said, arguing that as justice minister he could not talk freely enough to defend himself and his party.
Mr. Bayrou reaffirmed his support for Mr. Macron, calling his election a “chance for Europe and for the world’s balance,” and said that MoDem would be a “pillar” of the presidential majority in Parliament. Two other members of MoDem were named as ministers in the new cabinet.
Mr. Macron, who was elected on May 7, promised to run an honest and transparent government. Mr. Bayrou had made ambitious ethics changes a condition to his alliance with Mr. Macron, and he had recently been in charge of writing a sweeping ethics bill.
Georges Fenech, a top official with the center-right Republican Party, now the main opposition group in the National Assembly, said in a statement that the resignations showed that Mr. Macron had “played for time” and had “fooled the electorate” by waiting until after the elections to let the ministers go.
Mr. Bayrou’s integrity and that of his party allies came under fire last month, after a member of the far-right party National Front sent a letter to prosecutors hinting that parliamentary aides of MoDem lawmakers at the European Parliament had actually been working for their party. Prosecutors opened an investigation ...
Mr. Bayrou was also criticized for calling the head of the investigative team at a French radio station to complain about its work on MoDem. He said he was acting as a “citizen” exercising his right to criticize the news media, but many critics said they found the move inappropriate.

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