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14 Aug 2010 12:47

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U.S.: Why Obama vacationing in the Gulf Coast is actually good PR

  • $34
    billion     the amount the Gulf Coast made from tourism in 2008, which created 400,000 jobs
  • $22.7 billion the amount the Gulf could lose due to the spill taking a bite out of tourism (hence Obama’s vacation) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

14 Aug 2010 12:32

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U.S.: Oil spill: So, BP apparently did the top and bottom kill all wrong

  • Bottom kill first! Bottom kill first! BP is ready to drill a relief well after learning from tests that there’s still a risk of oil leaking from the plugged-up hole (and the U.S. called them out for it). In fact, they totally got ripped for it by some experts. “It would have been easier and safer to kill the well with the relief well,” said former petroleum engineer Les Ply. “When it is cemented from the bottom, you can be assured the well is dead.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Aug 2010 12:13

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Biz: The Detroit auto industry not looking so dire nowadays

  • Fundamentally this thing has been reshaped, resized and rethought. … We’re not trying to kill each other for this month’s market share. Those days are over. We’re not offering $7,000 checks to try to sell a car.
  • Chrysler (and Fiat!) CEO Sergio Marchionne • Discussing the major changes the Detroit auto companies have made in their business models in the wake of the whole bailout situation from a year or two ago. GM was on dire straits. Ford was skating by. It didn’t even look like Chrysler was going to make it. This has largely changed. Profits are back for the companies. They have slimmer product lines and payrolls. And their CEOs – especially GM’s new one – are outsiders to Detroit. Don’t call it a … OK, call it a comeback. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Aug 2010 05:43

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U.S.: We may get an early Supreme Court preview of the Prop 8 case

  • firstJudge Vaughn Walker decided that Wednesday would be the day he’d take the hold off of gay marriage in California.
  • thenThe supporters of Prop 8 decided to appeal the stay to the famously liberal U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • now The appeals court will decide by Monday, at which point it could go to Supreme Court Justice Antony Kennedy. source
  • » Why it’s a preview: Two reasons. First, Kennedy is the swing vote on the court, meaning what he decides could be an early harbinger of the full case. Second, Kennedy may ask for guidance from the court on where to go next. So, Prop 8 followers, we may find out soon whether or not gay marriage is likely to get legalized in the U.S.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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