News for today's 2018

Today's Teamster News 11.17.13

4:11 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/world/europe/youth-unemployement-in-europe.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" rel="nofollow">Young and Educated in Europe, but Desperate for Jobs</a>  New York Times   ...Five years after the economic crisis struck the Continent, youth unemployment has climbed to staggering levels in many countries: in September, 56 percent in Spain for those 24 and younger, 57 percent in Greece, 40 percent in Italy, 37 percent in Portugal and 28 percent in Ireland. For people 25 to 30, the rates are half to two-thirds as high and rising... <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/americas-student-debt-balance-is-growing-and-less-of-it-is-g" rel="nofollow">America’s Student Debt Balance Is Growing And Less Of It Is Getting Paid Back</a>  Buzzfeed   ...Now it’s over $1 trillion, bigger than credit card debt... <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-11-15/mass-surveillance-destroying-american-economy" rel="nofollow">Security Expert: “Buy American Doesn’t Sell Well Anymore Because It Means Give A Copy To The NSA”</a>  zero hedge   ...We’ve previously noted that mass surveillance is killing American tech companies. And Cisco just blamed its earnings slump on China’s disdain for NSA spying... <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/all/harsher-cuts-are-their-way" rel="nofollow">Harsher cuts are on their way</a>  MSNBC   ...Unless Congress reverses the cuts, defense discretionary spending will be cut by an estimated $19 billion in 2014 and non-defense spending will be cut $12 billion more... <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/chases-twitter-gambit-devolves-into-all-time-pr-fiasco-20131115" rel="nofollow">Chase's Twitter Gambit Devolves into All-Time PR Fiasco</a>  Rolling Stone   ...I almost couldn't believe it when I heard that JP Morgan Chase was going to do a live Twitter Q&A with the public – you know, all those people around the world they've been bending over and robbing for, oh, the last decade or so... <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101193946" rel="nofollow">Feds expand hunt for offshore tax evaders</a>  CNBC   ...Federal judges approved special summonses aimed at getting account data and identifying information of American banking clients of Switzerland's Zurcher Kantonalbank and Bermuda-based N.T. Butterfield & Son, prosecutors said Tuesday... <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/12/us-usa-bank-fatca-idUSBRE9AB18K20131112" rel="nofollow">Bankers' lawsuit jeopardizes U.S. tax dodger crackdown: lawyers</a>  Reuters   ...A court challenge by Texas and Florida bankers threatens to undermine a broad U.S. government crackdown on offshore tax avoidance and jeopardize a web of carefully crafted international agreements, tax lawyers said... <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/16/elizabeth-warren-2016-race-white-house" rel="nofollow">Elizabeth Warren: quiet revolutionary who could challenge Hillary Clinton in Democrats' 2016 race</a>  The Guardian   ...Senator's tough stance against Wall Street is attracting voters on the left who are disenchanted with the party establishment... <a href="http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/15876/anti_union_forces_mobilizing_at_chattanoogas_volkswagen_plant/" rel="nofollow">Volkswagen Isn’t Fighting Unionization—But Leaked Docs Show Right-Wing Groups Are</a>  In These Times   ...Mike Elk reports that while the company promised not to oppose the United Auto Workers attempts to organize their Chattanooga, TN plant, outside groups disagree with that decision. They're pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into anti-union campaigns... <a href="http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2013/11/boeing_recipient_of_the_largest_state_tax_subsidy_in_history_paid_nothing_in_state_corporate_income.php#.UoiulmTF36l" rel="nofollow">Boeing, Recipient of the Largest State Tax Subsidy in History, Paid Nothing in State Corporate Income Taxes Over the Past Decade</a>  Citizens for Tax Justice   ...Over the past decade, Boeing has managed to avoid paying even a dime of state income taxes nationwide on $35 billion in pretax U.S. profits... <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/the-sports-business-cant-take-any-more-money-from-its-fans" rel="nofollow">The Sports Business Can’t Take Any More Money From Its Fans</a>  Buzzfeed   ...The industry’s growth now mostly involves extracting billions from television networks and advertising. Ticket sales and merchandising growth are slowing... <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304799404579155953286552832?tesla=y" rel="nofollow">Wisconsin Political Speech Raid</a>  Wall Street Journal   ...In recent weeks, special prosecutor Francis Schmitz has hit dozens of conservative groups with subpoenas demanding documents related to the 2011 and 2012 campaigns to recall Governor Walker and state legislative leaders... <a href="http://stinktanks.org/ohio/" rel="nofollow">Something stinks in Ohio</a>  Center for Media and Democracy   ...The Buckeye Institute is largely funded by right-wing out-of-state foundations, and does not disclose its donors to the public despite its influence in shaping public policy in Ohio... <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/seattle-elects-socialist-city-council" rel="nofollow">Seattle elects Socialist candidate to city council </a> Associated Press   ...She backed efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15; called for rent control in the city where rental prices keep climbing; and supports a tax on millionaires to help fund a public transit system and other services... <div> </div>

Young and Educated in Europe, but Desperate for Jobs New York Times ...Five years after the economic crisis struck the Continent, youth ...

Scott Walker claims Little League teams, Girl Scout troops as 'new business'

1:51 PM Tukiyooo 0

Wisconsin <strike><a href="http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2013/03/scott-walkers-austerity-agenda-is-real.html" rel="nofollow">job-killer</a> </strike>Gov. Scott Walker doesn't like to be called a job-killer, so he invents new businesses out of whole cloth -- Little League and Girl Scout uniforms. Walker had to acknowledge he won't come close to fulfilling his campaign promise to create 250,000 new jobs. (Incredibly, he blamed the protests in 2011.) So he made up 11,000 fictional new businesses instead. The <a href="http://www.uppitywis.org/blogarticle/desperate-walker-claims-little-league-teams-and-girl-scout-troop" rel="nofollow">Uppity Wisconsin</a> blog has the story, which would be hilarious if Walker weren't damaging so many Wisconsin families. Some of the 'businesses' Walker claims to have created are The <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=G003583&hash=495172785&searchFunctionID=dfad5001-2dbf-482d-b67e-aaa701d3adff&type=Advance">Reedsburg Girl Scout troop</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=M082356&hash=552134662&searchFunctionID=0273b38f-2e79-4bf4-abca-b69a035ee8ba&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=tennis&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Madison Ping-Pong Club</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=W058968&hash=31610602&searchFunctionID=1e81303f-a9b6-4965-9ae6-cfea04c6c9dd&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=rotary&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Waupaca Rotary Club</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Results.aspx?hash=1751295331&searchFunctionID=57d39204-8a23-48b1-9847-c44993690573&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=historical&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&">Columbus Historical Society</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=O027541&hash=1368577052&searchFunctionID=2be8ca95-3f30-4a82-9787-1bbf4f98b5a5&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=jaycees&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Oconto Jaycees</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=B071386&hash=1055641428&searchFunctionID=2e9de4aa-67cb-4198-8dd5-e09f1561b505&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=Club&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Blue Mound Nordic Ski Club</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=C078846&hash=577743248&searchFunctionID=4003b66d-e157-47df-b811-19ef35f23e82&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=Lions&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Clyman Lions Club</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=N042119&hash=95443676&searchFunctionID=082a5a15-edbd-454a-89e8-4cd74970e893&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=bird&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Three Rivers Bird Watchers Club</a>, <a href="https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Details.aspx?entityID=F048145&hash=1465211968&searchFunctionID=7e241c64-c025-4138-a4e1-5ee6d863c3f6&type=Advanced&nameSet=Entities&q=Choir&textSearchType=ExactPhrase&incDateStart=2011&incDateEnd=2013&includeActiveOrgs=Only&includeOldNames=Exclude&orgTypes=06&=">Menomonee Falls Choir Association</a>, and Pepin Yacht Club. Here's Uppity Wisconsin: <blockquote class="tr_bq">...he was judging his accomplishment with his own measuring stick. Most economists will tell you that the most reasonable way to count new businesses would be to use the <a href="http://www.bls.gov/cew/" rel="nofollow">Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages </a>(QCEW) count of new businesses. Walker, in fact, has insisted that QCEW is the "gold standard" when it comes to counting new jobs created and should be the source everyone uses, given the QCEW’s quarterly review of the records of 98% of all businesses in the state. The problem for Walker, though, is that the most recent QCEW's numbers show that he has only created 4,024 new businesses since he took office and that he isn't on pace to hit his pledge of 10,000 new businesses by the end of 2014. Instead of admitting his shortcoming, Walker searched high and low for a different measuring stick. He discovered that the <a href="http://www.wdfi.org/" rel="nofollow">Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions</a> (WDFI) keeps track of something called "business entities" created and... voila! ...found that as of August of this year, over ELEVEN THOUSAND new "business entities" had been created since he took office! Cue the victory lap! </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">The problem with the WDFI numbers is that a great deal of the “business entities” it counts are not, in fact, the "new businesses" that Walker had in mind when he made his pledge. Many are out-of-state corporations that have to file papers in Wisconsin, but have no real physical presense in the state, many are multiple filings for one business, and over 35,000 of the "businesses" Walker is using in his formula are something called "non-stock corporations" which are business-sounding but are actually Little League Teams, Girl Scout Troops, Lions Clubs, and other community organizations or non-profits.</blockquote>Walker, by the way, has actually written an entire book filled with lies, and he's out peddling it. You don't need to read it, but you might enjoy<a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/Scotty_Makes_A_Book" rel="nofollow"> Esquire's Charles Pierce</a> review of what he calls 'a book-like product.' Pierce refers to Walker as the goggle-eyed homunculus hired by Koch Industries to manage their Midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Wisconsin. And this: <blockquote class="tr_bq">Walker certainly is not intimidated by mendacity, prevarication, or by inflating his own ego until they tie a rope to it and enter it in the Macy's Parade in a couple of weeks, I can tell you that.</blockquote>No surprise there. <div> </div>

Jobs scott walker wisconsin Scott Walker claims Little League teams, Girl Scout troops as 'new business'

Wisconsin job-killer Gov. Scott Walker doesn't like to be called a job-killer, so he invents new businesses out of whole cloth -- Littl...

Stink Tanks exposed as front groups for Koch brothers

10:27 AM Tukiyooo 0

A national network of <a href="http://stinktanks.org/national/" rel="nofollow"><strike>stink</strike></a> think tanks is quietly pushing the agenda of anti-worker groups with funding from Koch brothers-affiliated organizations, according to a report released today. Today our friends at the <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/" rel="nofollow">Center for Media and Democracy</a> exposed the State Policy Network, which claims to fund 'independent' think tanks in all 50 states. The State Policy Network, disturbingly, is tax-exempt and so are the stink tanks it funds. SPN's stink tanks use 'dark money' from the <strike style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;"><a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2011/10/bombshell-kochs-sold-oil-equipment-to.html" style="color: #336699;">Benedict Arnold</a></strike> Koch brothers and their ilk to push an anti-worker, anti-consumer corporate-empowerment agenda in the states -- while pretending to be nonpartisan. If this is sounding a lot like the corporate dating service for state lawmakers known as <a href="http://alecexposed.org/" rel="nofollow">ALEC</a>, it is. Lisa Graves, executive director of the CMD, told Politico the SPN, like ALEC, is part of the <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/koch-brothers-think-tank-report-99791.html" rel="nofollow">Kochtopus</a>. According to CMD: <blockquote class="tr_bq">SPN has played a major role in supporting ALEC, serving as a "chairman" level sponsor of the 2013 and 2011 ALEC Annual Conferences and acting as a voting member of several task forces. SPN affiliates push parts of ALEC's agenda in their respective states, and ALEC is also an associate member of SPN. SPN and its affiliates have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to ALEC. </blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>Politico quoted Graves today: <blockquote class="tr_bq">“These aren’t just little think tanks that are doing nonpartisan research based on what’s happening in the state and really reflective of the culture of those states,” said Lisa Graves....“These are a lot of groups that put together pretty cooked books on the issues they are peddling and have been criticized in state after state for how shoddy their research has been.” </blockquote>In a <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/11/12302/reports-expose-extreme-pressure-groups-masquerading-think-tanks" rel="nofollow">press statement</a>, Graves said, <blockquote class="tr_bq">The 'experts' of State Policy Network groups get quoted on TV, in the papers, or in the legislature as if they were nonpartisan, objective scholars on issues of public policy. But in reality, SPN is a front for corporate interests with an extreme national policy agenda tied to some of the most retrograde special interests in the country, including the billionaire Koch brothers, the Waltons, the Bradley Foundation, the Roe Foundation, and the Coors family.</blockquote> Teamsters have tangled with these groups before. In Wisconsin, the <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-think-tanks-paid-to-wage-war-on.html" rel="nofollow">MacIver Institute</a> promoted<a href="http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2013/03/scott-walkers-austerity-agenda-is-real.html" rel="nofollow"> <strike>job-killer</strike></a><strike style="text-decoration: underline;"> </strike> Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting Act 10 as good for the economy. <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/business/wisconsin-added-24305-private-sector-jobs-in-12-months-ended-in-march-b99106575z1-225348792.html" rel="nofollow">It wasn't</a>. In Michigan, the <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/01/koch-linked-mich-think-tank-accused-of.html" rel="nofollow">Mackinac Center for Public Policy</a> pushed job-killer <a href="http://www.snyderfails.org/" rel="nofollow">Gov. Rick Snyder</a>'s right to work for less law with the same arguments and the same results. In Missouri, it's the <a href="http://stinktanks.org/missouri/" rel="nofollow">Show-Me Institute</a>. In Ohio, the <a href="http://stinktanks.org/ohio/" rel="nofollow">Buckeye Institute</a>. And so on. If you're getting a whiff of foul odors from your state capital, check out the CMD's new website, <a href="http://www.stinktanks.org/">www.stinktanks.org</a>. If you think it's a stink tank, it probably is.

Kochs Michigan Rick Snyder scott walker stink tank wisconsin Stink Tanks exposed as front groups for Koch brothers

A national network of stink think tanks is quietly pushing the agenda of anti-worker groups with funding from Koch brothers-affiliated orga...

Today's Teamster News 11.10.13

7:32 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/economic-growth-q3-2013_n_4232329.html" rel="nofollow">U.S. Economy Expanded At Surprising Rate Ahead Of The Government Shutdown</a>  Associated Press   ...The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.8 percent annual rate from July through September, a surprising sign of strength ahead of the 16-day partial government shutdown. Exports rose, businesses stocked up, home construction increased and state and local governments spent at the fastest pace in four years…Analysts expect the shutdown will slow growth in the October-December quarter… <a href="http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18302-koch-brothers-organized-federal-shutdown" rel="nofollow">How the Koch Brothers Organized the Federal Shutdown</a>  Buzzflash   ...The two chief contributors to Cruz's political career donated over a million dollars to it (and no other entity donated as much as $100,000 to it). These two top sources of contributions to Mr. Cruz's political career were Club For Growth, and Senate Conservatives Fund, which together donated over a million dollars to it... <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/11/08/2919341/switzerland-executive-compensation-limits/" rel="nofollow">Switzerland Weighs Radical Approach To Runaway Executive Compensation</a>  ThinkProgress   ...A referendum is set for November 24 on a law called the “1:12 Initiative” that would impose a flexible cap on top employee compensation at Swiss companies. If approved, the highest-paid employee of any given Swiss firm could not earn more in a month than its lowest-paid employee makes in a year... <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-origins-and-evolution-of-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/5357495?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-origins-and-evolution-of-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp" rel="nofollow">The Origins and Evolution of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)</a>  Global Research   ...THE free trade agreement being negotiated by the regional bloc known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has provoked widespread opposition in the countries involved in its negotiation... <a href="http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/11/the-tpp-if-passed-spells-the-end-of-popular-sovereignty-for-the-united-states.html" rel="nofollow">The TPP, If Passed, Spells the End of Popular Sovereignty for the United States</a>  naked capitalism   ...TPP replaces popular sovereignty with transnational investor rule, in two ways... <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/09/bank-of-america-us-864m-mortgage-verdict" rel="nofollow">US seeks $864m from Bank of America after mortgage fraud verdict</a>  The Guardian   ...Countrywide's program emphasized and rewarded employees for the quantity rather than the quality of loans produced, and eliminated checkpoints designed to ensure that loans were sound... <a href="http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/11/a-fraying-of-the-public-private-surveillance-partnership/281289/" rel="nofollow">A Fraying of the Public/Private Surveillance Partnership</a>  The Atlantic   ...The publicity resulting from the Snowden documents has made companies think twice before allowing the NSA access to their users' and customers' data... <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/05/1253318/-Wage-theft-outstrips-bank-gas-station-and-convenience-store-robberies?detail=email#" rel="nofollow">Wage theft outstrips bank, gas station and convenience store robberies</a>  DailyKos   ...Fully 64 percent of low-wage workers have some amount of pay stolen out of their paychecks by their employers every week, including 26 percent who are effectively paid less than minimum wage... <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/177043/scott-walker-effect-helping-democrats-win-and-republicans-lose#" rel="nofollow">The Scott Walker Effect: Helping Democrats Win and Republicans Lose</a>  The Nation   ...Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli counted on Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to provide the conservative candidate with some of the “star power” he needed to get him elected November 5. It didn’t work...

bank criminality economy government shutdown Koch brothers mortgage fraud scott walker spying TPP wage theft Today's Teamster News 11.10.13

U.S. Economy Expanded At Surprising Rate Ahead Of The Government Shutdown Associated Press ...The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.8 percent...

Today's Teamster News 10.28.13

4:19 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.alternet.org/economy/point-seveners-new-name-millionaires-club" rel="nofollow">America’s Wealthy Are Even Wealthier And Have A New Name: Point-Seveners</a>  Alternet   ...America has 45,000 citizens worth more than $50 million... <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/10/26/dark_money_groups_linked_to_koch_brothers_pay_1_million_in_fines_partner/" rel="nofollow">Dark money groups linked to Koch brothers pay $1 million in fines</a>  Salon   ...They allegedly spent a combined $15 million on conservative ballot proposals without proper disclosure... <a href="http://www.alternet.org/education/great-voucher-fraud" rel="nofollow">The Great Voucher Fraud</a>  Alternet   ... decades of accumulated evidence paints a different story: Vouchers do not improve educational outcomes, they take money away from struggling public schools, they’re cash cows for institutions offering questionable education, they aid students already attending private institutions and they ignore the needs of special-education students... <a href="http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2013/10/27/Recall-222959-pounds-of-ready-to-eat-chicken-salad-products/UPI-68441382896086/" rel="nofollow">Recall: 222,959 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken salad products</a>  UPI   ...Boston Salads and Provisions Company is recalling about 222,959 pounds of chicken salad products due to possible contamination with Listeria, officials say... <a href="http://thediplomat.com/china-power/the-us-is-quietly-losing-its-innovation-edge-to-china/" rel="nofollow">The US Is Quietly Losing Its Innovation Edge to China</a>  The Diplomat   ...Between 2003 and 2013, the number of applications increased from nearly 35,000 to more than 51,000, while NIH appropriations shrunk from $21 billion to $16 billion (in 1995 dollars). As a consequence, it has become increasingly difficult for our scientists to garner an NIH grant…The story is dramatically different on the China side. The government is determined to be the next technology innovation center in the world. By 2011, China had already become the world’s second highest investor in R&D. Government research funding has been growing at an annual rate of more than 20 percent... <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/10/another-reason-hate-tpp-it-gives-big-content-new-tools-undermine-sane-digital" rel="nofollow">Another Reason to Hate TPP: It Gives Big Content New Tools to Undermine Sane Digital Rights Policies</a>  EFF   ...TPP would give multinational companies the power to sue countries over laws that that might diminish the value of their company or cut into their expected future profits... <a href="http://soberlook.com/2013/10/has-great-recession-created-behavioral.html" rel="nofollow">Has the Great Recession created behavioral changes in the labor markets?</a>  Sober Look   ...One of the persistent problems with the US labor markets is the current pool of unemployed people taking far longer to find work than in the past. This would suggest that the key for those without work is to enter the workforce as quickly as possible - even if it means part-time, temp, consulting, etc. The barriers to re-entry are much higher these days than any time in recent decades... <a href="http://thediplomat.com/asia-life/2013/10/mizuho-banks-yakuza-scandal-more-than-30-execs-to-be-punished/" rel="nofollow">Mizuho Bank’s Yakuza Scandal: More than 30 Execs to be Punished</a>  The Diplomat   ...More than 30 executives at Mizuho Financial Group, Japan’s third largest bank, will be held accountable for making loans to the country’s organized crime syndicates, known as the yakuza... <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/magazine/could-new-york-city-subways-survive-another-hurricane.html?_r=0" rel="nofollow">Could New York City Subways Survive Another Hurricane?</a>  New York Times   ...you see what it will take to keep the system going: technological improvements, yes, but also the oldest technology of all — the knowledge of the people who run the subway, many of whom have been there for their entire working lives... <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/what-even-is-a-wisconsin-john-doe-investigation" rel="nofollow">What Is Going On in Wisconsin -- And Why Is It So Secret? </a> Talking Points Memo   ... a former federal prosecutor had been appointed to lead a "John Doe investigation" into state-level issues in Wisconsin, including the 2011 and 2012 recall elections. And this John Doe investigation reportedly grew out of an earlier John Doe probe, which closed in March after snaring six former aides and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R)...