A whole lot to report, including the latest developments from Greece after the jump. . .
We begin with stories with a global focus, starting with this headline from CNNMoney:
Economists fear debt ceiling fight may bring recession
Forget the current government shutdown. Economists say it’s the upcoming debt ceiling impasse that could plunge the nation into a recession.
Al Jazeera America gives us more of the same:
Debt ceiling breach could bring global economic catastrophe
Experts warn that the U.S. government defaulting on its obligations would make shutdown effects look meek
As does Deutsche Welle:
US financial standoff endangers global economy
At the IMF and World Bank meeting this year, the euro crisis will not be the center of attention. Instead, US political gridlock and a monetary “exit strategy” are the greatest threat to the world’s emerging economies
And a different twist from the billionaire’s news service, Bloomberg Businessweek:
America’s Adversaries Love the Shutdown
Preparations underway, via CNBC:
Wall Street gets ready to trade defaulted US debt
Most doubt it will happen, but banks are already gearing up for how to handle any US Treasuries tainted by missed payments.
And Want China Times offers another take:
US government shutdown leaves Chinese tourists disappointed
Chinese tourists visiting the United States during their “Golden Week” national holidays have complained that their travel plans have been severely disrupted with many national parks and museums closed due to the US government shutdown, reports the Wuhan-based Changjiang Daily.
From CNBC, scofflaws delight:
Shutdown halts IRS seizures from tax cheats
And BBC News gives us unsurprising news:
US shutdown is starting to hit business, says Commerce Secretary
US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker has warned that business is starting to suffer from the federal shutdown.
Quartz covers an unappetizing side of shutdown:
Almost all of the shrimp Americans eat is now going uninspected
It’s day four of the US government shutdown and imported food Americans are eating is passing through with little of the inspection it’s normally given.
While the Los Angeles Times covers jubilation:
California tea party backers revel in their role in impasse
Mocking critics, an early organizer of the movement says at a convention in Anaheim, ‘It’s amazing how we can be completely irrelevant and shut down Congress at the same time.’
And from Newswise, everyday reality for more and more:
Cancer Survivors in Rural Areas Forgo Health Care Because of Cost
Data analysis showed cancer survivors in rural areas who were aged 65 or older were 66 percent more likely to forgo medical care and 54 percent more likely to forgo dental care because of cost, compared with their urban counterparts.
PRI’s The World covers a failed city bankers won’t let go:
Detroit’s bankruptcy bogs down when European banks dig in their heels
While the Los Angeles Times brings us another form of urban failure:
L.A. has worst big-city roads in the nation, a study finds
Roads in greater Los Angeles are the most run-down among U.S. cities, a national analysis says. About 64% are in poor shape.
Meanwhile, the looters stash their loot, via CNBC:
Companies are stashing away billions overseas
Washington politicians could slash the budget deficit by just tapping into the foreign profits of the top 20 American companies.
From TechCrunch, we’ll drink to that:
White House’s Deputy Tech Advisor Turns To Bartending Amid Shutdown
And Undernews catches semantic subterfuge:
Things the Washington Post doesn’t tell its readers: TPP is no free trade agreement & slicing Social Security is a “cut,” not a “cost saving.”
Techdirt brings us a reminder of the real import of those free trade agreements Obama is so busily ramming through:
Canadian-Based Company Sues Canada Under NAFTA, Saying That Fracking Ban Takes Away Its Expected Profits
from the it’s-not-meant-to-work-like-that dept
And whilst on the subject of trade agreements, there’s this from Deutsche Welle:
US diplomacy hobbled by government shutdown
US-EU free trade talks and President Obama’s trip to Asia have become the latest casualties of the government shutdown in Washington. The White House has warned that sanctions against Iran could also be undermined.
And this from Channel NewsAsia Singapore:
Pacific free trade pact unlikely this year: Malaysia
A huge free trade deal in the Asia-Pacific is unlikely to be signed this year, Malaysia said Sunday, a day after the United States said the year-end deadline was achievable.
And bridging our transition to Europe, a transcontinental tale, first in this headline from ANSAmed:
EU: 16 countries asks EP to negotiate tobacco directive
Aim is to reach an agreement before the end of the year
And the companion headline, from the McClatchy Washington Bureau:
U.S. tobacco growers fear loss of cigarette sales in Europe
From EurActiv, advocates of an even stronger European Union:
Federalists table ‘Treaty of Bozar’
The federalist Spinelli Group and German think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung launched yesterday (3 October) a proposal for a reform of the Treaty of Lisbon in the form of a draft treaty called ‘A Fundamental Law of the European Union’.
While EUbusiness covers European disunion:
Despite Lampedusa, Europe still split on migration
With far-right parties peddling xenophobia across Europe, the Lampedusa refugee tragedy seems unlikely to spawn a long hoped-for single EU migration policy to help avoid new drama.
Another account of disunity from EUobserver:
‘Virtual borders’ scheme to track every non-EU citizen
The European Commission wants to fingerprint anyone who enters the EU under its “smart borders” proposal, but critics say it is too costly, disproportionate, and risks violating numerous privacy rights.
While EUbusiness covers an integrative attempt:
European Roma integration project launched
The European Commission and the Council of Europe launched Friday a 700,000 euro programme to improve the access of Roma to education, health care, employment and housing in five countries.
New Europe reports on the rise of the extreme Right, an inevitability in hard times:
A fourth of parliamentary seats might be taken by extremist parties, MEP
A fourth of the seats at the European Parliament (roughly 188) might be taken by extreme and populist parties after the European election scheduled for May 2014, German Green MEP Jan Philip Albrecht said on Friday during a discussion on Prism and data protection organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
As does RT, in this video report on the rise of neofascism in Europe, with the emphasis on Hungary:
Neo-Nazi Nastiness: Support surge for far right Hungarian party
The program notes:
Neo-Nazi sentiments have been gaining strength across EU. The European Commission expressing “great concern” over the rise of anti-Semitic incidents across the block. RT’s Alexey Yaroshevsky reports from Hungary where the far-right neo-Nazi party is currently enjoying a huge surge of support.
From RIA Novosti, more warnings of divisions:
‘Ethnic Enclaves’ Fuel Social Tension – Russian Premier
Russia’s Prime Minister warned Saturday of the dangers of letting “ethnic enclaves form especially in major cities” in Russia as both isolating communities and fuelling crime and xenophobia.
And from euronews, a grim diagnosis from a former European Commission President and Italian Prime Minister:
Romano Prodi: EU ‘sleepwalking’ through crisis
New Europe states it succinctly:
Global economy ripping EU apart
Solidarity no more
On to Britannia, starting with a headline from Quartz:
How billions in bank fines may be boosting the British economy
And the London Telegraph covers the sell-off of an iconic bit of the British commons:
Brokers braced for last-minute rush for Royal Mail shares
Brokers are gearing up for a last-minute scramble to buy Royal Mail shares, with demand having already pushed share price expectations up ahead of next week’s flotation.
From the Telegraph again, greed at work with elders the prey:
Pensioners tricked into a lifetime of lower income
After an investigation into how Britain’s insurers used the introduction of the EU’s Gender Directive to over-charge hundreds of thousands of pension savers, we unravel yet another scandal in the complex annuity maze.
On to the Emerald Isle, first with this from The Guardian:
Ireland will need EU support when bailout ends this year, says IMF
International Monetary Fund report warns that poor state of Irish banks is holding back recovery
TheJournal.ie covers a gambit:
Government urged to keep lower VAT rate for tourism
The Restaurant Association of Ireland says that 5,000 jobs will be created in the next 18 months if the rate is maintained.
After the jump, rumblings in Southern Europe and Latin America, financial crisis in India as leading commodities exchange’s warehouses are half empty or non-existent, a blowfish controversy in China, and the latest stunning developments in Fukushimapocalypse Now!. . .
Next, to the mainland with this from FRANCE 24:
France struggles to address racial profiling by police
A French court has dismissed allegations that police identity checks on 13 minorities were racially motivated. Rights groups are calling for a system to monitor the number of individuals police stop on the street, as well as why they are stopped.
Next, that rare Swiss item, allegations of banksters behaving badly from BBC News:
Swiss regulator investigates banks over foreign exchange deals
Switzerland’s financial regulator is investigating possible manipulation of foreign exchange rates at several Swiss financial institutions.
El País brings us news of radicals in Spain:
Prosecutors ponder legality of Alianza far-right group
Ultra-nationalist organization planning to hold Catalan-flag-burning rally in Barcelona on October 12
And thinkSPAIN gives us our first view of a post-siesta Spain:
State-owned banks open all afternoon without shutting for lunch
BANKIA, Novacaixagalicia and EVO Banco have started opening many of their branches in the afternoons and over the long lunch hour to boost profits and prevent further redundancies.
El País covers rising red ink:
Bank of Spain governor sees “risk” of failing to meet deficit target this year
Linde says budget execution needs to be very strict in the second half at all levels of government
And the land grab begins, via Reuters:
Exclusive: Spain’s bad bank close to big land sale as disposals pick up
Next to Portugal, with a Troika blessing via El País:
Portugal gets pass mark from bailout providers
Deputy PM Portas: We are three inspections by the troika away from recovering our sovereignty”
An affirmation via Deutsche Welle:
Portugal can manage without another bailout, PM says
The Portuguese prime minister has told lawmakers his country will be able to stay afloat without another bailout by international creditors. The latter have only just approved the current austerity program.
And from Gallup, strange religion:
Portuguese Trust in Banks Most Buoyant of Bailout Countries
Portuguese remain more confident in their financial institutions than residents of other European countries that received bailouts during the eurozone crisis. Confidence in banks in Cyprus, Slovenia, and Spain drops further.
The Portugal News covers a potentially faith-shaking development:
Identity of bankers earning more than €1m a year to be made public
The Bank of Portugal has requested the country’s eight main banks to identify just how many bankers earn in excess of one million euros according to a document dated to late September but now public by Lusa News Agency.
From the Portugal News again, a bribery attempt:
Tax debt bailout
Following their poor showing in last Sunday’s municipal elections, the Government was on Thursday evening engineering plans to offer the estranged electorate an olive branch by means of a tax debt reprieve. But while the measure will be seen as one of appeasing disgruntled and increasingly cash-strapped businesses, it is also aimed at generating one final cash injection in a bid to balance the nation’s red-tinted books before the end of the year.
From the Portugal News again, another payoff:
Government pledges €150 million to help tourism businesses
This week Portugal’s Economy Minster António Pires de Lima formalised a financial line of support for companies and businesses working in tourism, having made €150 million available to help the sector until 2015.
And out final item from the Portugal News. . .
Jobless rate eases again, but still EU’s fifth highest
Portugal’s unemployment rate fell slightly in August, by one tenth of a percentage point to 16.6 percent, but remained the fifth highest in the European Union, according to figures released on Tuesday by Eurostat, the statistical unit of the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch.
On to Italy, with a Bunga Bunga quaking in what one once his Boot, via BBC News:
Senate moves to expel Berlusconi
A cross-party panel of the Italian Senate recommends the expulsion from the chamber of Silvio Berlusconi over his conviction for tax fraud.
From Open Europe, a qualification:
Berlusconi virtually out of Italian parliament, but clearly not yet out of Italian politics
While the Daily Mail scents scandal:
Did Berlusconi pay £1.26m to a call girl in return for her silence over hiring prostitutes?
Italian authorities have launched a probe into payments to Sabina Began
The former model allegedly recruited prostitutes for the former PM
She once declared her love for Mr Berlusconi but refutes the accusations
And the South China Morning Post covers the antics of former Italian senator Sergio De Gregorio who tried to block a plea by Italian prosecutors to transfer to Italy of evidence Hong Kong police seized six years ago:
Hong Kong law chiefs knew of meddling by Berlusconi ally
Justice minister Rimsky Yuen admits for first time his department was aware of attempt to interfere in transfer of evidence in fraud case
More stunning details from the South China Morning Post:
Italian prosecutors say Hong Kong women were key to a massive money-laundering scheme
Prosecutors in Italy say two Hongkongers are key figures in a sophisticated money-laundering scheme that spans at least nine countries and has operated for a quarter of a century.
And off to Russia with a headline from RIA Novosti:
As Russia’s Neighbors Cozy Up to Europe, Moscow-EU Rift Grows
The country now at the helm of the European Union, Lithuania, threatened this week to shut Russia out of its own territory, exposing growing tensions between Moscow and a handful of former Soviet states looking to bolster their economic ties with Brussels.
Next up, Latin America, starting with this from Independent Online:
Brazil: Moody’s cuts rating outlook
Moody’s Investors Service had lowered the outlook for Brazil’s debt because of deepening strains in the economy and the prospects of a long period of low growth, the credit rating agency said yesterday.
The Los Angeles Times covers a life-or-death issue:
Brazil property rights: Tribes and farmers battle to the death
Brazil’s agricultural boom, led by exports to China, has made the problem worse, indigenous groups say.
Off to Argentina, first with a headline from MercoPress:
European Union considering punitive duties on Argentine bio-diesel
If backed by EU governments at a vote later this month, the duties could be imposed by the end of November.
Argentine bio-diesel producers will fight European Union proposals to impose punitive duties on imports from the country, saying the move would remove its biggest export market and raise prices in Europe.
And from MercoPress again, the raters strike:
Argentina credit rating conditioned by poor credibility and unreliable stats, says Moody’s
An upgrade of Argentina’s credit rating depends on the government taking measures to boost data credibility while compensating investors holding defaulted debt and companies for expropriated assets, said Gabriel Torres, Argentina’s sovereign credit analyst at Moody’s Investors Service.
The Buenos Aires Herald covers a loss on the legal front:
Griesa accuses Argentina of ‘evading’ court orders
New York judge Thomas Griesa has once more ruled against Argentina in the nation’s battle with the vulture funds, determining that the jurisdiction of the bonds that entered the debt swaps of 2005 and 2010 cannot be changed.
While MercoPress covers the Argentine leader’s response:
Cristina Fernandez accuses “part of US judiciary” of wanting Argentina to default
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has accused part of the United States judiciary of wishing to take Argentina “to default”, comparing Argentina’s situation with that which currently faces US counterpart Barack Obama.
Followed by bad news for the leader via the Buenos Aires Herald:
CFK given month’s rest, leaves campaign after haematoma diagnosis
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was diagnosed with a chronic subdural haematoma and prescribed one month off after suffering cardiac arrhythmia, Government House confirmed today. Vice President Amado Boudou will take the Cabinet for the upcoming 30 days.
On to Mexico, with this from the Argentina Independent:
Mexico: Violent Clashes Mark Anniversary of Tlatelolco Massacre
[Wednesday], Mexico City saw the commemoration march of the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre marked by violent clashes and riots.
And then there’s this tale of the enlightened American news media from BuzzFeed:
Fox News Host To Nicaraguan Co-Host: “You Grew Up On Tacos, Correct?
Happy National Taco Day from your friends at Fox News!
On to Asia, opening with a regional story from the Associated Press:
ADB slashes emerging Asia forecast on weakness in China, India and US stimulus jitters
The Asian Development Bank cut its economic growth forecast for developing Asia on Wednesday, citing weakness in region’s two largest economies China and India and jitters over plans to scale back U.S. stimulus that destabilized financial markets.
Channel NewsAsia Singapore raises a point:
Obama’s no-show at APEC Summit could affect TPP negotiations
Negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could drag on a little longer, now that US President Barack Obama is unable to attend the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
And we note the passing of the brilliant autodidact dubbed “the Red Napoleon” who defeated the world’s greatest military/industrial powerhouses, via the London Telegraph:
General Vo Nguyen Giap
General Vo Nguyen Giap, who has aged 102, was the diminutive and brilliant Vietnamese general who led communist forces in the wars that forced three powerful adversaries – Japan, France and America – out of his homeland.
Up next, India, where the Press Trust of India reports the latest stunning development in the escalating crisis over the National Spot Exchange Limited, a leading commodities exchange at a moment the national economy trembles:
EOW finds half of NSEL warehouses empty
In a startling development, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police, probing the Rs 5,600-crore payment crisis at the NSEL, has found half of the warehouses it raided empty, while four storage building of commodities existed only on paper, a police official said.
From the Press Trust of India again, a response to critics:
Pranab denies stimulus root of present eco woes
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has sought to counter criticism against the economic stimulus provided when he was the Finance Minister in 2009 and maintained that economy under him registered high growth rates.
And from the Economic Times, blame is assigned:
Blame high inflation for killing growth: Chakrabarty
RBI Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty said it is unfair to blame the central bank for low growth as sustainable economic expansion is possible only with moderate inflation.
The Financial Express covers the latest Indian effort to lure dollars by peddling three-year, 3.5 percent instruments:
Over $5 billion received through swap facility: Raghuram Rajan
Raghuram Rajan announced the opening of a swap window facility to encourage banks to lure NRI funds.
While Reuters looks at a crisis impact:
Sluggish India economy takes toll on small firms
India’s prolonged economic slide has affected many companies in India, but small and medium-sized firms have been hit the most because of their more limited access to finance.
And India braces itself for the frackers, via the Economic Times:
India should become energy independent by 2030: Veerappa Moily
Stressing the need to step up production of fuel in the country, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily today said India should become energy independent by 2030.
Next, to China, with a coppery controversy from ITN News:
Giant metal puffer fish in China sparks spending row
Program notes:
A giant copper puffer fish being built in China has caused a major row over state spending. The government has reportedly spent $11 million so far on the viewing platform which has not yet been finished. The structure is roughly the same height as New York’s Statue of Liberty and the design is inspired by the globefish, which is a fish native to Yangzhong county, where it is based. The tower is encased in 8,920 copper plates and has attracted plenty of attention but not all of it positive. Report by Ashley Fudge.
From China Daily, a reminder of what’s helping to keep the U.S. propped up:
Chinese investment in US grows
The US came in behind Hong Kong to become the second-largest recipient of foreign investments from the Chinese mainland.
While Want China Times notes something very curious indeed:
Under 60% of Chinese listed companies answer the phone
Around 40% of phone numbers that listed companies provided to investors go unanswered or are constantly engaged, according to the China Securities Investor Protection Fund Corporation, a securities supervisory body established by China’s State Council or cabinet.
And China Daily notes the latest manifestation of neoliberalism in the Peoples’ Republic:
Taking stock of the private banks rush
Chinese private firms have rushed to apply to set up private banks, under government regulations designed to open up the much-hyped market.
The Christian Science Monitor, meanwhile, raises a question:
Obama cancels Asia trip. Is the US ‘pivot’ in jeopardy?
President Obama will not embark on a week-long trip to Asia, because of the fiscal crisis in Washington. Even before the cancellation, some analysts saw signs that commitment was waning to a US ‘pivot to Asia.’
We begin our Japanese coverage with another banksters behaving badly tale, this one from the Mainichi:
Ex-Mizuho Bank vice president turned blind eye to loans to gangsters
A former vice president of Mizuho Bank Ltd. who was responsible for compliance turned a blind eye to loans that the bank had extended to those linked to organized crime through affiliated companies, it has been learned.
More from the Japan Times:
Mizuho admits four execs knew of yakuza loans
Mizuho Bank has admitted that at least four of its executives, including two former deputy presidents, knew that it was lending money to underworld and other “antisocial” groups and that it neither stopped nor sought to hold management responsible.
While the Asahi Shimbun covers a related print resurrection:
Yakuza syndicate revives long-dead publication ‘for members only’
To tighten its grip over its beleaguered ranks, Japan’s largest criminal syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi, has revived an in-house publication — for members’ eyes only — for the first time in 38 years.
Channel NewsAsia Singapore covers inaction in Tokyo:
Bank of Japan holds off new monetary easing measures
The Bank of Japan on Friday held off fresh monetary easing measures despite fears about the impact of a sales tax hike on the country’s economic recovery and a Washington budget crisis that could see a US default.
Jiji Press reports on Japan’s moves to replace nuclear power, with most of the gains in new solar power installations, and a small amount from wind:
Renewable Energy Facilities’ Capacity Matches 3 N-Reactors’ Max Output
Renewable energy-based power generation facilities installed in Japan in the first year after the start of the feed-in tariff system had a total capacity of 3,666,000 kilowatts, equivalent to that of about three nuclear reactors, the government said Friday.
And now, Fukushimapocalypse Now!
We begin with yet another “we’re on it”0 claim from the top via NHK WORLD:
Abe pledges to tackle radioactive water issue
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his government will do all it can to deal with the massive buildup of radioactive water at the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant.
The Japan Times follows up:
Abe seeks help to end Fukushima water crisis
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday requested more foreign assistance in cleaning up the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, where work has been plagued by the radioactive water crisis.
And the Japan Daily Press covers a highly anticipated upcoming visit:
UN atomic agency to visit Fukushima to evaluate progress
The government of Japan has sought the assistance of the United Nations as it deals, in attempt to assist Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), with containing radioactive materials from the defunct Fukushima nuclear plant. Members of the U.N. atomic agency will be coming to Japan beginning October 14 for a week-long inspection.
More from NHK World:
IAEA to send decontamination support team to Japan
The International Atomic Energy Agency will send a team of experts to inspect and give advice on the decontamination in and around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Meanwhile, the Asahi Shimbun catches a corporate lie:
As Fukushima compensation stalls, TEPCO continues to pay pro-nuclear village
Tokyo Electric Power Co. “donated” tens of millions of yen to a pro-nuclear village government in August despite promising to abolish such payouts to accelerate compensation for victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
More details from the Mainichi:
TEPCO, Tohoku Electric continue donations to village building nuke fuel processing plant
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and Tohoku Electric Power Co. have continued to extend donations to the Aomori Prefecture village of Rokkasho, where a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant is under construction, even after the Fukushima nuclear accident, it has been learned.
The Japan Times covers a demand:
NRA to Tepco: Fix water mess, even add workers
The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Friday ordered Tokyo Electric Power Co. to bring under control the massive amount of radioactive water gushing from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear complex, including by boosting worker numbers on-site.
Xinhua describes it more tersely:
Japan’s nuclear regulators blast TEPCO for latest “human error” toxic leak
And the Japan Times reports one response:
IAEA to send second team of experts to check nuclear disaster cleanup
The Asahi Shimbun looks at the latest blunder:
FUKUSHIMA WATER CRISIS: Combination of TEPCO errors led to latest radioactive water leak
Patience is wearing thin over Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s continuing series of blunders at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, the latest one allowing more radioactive water to spill into the ocean.
And Bloomberg offers a peculiar spin:
Tepco Finds New Foe in Rainfall as Fukushima Tank Overflows
While Kyodo News reported a shutdown:
Toxic water treatment system at Fukushima plant suspended again
A system to substantially reduce the radiation level of toxic water at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant halted again Friday morning, resuming operation about 12 hours later, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.
Jiji Press had more:
Wrong Setting Halted Fukushima Water Cleanup System: TEPCO
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Friday that a key radioactive water cleanup system at its crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant stopped working earlier in the day due to a wrong setting at a tank that receives water used for cleaning the equipment.
China Daily covers the perspective from Beijing:
World must act to stop Fukushima nuclear discharge
Next up, how’d you like to taste so Fukushima peaches? Some rice? Apple juice maybe? Or locally produced ramen noodles? From Jiji Press:
Safety of Fukushima Food Promoted at Event in London
A Japanese group promoted the safety of agricultural products grown in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima, home to a crippled nuclear power plant, at an annual cultural event at Trafalgar Square at the heart of London on Saturday.
Kyodo News covers a companion story:
Japan to take up S. Korea’s import ban on marine products at WTO
The Japanese government plans to take up the issue of South Korea’s import ban on fisheries products from some parts of Japan at a committee meeting of the World Trade Organization in mid-October, government sources said Saturday.
For our obligatory “yes it can happen here” story of the day, consider the plight of nuclear scientist Walter Tamosaitis of San Francisco-based URS Corp., who warned two years ago of basic design flaws in this country’s largest radioactive waste treatment facility, then got exiled to a phone-less, furnuiture-free basement office in Hanford, Wash., he was assigned to work in a basement room without office furniture or a telephone.
A 44-year employee, Tamosaitiswas laid off Wednesday, reports the Los Angeles Times:
Company fires scientist who warned of Hanford waste site problems
Walter Tamosaitis and watchdogs believe URS Corp. retaliated over his warning that the radioactive waste facility in Hanford, Wash., had safety issues.
Back to Japan, for a story that isn’t nuclear from the Japan Daily Press:
High mercury levels detected at Mt Fuji peak, Chinese pollution suspected
Finally, if that’s not enough to get your blood rising, consider this report on American research from Xinhua:
Warmer oceans may up mercury levels in fish: study
And for our last environmental item, a dramatic move in Spain via El País:
Civil guards storm offshore gas-storage plant blamed for series of earthquakes
Castellón prosecutor opens probe into situation at giant installation
