The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska
Desmogblog – Keystone XL Scandal: Obama Attorney’s Law Firm Represents TransCanada’s Pipeline in Alaska
A DeSmogBlog investigation reveals that Robert Bauer, former White House Counsel and President Barack Obama’s personal attorney, works at the corporate law firm Perkins Coie LLP, which does legal work for TransCanada’s South Central LNG Project, formerly known as Alaska Gas Pipeline Project.
NBCNews.com – Airplane Warning After Alaska Volcano Erupts, Spewing Ash
The National Weather Service on Saturday warned airplanes to avoid airspace near an erupting Alaska volcano as it spewed ash 30,000 feet above sea level. Winds were blowing ash from Pavlof Volcano to the west and southwest.
NewsMiner.com – Federal agency criticizes handling of Alaska coal permits
The federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement is criticizing a state agency’s handling of permit extensions and renewals for the Wishbone Hill coal project near Palmer.
KNOM.org – City Council Advances Plans Removing Nonprofit Sales Tax Exemption, Tax Aircraft
With the city budget projected to run a deficit, the council’s one-hour work session looked at ways to increase tax revenue. After much debate, the council agreed to move forward with a draft ordinance removing sales tax exemptions from more than 40 local nonprofits, churches, and other charities in town—a move City Finance Director Julie Liew estimates could bring in about $300,000 a year.
National
Talking Points Memo – Reagan, Bush Also Used Executive Authority To Prevent Deportations
President Barack Obama’s anticipated order that would shield millions of immigrants now living illegally in the U.S. from deportation is not without precedent. Two of the last three Republican presidents — Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush — did the same thing in extending amnesty to family members who were not covered by the last major overhaul of immigration law in 1986.
The Daily Beast – Why the FBI’s Suicide Note to MLK Still Matters
A reminder that Washington has been toying with and lying to Americans for a long, long time.
The more we learn about the government these days, the less we can trust it. Forget about the simple incompetence that used to fire up libertarian critics of an expansive government—that’s a complaint that seems almost quaint given recent and ongoing revelations about official fraud and deception. It’s looking more and more like the government tends toward evil and mean-spiritedness, and it’s going to take real change to reverse eroding faith among citizens.
International
BBC – Petrobras scandal will ‘change Brazil’ says president
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has said investigations into corruption at the state-owned oil company, Petrobras, could change the country forever.
She was speaking for the first time since the arrest on Friday of 23 people suspected of corruption and money-laundering.
NY Times – Okinawa Voters Replace Governor With Opponent of U.S. Base
Dealing a new blow to plans by Japan and the United States to relocate a busy Marine air base on Okinawa, the island’s voters handed a landslide victory on Sunday to an anti-base candidate for governor, rejecting the Tokyo-backed incumbent.
Vice.com – The Bombs Dividing Chile [Video]
Around 200 bombs have been either found or detonated in Chile over the past decade. Many of these bombs have been located in the capital of Santiago, and have generally avoided harming innocent civilians.
Let it snow. Thanksgiving will be white in mikey world tonight. Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good whatever you wish for. 🙂
WARNING! CAUTION! DANGER!!! RED ALERT!!!! YIKES!!!!!
http://tinyurl.com/k8fj4gk If you spot this varmint lurking-around your chimney,school playground,city dump or septic tank, back slowly away and call in a nukular drone strike immediately. Do not attempt to engage it in conversation or feed it or pet it’s fur and for pity’s sake don’t ask it about the cadillac insurance plan it gets through it’s mate’s work at Goldman Sucks.
This is an EMERGENCY. Be on the alert This thing could be lurking,and prolly is,in a neighborhood near you right now!
Good news and otherwise-Obama signed secret order to keep troops fighting in Afghanistan for 2015. Fake Noise had a small piece in Rapid City Journal page A8 saying wingnuts failed to find any evidence Obama/Clinton commited crimes in Benghazi-for about the 8th time. Obama signed immigration bill and quoted scripture,wingnuts heads summarily exploded.
http://7mat2p4zx64lewmu.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Rogers.gif
This be funny and prescient,I think.
Just watched Lisa on The Ed Show fronting a GOP group hug for KXL. How will Keystone benefit Alaska? Does it make sense to support this project especially now that oil prices are dropping dramatically?
Mike D,- Too bad Lisa’s “group hug” was’nt with the victims of the Alaska
National Guards’ scandal. And, no, Sean Parnell, this abuse
knowledge is not going away.
Also, is’nt Canadian oil foreign oil? Thanks Mike D
Mike D-not sure about Alaska,but the concensus in the MidWest is a new kxl pipeline will clear the glut of oil in our area and drive prices considerably higher in a short time. Tarsands is not slated to be refined and used in America. Ostensibly,it will be refined in gulf refineries and shipped as dirty jetfuel/diesel fuel to China and elsewhere. The report of 40,000 jobs has been bebunked over and over. We are looking at perhaps 50 permanent jobs and more law enforcement headaches (prostitution,guns,drugs) than ever. Gas today is $2.74 here and I hear around $2.32 in New Mexico.
http://www.juanitajean.com/2014/11/17/twitter-twits/ Wingnuts use Twitter accounts to violate Federal Election Laws before the last election and prolly will be allowed to get away with it.
On a brighter note,the hacker group Anonymous has hacked the Klan’s Twitter account and now control lists and faces of Klansmen and possibly women. Has Christmas come early?
Oh, that’s a volcano spewing ash.
I thought it was Don Young.
Nice clean ash, volcano; dirty trash, Don Young.
Did Young lecture said volcano on showing him some respect?
Well, they each put out a lot of gas. Difficult to say who won.
🙂 🙂
KXL is a particular bone of contention with Madvillains at Madville Times in South Dakota. It has been declared irrelevant by oil industry insiders because other pipelines have been built since KXL was proposed and opposed. The gubmint recently re-issued their series of lies about job creations and safety along the route.
There is a proposed Bakken crude oil pipeline fron North Dakota tha runs within a few miles of mikeyland in iowa all the way to Southern Illinois. Local county commish says if people vote yes there is no stopping it. Eminent domain will bring opposition into the fold,whether they want or not.
http://lakotavoice.com/2014/11/15/house-vote-in-favor-of-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-an-act-of-war/
mfi- this is so interesting. It makes me wonder what the Tetlin Natives (Tetlin Alaska) were thinking when they voted
to let Contango Ore (based out of Texas) have the right to mine for gold on their (Tetlin) land. This is upsetting when the drinking water “around here” comes from the Tok River drainage. I guess Money has a way of putting
people off their guard. I’m still searching for the environmental impact study that may or may not have
been done concerning the Tetlin – Contango Ore “deal”.
Really,I’ took a look and found everything but an EIS. I’ll look more as time permits. It could be they haven’t done one since they are just test drilling. Their korporate finances don’t sound all that promising. They have to raise way more investments to attempt any mining.
BTW-for Native Americans in SD it isn’t just the pipeline. SD’s guv wants to allow uranium mining and nuclear waste storage in the Sacred Black Hills,plus other development on National Forest lands in the Hills.
mfi- Wow, and thank you for looking. This is really scary. Uranium mining and Nuclear Waste storage. I truly “feel your Pain”.
Thanks, Zach.