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Video: Obama Remarks after Meeting with BP Executives

Visconti — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:51:53 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A.M. News Break – 6/12/2010 – BP Spill, Tea Party Momentum, OH Gov Money

Visconti — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:46:25 +0000

Who is Alvin Greene? – New York Times
Strange Senate Campaign Moves Forward – The State
Is the Tea Party waning? – Washington Post
NY Pension Fund Shell Game – New York Times
OH Governor’s Race: Lots of Cash on Hand – Columbus Dispatch
Rescued Teen Sailor Wants Another Go at Record – Fox News

The BP Mess

Spilled Oil Makes Way Into Supply Chain – Associated Press
Deepwater Horizon Incident Response – U.S. Government Official Site

Daily Graphic: 01/12/2009 – One in Five Twittering

Visconti — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:15:21 +0000

From Pew Research:

Daily Graphic – 1/11/2010 – What’s In Their Netflix Queues?

Visconti — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:55:34 +0000

In case you missed it over the weekend, click on the screen shot below to go to the New York Times‘ interactive map of what people are renting from Netflix. Pretty cool …

Click Graphic to Go to Original at the New York Times

On Vacation …

Visconti — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:18:50 +0000

Gone fishing in Canada … be back in a week or so …

Daily Graphic: BP’s Updated World Proved Oil Reserves Map

Visconti — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:20:39 +0000

Daily Graphic: Are Blacks Better Off Than Five Years Ago?

Visconti — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:56:23 +0000

I found this interesting and it made me wonder if this question or one similar has been asked by a reputable polling organization since the election of President Barack Obama? If you know, leave a comment.

The graphic comes from a Pew poll done in November 2007.

Why GM Stock is Still Trading … and Where …

Visconti — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:06:54 +0000

Frankly, if a company goes bankrupt, I don’t see why the stock isn’t just completely finished. GM’s stock wasn’t finished today though — trading at one point at just over a dollar on the NYSE.

This great article from the Los Angeles Times lays out the details of why stocks trade after a bankruptcy. Essentially it has to do with short sellers needing to cover positions and those unfortunate to be holding for the really long haul needing a place to sell their shares. Who in the hell buys those shares?

At any rate, GM, formerly ticker symbol “GM” on the NYSE, will trade beginning June 2 as GMGMQ on the “penny” stock market at pinksheets.com.

Author of Why GM Matters, William Holstein, took questions today over at the Washington Post. Check out the transcript. Here’s what he had to say about GM’s shareholders:

Washington, D.C.: What happens to GM Stockholders now? I’ve seen a lot of info about bondholders, but that’s not the same (or is it)?

William Holstein: GM stockholders are expected to be wiped out. You get nothing for your shares. They become collector’s items.

Video: Bruno’s ‘Kugelsack’ in Eminem’s Face

Visconti — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:10:49 +0000

MTV Shows

Government Waste: Members of Congress Get Attention for Expense Accounts

Visconti — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:47:01 +0000

I’m surprised it took the U.S. media this long to look into what sorts of purchases U.S. lawmakers are making after hullabaloo over expenses in the U.K. Parliament.

The Wall Street Journal has what is as far as I know the opening salvo in what should be a healthy vetting by the Fourth Estate into the expense accounts of members of the U.S. Congress:

Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings spent $24,730 in taxpayer money last year to lease a 2008 luxury Lexus hybrid sedan. Ohio Rep. Michael Turner expensed a $1,435 digital camera. Eni Faleomavaega, the House delegate from American Samoa, bought two 46-inch Sony TVs.

The expenditures were legal, properly accounted for and drawn from allowances the U.S. government grants to lawmakers. Equipment purchased with office expense accounts must be returned to the House or the federal General Services Administration when a lawmaker leaves office.

But as British politicians come under widening scorn for spending public money on everything from candy bars to moat-dredging, an examination of U.S. lawmakers’ expense claims shows Washington’s elected officials have also used public funds for eye-catching purchases.