Cities: Bloomberg 2, water, 2012The Guardian – by Beth Gardiner

From his high-profile smoking and transfat bans to the creation of new parks and bike lanes, Michael Bloomberg‘s 12 years as mayor were a time of innovation and change in New York. Besides such high-profile measures, there were also less visible efforts, like the drafting of a long-term resiliency plan for city.

Fresh out of office, the billionaire businessman, never short of ambition, has broadened his sights to the lives of city-dwellers around the world. With migration to cities increasing nearly everywhere, the data-driven Bloomberg believes improving conditions in big urban areas is the best way to make an impact on the largest number of people. Bloomberg is redeploying many top members of his mayoral team to Bloomberg Associates, a consultancy that will, free of charge, advise cities on how best to tackle their problems, adapting and applying the approaches he used to make New York greener and more livable.   Continue reading “Can Michael Bloomberg’s New York manifesto change the world?”

Members of the House of Representatives enter the US Capitol on Sept. 30, 2013 in Washington, DC [AFP]Raw Story – by Agence France-Presse

The US House approved a five-year, nearly $1 trillion farm bill Wednesday reforming the federal government’s crop subsidy system but cutting food stamps to pare the deficit.

The mammoth bill, which has been some three years in the making and endured more than one collapse in negotiations in 2013, enjoyed bipartisan support in passing 251-166.   Continue reading “House passes bill cutting $8 billion from ‘food stamps’ program”

Tech Crunch – by Catherine Shu

Google will buy London-based artificial intelligence company DeepMind. The Information reports that the acquisition price was more than $500 million, and that Facebook was also in talks to buy the startup late last year. DeepMind confirmed the acquisition to us, but couldn’t disclose deal terms.

The acquisition was originally confirmed by Google to Re/code.   Continue reading “Google Acquires Artificial Intelligence Startup DeepMind For More Than $500M”

Common Dreams – by Lauren McCauley

“What we know scares us, and we know there’s a lot more we don’t know,” a West Virginia environmental scientist said Wednesday after revealing he had found formaldehyde in water samples taken after officials had declared the water safe for drinking.

Scott Simonton, a Marshall University environmental scientist and member of the state Environmental Quality Board, told a joint legislative committee on water resources that he found traces of formaldehyde in water samples taken from a restaurant in downtown Charleston, the Charleston Gazette reported.    Continue reading “Showering in Formaldehyde? Fresh Fears in West Virginia”

Water is distributed to residents at the South Charleston Community Center in Charleston, West Virginia (Reuters / Lisa Hechesky) RT

A West Virginia state official told legislators on Wednesday that he “can guarantee” some residents are breathing in a cancer-causing substance due to the chemical spill that occurred earlier in January.

In a recent meeting with a state legislative committee on water resources, Scott Simonton of the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board said that his tests have detected formaldehyde in water samples contaminated by the recent Elk River chemical spill.    Continue reading “West Virginia official says residents are breathing cancer-causing agent after chemical spill”

CNBC 

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Lenovo Group said on Wednesday it agreed to buy Google Inc’s Motorola handset division for $2.91 billion, in what is China’s largest-ever tech deal as Lenovo buys its way into a heavily competitive U.S. handset market dominated by Apple Inc .

It is Lenovo’s second major deal on U.S. soil in a week as the Chinese electronics company angles to get a foothold in major global computing markets. Lenovo last week said it would buy IBM’s low-end server business for $2.3 billion.    Continue reading “UPDATE 3-Lenovo to buy Google’s Motorola in China’s largest tech deal”

Beretta to build new firearms plant in Tenn.Yahoo News – by LUCAS L. JOHNSON II

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Italian gun maker Beretta said Wednesday that Tennessee’s support for gun rights was a major factor in its decision to build a manufacturing and research facility in the Nashville suburb of Gallatin.

The $45 million plant is projected to be complete this year and create 300 new jobs.

Gun rights were “the first criteria for deciding to even consider a state,” said Jeff Reh, a member of Beretta USA Corp.’s board of directors.   Continue reading “Beretta to build new firearms plant in Tenn.”

Activist Post – by Amanda Warren

Katharina Lambert, age 88, was sleeping in her own home in San Bernardino, California.

At around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 23rd, 2013, her silent burglar alarm allegedly went active.

If true, as police say, this does not explain the way they responded. With no warrants, no pressing circumstances, no announcement and no warning about a dog; three officers entered her home and officer J. Echevarria released an attack dog that quickly went to her bedroom.   Continue reading “Sleeping Elderly Woman Awakes to Police Dog Attack”

zincNatural News – by David Gutierrez

Although many things remain unknown about the roles that zinc and aluminum play in the human brain, one thing is certain: high aluminum concentrations lead to brain damage.

Because aluminum is ubiquitous as both an environmental and industrial chemical, it is impossible to avoid some exposure to this known neurotoxin. Fortunately, a study conducted by researchers from China Medical University in Shenyang and published in the journal Neuroscience Letters in 2008 found that zinc may help prevent aluminum from crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thereby preventing brain damage.   Continue reading “Study shows zinc protects blood-brain barrier from effects of aluminum”

copperNatural News – by L.J. Devon

Copper is a naturally occurring free metal. The body uses this metal for a variety of actions and regulates proper amounts. Too much copper taxes the kidneys and liver and can be detrimental. The right amount is essential. A certain blue-green algae called spirulina has been found to reduce copper toxicity and improve blood and growth in fish. This modulating action, as seen in this fish study, effectively eliminates excess copper obtained through overloaded water, soil and air. This study could translate to helping people with toxic amounts of copper in their body.   Continue reading “Dietary spirulina reduces copper toxicity, improves blood and growth”

chinaNatural News – by Thomas Henry

China is the world’s worst industrial polluter, spewing tons of toxins derived from man-made production into the air, soil and water at a steady rate. It has refused to comply with the same standards adopted by other leading nations of the world.

And the level of pollutants is starting to catch up with China’s residents, who have to breath it. Recent weeks have seen declarations of “extremely dangerous pollution” in Beijing, with particulate matter reaching more than two dozen times the level considered safe for airborne toxins.   Continue reading “Beijing air pollution reaches crisis levels; can China survive its toxic environment?”

CenturyLink – by KRISTEN WYATT

DENVER (AP) — Pot at the county fair? Why not?

Colorado’s Denver County is adding cannabis-themed contests to its 2014 summer fair. It’s the first time pot plants will stand alongside tomato plants and homemade jam in competition for a blue ribbon.

There won’t actually be any marijuana at the fairgrounds. The judging will be done off-site, with photos showing the winning entries. And a live joint-rolling contest will be done with oregano, not pot.   Continue reading “Marijuana contests join county fair in Colorado”

Tragedy: IT executive Gabriel Magee has been found dead today after jumping from the top of JP Morgan's headquarters in Canary Wharf, London, and landing on a surrounding roofCryptogon

Oh sure.

Via: Daily Mail:

Two top ranking American bankers working in senior positions in London have committed suicide in the space of two days.

Gabriel Magee, a 39-year-old JP Morgan bank executive, died early this morning after he jumped 500ft from the top of the bank’s European headquarters. His body was discovered on the ninth floor roof, which surrounds the 33-story Canary Wharf skyscraper.   Continue reading “Two Top American Bankers Commit Suicide in London”

gmoearthx2Truthstream Media – by Aaron Dykes and Melissa Melton

Apparently GMOs are so awesome and wonderful, the companies that sell them are doing everything they can to keep people from knowing it.

The Organic Consumers Association is reporting that the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association — the mega lobby group that represents 300+ companies and much more than just grocery stores — is using a leaked talking points memo to basically misinform and intimidate our legislators with threats of lawsuits should they even attempt to back a GMO labeling law in their state.   Continue reading “Leaked! Food Lobby Threatens to Sue Any State that Tries to Label GMOs”

Activist Post – by Brandon Turbeville

Every year, flu vaccine propaganda is ramped up by the pharmaceutical industry and its mouthpiece media, which then gives way to a second round (pun intended) of vaccine propaganda pushing toxic vaccinations for a variety of diseases, only then to be followed by the demonization of nutritional supplements. Around mid-January, rinse and repeat – (flu, childhood vaccine, and anti-supplement propaganda).    Continue reading “Big Pharma and Corporate Media Team Up For Pro-Vaccine Propaganda”