Tag Archives: law

The Dangerous World of Underground Chemistry

A look at the increasingly outsourced world of underground pharma.  Domestic black-market chemists handle R&D and distribution, and the actual manufacturing is done in China.  Seems that way with everything.

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The Neapolitan Mob’s Most Dangerous Family

A character sketch of Paolo di Lauro, one of the Neapolitan Camorra’s former leaders.  Southern Italy it seems, like some parts of Mexico, operates with more than one quasi-state organization governing in parallel.  A tacit negotiation between the official and … Continue reading

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Colorado to preempt local regulation of oil and gas industries

(Fracking site close to Platteville, Colorado by Senator Mark Udall on Flickr) With the introduction of the Halliburton Loophole in 2005 the Federal government largely abdicated its role in regulating the water quality impacts of oil and gas extraction. Local … Continue reading

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Help put Boulder’s Climate Smart Loan Program back on track

In the summer of 2010, Boulder’s innovative Climate Smart Loan Program screeched to a halt, because the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) decided that the property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing mechanism amounted to a lien on any property enrolled … Continue reading

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PACE Lives!

The Federal Housing Finance Administration is taking public comments on Property Assessed Clean Energy financing programs, at the insistence of California’s 9th Circuit court of appeals.  Here’s what I told them: Property Assessed Clean Energy financing programs, as have been … Continue reading

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Climate Denial Instruction In Schools

Corporate interests are pushing a model bill in many states that would require schools to teach climate change denial.  It sounds creepily reminiscent of the creationism/evolution mess from a few years ago.  Except with the fossil fuel industry instead of … Continue reading

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Think Again: Drugs

A great roundup of the myths surrounding the Drug War, and the cogent arguments against continuing our ridiculous, harmful, and expensive policy of ideological prohibition.

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Coal Finance for Climate Activists

I’ve been in New York since Monday for a short workshop on the finances of the coal industry and coal burning utilities.  It was put together under the auspices of the NYU Law School’s Institute for Policy Integrity.  The audience … Continue reading

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Get My FBI File

Ever wonder if you’ve been watched by government spooks?  You can use the tools at Get My FBI File to find out.  Of course, that FOIA request will also probably get put in your file.  Whoa… beware police state bureaucratic … Continue reading

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Senate Wants The Military To Lock You Up Without Trial

Uh… so a bill in the US Senate with bipartisan support would allow the military to lock up citizens indefinitely without trial.  That would be unconstitutional, right?  Like, the Supreme Court would overturn it, right?  Obama will veto it, right?  … Continue reading

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