Juggling Dynamite

Purchased by the oil and gas industry (see a new report Corporate funding and ideological polarization about climate change), many GOP representatives are desperately searching for ways to block America’s commitment to climate help initiatives.  See:  GOP grasps for leverage over Paris climate-change deal:

The Sen­ate passed a pair of GOP-led bills yes­ter­day that would block sweep­ing EPA reg­u­la­tions to cut car­bon emis­sions from power plants, rules that would help the U.S. to meet the pledge it offered in the cli­mate ne­go­ti­ations to cut its green­house gas emis­sions 26-28 per­cent be­low 2005 levels by 2025. The House is likely to fol­low suit, but the meas­ures are largely sym­bol­ic be­cause they already face a firm White House veto threat.

Sen. Shel­ley Moore Capito, a West Vir­gin­ia Re­pub­lic­an help­ing to lead the GOP ef­fort, said ahead of the vote that law­makers are try­ing to send a mes­sage to the Par­is talks. “[Pres­id­ent Obama] is get­ting ready to enter in­to a glob­al cli­mate agree­ment. I think by show­ing that we dis­ap­prove of this reg­u­la­tion, [it] shows that the coun­try is not be­hind the policies he is put­ting for­ward,” she told re­port­ers in the Cap­it­ol.

Also see:  Proof that Exxon and the Kochs distorted the public’s understanding of climate change.   Will there be lawsuits coming against those who breach their public service duty and actively work to harm and impede health on the planet?  Will they be prosecuted for criminal negligence and put in jail?  How will any of this compensate us after irreparable harm has been done?

A nice summary of the cheat-gate lawsuits underway in the motor vehicle industry. As yet still no talk of disgorging proceeds of crime from the executives who were bonused on fraudulent sales…See: Dealers fight back, but will we the people?

While hundreds of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of individual Volkswagen owners, in recent weeks several independent dealers and non-VW franchisees (Chevrolet, Saturn) have joined the litigation, filing primarily federal class action complaints against the German manufacturer. Dealers, not unlike consumers, are stuck with inventory that they cannot sell. And the cars that do sell are often offered at a deep discount from pre-scandal prices.

Because of Volkswagen’s deception, car dealers from small mom-and-pop operations to those selling the “Big Three” are hurting this holiday season. As of this week, the following lawsuits have been filed by dealers:

Brown Daub Chevy of Nazareth v. Volkswagen

Saturn of Southwest Florida v. Volkswagen

A Plus Auto v. Volkswagen

A to Z Auto Sports v. Volkswagen

Pye Auto Sales v. Volkswagen

Warren Manufacturing v. Volkswagen

Congress must pass the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act

You have to hand it to them, bankers the world over are nothing if not consistent.  It’s just some countries have started arresting them, while others are so far still offering them plum spots, government influence and accolades… This too must pass.  See: Brazilian Banking Star is arrested.

“André Esteves once joked that the initials in his investment bank, BTG Pactual SA, could stand for “Better Than Goldman.” His arrest has investors and clients wondering if its best days are behind it.

The 47-year-old Brazilian billionaire is the chief executive, controlling partner and driving force behind the Latin American country’s biggest independent investment bank.

Mr. Esteves rose from a working-class background in Rio de Janeiro to run BTG ’s precursor, Pactual, sold it to UBS Group AG for $2.6 billion and then bought it back and built it into a global player.

Now, he has been caught in a widening corruption probe with hard-to-predict consequences.”