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2006 Energy
News History Archives
ARCHIVES NEWS
Energy News History Archives
Energy
Archives
Noteworthy
- Japan- US
- World
- Auto
- Technology
- Workers
- Politics
- History
- Fuel
- "Toyota’s
Sales Projections Show It Surpassing G.M.." ... "Toyota
Motor said today it plans to sell 9.34 million vehicles next year, a figure
that analysts said would put it ahead of troubled General Motors as the
world’s largest auto company." ... "Toyota reported global group sales
this year of 8.8 million cars and trucks, below G.M.’s 2006 sales forecast
of 9.2 million vehicles. But the figures released today showed the two
rival car giants on starkly different trajectories, with Toyota expecting
to add a half million vehicle sales next year, at a time when G.M. is shuttering
plants and laying off workers." ... "Surpassing G.M. would be a crowning
achievement for Toyota, a company that got its start in the 1930s by reverse-engineering
G.M. and Ford cars, and that spent decades catching up with Detroit. It
would also end G.M.’s 81-year reign over the global auto industry, and
mark another step in the rise of Asian carmakers." ... "Analysts also said
reaching the top would not exhaust Toyota’s opportunities for growth. They
said Toyota will continue to gain in the American market, where higher
gas prices have increased the popularity of smaller, more fuel-efficient
vehicles." ... "Toyota’s rise would also prove a victory of sorts for its
unique corporate culture, the so-called Toyota Way, which is rooted in
an obsession with craftsmanship and constant improvement, or “kaizen.”"
-By Martin Fackler -NYTimes
20061110
US
- Government
- Iraq
- Military
- Intelligence
- Privacy
- Environment
- Health
- Seniors
- Drugs
- Oil
- Industry- Legal
- History
- Missouri
- "Democrats
are set to subpoena: The new majority is expected
to hold hearings on military spending and the Iraq war -- just for starters."
... "[Missouri Democrat] Rep. Ike Skelton knows what he will do in one
of his first acts as chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the Democratic-led
House: resurrect the subcommittee on oversight and investigations." ...
"The panel was disbanded by the Republicans after they won control of Congress
in 1994. Now, Skelton (D-Mo.) intends to use it as a forum to probe Pentagon
spending and the Bush administration's conduct of the Iraq war." ... "With
control of every committee in Congress starting in January, the new majority
will inherit broad powers to subpoena and investigate. And that is expected
to translate into wide-ranging and contentious hearings." ... "The agenda
is likely to be dominated by the Iraq war, but could include probes into
the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance, environmental policies
and new prescription-drug program for seniors. Industries, such as oil
companies, could also come under closer scrutiny." ... ""This could be
remembered as a historically unique period in which an administration got
immunity from Congress to engage in errors with impunity," said Charles
Tiefer, a University of Baltimore law professor and a former House counsel."
... "Democrats are expected to bore into the Iraq war, including review
of no-bid contracts for reconstruction, intelligence failures and decisions
to ignore the advice of military commanders about troop levels." (1, 2)
-By Richard B. Schmitt and Richard Simon
-LAtimes
20061107
US
- Iraq- Military
- People
- TV
- Money
- Oil
- Politics
- Japan
- New
York
- "Rupert
Murdoch -- who once predicted Iraq war could lead to $20/barrel oil --described
war casualties as "minute"." ... "On November 6,
News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch reportedly said at a conference
in Tokyo [Japan] that U.S. casualties in Iraq, "by the terms of any previous
war are quite minute," as the weblog Democratic Underground noted.
He further stated: "I believe it was right to go in there. I believe that
certainly the execution that has followed that has included many mistakes.
But that's easy to say after the event." Murdoch, whose conservative media
empire includes Fox News Channel, the New York Post, and The Weekly
Standard, vocally supported the war in 2003, citing potential economic
benefits. As of November 3, according to CNN,
a total of 2,836 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the invasion of Iraq
in March 2003." -MediaMatters.org
20061031
Energy
- Money
- Politics
- Accounting
- MA
- "U.S.
Drops Bid Over Royalties From Chevron." ... "The
Interior Department has dropped claims that the Chevron Corporation systematically
underpaid the government for natural gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico,
a decision that could allow energy companies to avoid paying hundreds of
millions of dollars in royalties." ... "The agency had ordered Chevron
to pay $6 million in additional royalties but could have sought tens of
millions more had it prevailed. The decision also sets a precedent that
could make it easier for oil and gas companies to lower the value of what
they pump each year from federal property and thus their payments to the
government." ... "The reversal in the case, which involves Chevron’s accounting
of natural gas sales to a company it partly owned, has renewed criticism
that the Bush administration is reluctant to confront oil and gas companies
and is lax in collecting royalties." ... "In return for the right to drill
on federal lands and in federal waters, energy companies are required to
pay the government a share of their proceeds. " ... "Administration officials
knew that dozens of companies had incorrectly claimed exemptions from royalties
since 2003, but they waited until December 2005 to send letters demanding
about $500 million in repayments." ... "In February, the Interior Department
acknowledged that oil companies could escape more than $7 billion in payments
because of mistakes in leases signed in the 1990s." ... "In addition, four
government auditors last month publicly accused the Interior Department
of blocking their efforts to recover more than $30 million from the Shell
Oil Corporation, the Kerr-McGee Corporation and other major companies."
... "“This latest revelation proves that the Bush administration is incapable
of preventing big oil companies from cheating taxpayers,” said Representative
Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, a senior Democrat on the House Committee
on Resources. “The public has been systematically fleeced out of royalties
that these companies owe for the privilege of drilling for oil and gas
on lands belonging to all of us.”" (1, 2)
-By Edmund L. Andrews
-NYTimes
20061026
Money
- Consumer
- History
- "Exxon
Mobile posts $10.49B profit." ... "Oil industry behemoth
Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter earnings rose to $10.49
billion, the second-largest quarterly profit ever recorded by a publicly
traded U.S. company." ... "The report comes as high crude prices this year
have fueled record profits in the oil industry, triggering an outcry from
consumers who were being asked to pay about $3 a gallon for gasoline in
early August." ... "The largest quarterly profit ever was Exxon Mobil's
$10.71 billion profit in the fourth quarter of 2005." ... "They may beat
that next quarter, said Howard Silverblatt Standard & Poor's Senior
Index Analyst. "Then in all likelihood they will be at that $40 billion
mark for the year." That would put the company on track for the highest
annual profit ever by a U.S. company. Exxon Mobil holds that record with
a 2005 profit of $36.1 billion." -By Steve Quinn
-AP via -DenverPost.com
20061018
US
- Russia
- Weldon
- Family
- Government
- Money
- Law
- Energy
- Politics
- Pennsylvania
- "Weldon's
Ties to Serbian Businessman Part of Probe." ... "Officials
at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade were surprised three years ago to be invited
to a luncheon in honor of visiting Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa. [Republican-Pennsylvania]),
hosted by Bogoljub Karic, a wealthy Serbian businessman who had been barred
from visiting or trading with the United States because of his close ties
to former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic." ... "Weldon "was visiting
solely because of Karic," whom he was trying to get off the U.S. blacklist,
a former senior embassy official familiar with the visit concluded. "It
seemed odd" at the time, because Karic had no obvious tie to Weldon's district
outside Philadelphia [Pennsylvania], and Weldon should have known the embassy
was shunning contacts with him, the official said." ... "What the embassy
apparently did not know is that the Karic family that year signed a contract
with Weldon's daughter, Karen, and a business partner that called for monthly
payments of $20,000 for "management, government and public relations,"
according to a copy of the March 2003 contract. In all, the family paid
Karen Weldon's firm $133,858 that year for efforts she undertook to set
up a foundation for it." ... "Curt Weldon's visit and that deal are under
investigation by the FBI, according to a law enforcement source familiar
with the probe. His efforts to assist clients of his daughter's consulting
firm in their dealings with the federal government are the focus of that
probe, according to sources familiar with it." ... "Besides looking at
Weldon's Karic connection, the FBI is examining the lawmaker's contacts
with a Russian-managed oil and gas company, Itera International Energy
Corp., the sources said." (1, 2)
-By R. Jeffrey Smith and Carol D. Leonnig -with contributions
by Lucy Shackelford and Madonna Lebling -WashingtonPost
20061016
US
- Russia
- Energy
- Weldon
- Money
- Law
- Politics
- PA
- Florida
- "FBI
raids four homes, two offices in Weldon probe." ...
"FBI agents investigating U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa. [Republican, Pennsylvania])
conducted six raids this morning - including at the homes of his daughter
and a longtime friend." ... "In Center City [Pennsylvania], agents searched
the law office of John Gallagher, a Weldon friend who has conducted extensive
business in Russia and former Soviet Republics." ... "In Media [Pennsylvania],
agents searched the offices of the public relations firm formed by Weldon's
longtime friend Charles P. Sexton Jr., and the congressman's daughter,
Karen." ... "Sexton and Karen Weldon formed Solutions North America in
2002, and won $1 million in contracts from two Russian energy firms and
a Serbian family with ties to Slobodan Milosevic." ... "FBI agents in Jacksonville,
Fla. [Florida], raided the office of one of the Russian energy firms, Itera,
and a private residence whose connection to the investigation was not disclosed."
... "" -By John Shiffman, Mitch Lipka and Patrick
Kerkstra -Philly.com
20060901
Iran
- Military
- Energy
- Technology
- UN
- "Highly
Enriched Uranium Found at Iranian Plant." ... "The
global nuclear monitoring agency deepened suspicions on Thursday about
Iran’s nuclear program, reporting that inspectors had discovered new traces
of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian facility." ... "Inspectors have
found such uranium, which at extreme enrichment levels can fuel bombs,
twice in the past. The International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that
at least some of those samples came from contaminated equipment that Iran
had obtained from Pakistan." ... "But in this case, the nuclear fingerprint
of the particles did not match the other samples, an official familiar
with the inspections said, raising questions about their origin." ... "In
a six-page report to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, the
agency withheld judgment about where the material came from and whether
it could be linked to a secret nuclear program." (1, 2)
-By Elaine Sciolino with contributions by William
J. Broad and David E. Sanger -NYTimes
20060831
Alaska
- Oil
- Company
- Politics
- "FBI
searches offices of Alaska lawmakers: Legislators
targeted in five locations as part of 'pending investigation'." ... "Federal
agents raided the offices of at least six Alaska lawmakers [5 Republicans
and 1 Democrat] Thursday in a search for any ties between the legislators
and a large oil field services company, officials said." ... ""This morning,
investigators from the FBI interviewed me in my office regarding an investigation
of VECO [oil and construction corporation]," Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla,
said in a prepared statement." ... "Agents conducted office searches in
both Juneau and Anchorage belonging to Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage,
the Senate Rules Committee chairman." ... "The offices of Senate President
Ben Stevens, R-Anchorage; Kohring; Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch, R-Juneau; Sen.
Donald Olson, D-Nome; and Rep. Pete Kott, R-Eagle River also were searched."
-AP via -MSNBC
20060817
Iraq
- Weather
- "Iraq
doubles funding for oil imports." ... "Iraq has doubled
the money allocated for importing oil products in August and September
to tackle the country's worst fuel shortage since Saddam Hussein's 2003
ouster, a senior Iraqi official said Thursday." ... "Iraq has been plagued
by periodic fuel shortages since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The current
crisis comes amid higher demand for fuel to power generators and cool homes
and offices as summer temperatures reach 120 degrees."
-AP via -HoustonChronicle.com
DCI
- Marketing
- Oil
- Corporation
- Politics
- Global
- Climate
- Internet
- Computer- Entertainment
-
- Environment
- Al
Gore - "Al
Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish: Republican
PR [public relations] Firm Said to Be Behind 'Inconvenient Truth' Spoof."
... "A tiny little movie making fun of Al Gore, supposedly made by an amateur
filmmaker, recently appeared on the popular Web site YouTube.com." ...
"At first blush, the spoof seemed like a scrappy little homemade film poking
fun at Gore and his anti-global warming crusade." ... "The film actually
came from a slick Republican public relations firm called DCI, which just
happens to have oil giant Exxon as a client." ... "Public relations firms
have long used computer technology to create bogus grassroots campaigns,
which are called "Astroturf."" ... "Now these firms are being hired to
push illusions on the Internet to create the false impression of real people
blogging, e-mailing and making films. " (1, 2)
-By Jake Tapper and Max Culhane
-ABCNEWS.com
DCI
- Marketing
- Psychology
- Oil
- Corporation
- Politics
- Opinion
- Internet
- Video
- California
- Entertainment
- Media
- Search
Engine - Computer
- Communications
- EMail
- Environmental
- Science
- Global
- Climate
- Al
Gore - "Where
did that video spoofing Gore's film come from?" ...
"Everyone knows Al Gore stars in the global warming documentary "An Inconvenient
Truth." But who created "Al Gore's Penguin Army," a two-minute video now
playing on YouTube.com?" ... "Like other videos on the popular YouTube
site, it has a home-made, humorous quality. The video's maker is listed
as "Toutsmith," a 29-year-old who identifies himself as being from Beverly
Hills [California] in an Internet profile." ... "In an email exchange with
The Wall Street Journal, Toutsmith didn't answer when asked who he was
or why he made the video, which has just over 59,000 views on YouTube.
However, computer routing information contained in an email sent from Toutsmith's
Yahoo account indicate it didn't come from an amateur working out of his
basement." ... "Instead, the email originated from a computer registered
to DCI Group, a Washington, D.C., public relations and lobbying firm whose
clients include oil company Exxon Mobil Corp [Corporation]." ... "The anti-Gore
video represents a less well-known side of YouTube. As its popularity has
exploded, the public video-sharing site has drawn marketers looking to
build buzz for new music releases and summer blockbusters. Now, it's being
tapped by political operatives, public relations experts and ad agencies
to sway opinions." ... "DCI is no stranger to the debate over global warming.
Partly through Tech Central Station, an opinion Web site it operates, DCI
has sought to raise doubts about the science of global warming and about
Mr. Gore's film, placing skeptical scientists on talk-radio shows and paying
them to write editorials." ... "Internet videos could prove particularly
potent, because they may influence watchers in ways they don't realize.
Nancy Snow, a communications professor at California State University,
Fullerton, viewed the penguin video and calls it a lesson in "Propaganda
101." It contains no factual information, but presents a highly negative
image of the former vice president, she says. The purpose of such images
is to harden the views of those who already view Mr. Gore negatively, Dr.
Snow says." ... "Traffic to the penguin video, first posted on YouTube.com
in May, got a boost from prominently placed sponsored links that appeared
on the Google search engine when users typed in "Al Gore" or "Global Warming."
The ads, which didn't indicate who had paid for them, were removed shortly
after The Wall Street Journal contacted DCI Group on Tuesday." -By
Antonio Regalado and Dionne Searcey with contributions by Jeffrey Ball
-WSJ.com via -Post-Gazette.com
20060728
California
- Elderly
- Disaster
- Energy
- Food
- Work
- Water
- Animal
- Oregon
- Wildfire-
"At
least 132 deaths likely linked to heat Calif. heat wave."
... "At least 132 deaths, mostly elderly residents, were likely linked
to a nearly two-week heat wave in California, county coroner's offices
reported Friday." ... "Both Northern and Southern California had been gripped
by triple-digit temperatures since July 16, with the Central Valley suffering
the most with temperatures as high as 115." ... "Before this week, the
utility's highest peak energy use was recorded at 5,661 megawatts. The
heat wave created a demand of 6,165 megawatts — shocking officials who
predicted usage wouldn't top 6,100 megawatts for another four years." ...
"In Northern California, a wildfire near the Oregon state line was threatening
major power transmission lines between California and the Pacific Northwest."
... "Farmers have been struggling as well, trying get work crews into the
fields in the early mornings to avoid the worst of the heat and running
water misters to keep cattle from dying. Vegetables, fruit and even wine
grapes could be affected." -By Olivia Munoz
-AP via -SFGate.com
20060727
World
- Oil
- Consumers
- "UPDATE
2-Exxon Mobil profit tops $10 bln on soaring prices."
... "Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote,
Profile,
Research),
the world's largest public oil company, on Thursday reported quarterly
profit surged 35 percent to top $10 billion, driven by yet another quarter
of sharply higher oil prices." ... "Revenue jumped 12 percent to $99.03
billion, from $88.57 billion a year earlier." ... "The company's latest
results are sure to reignite calls for windfall profit taxes on Big Oil
companies, who have come under attack over the past year for posting record
profits as consumers struggle with soaring gasoline prices."
-Reuters
20060726
Company
- "ConocoPhillips
2Q Profit Climbs." ... "ConocoPhillips pumped more
oil and gas and commanded sharply higher prices for its energy in the second
quarter, boosting its profits by 65 percent to more than $5 billion." ...
"The nation's third-largest oil company earned $5.18 billion, or $3.09
per share, compared with $3.14 billion, or $2.21 per share, in the second
quarter of 2005." ... "Revenue only rose 12.6 percent, to $47.1 billion,
highlighting how staggeringly high profit margins for oil, gasoline and
other fuels accounted for the bulk of ConocoPhillips' _ and, for that matter,
the entire industry's _ second quarter bonanza." ... "Analysts surveyed
by Thomson Financial forecast profits of $36 billion for the world's six
largest oil companies. But judging by the performances of ConocoPhillips
and BP PLC, which reported a $7.3 billion profit on Tuesday, those estimates
could be too low." -By Kristen Hays
-AP via -HoustonChronicle.com
20060715
Connecticut
- Energy
- Seniors
- Law
- "Evaluating
Lieberman: A Party Guy?" ... "By the numbers, Joe
Lieberman is a true, consistent Democrat." ... "He votes with Democratic
colleagues almost all the time. His record gets him high marks from interest
groups close to the party, from the AFL-CIO to the NAACP." ... "But dig
beneath the votes and there's plenty of ammunition for critics - including
primary challenger Ned Lamont - who say Lieberman has a habit of straying
from the party when it suits him." ... "He broke with the region's Democratic
senators on a key energy vote last year. He has embraced a position on
Iraq that few Democrats share. He has questioned bedrock Democrat-backed
programs such as affirmative action and Social Security. He voted against
a filibuster that could have blocked the nomination of Supreme Court Justice
Samuel A. Alito Jr." ... "And just this week the senator launched his own
political party so he can still run in November even if Democratic voters
rebuff him in the Aug. 8 primary." -By David Lightman
-Courant.com
20060712
Oil
- Industry
- Law
- Water
- Environmentalists
- Florida
- Tourism
- "Senate
approves expanded drilling in Gulf of Mexico." ...
"U.S. Senate leaders announced a compromise Wednesday that would expand
oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by millions of acres, but keep
exploration at least 125 miles from Florida's western shoreline." ... "The
agreement was announced by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.,
Domenici, R-N.M., [Florida Republican Senator Mel] Martinez and lawmakers
from other coastal states. Frist said it tries to strike a balance by tapping
oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico while also protecting Florida's
multibillion-dollar tourism industry." ... "But others were not so sure.
Environmentalists are against expanding any exploration in the Gulf. They
also note that the Senate plan would allow offshore development in an area
of the eastern Gulf known as Lease Sale 181, where government bans have
kept drilling off limits." ... "The House's energy-exploration bill that
passed last month is much more comprehensive than the Senate's, which focuses
on drilling only in the Gulf of Mexico. The House bill sets a 50-mile drilling
buffer throughout the entire U.S. coast, but would allow state Legislatures
to expand that barrier to 100 miles." -By Mark K.
Matthews -OrlandoSentinel
via -MercuryNews
20060706
World
- Fuel
- Ocean
- Animals
- Food
- Science
- Seattle
- Washington
- "High
acidity infiltrates the oceans." ... "Corals and
shelled sea creatures face an uncertain future in oceans made increasingly
corrosive by the industrial emissions that fuel global warming, a government
report warned Wednesday." ... "Human activities, chiefly the burning of
fossil fuels, have upset a natural balance in ocean acidity, concludes
the report called Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs and
Other Marine Calcifiers: A Guide for Future Research." ... "From corals
to sea snails to microscopic plankton, the creatures affected underpin
many ocean food chains, say the authors of the report, a document reflecting
the views of 50 top experts in ocean chemistry. The research was sponsored
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other
federal agencies." ... ""We have very clear evidence, and there is no doubt
this is occurring," says report co-author Richard Feely of the NOAA Pacific
Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle [Washington]." -By
Dan Vergano -USATODAY
20060705
Fuel
- World
- Animals
- Ocean
- Science
- History
- "Report
Warns about Carbon Dioxide Threats to Marine Life."
... "Worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning are
dramatically altering ocean chemistry and threatening marine organisms,
including corals, that secrete skeletal structures and support oceanic
biodiversity. A landmark report released today summarizes the known effects
of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on these organisms, known as marine
calcifiers, and recommends future research for determining the extent of
the impacts." ... ""It is clear that seawater chemistry will change in
coming decades and centuries in ways that will dramatically alter marine
life," says Joan Kleypas, the report's lead author and a scientist at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. "But we are
only beginning to understand the complex interactions between large-scale
chemistry changes and marine ecology. It is vital to develop research strategies
to better understand the long-term vulnerabilities of sensitive marine
organisms to these changes."" ... "The report, "Impacts of Ocean Acidification
on Coral Reefs and Other Marine Calcifiers," warns that oceans worldwide
absorbed approximately 118 billion metric tons of carbon between 1800 and
1994. Oceans are naturally alkaline, and they are expected to remain so,
but the interaction with carbon dioxide is making them less alkaline and
more acidic. The increased acidity lowers the concentration of carbonate
ion, a building block of the calcium carbonate that many marine organisms
use to grow their skeletons and create coral reef structures." ... ""This
is leading to the most dramatic changes in marine chemistry in at least
the past 650,000 years," says Richard Feely, one of the authors and an
oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL)
in Seattle." -UCAR.edu
World
- Animals
- Ocean
- Environment
- Health
- Fuel
- [9.5 MB PDF]
- "Impacts
of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs and Other Marine Calcifiers:
A Guide for Future Research." [+]
... "Research findings of the past decade have led to mounting concern
that rising atmo-spheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations will cause
changes in the ocean’s carbonate chemistry system, and that those changes
will affect some of the most fundamental biological and geochemical processes
of the sea. Thanks to the efforts of large-scale physical and biogeochemical
ocean programs such as WOCE, JGOFS, and OACES, ocean-wide changes in the
carbonate system are now well documented. Since 1980 ocean uptake of the
excess CO2 released by anthropogenic activities is significant; about a
third has been stored in the oceans. The rate of atmo- spheric CO2 increase,
however, far exceeds the rate at which natural feedbacks can restore the
system to normal conditions. Oceanic uptake of CO2 drives the carbonate
system to lower pH and lower saturation states of the carbonate minerals
calcite, arago-nite, and high-magnesium calcite, the materials used to
form supporting skeletal structures in many major groups of marine organisms."
-By Joan A. Kleypas, Richard A. Feely, Victoria J.
Fabry, Chris Langdon, , Christopher L. Sabine, Lisa L. Robbins and et.
al. -UCAR.edu
Ken
Lay - Enron
- Energy
- Business
- Accounting
- Law
- Colorado
- "Enron's
Founder Kenneth Lay, 64, Dies in Colorado (Update9)."
... "Kenneth Lay, who built Enron Corp. into the world's largest energy
trader and was convicted of the fraud that led to its collapse, died today
near Aspen, Colorado. He was 64." ... "Lay's defense lawyer Mike Ramsey
said through a spokeswoman that his client died ``from what appears to
have been a heart attack.''" ... "Lay and his successor as Enron's chief
executive officer, Jeffrey Skilling, 52, were convicted May 25 of spearheading
the fraud that plunged Enron into bankruptcy in December 2001. Lay and
Skilling were scheduled to be sentenced in October. Lay, who was also convicted
of bank fraud, was facing the rest of his life in federal prison." ...
"Enron's implosion from accounting fraud wiped out more than 5,000 jobs
and $1 billion in employee pensions virtually overnight. Shareholders claimed
more than $25 billion in losses as a result of the crime." -By
Andrew Dunn -Bloomberg
20060622
Fuel
- Air
- Health- Environment
- Law
- "EPA:
Special Fuels Not to Blame for Costs: EPA Report
Concludes 'Boutique' Fuels Not Culprit in Climbing Gas Prices As Bush Has
Suggested." ... "Facing growing public outrage over soaring gasoline prices,
Bush ordered the study on April 25 in a speech in which he attributed high
gas prices in part to the growth of special fuels." ... "But the task force
found otherwise, according to its report to be released possibly as early
as Friday." ... "According to a late draft, obtained Thursday by The Associated
Press, the task force concludes that suggestions of a connection between
boutique fuels and supply or price concerns cannot be supported." ... "The
state-required fuels "have served an important role" in helping states
meet federal air quality standards, the report said, and will be equally
important in meeting future clean air requirements." (1, 2)
-By H. Josef Hebert -AP
via -ABCNEWS.com
20060613
Karl
Rove
- Oil
- Industry
- Political
- Water
- Science
- Law
- "EPA
Rule Loosened After Oil Chief's Letter to Rove: The
White House says the executive's appeal had no role in changing a measure
to protect groundwater. Critics call it a political payoff." ... "A rule
designed by the Environmental Protection Agency to keep groundwater clean
near oil drilling sites and other construction zones was loosened after
White House officials rejected it amid complaints by energy companies that
it was too restrictive and after a well-connected Texas oil executive appealed
to White House senior advisor Karl Rove." ... "The new rule, which took
effect Monday, came after years of intense industry pressure, including
court battles and behind-the-scenes agency lobbying. But environmentalists
vowed Monday that the fight was not over, distributing internal White House
documents that they said portrayed the new rule as a political payoff to
an industry long aligned with the Republican Party and President Bush."
... "Environmentalists pointed to the Rove correspondence as evidence that
the Bush White House, more than others, has mixed politics with policy
decisions that are traditionally left to scientists and career regulators."
(1, 2)
-By Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten
-LAtimes
20060612
Hacker
- Government
- Nuclear
- Energy
- Computer
- Identity
Theft - New
Mexico - "Energy
Dept. Tells Workers of Data Theft." ... "Energy Department
officials have informed nearly 1,500 individuals that their Social Security
numbers and other information may have been compromised when a hacker gained
entry to a department computer system eight months ago, a spokesman said
Monday." ... "The computer theft occurred last September, but Energy Secretary
Samuel Bodman and his deputy, Clay Sell, were not informed of it until
last week. It was first publicly disclosed at a congressional hearing on
Friday." ... "The file that was compromised contained the names, Social
Security numbers, security clearance levels and place of employment of
1,502 people working throughout the government nuclear weapons complex
[in New Mexico]." -H. Josef Herbert
-AP via -HoustonChronicle.com
20060610
Hacker
- Government
- Nuclear
- Energy
- Military
- Intelligence
- Computer
- Identity
Theft - N.M.
- "DOE
computers hacked; info on 1,500 taken." ... "A hacker
stole a file containing the names and Social Security numbers of 1,500
people working for the Energy Department's nuclear weapons agency." ...
"The data theft occurred in a computer system at a service center belonging
to the National Nuclear Security Administration in Albuquerque, N.M. The
file contained information about contract workers throughout the agency's
nuclear weapons complex, a department spokesman said." ... "NNSA Administrator
Linton Brooks told a House hearing that he learned of the security breach
late last September, but did not inform Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman
about it. It had occurred earlier that month." ... "Brooks blamed a misunderstanding
for the failure to inform either Bodman or Deputy Energy Secretary Clay
Sell about the security breach. Brooks' NNSA is a semiautonomous agency
within the department and he said he assumed DOE's counterintelligence
office would have briefed the two senior officials." -By
H. Josef Herbert -AP
via -BusinessWeek
US
- Iraq
- Edwards
- Cheney
- Disaster
- Energy
- Health
- Government
- Intelligence
- Law
- History
- 2008
Election - NC
- "Edwards:
Bush Worse than Nixon." ... "Former Sen. John Edwards,
D-N.C., says George W. Bush is the "worst president of our lifetime," and
"absolutely" worse than Watergate-tainted President Richard M. Nixon."
... "In an exclusive appearance on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos,"
the former presidential and vice presidential contender said of Bush, "He's
done a variety of things -- things which are going to take us forever to
recover from." ... ""You have to give Bush and Cheney and gang credit for
being good at politics -- you know, good at political campaigns," Edwards
added. "They're very good at dividing the country and taking advantage
of it. What they're not good at is governing, and it shows every single
day in this administration. And the country is paying a huge price for
that."" ... ""It is not an accident that he's [Vice President Cheney] unbelievably
poorly thought of," Edwards said. "He is one of -- if not the --principal
architects of this disaster in Iraq. He put us on an energy path that the
American people are paying an enormous price for right now. He paid little
to no attention to making sure the government was prepared to respond to
the kind of disaster that hit our Gulf Coast. We've got a health care crisis
going on, he's had no proposal of any kind that I know of. And people don't
trust him anymore, which is understandable. I wouldn't trust him."" ...
"Edwards made the pitch for a Democratic president in 2008, claiming the
Bush has "intentionally ignored" the law and constitution in the NSA wiretapping
controversy." (1, 2,
3,
4)
-By Ed O'Keefe-ABCNEWS.com
20060511
Oil
- Business
- College
- 2006
Election - Calif
- NY
- "Senate
votes to extend $70 billion in tax cuts." ... "The
Senate voted Thursday to extend $70 billion in tax cuts but heatedly clashed
over whether the plan would continue to boost the economy and create jobs
or would penalize middle-income families in favor of the wealthy and big
oil conglomerates." ... "Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., noted that a person
who earns more than $1 million a year would get a tax break worth $41,977."
... ""Well, you might say, `What does someone who earns $41,000 get back?'
$46. Not even enough to fill up your gas tank in some cases," she said.
"Whose side is the Senate on?"" ... "Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the
chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, noted that Republicans
decided to drop a provision allowing Americans to deduct up to $4,000 in
college tuition costs worth $4.5 billion." ... "Instead, Schumer pointed
out, Republicans included a tax break for oil companies worth $4.3 billion
despite the industry's record profits." ... ""The choice is stark and clear
- big oil or middle-class families," Schumer said. "The Republican Congress
chose big oil and that's why voters want change."" -By
Jill Zuckman with contributions by William Neikirk
-ChicagoTribune via -MercuryNews
20060505
Gas
- Car
- Company
- Environment
- Alaska
- Water
- "Conflicting
Loyalties as Republicans Confront High Gas Prices."
... "Under pressure to deal with high gasoline prices, President Bush and
Republican leaders in Congress are struggling to marry a newfound zeal
for energy conservation with their traditional loyalty to big cars and
Big Oil." ... "Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are also renewing their
wish list for the oil industry — opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
[Alaska] for exploration and drilling, as well as millions of additional
acres in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast. They are also
blocking calls for a windfall profits tax on the major oil companies."
... "The political pressures created by soaring gasoline prices have pulled
Republicans in Congress and the administration in different directions.
While blocking higher taxes on the oil industry, for example, the While
House and Senate Republicans are likely to try to eliminate or at least
cut back on $2 billion in tax incentives for oil and gas drilling that
Congress passed less than a year ago." ... "At the same time, unlike Democrats,
Republican lawmakers have repeatedly defeated proposals for higher fuel-economy
requirements on passenger cars. Indeed, in the 2004 presidential election,
they ridiculed such proposals as job-losing Democratic ideas." ... "In
five years, House Republicans have defeated three bills to raise the average
fuel efficiency of cars to 33 miles a gallon, from 27.5." -By
Edmund L. Andrews -NYTimes
20060428
Iran
- Military
- Energy
- Technology
- Intelligence
- UN
- "Nuclear
Agency Says Iran Defying U.N.." ... "The United Nations'
atomic monitoring agency reported Friday that Iran continues to expand
its uranium enrichment technology and to hold back information that would
allow inspectors to determine whether a covert military nuclear program
exists." ... "The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy
Agency said Iran is conducting an enrichment program in defiance of U.N.
Security Council demands to halt it. Agency inspectors who visited Iranian
sites observed construction of additional centrifuges for expanding uranium
enrichment operations, the report said." -By Molly
Moore -WashingtonPost
Iran
- Nuclear
- Military
- Energy
- UN
- "Iran
says does not "give a damn" about UN resolution."
... "Iran's president said on Friday his country would pay no attention
to international calls to halt its nuclear work, hours before the U.N.
atomic watchdog reports on whether Tehran has met U.N. Security Council
demands." ... ""Those who want to prevent Iranians from obtaining their
right, should know that we do not give a damn about such resolutions,"
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a rally in northwest Iran, the official IRNA news
agency reported." -Reuters.co.uk
20060425
Oil
- Companies
- Law
- California
- "Calif.
Assembly Committee OKs Oil Tax Bill." ... "A bill
that would slap a windfall profits tax on California oil producers was
approved by a state Assembly committee as gasoline prices surged past $3
a gallon." ... "The bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Johan Klehs, a Democrat,
accused oil companies of taking advantage of the Gulf Coast devastation
caused last year by hurricanes Katrina and Rita." -By
Steve Lawrence -AP
via -SFGate.com