September 19, 2015:
Why General Motors’ $900 million fine for a deadly defect is just a slap on the wrist
For hiding a fatal ignition-switch defect tied to at least 174 deaths, General Motors employees will face no criminal charges and the automaker will pay a $900 million fine — less than a third of its $2.8 billion in profit last year.
The settlement with the Department of Justice, announced Thursday, signals a close to the criminal investigation that has long tarnished the car giant. But critics say the automaker got off easy for mishandling one of the worst auto safety crises in history, and years of lying to safety regulators and leaving Americans at risk.
“I have a saying about GM: There’s no problem too big that money can’t solve,” said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. GM “is buying [its] way out of a criminal prosecution.”
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Most St. Patrick's renovations to be complete before Pope Francis' NYC visit
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COMMENT: The work actually began around 2012, 2013. However they are hastening the completion to coincide with the arrival of Pope Francis. |
The $177 million renovation of St. Patrick's Cathedral -- the most extensive in its 136-year history -- is being pushed toward completion in time for Pope Francis' visit to New York City in September.
The four-year renovation was slated to be finished in December, but workers are ahead of schedule and most of the project likely will be done later next month, said Msgr. Robert T. Ritchie, St. Patrick's rector.
"I'm very pleased with the way the construction has been going," Ritchie said. "We're getting ourselves ready and my staff is looking forward to saying hello" to the pope if he comes to the cathedral.
The Vatican has not confirmed that Francis will go to St. Patrick's during his Sept. 24-25 visit. The only official activity so far is a speech at the United Nations, said Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York.
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http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/st-patrick-s-renovations-to-be-mostly-complete-before-pope-s-nyc-visit-1.10525393
Banks losing millions of disgruntled customers
By SEAN POULTER, Daily Mail
| COMMENT: Perhaps the news regarding the actions of the banks is beginning to hit home. |
Record numbers of customers are abandoning the big-name banks in a revolt against rip-off charges and miserly interest rates. Campaigns by consumer groups highlighting the poor deal offered by many High Street accounts have opened the public's eyes. The result is that millions of Britons, particularly the young, are forming a band of 'switchers' who are chasing the best-value deals. A few big banks - Barclays, Lloyds-TSB, NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC - control around 70 per cent of all current accounts. But there are signs that a number of Internet operators, mortgage banks and building societies are making a concerted drive for their customers. Around three million current account holders claim to have changed banks in the last five years or are likely to do so in the next 12 months. A survey by research organisation Mintel found that a quarter of 25 to 34-year-olds are ready to switch provider. It said: 'There are worrying signals to suggest many customers are on the verge of breaking links with their bank.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-52996/Banks-losing-millions-disgruntled-customers.html
GOP candidates to attend pope events despite differences
September 18, 2015 | By JULIE PACE, AP White House Correspondent
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COMMENT: Note The paragraph which says: “The pope supports the Iran nuclear deal, which many GOP candidates pledge to tear up if they are elected president. As Republicans debate the place of immigrants in the U.S., the pope has urged countries to welcome those seeking refuge and has decried the "inhuman" conditions facing people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.” |
WASHINGTON — To some Republican presidential candidates, it's better to be with the popular pope than against him.
Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have deep policy differences with Pope Francis, but the senators will break off campaign travel to attend his address to Congress later this month, a centerpiece of his eagerly anticipated visit to the United States.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a devout Catholic, will attend Mass with Francis in Washington. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another Catholic candidate, plans to attend one of the pope's East Coast events.
The pope supports the Iran nuclear deal, which many GOP candidates pledge to tear up if they are elected president. As Republicans debate the place of immigrants in the U.S., the pope has urged countries to welcome those seeking refuge and has decried the "inhuman" conditions facing people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
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The US sees the Vatican as a partner in limiting nukes
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COMMENT: Notice this paragraph in the article describing the Pope’s approval of the Iranian deal: Pope Francis recently mentioned the Iran nuclear deal reached in Lausanne, Switzerland, in his Easter address, saying he hoped it would be “a definitive step toward a more secure and fraternal world.” |
ROME — Days after a tentative nuclear deal was struck between Iran and the P5+1 nations, including the United States, a senior US arms control official described the Vatican as an important partner in non-proliferation efforts.
“The Church is a natural leader in the arena of nuclear disarmament,” said Rose Gottemoeller, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, during a Friday meeting with journalists at the American embassy to the Vatican.
Gottemoeller said she has great regard for Pope Francis and the commitment he’s conveyed on nuclear disarmament, adding that one of the most influential documents ever written on the subject is Pacem in Terris, written by Pope John XXIII in 1963.
Pope Francis recently mentioned the Iran nuclear deal reached in Lausanne, Switzerland, in his Easter address, saying he hoped it would be “a definitive step toward a more secure and fraternal world.”
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http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/04/10/the-us-sees-the-vatican-as-a-partner-in-limiting-nukes/
