This column highlights the top economic stories of the week.
Hopes for an accelerated recovery during the second half of 2009 were diminished this week as most of the economic headlines turned negative after several months of encouraging signs. Job losses exceeded economists’ expectations, with the nation’s unemployment rate now standing at a new 26-year high. More on this story here.
Obama Administration Readies $3 Billion for Renewable Energy. The $3 billion in grants are designed to temporarily replace the production tax credit that has been a critical factor in the growth of renewable energy capacity in U.S. More on this story here.
Just months after the swine flu pandemic panicked the world, varying strains of the Ebola virus have been discovered in pigs, and they may be jumping between swine and humans effortlessly. More on this story here.
San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom passed into law an ordinance that requires all residential and commercial building owners sign up for recycling and composting services. More on this story here.
There has been some controversy this week over whether global warming is an actual phenomenon or whether it is simply propaganda pushed by the liberal media. On Wednesday, Fox hosted Alan Carlin, a “legendary” EPA official and co-author of an internal document disproving global warming. The document was subsequently “suppressed,” by the EPA. More on this story here.
Have you heard of the “agritainment industry?” According to the Economist, it has taken off with a bang. The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says that a tenth of farms have diversified into a variety of sports and recreation activities to supplement their earnings. A growing “agritainment” sector includes bed-and-breakfast accommodation, wedding venues and shooting ranges (both real and paintball).
