StraightGoods.ca

from Raw Story

"A law is advancing through the Wisconsin state legislature that would double the job-seeking requirements for people collecting unemployment and which would allow the government to peer into their bank accounts and freeze them if they believe the account holder has received overpayments in their benefits. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the co-authors of the bill, which was introduced in the state Assembly and Senate on Friday, insist that the changes would be for workers’ own good.

“'This is to protect the workers and lessen the burden on employers who are paying all the bills,' said state Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown).

"The bill also addresses the concerns of businesses which say that the state has not done enough to train judges on how to rule in disputes between companies and employees.

"Democratic state Rep. Christine Sinicki (Milwaukee) said that the law is another salvo by Republicans against working people and the middle class. She also worried that Republicans would make the bill even more intrusive and draconian during the legislative mark-up process. …"

Full story

Company could face charges under Plant Protection Act over genetically modified wheat never approved for sale.

from ThinkProgress

"Genetically modified wheat that was never approved for sale has inexplicably turned up in a field in Oregon. A farmer found the crop when it survived a dousing of Roundup weedkiller. When he took it to a lab to be tested, the wheat was revealed to be an illegal strain, genetically modified to resist pesticides by Monsanto, the biotech corporation that owns the patents to most of the staple crops in the country.

"Monsanto tested the genetically modified (GM) wheat in 16 states from 1998 to 2005, but dropped the project because many countries refused to accept genetically altered strains. It is unclear if any of the wheat made it into grain shipments to other countries. Though there is no compelling evidence that GM wheat is dangerous, any contamination could mean American wheat exports will be rejected. …"

Full story

As their hours add up and pay languishes, they are turning to labor advocacy.

from the Mail Tribune

"The next wave of union protesters isn't blue collar.

"It's lawyers, paralegals, secretaries, helicopter pilots, judges, insurance agents and podiatrists.

"These white-collar workers are not exactly the picture of the labor movement, but they are becoming a more essential part of it as they turn to unions for help in a tough economy as bosses try to squeeze out more profits.

"'Employers have been downsizing, asking employees to take on larger roles, making them work more hours,; said Nicole Korkolis, spokeswoman for the Office and Professional Employees International Union. 'People are feeling like they need an advocate.' …."

Full story

Arctic Resilience report concludes rapid change will have irreversible impact on northern commmunities.

from Nunatsiaq News

"The Arctic’s environment and society are being pushed to their limits, according to a new report released at the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden earlier this month.

"Rapid — even sudden—changes in the Arctic likely mean irreversible change to not only the environment, but to communities.

"The Arctic Resilience report was prepared by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Stockholm Resilience Centre, with the input of experts from around the Arctic region. …"

Full story

Economists behind discredited austerity study accuse New York Times columnist of mischaracterizing their resarch.

from Truthdig

"Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, the Harvard economists whose influential pro-austerity study was recently exposed as being seriously flawed, have penned a scathing open letter to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, a major critic of their work and one of the leading voices in the anti-austerity movement. In the long-winded letter posted to Reinhart’s website Saturday, the pair accuse the Nobel Prize-winning economist of “uncivil behavior” and criticize him for being 'selective and shallow' in his characterization of their research.

“'We admire your past scholarly work, which influences us to this day,' the letter reads. 'So it has been with deep disappointment that we have experienced your spectacularly uncivil behavior the past few weeks. You have attacked us in very personal terms, virtually non-stop, in your New York Times column and blog posts. Now you have doubled down in the New York Review of Books, adding the accusation we didn’t share our data. Your characterization of our work and of our policy impact is selective and shallow. It is deeply misleading about where we stand on the issues. And we would respectfully submit, your logic and evidence on the policy substance is not nearly as compelling as you imply.' …"

Full story