Congressional Dairy Fix Would Still Raise Milk Prices

Dairy Manufacturers and Consumer Groups Oppose New Program
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) stated today that the legislation proposed by Congressional Agriculture Committee leaders would still cause a problem in the marketplace because it includes a controversial new program designed to limit the milk supply. That proposal, championed by Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN) yet resisted by consumer groups, food manufacturers and many dairy farmers, is known as the Dairy Security Act (DSA) and would require the government to intervene in milk markets to manipulate the supply of milk in order to keep milk prices artificially high.
"It is ironic that the threat of higher dairy prices for consumers, caused by the possible implementation of the 1949 Act, is being used to force Congress to pass a new program that will result in higher prices," said Jerry Slominski, IDFA senior vice-president for legislative and economic affairs.
The new program is included in a bill that would extend most existing farm programs for one year; it was placed on the House calendar by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK). That bill completely rewrites U.S. dairy policies, including the new program to control milk production, yet leaves all other agriculture programs unchanged. By insisting on its inclusion in the "fiscal cliff" legislation, its supporters are making it more difficult to pass that important legislation, should leaders come to an agreement on its details.
"The Dairy Security Act is a problem, not a solution," Slominski said. "IDFA supports an extension of existing dairy policies in the current farm bill to give Congress time to complete action on a new five-year farm bill and to allow for consideration of the alternative to the Dairy Security Act offered by Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and David Scott (D-GA). We believe that alternative will pass if it is brought to the full House of Representatives for an up or down vote.
"A clean extension of the 2008 Farm Bill will avoid having the 1949 Act become relevant law and allow payments to dairy farmers when milk prices fall. The 1949 Act represents agriculture policies from the past and unless Congress passes a clean extension of the Farm Bill, Secretary Vilsack would be placed in the unenviable position of proposing rules to implement such policies. Although he will be able to delay any increase on consumer dairy prices for weeks if not months, Congress should still take action to avoid that situation," Slominski concluded.
Read IDFA's letter to Secretary Vilsack here.
Read the letter from consumer groups to Secretary Vilsack here.
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), headquartered in Washington, D.C., represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85% of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. IDFA can be found online at www.idfa.org.

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Astrology Secrets Revealed: New Online Website PsychicTarot.us Reveals Astrology Advice for $5

Astrology has been a cornerstone of every known civilization, and PsychicTarot.us has announced the release of their new online marketplace for readers and clients. The new system allows readers to list their readings and sell to a global market.

Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
To further enhance the options for site users, the metaphysical market place PsychicTarot.us has added Astrology readings marketplace and astrological advice to their online offerings. Site users will be able to have a detailed and professional astrological reading that can tell them about their future, their love interests, or the best time to transact a business deal.
The new astrology readings section is available now, and professional readers are encouraged to create offers to share their services. People who would like to get their own reading can browse providers and choose the most interesting for their needs.
"Astrology history is long and rich with a devoted following, so we wanted to make this service available to our users as quickly as possible. There are so many talented astrologers out there, we are sure that this is going to be one of our most popular categories. Plus, with our marketplace, the astrologers will have a broader reach and the users will be able to get affordable astrology advice," PsychicTarot.us representative Katia Shayk said in a statement.
While many people immediately associate astrology with horoscopes, this is just one branch of the astrological science. From the Great Pyramids in Egypt to the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, there has been a deep respect for the movements of the stars and planets, along with a belief that they influenced every aspect of each person's life and the planet's fate.
Astrology has been used to describe many different things, among them:

Human personality traits
Prediction of future events
The identification of auspicious events or times
The existence of extraterrestrial beings
Ms. Shayk continued; "We know that, along with tarot card reading, star readings are one of the most popular of the metaphysical sciences. The rich, famous and powerful have been known to use astrology to help guide their daily lives and actions. There is no reason to believe that everyone can't benefit from accurate astrological advice, it can be insightful, and quite a bit of fun."
One of the most powerful astrological signs is the eclipse, either lunar or solar. A reading of the eclipse legends brought to light in this Examiner article sound eerily similar to events occurring around the world today. Should events come to pass as suggested by the article, it would certainly lead additional credence to the power of astrological predictions to explain the events occurring in the world as well as predicting what may come.

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U.S. appeals court revives workplace cybertheft lawsuit

 In a decision that could make it easier for businesses to police cybertheft in the workplace, a U.S. appeals court revived a chemical company's lawsuit accusing a former Toronto-area employee of using her home computer to steal trade secrets from its Connecticut server.
Reversing a lower court ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said U.S.-based MacDermid Inc may pursue civil damages claims against a former account manager under Connecticut state law, even though she conducted her alleged improper activity from her home in Fort Erie, Ontario.
Wednesday's decision may make it easier for U.S. companies to crack down on alleged computer theft that occurs in remote locations, including outside the country. In recent years, U.S. courts increasingly have dealt with cases involving downloads of corporate information by employees, both in criminal cases brought by prosecutors and civil cases filed by companies.
Jackie Deiter, the MacDermid account manager, had worked for the Waterbury, Connecticut-based company's MacDermid Chemicals unit in Mississauga, Ontario, from May 2008 until her termination in April 2011 for reasons unrelated to the lawsuit.
The company accused her of violating Connecticut laws on unauthorized computer access and misappropriating trade secrets by emailing customer data, laboratory reports, and pricing lists drawn from its Waterbury server. It said this occurred soon after Deiter had learned she was about to be fired.
Deiter admitted to emailing materials, but said in court papers that she did so for her job, and because she could not print at home from her employer-issued laptop.
U.S. District Judge Warren Eginton in New Haven, Connecticut said in November 2011 that he had no jurisdiction over MacDermid's lawsuit because Deiter had merely emailed information "from one computer in Canada to another computer in Canada."
But a unanimous three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit said MacDermid's server was a computer under Connecticut law, and that it did not matter that Deiter had accessed it from outside the state, which she had never visited.
"Most Internet users, perhaps, have no idea of the location of the servers through which they send their emails," Circuit Judge Barrington Parker wrote for the panel.
"Here, however, MacDermid has alleged that Deiter knew that the email servers she used and the confidential files she misappropriated were both located in Connecticut," he added.
Parker also said "efficiency and social policies against computer-based theft are generally best served" by handling lawsuits in the states where computer files are misappropriated.
William Charamut, a lawyer for Deiter, declined to comment. Lawyers for MacDermid did not immediately respond to requests for comment. No criminal charges have been filed against Deiter.
In February, the 2nd Circuit threw out a federal criminal case against a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc computer programmer, saying his alleged theft of high-frequency trading code was not a crime under federal law.
Six months later, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance brought New York state criminal charges against the programmer, Sergey Aleynikov, over the same activity. Aleynikov has pleaded not guilty.
The 2nd Circuit has jurisdiction in Connecticut, New York and Vermont. It is among the more influential federal appeals courts, and other circuits often follow its reasoning.
The case is MacDermid Inc v. Deiter, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 11-5388.

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Samsung finds new enemy in U.S. patent war

Samsung (005930) has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission requesting an import and sales ban on a variety of Ericsson (ERIC) products. The company’s move comes after Ericsson filed a similar request with the agency last week. Samsung previously accused Ericsson of asking for “prohibitively higher royalty rates to renew the same patent portfolio” and that it will defend itself against a lawsuit.
[More from BGR: Microsoft Surface trampled at the bottom of the tablet pile this Christmas]
Samsung said in a statement to Reuters that it attempted to “negotiate with Ericsson in good faith, however Ericsson has proven unwilling to continue such negotiations by making unreasonable claims, which it is now trying to enforce in court.”
[More from BGR: Mark Cuban: Nokia Lumia 920 ‘crushes’ the iPhone 5]
Samsung is now accusing Ericsson of infringing upon seven of its patents concerning telecommunications networking equipment. Ericsson’s networking unit has seen a significant drop in sales, down 17% in the third quarter, and like many other companies in the mobile space is turning to the courts to boost its bottom line.

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Google extends free Gmail voice calling through 2013

Google (GOOG) announced on Monday on the Official Gmail Blog that its free Gmail voice calling service will be extended through 2013 in the U.S. and Canada. The company has provided free domestic calling within the U.S. and Canada for the last two years, further extending the complimentary service repeatedly just before the new year. Google product manager Mayur Kamat didn’t detail why the company is extending the service in his post on the company’s blog. It’s still unclear why Google is keeping free Gmail voice calls separate from its Google Voice service bit either way, free is free and we’re not complaining.

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U.S. charges analyst in IBM insider trading case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Wednesday announced charges against a research analyst for trading and tipping others ahead of a 2009 acquisition by computer giant IBM, expanding a related insider trading case filed last month.
Federal prosecutors charged Trent Martin, who worked at a Connecticut brokerage firm, for purchasing shares of SPSS before IBM agreed to the $1.2 billion deal. He was also charged with passing the information to others, including his roommate.
On November 29 the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission charged two former stockbrokers, including Martin's roommate, for their roles in the alleged insider trading scheme.
The three and others made more than $1 million by trading ahead of the acquisition, prosecutors said.
Martin was specifically named as the source of the information in instant messages between the two brokers, Thomas Conradt and David Weishaus, authorities said.
In a July 2009 message, referring to Martin by name, Conradt wrote: "holy f*** . . . god trent told me not to tell anyone . . . big mistake," according to the indictment unsealed on Wednesday.
Weishaus responded, "eh, we'll get rich."
Martin, an Australian citizen, was arrested on December 22 in Hong Kong, the Justice Department said. Martin could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed related civil charges against Martin on Wednesday, said he fled the United States to Australia soon after learning about the SEC's investigation.
IBM agreed to pay $50 per share for SPSS, a 42 percent premium to SPSS' closing price on the day before the purchase was announced.

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Apple still can’t build enough iPad minis

A common issue often presents itself when Apple (AAPL) launches new products: it can’t build them fast enough. We’ve seen it time and time again, most recently when Apple launched the iPhone 5 and 150,000 dedicated factory workers still couldn’t keep up with demand. Now, a report has surfaced claiming that Apple’s manufacturing partners in the Far East can’t build units fast enough to keep pace with Apple’s iPad mini orders.
[More from BGR: Microsoft Surface trampled at the bottom of the tablet pile this Christmas]
According to Digitimes’ supply chain sources, Apple’s parts suppliers have prepared enough components to build between 10 million and 12 million iPad mini tablets in the fourth quarter to accomodate heavy demand. Apple’s manufacturing partners are only expected to ship 8 million assembled units, however.
[More from BGR: Mark Cuban: Nokia Lumia 920 ‘crushes’ the iPhone 5]
The report states that yield rates are improving though, and Apple is expected to ship 13 million iPad mini tablets in the first quarter of 2013.

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Amgen pagará 762 millones por vender un medicamento para usos no autorizados

Nueva York, 19 dic (EFE).- El gigante estadounidense de la biotecnología Amgen pagará una sanción de 762 millones de dólares tras declararse culpable de introducir en el mercado un medicamento para usos no permitidos por las autoridades federales.
La compañía aceptó hoy en un tribunal federal de Brooklyn (Nueva York) un acuerdo para declararse culpable, clausurar el caso y pagar 150 millones en sanciones criminales y 612 millones para cubrir las solicitudes de compensación a programas públicos de seguro médico, como Medicare o Medicaid.
El caso se refiere al "Aranesp", un medicamento aprobado por la Administración de Fármacos y Alimentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) para favorecer la formación de glóbulos rojos en los tratamientos de anemias.
"A fin de incrementar las ventas de Aranesp y lograr más beneficios, Amgen ilegalmente vendió el medicamento con la intención de que se usara con dosis que la FDA había estudiado y rechazado, y para tratamientos que la FDA nunca aprobó", señaló el tribunal federal en un comunicado.
El acuerdo supone la mayor sanción por fraude a una compañía de biotecnología en la historia de Estados Unidos.
El fiscal federal Marshall Miller señaló que "en lugar de trabajar para alargar y mejorar la vida humana, Amgen buscó ilegalmente los beneficios empresariales mientras ponía en peligro la seguridad de consumidores vulnerables que sufrían enfermedades". EFE

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"Fiscal cliff" talks turn sour, Obama threatens veto

 Talks to avoid a fiscal crisis appeared to stall on Wednesday as President Barack Obama accused Republicans of digging in their heels due to a personal grudge against him, while a top Republican called the president "irrational."
As the clock ticks toward a year-end deadline, Obama and House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, are trying to reach a deal to avert harsh tax hikes and spending cuts that could trigger a recession.
Obama said he was puzzled over what was holding up the talks and told Republicans to stop worrying about scoring "a point against the president" or forcing him into concessions "just for the heck of it."
"It is very hard for them to say yes to me," he told a news conference in the White House. "At some point, you know, they've got to take me out of it."
The rise in tensions threatens to unravel significant progress made over the last week in the so-called fiscal cliff talks.
Boehner and Obama have each offered substantial concessions that have made a deal look within reach. Obama has agreed to cuts in benefits for seniors, while Boehner has conceded to Obama's demand that taxes rise for the richest Americans.
However, the climate of goodwill has evaporated since Republicans announced plans on Tuesday to put an alternative tax plan to a vote in the House this week that would largely disregard the progress made so far in negotiations.
Obama threatened to veto the Republican measure, known as "Plan B," if Congress approved it.
Boehner's office slammed Obama for opposing their plan, which would raise taxes on households making more than $1 million a year and is a concession from longstanding Republican opposition to increasing any tax rates.
"The White House's opposition to a backup plan ... is growing more bizarre and irrational by the day," Boehner said through his spokesman, Brendan Buck.
Boehner expressed confidence the House would pass the legislation, known as "Plan B," on Thursday. He urged Obama to "get serious" about a balanced deficit reduction plan.
Global investors are on edge over the talks, and U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday following Boehner's comments.
An acrimonious presidential campaign that culminated in Obama's re-election on November 6 has added to the bad blood in Washington between Obama and congressional Republicans.
The two sides also clashed bitterly last year over the government's limit on borrowing - known as the debt ceiling - an episode that nearly led the nation to default on its debt.
On Wednesday, Obama said the fiscal cliff must not get bogged down with negotiations over the debt ceiling, an issue that must be dealt with again early next year.
LITMUS TEST
Voting on Plan B will be a litmus test for Republicans on Boehner's concession to raise tax rates. In a sign conservatives are coming around to Boehner's position, anti-tax activist Grover Norquist gave his blessing to the bill.
Obama and Boehner appear to have bridged their biggest ideological difference but remain hung up on the mix of tax hikes and spending cuts meant to narrow the budget gap.
"What separates us is probably a few hundred billion dollars," Obama said.
The White House wants taxes to rise on incomes above $400,000 a year, a concession from Obama's opening proposal for a $250,000 income threshold.
If a deal is not reached soon, some $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts are set to begin next month.
Senior administration officials described negotiations as at a standstill and Obama warned he would ask everyone involved in the talks, "what it is that's holding it up?"
Still, the top Republican in the Senate said resolution could come by the end of the week.
"There's still enough time for us to finish all of our work before this weekend, if we're all willing to stay late and work hard," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
Any deal by Obama and the Republican leadership would need the support of their parties' rank and file.
Many Democrats dislike the president's offer to reduce benefits to seniors, although some political allies of Obama have given signs they feel they could swallow this concession.
"I don't like these particular changes," said Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen, a member of the House leadership from Maryland. But he added: "What people are seeing is the president willing to compromise in order to get things done.

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Sanofi to pay $109 million to settle U.S. kickback charges

French drugmaker Sanofi has agreed to pay $109 million to settle charges that it violated the False Claims Act by providing free drugs as a form of kickbacks to physicians, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Wednesday.
The settlement resolves allegations that Sanofi submitted false average sales price reports for the drug Hyalgan, a knee injection to treat arthritis, that did not account for free units distributed contingent on future purchases.
Average sales prices are used to determine reimbursement rates by government health programs, such as Medicare. The Justice Dept said the practice caused government programs to pay inflated amounts for Hyalgan and a competing product.
Sanofi sales representatives were given thousands of free "sample" Hyalgan syringes and used the free drug as kickbacks with a promise to provide negotiated numbers of the syringes in order to lower Hyalgan's effective price, the government claimed.
The drugmaker said it had taken "strong, proactive and effective steps" to address the issue and voluntarily halted the Hyalgan sampling program in 2009.
The settlement with the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Department of Justice and several states resolves all claims arising out of the investigation into sampling of Hyalgan, Sanofi said.
In addition to the $109 million payment, Sanofi said it expects to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that will place its operations under enhanced scrutiny.
There are no criminal charges against the company related to the Hyalgan allegations.

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