Most school garden produce is forbidden fruit in CPS lunchrooms

October 19, 2010|By Monica Eng, Tribune reporter It’s harvest time in Chicago Public School gardens full of chubby tomatoes, heavy squash and fragrant basil. These urban oases, carefully tended by teachers, students and volunteers, range from several square feet to several acres of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, and some …

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Google 2.4% Rate Shows How $60 Billion Lost to Tax Loopholes

Google Inc. cut its taxes by $3.1 billion in the last three years using a technique that moves most of its foreign profits through Ireland and the Netherlands to Bermuda. Google’s income shifting — involving strategies known to lawyers as the “Double Irish” and the “Dutch Sandwich” — helped reduce …

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G20 inks pact to avert trade war

By David Lawder and Yoo Choonsik GYEONGJU, South Korea | Sun Oct 24, 2010 1:45am EDT GYEONGJU, South Korea (Reuters) – The Group of 20 major economies agreed on Saturday to shun competitive currency devaluations but stopped short of setting targets to reduce trade imbalances that are clouding global growth …

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Rhymefest to run for Chicago alderman

Rapper says his music will be a tool to reach people October 21, 2010|By Duaa Eldeib, Tribune reporter Che “Rhymefest” Smith, a Chicago Grammy Award-winning rapper, announced Thursday that he will run for alderman of the 20th Ward to the sounds of cameras clicking. A lot of cameras. Smith, 33, …

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Chicago foreclosures: Foreclosures put chill on hot Chicago neighborhoods

Chicago’s once-hot neighborhoods are getting hammered by foreclosures. In Chicago’s Loop, for instance, 73 foreclosure filings were made during the three months ended Sept. 30. Combine that with filings made earlier in the year and foreclosures are up almost 77 percent from the first nine months of 2009, to 205 …

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Chicago Police Department Superintendent Jody Weis responds to police beating allegations on South Side at 79th and Vincennes

October 21, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — Two officers stripped of their powers following an alleged beating have been reinstated while the investigation continues against the five other officers allegedly involved. The police union said Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis jumped the gun relieving the two officers of their police powers …

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U.S. Says Military Can Respond to Domestic Cyberthreats

By THOM SHANKER WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has adopted new procedures for using the Defense Department’s vast array of cyberwarfare capabilities in case of an attack on vital computer networks inside the United States, delicately navigating historic rules that restrict military action on American soil. The system would mirror …

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How propaganda is disseminated: WikiLeaks Edition – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com

This is how the U.S. government and American media jointly disseminate propaganda: in the immediate wake of some newsworthy War on Terror event, U.S. Government officials (usually anonymous) make wild and reckless — though unverifiable — claims. The U.S. media mindlessly trumpets them around the world without question or challenge. …

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Chicago sheriff says no to enforcing foreclosures – CNBC

CHICAGO – Two of the largest U.S. mortgage servicers have said they will resume home foreclosures, but a big-city sheriff has news for them: he won’t enforce their foreclosure evictions. The sheriff for Cook County, Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago, said on Tuesday he will not enforce foreclosure …

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Coder for CIA: Drone Targeting Software ‘Far From Ready’

Still wondering if Facebook is a ripoff of ConnectU? That’s nothing. Software firms that developed the targeting systems of the CIA’s terrorist-killing Predator drones are locked in their own intellectual property battle. Their court case has at least an outside chance of halting a program the agency, the White House, …

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WikiLeaks: Funding blocked after blacklisting

Whistle-blower WikiLeaks says its funding has been blocked and it has been targeted for financial warfare by the federal government, The Guardian, a British news organization, reported. Moneybookers, an Internet payment company registered in the United Kingdom that collects WikiLeaks donations, e-mailed WikiLeaks to say that it had shut down …

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Chicago suicide: Rising suicide numbers raise alarms in Chicago, suburbs

By Karen Ann Cullotta, Special to the Tribune October 15, 2010 Just days after his son Ryan’s suicide, Richard Kirchhoff decided that his personal heartbreak would not remain a private matter. “Most people don’t like to say the S-word, which is part of the problem,” said Kirchhoff, a McHenry County …

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Burke Proposes Outsourcing Some City Work

Produced by Hunter Clauss on Friday, October 15, 2010 The Chicago City Council is expected to begin its budget hearings next week, and Alderman Edward Burke, 14th, says he wants city officials consider outsourcing some administrative work. Burke says with the lagging economy, it makes sense to have some work …

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Bernanke says Fed ready to further stimulate the economy – latimes.com

The Fed chairman suggests creating a program of buying U.S. Treasury bonds in an effort to drive down long-term interest rates. Still, it’s unknown how and when the central bank will take action. By Don Lee, Los Angeles Times October 15, 2010|7:34 a.m. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke on …

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Relatives Insist T3 Accident Caused by Negligence, Bad Welding

The family of a Chicago woman severely injured in an accident on the set of “Transformers 3” insists the incident was caused by negligence and faulty welding. Their assertion comes a day after officials from the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration cleared Paramount Pictures of any wrongdoing. Gabriela Cedillo …

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