News Briefs – Volume XXI
News briefs are a collection of interesting news stories…
Brief 1: Let’s call this one “Corn For Clunkers.” Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency(:EPA”) is looking out for you or so they claim, but they are not as in tune with what’s good for your car. EPA has approved the sale of an ethanol/gasoline mix containing up to 15% of the corn-based ethanol. The only problem is that this mix would be very harmful to engines manufactured before 2007 (that’s two out of three vehicles in our household). Will someone explain what law gives the EPA the authority to approve/push consumer products? A group of auto manufacturers and engine makers has filed suit against EPA.
Brief 1: Finally some decent news for those of us men on the higher end of the weight scale. We cannot really wear tight Lycra bike shorts, Speedo swim briefs (no one except for competitive swimmers should anyway), or vertical stripes, but it seems that
Brief 1: Pennsylvania’s legislature is earning their money as they consider a ground-breaking piece of legislation. 
Brief 1: “The King is gone but he’s not forgotten. This is a story about Johnny Rotten. It’s better to burn out, cause rust never sleeps. The King is gone but he’s not forgotten.” Sometimes the left is so out in left field and it is fun to watch them try to “eat” one of their own only to have it thrown back in their face. Famed Sex Pistols front-man,
Brief 1: The Keystone State (Pennsylvania) has recently announced that they are making changes to their appliance rebate program. Pennsylvania budget deficit projects are not good so you would expect that a rebate program might be on the chopping block. Not in Pennsylvania’s upside down world. 
Brief 1: This one should be under the title of “how cool is this.” Kellogg Company has opened a store dedicated to their ever popular Pop-Tart (my favorite is iced brown sugar with cinnamon). 
Brief 1: The Port Authority of Allegheny County (home of Pittsburgh) is the government agency tasked with running a transit system. As you might expect the agency poorly run and constantly running in the red. Facing another budget deficit the Authority has not threatened to streamline, become efficient, or even look to reduce labor costs their typical threat is to cut service. That seems to make sense except that this threat is not meant as a way to cut costs, but to enrage the local citizens to pressure politicians for more money. This tactic only works every time and lame duck Governor Ed 