K Street Research Inc. http://kstreetresearch.com Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:41:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 National Journal: Obama Not Benefitting from Health Care Reform http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/national-journal-obama-not-benefitting-from-health-care-reform/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/national-journal-obama-not-benefitting-from-health-care-reform/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:35:54 +0000 John Cumming http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3053 An analysis by the National Journal concluded that President Obama did not politically benefit from the passage of health care reform legislation. According to the analysis, the Obama administration has de-emphasized the legislation as his approval rating has continued to fall, instead focusing on the economy, Wall Street reform, auto bailouts, and job creation. For example, during a recent speech in Miami, President Obama devoted just 39 words to the passage of health care reform in remarks which lasted half an hour.

National Journal (Subscription Required 9/3)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/national-journal-obama-not-benefitting-from-health-care-reform/feed/ 0 Farmers Forced to Repay Bankrupt VeraSun for Grain Sales http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/farmers-forced-to-repay-bankrupt-verasun-for-grain-sales/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/farmers-forced-to-repay-bankrupt-verasun-for-grain-sales/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:28:51 +0000 Roseanne Mailman http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3051 Some farmers who sold grain to VeraSun Energy Corp. have been asked pay back a portion of their revenues to the now-bankrupt ethanol producer. The company is demanding the funds as they aim to repay their creditors. One farmer has been asked to pay VeraSun $50,000, but according to Roger McEowen, Director of Iowa State University’s agricultural law center, some farmers may have a legal defense against VeraSun’s claims.

DTN Progression Farmer (9/2)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/farmers-forced-to-repay-bankrupt-verasun-for-grain-sales/feed/ 0 Deere & Co. to Drop Wind Operations, Focus on Equipment http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/deere-co-to-drop-wind-operations-focus-on-equipment/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/deere-co-to-drop-wind-operations-focus-on-equipment/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:27:21 +0000 Roseanne Mailman http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3049 Earlier this month, Deere & Co. announced the $900 million spinoff of its wind energy operations to Exelon Generation Company, LLC. Deere & Co. Chairman and CEO Samuel Allen lauded Exelon for their “demonstrated leadership in the energy industry” and indicated that the sale is to allow the John Deere parent company to focus more on investing resources into growing the equipment businesses around the world.

AgriPulse (Subscription Required 9/2)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/03/deere-co-to-drop-wind-operations-focus-on-equipment/feed/ 0 Senators to Return from Recess with Full Legislative Plate http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/01/senators-to-return-from-recess-with-full-legislative-plate/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/01/senators-to-return-from-recess-with-full-legislative-plate/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:49:21 +0000 John Cumming http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3047 When the Senate returns from recess in mid-September, lawmakers will have 372 bills passed by the House to address. According to The Hill, this is an increase from the 290 bills that were awaiting consideration in the Senate in February. The bills range in content from cap-and-trade to naming a veterans’ outpatient clinic. The Hill predicted that most of the bills will continue to go unnoticed due to the impending November election.

The Hill (8/31)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/09/01/senators-to-return-from-recess-with-full-legislative-plate/feed/ 0 LLNL Reports Largest-Ever Annual Drop in Energy Usage in 2009 http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/31/llnl-reports-largest-ever-annual-drop-in-energy-usage-in-2009/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/31/llnl-reports-largest-ever-annual-drop-in-energy-usage-in-2009/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:20:01 +0000 Roseanne Mailman http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3043 According to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), total energy usage in the U.S. dropped by almost five percent in 2009, marking the largest year-over-year decline in usage since recordkeeping began in 1949. According to LLNL energy analyst A.J. Simon, the drop in energy usage is related to the lower level of overall economic activity. Additionally, LLNL found that a “substantial increase” in alternative energy source use occurred in 2009, due in part to government incentives for investments in wind power.

CNN Money (8/27)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/31/llnl-reports-largest-ever-annual-drop-in-energy-usage-in-2009/feed/ 0 11M Underwater Mortgages ‘Like a Giant Anchor on the Economy’ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/30/11m-underwater-mortgages-%e2%80%98like-a-giant-anchor-on-the-economy%e2%80%99/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/30/11m-underwater-mortgages-%e2%80%98like-a-giant-anchor-on-the-economy%e2%80%99/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:20:24 +0000 Roseanne Mailman http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3040 Approximately 11 million homeowners find themselves with negative equity in their homes, a trend that is not expected to be corrected for years. On average, the affected mortgages are “underwater” by $70,000, preventing many of the mortgage holders from relocating for better jobs or forcing them to try to negotiate a short sale. Later this week, the Administration is expected to announce two new programs to assist homeowners who are struggling with their mortgages. The initiatives include a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refinancing program for negative equity homeowners and a program to assist the unemployed in making their mortgage payments. However, according to Sam Khater, a senior economist with financial business intelligence firm CoreLogic, the government’s previous attempts to remedy the negative equity situation have not been successful. RealtyTrac Senior Vice President Rick Sharga is predicting a continued increase in foreclosures, peaking next year before beginning to decline.

The Hill (8/29)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/30/11m-underwater-mortgages-%e2%80%98like-a-giant-anchor-on-the-economy%e2%80%99/feed/ 0 Obama Will Remark on End of Combat Ops in Iraq http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/obama-will-remark-on-end-of-combat-ops-in-iraq/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/obama-will-remark-on-end-of-combat-ops-in-iraq/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:29:16 +0000 John Cumming http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3037 Tuesday, White House spokesman Bill Burton announced that President Obama would deliver a major speech to mark the end of the combat mission in Iraq on August 31. The location of the speech has not yet been decided. According to Burton, Obama will remark on “the importance of the milepost that day as we change missions in Iraq… He’ll talk about the bravery and the courageousness of American soldiers who’ve fought there.”

AFP (8/25)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/obama-will-remark-on-end-of-combat-ops-in-iraq/feed/ 0 Boiler Rule Could Stunt Wood-Burning Plant Growth http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/boiler-rule-could-stunt-wood-burning-plant-growth/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/boiler-rule-could-stunt-wood-burning-plant-growth/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:28:13 +0000 John Cumming http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3035 This week, biomass plant advocates warned that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed boiler rule could stunt the growth of wood-burning plants. According to the EPA, the rule would save approximately 1,900 to 4,800 lives per year upon implementation. The rule aims to rein in hazardous air pollution for boilers and processors and would apply to all boilers found in facilities such as paper mills, petroleum refineries, and manufacturing plants.

ClimateWire (Subscription Required 8/26)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/boiler-rule-could-stunt-wood-burning-plant-growth/feed/ 0 Murkowski Loss Would Affect Energy Bill’s Prospects http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/murkowski-loss-would-affect-energy-bill%e2%80%99s-prospects/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/murkowski-loss-would-affect-energy-bill%e2%80%99s-prospects/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:27:21 +0000 John Cumming http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3033 Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s, R-Alaska, possible primary loss to attorney Joe Miller would complicate the Democrats’ chances of passing comprehensive energy and offshore drilling liability bills. In addition, it would make her the sixth Republican to leave the Senate Appropriations Committee at the end of 2010. Murkowski was one of four Republicans to vote in favor of Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman’s, D-N.M., clean energy bill in 2009.

National Journal (Subscription Required 8/25)

]]> http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/murkowski-loss-would-affect-energy-bill%e2%80%99s-prospects/feed/ 0 USDA Expects Low Food-Price Inflation http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/usda-expects-low-food-price-inflation/ http://kstreetresearch.com/2010/08/26/usda-expects-low-food-price-inflation/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:25:23 +0000 John Cumming http://kstreetresearch.com/?p=3031 Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it expects to see unusually low food-price inflation this year. The agency expects the consumer-price index (CPI) for food to climb between 0.5 and 1.5 percent this year, which would be the smallest increase in 18 years. The low inflation rate is attributed primarily to a slow economic recovery, but if the recovery picks up steam next year, the USDA expects food-price inflation to increase to between two and three percent.

Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required 8/26)

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