As public pressure builds to dig up coal ash from waste lagoons in North Carolina, Duke Energy is facing a big cleanup bill that the electric utility has been trying to dodge.
Early indications suggest Duke's cost could approach $1 billion, based on ash removal expenses in South Carolina. Deciding who pays the bill � Duke's customers or its shareholders � would pose another challenge.
Duke Energy would charge customers for moving coal ash in N.C.
Feds Withdraw Subpoena Of Top Christie Appointee At Port Authority
Federal prosecutors in New York on Monday withdrew a subpoena related to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman David Samson, according to The Bergen Record.
The subpoena was received by the Port Authority on Friday, and it was withdrawn before media outlets like the Wall Street Journal published stories about it Monday afternoon, according to the Record. The subpoena reportedly concerned Samson's "involvement in Port Authority actions," as the Record put it.
U.S. administration pulls back on Medicare drug benefit proposals
The Obama administration on Monday pulled back from possible changes to the popular Medicare Part D prescription drug program, saying it would not finalize proposals that have spawned fierce opposition from a broad coalition of interests.
Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said in a letter to members of Congress that her agency had decided not to move forward at present. She said it would instead seek further input from stakeholders with the prospect of revisiting changes "in future years."
BPA-free plastics may be less safe than those with chemical
In 2008, the news burst on the media everywhere: common plastics contained potentially dangerous levels of bisphenol a (BPA) an additive that could be hazardous to consumer health. It leached into food and drinks, especially when plastics were warmed, posing a risk in baby bottles, water bottles, plastic storage containers and more. The plastics industry was reluctant to face the truth on BPA, but under pressure, it gave in — now, many plastic products are proudly labeled BPA-free.
So that means you’re safe, right? Your plastics have been guaranteed free of the nasty chemical everyone was so worried about, and you can go back to business as usual.
Kentucky Southern Baptists Draw Crowds With Gun Giveaways
It's an hour before suppertime, and the line outside Lone Oak First Baptist Church in Paducah, Ky., is wrapped around the building. The people are waiting for more than a Bible sermon; there's a raffle tonight. Twenty-five guns are up for grabs.
There's nothing new about gun raffles in Kentucky, even at a church. Last year, there were 50 events like this one in the state. The Kentucky Baptist Convention says it's a surefire way to get new people through church doors.
Fukushima operator may have to dump contaminated water into Pacific
A senior adviser to the operator of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has told the firm that it may have no choice but to eventually dump hundreds of thousands of tonnes of contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean.
Speaking to reporters who were on a rare visit to the plant on the eve of the third anniversary of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, Dale Klein said Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco] had yet to reassure the public over the handling of water leaks that continue to frustrate efforts to clean up the site.
Snowden calls for 'accountability' in surveillance chat
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden says the NSA is "setting fire to the future of the Internet" with surveillance practices he first revealed last year.
During a chat at the SXSW festival Monday, Snowden addressed the NSA's tactics, discussed in an investigative series by The Guardian last summer.
Oregon GOP vote backs gay marriage
Young Republican activists implored their party to support gay marriage Saturday, saying the GOP is destined to continue losing elections in Oregon if it doesn’t get behind an issue that’s gaining traction around the country.
Hoping to claw their way back to relevance, Republican activists and elected officials gathered at their annual three-day Dorchester Conference in Seaside to debate issues that divide the party. Gay marriage took center stage Saturday afternoon.
George Zimmerman signs autographs at Orlando gun show
George Zimmerman was shaking hands, smiling and signing autographs at a central Florida gun show Saturday.
Zimmerman greeted people and autographed photos of him posing with his dog. He appeared at a scaled-down version of the New Orlando Gun Show at the Arms Room store on East Colonial Drive.
The show was originally set to be held at the Majestic on John Young Parkway, but organizers said the venue canceled late Thursday after getting negative feedback about Zimmerman's planned appearance.
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