Kirk flagged this Business Week piece: Bad Omens for Banks?--News from KeyCorp suggests U.S. banks' loan losses may worsen. Is the credit crisis hitting a second, even scarier phase? The global credit crisis is worsening. Take steps to protect yourself.
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Thanks to Dave S. for sending this: US rail network facing congestion 'calamity'
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My recent mention of health concerns about synthetic sweeteners (such as Nutrasweet and Splenda) prompted readers Chris D., Kim, and EMW to all remind me to mention the herbal sweetener, Stevia rebaudiana. It is a safe, natural sweetener derived from a plant that is native to Paraguay. Following enactment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), Stevia can be sold legally in the United States only as a "dietary supplement." Ironically, even though ounce-for-ounce Stevia extracts can be up to 300 times more sweet than sugar, they cannot be sold as "sweeteners." OBTW, reader Rick C. mentioned that "Splenda is not aspartame-based [like Nutrasweet]. It consists of sucralose and maltodextrin." But I should add that Splenda has its own set of health concerns.
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Frequent news tip contributor RBS sent us this: George Soros: 'We face the most serious recession of our lifetime'
