bi Super Hi-Fi Announces 1 Billion Monthly Transitions Benchmark By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 12:41:45 -0700 SUPER HI-FI has surpassed 1 billion monthly music transitions, tripling volume from its last report in back in JANUARY. Each transition reflects a unique AI calculation driving perfect song … more Full Article
bi Happy Birthday By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 03:24:08 -0700 ALL ACCESS Happy Birthday wishes FRIDAY (5/8) to HOLLYWOOD RECORDS VP/Rock & Alternative BUDDY DEAL, iHEARTMEDIA/ST. LOUIS Region SVP Programming and KKDM/DES MOINES PD JEFF CAGE, … more Full Article
bi Former WLW/Cincinnati News Dir. Bill Ridenour Passes Away By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:16:25 -0700 Former longtime WLW-A/CINCINNATI News Dir. BILL RIDENOUR passed away MAY 3rd from the COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS at 94, according to an obituary in the KENTUCKY ENQUIRER/CINCINNATI.COM. RIDENOUR … more Full Article
bi [Promo] AllAccess.com -- Always Updated, Optimized For Your Mobile Device By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:56:21 -0700 Now all of your favorite ALLACCESS.COM content is always current and available in the palm of your hand on your mobile device with an optimized, responsive layout. Use the horizontal slider … more Full Article
bi Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop to deliver 2021 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture By www.ala.org Published On :: Mon, 27 Jan 2020 14:11:39 +0000 PHILADELPHIA – Literary scholar Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop will deliver the 2021 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture. The announcement was made today by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits held January 24 - 28, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Full Article
bi WXKB/Ft. Myers' Big Mama & The Wild Bunch Take It To The Streets By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 10:29:55 -0700 As traditional birthday, graduation and other events continue to be scaled back and dramatically reconfigured due to social distancing rules, BEASLEY MEDIA GROUP Top 40 WXKB (B103.9)/FT. … more Full Article
bi Belfast grandmother who beat Covid-19 to celebrate 100th birthday next week By www.belfastlive.co.uk Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000 Margaret Ethel Sinclair, 99, will turn 100-year-old on May 13 Full Article News
bi Big Yellow Dog Music Signs Clare Dunn By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 09:45:27 -0700 NASHVILLE based BIG YELLOW DOG MUSIC (BYD) has signed CLARE DUNN to its publishing and label roster. DUNN's new single, “Safe Haven,” is available now via the label and is the … more Full Article
bi WJJC/Commerce, GA Honors Bill Anderson With Rebrand By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 10:28:08 -0700 SIDE COMMUNICATIONS WJJC/COMMERCE, GA has re-branded as "WHISPERIN' 95.1" to honor COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME member BILL ANDERSON, who was the first disc jockey for the classic … more Full Article
bi Edison Research To Present Webinar On 2020 'Moms & Media Report' On Thursday By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 11:39:13 -0700 EDISON RESEARCH will present data from its annual "Moms & Media Report" in a webinar on THURSDAY (5/7) at 2p (ET). The presentation will be given by VP MELISSA DECESARE and will … more Full Article
bi Newry City join special cavalcade to celebrate fan's 90th birthday By www.belfastlive.co.uk Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 16:20:09 +0000 Manager Darren Mullen also delivered a club gift to the lifelong supporter Full Article Sport
bi Global Recorded Music Industry Revenues Grow Again Topping $20 Billion Last Year By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 01:20:02 -0700 The INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE PHONOGRAPHIC INDUSTRY's (IFPI) "Global Music Report 2020" states the global recorded music industry generated $20.2 billion in wholesale … more Full Article
bi Happy Birthday By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 03:27:28 -0700 ALL ACCESS Happy Birthday wishes on THURSDAY (4/30) to LAWMAN PROMOTION Pres./CEO GREG LAWLEY, SAMARI ENTERTAINMENT's STEVE AMARI, former CAPITOL Sr. Dir./Promotions KIM HALVERSON, … more Full Article
bi 41st Annual Blues Music Awards Winners Announced; Christone “Kingfish” Ingram The Big Winner By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 12:23:35 -0700 On MAY 3rd, THE BLUES FOUNDATION – celebrating 40 years - held a virtual BLUE MUSIC AWARS (BMAs) ceremony. The 41st annual event was hosted by SHEMEKIA COPELAND, and the presenters … more Full Article
bi WCSX/Detroit's Big Jim O'Brien Hosting Telethon Event For Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 10:09:52 -0700 BEASLEY MEDIA GROUP Classic Rock WCSX/DETROIT's BIG JIM O'BRIEN (host of BIG JIM'S HOUSE in mornings) and former WCSX morning personality KEN CALVERT are hosting a telethon to … more Full Article
bi Happy Birthday By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 03:09:57 -0700 ALL ACCESS Happy Birthday wishes FRIDAY (5/1) to WARNER RECORDS SVP/Revenue & Commercial Accounts MIKE SHERWOOD, UMG NASHVILLE VP/Promotion & Radio Marketing CHRIS SCHULER, RCA … more Full Article
bi WAMO (100.1)/Pittsburgh Welcomes Big Boy’s Neighborhood To Mornings By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 09:49:05 -0700 MARTZ COMMUNICATIONS Top 40/Rhythmic WAMO (100.1)/PITTSBURGH has added PREMIERE NETWORKS BIG BOY’S NEIGHBORHOOD to AM drive effective MONDAY MAY 4th. New Weekday Lineup: BIG BOY’S … more Full Article
bi Dangerbird VP/Promotion Roze Braunstein Exits By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 01:20:01 -0700 After a year as DANGERBIRD RECORDS VP/Promotion, ROZE BRAUNSTEIN is out and about and on a walkabout looking for her next promotion, management or marketing opportunity. ROZE's impressive … more Full Article
bi Happy Birthday By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 03:49:14 -0700 ALL ACCESS Happy Birthday wishes on MONDAY (5/4) to industry vet DAVE “THE DUKE” SHOLIN, KQBT/HOUSTON PD and iHEARTMEDIA Urban Brand Coordinator MICHAEL SAUNDERS, POLLACK MEDIA … more Full Article
bi Justin & Hailey Bieber Star In New Facebook Watch Series By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 10:09:07 -0700 Fans and followers of JUSTIN and HAILEY BIEBER will be happy to hear that the celebrity couple are doing a reality show for FACEBOOK WATCH. "The Biebers On Watch" premiered … more Full Article
bi Report: Is Warner Music Group Entertaining An Offer To Sell To Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund? By www.allaccess.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 12:36:50 -0700 MUSIC BUSINESS WORLDWIDE and the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER are both carrying reports on rumors that SAUDI ARABIA's PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND is making an offer to buy WARNER MUSIC GROUP. The fund … more Full Article
bi Jogger and Turbine By wvs.topleftpixel.com Published On :: 2013-06-29T01:28:53-05:00 Wind Turbine seen from Ontario Place.... Full Article
bi Bike EXIF By wordpress.org Published On :: Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:59:45 +0000 Bike EXIF is one of the world’s largest motorcycle-related websites, with around two million pageviews a month. It focuses on custom motorcycles and cafe racers, with an emphasis on clean design and high-quality photography. Why it’s in the Showcase: Bike... Full Article WordPress.org Sports
bi Angry Birds By wordpress.org Published On :: Sat, 28 May 2016 00:22:09 +0000 Rovio took the world by storm in 2009 with Angry Birds, an international mobile game phenomenon that quickly became the most downloaded game of all time. Over the years, Angry Birds has seen rapid growth and evolved into an entertainment... Full Article Featured WordPress.org Entertainment Movie
bi Ladybird Education By wordpress.org Published On :: Sun, 03 Nov 2019 21:17:18 +0000 The Ladybird Education site, produced by Illustrate Digital, is an international resource of teaching materials to help school children learn English. The large library of Ladybird books can each be unlocked to access more teaching resources and eBook versions of... Full Article Featured WordPress.org Books Education
bi Better lifestyle habits are useful additions to optimize management of atrial fibrillation By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Mon, 09 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT Statement Highlights: Improving lifestyle habits – such as attaining and maintaining a healthy body weight and getting regular, moderate physical activity – may be useful additions to physician-guided management of atrial fibrillation (AF), a serious... Full Article
bi Es menos probable que quienes comienzan a fumar en la infancia o adolescencia dejen el hábito cuando son adultos By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Wed, 08 Apr 2020 09:00:00 GMT Puntos destacados de la investigación: Mientras más joven comience a fumar, es más probable que fume diariamente cuando sea adulto y es menos probable que haya dejado el hábito a los 40 años, según un estudio internacional que incluye a EE. UU. Los ... Full Article
bi Directores ejecutivos de salud pública: Inscripciones abiertas para el cuidado de la salud a fin de salvar vidas By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 15:51:00 GMT Sala de prensa de la AHA sobre el COVID-19 DALLAS, 10 de abril del 2020 – Nancy Brown, directora ejecutiva de la American Heart Association, la organización voluntaria líder mundial centrada en la salud del corazón y del cerebro, se reunió con los... Full Article
bi Mejores hábitos de sueño pueden ayudar a reducir el riesgo de sufrir cardiopatías y a bajar de peso By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 03 Mar 2020 20:00:00 GMT Puntos destacados de la investigación: Las personas con mejor salud cardíaca, con hábitos de sueño saludables y que cumplen con AHA Life Simple 7, tienen menos probabilidades de tener un diagnóstico de cardiopatía y menos probabilidades de desarrollar... Full Article
bi Better sleep habits may help reduce heart disease risk and aid in weight loss By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: People who had the best heart health, defined as having healthy sleep in addition to meeting the AHA Life Simple 7, were less likely to have a diagnosis of a heart disease and were less likely to develop heart disease in the ... Full Article
bi La era de Marcelo Bielsa By Published On :: A special put together to recall the era of Marcelo Bielsa as the coach of the Chilean national soccer team (la roja or la selección Chilena) Includes galleries, infographics, statistics and videos. Full Article
bi 10 of MLB's biggest player-team reunions By mlb.mlb.com Published On :: Wed, 27 Feb 2019 14:11:59 EDT Through MLB history, plenty of players have returned to the teams where they became stars. Let's take a look back at 10 of the most memorable ones. Full Article
bi Biggest free-agent contracts in MLB history By mlb.mlb.com Published On :: Wed, 27 Feb 2019 14:06:30 EDT Manny Machado inked a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres, the biggest free-agent contract in MLB history. Here's the Top 10. Full Article
bi 9 Apps to help you develop Life-changing Habits for the Worth Living Life By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 04:20:27 +0000 As the time passes by, the dependency of humans are increasing day by day on the technology and applications to manage their daily chores. But at the same time, the need of changing habits are in high need now a days due to unnatural life and tough... The post 9 Apps to help you develop Life-changing Habits for the Worth Living Life appeared first on SmashingApps.com. Full Article Best of the Web Education and Learning Tools Web Applications
bi IP Warming – An Overlooked Email Deliverability Influence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 13:36:45 +0000 For many marketers, emails are the lifeline for most marketing efforts. Every SPAM complaint, unsubscribe, or bounce has an impact on the current ROI as well as on the sender’s reputation which affects the ROI of the future campaigns. Yet the sender reputation, that you accumulate over the period of multiple email campaigns, is only... Full Article Essentials
bi eSports: How mobile AR and VR will help shape the industry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 11:49:04 +0000 If there’s one industry that is known for openly embracing innovative technologies and techniques, it is undeniably Gaming. The Gaming industry, over the last decade, has never seen being sitting still and letting the opportunities pass it by. It has, in fact, been declared as the earliest adopter of technologies that eventually go mainstream. A... Full Article Essentials
bi Everything You Need to Know About Web Accessibility By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 08:26:09 +0000 Are you sure everyone on the web can easily access your website? ‘Cause if it is not accessible to everyone, you are losing some great business opportunities! This article is going to put some shades on this “web accessibility” term. Also, you will get to know why it holds so much importance in today’s digital... Full Article Development UI UI/UX Web Development Web Development Trends
bi All About Cubic Bezier Curves & Transitions By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:00:06 +0000 In the last post, we looked at the basics of CSS transitions, including how to use easing to control how your animation flows. In this post, I want to look deeper at a very powerful easing feature; cubic bezier curves. In short, they let you define exactly what path your animation will take, and thanks to some awesome community tools, they are extremely easy to use (No maths required at all). This gives you total flexibility with your transitions. One of the best tools is the free Cubic-Bezier.com by Lea Verou. It lets you make new curves and see them in action just by dragging the handles. We'll use it for all of the demos in this post, and it's well worth a bookmark! Full Article Coding Animation CSS CSS3 Design
bi Make your backyard bird feeder and welcoming place By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sun, 03 May 2020 14:24:34 PDT A well-stocked bird feeder is a delight, especially when you are stuck in your house. I have spent many hours watching my feeders. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the view from inside:FOOD There... Full Article Outdoors
bi Big Ten extends suspension of team activities through June 1 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 13:17:56 PDT Last week, University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld made some waves when he announced at a Board of Regents meeting UI athletics plans to resume practice on June 1. Monday, the Big Ten announced... Full Article Iowa Football
bi A rebirth by fire By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 09:06:29 PDT I knew the woodcock could see me. It’s uniquely formed head has the eyes over the brain. Set atop its head and splayed, the eyes can notice what’s above and behind like few animals. The... Full Article Outdoors
bi No baseball right now, but Cedar Rapids Kernels offering a bit of the ballpark taste By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:40:25 PDT CEDAR RAPIDS — You weren’t taken out to the ballgame or the crowd. You couldn’t get Cracker Jack, though you could get peanuts. Not to mention hot dogs and bacon cheeseburgers, a... Full Article Minor League Sports
bi Ahead of VP Pence’s Iowa visit, Joe Biden’s campaign calls out ‘consequential failure’ of Trump coronavirus response By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 17:09:44 PDT Vice President Mike Pence owes Iowans more than a photo-op when he visits Des Moines today, according to Joe Biden’s campaign. “Iowans are seeing up close the most consequential failure... Full Article Government
bi Adam Todd celebrates 21st birthday with parade By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:48:52 PDT CEDAR RAPIDS — Adam Todd, adjusting like many Iowans to a social-distanced lifestyle since the novel coronavirus hit, celebrated a milestone 21st birthday with a drive-by parade Friday... Full Article Community
bi Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries: Celebrating during a pandemic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:10:23 PDT A 10th wedding anniversary traditionally is celebrated with a gift of aluminum or tin. For Sondy Daggett, her 10th year of marriage to Liz Hoskins was marked with a gift of Champagne and... Full Article Health
bi Larry Bickel By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 20:23:31 PDT LARRY BICKELCedar RapidsLarry Bickel, 68, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Monday, May 4, 2020, at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Because of state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family will not be having services for the public at this time. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion is assisting the family.Larry was born Jan. 5, 1952, in Anamosa, Iowa, the son of Robert and Martha (LeClere) Bickel. He graduated from Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. Larry worked for the Salvation Army for many years. He loved bicycles and would ride his bike to work. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.He is survived by his siblings, Henry (Annitta) Bickel of Marion, Marie (Kenneth) Westphal of Fairbank, Iowa, Clifford (Judy) Bickel of Anamosa, Leonard Bickel of Cedar Rapids, Janet Bickel of Marion, Donna Bickel of Cedar Rapids and Barbara (Dennis) Stevens of Highland, Ill.; and several nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.Larry was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers in infancy, Robert and Wayne; sister-in-law; and one niece.Please share a memory of Larry at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries. Full Article Obituaries
bi Douglas Robison By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 20:23:27 PDT DOUGLAS CAREY ROBISONCedar RapidsDouglas Carey Robison, 53, died April 30, 2020. A Celebration of Life will be held later this month in Cedar Rapids.Survivors include his children: daughter, Kerrie Ann Robison (36), daughter, Jamie Lee Robison (32), and son, Bradley Douglas Robison (31); brothers, Joseph, Steven, Robert and Michael; a sister, Tina Robison; his mother, Rose Gates; and 10 grandkids. Brandon Hugh Robison (22), was the eldest among them, Doug loved to show him off. Doug also had two great-grandkids who he adored. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Stephanie Lynn Robison; and his father, Robert Hugh Robison.Doug liked to play pool and cards. He loved to see his grandkids grow and play. He was hardworking, and his last permanent job was doing construction. Doug recently volenteered at Olivet to help pass time. He was loved by many. He was so proud of all of his children and grandkids.One thing everyone knew about our dad is that he always had a beer in his hand. Rest in paradise, Dad. You are missed and loved by many.We love you!! Full Article Obituaries
bi William "Bill" Young By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 20:23:30 PDT WILLIAM "BILL" YOUNGMount VernonWilliam "Bill" Young, 99, of Mount Vernon, passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at Hallmark Care Center. Visitation: 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 8, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services in Mount Vernon. A maximum of 10 people will be allowed into the funeral home at one time. Please follow social distancing requirements and plan to wait outside for your turn. Private family burial: Lisbon Cemetery.Survivors include his children, Sandra (Donald) Meyers of Fort Myers, Fla., Debra (Allen) Forest of Cedar Rapids, and son, Kenneth Billman of Cedar Rapids; son-in-law, Howard Hemmer of Beloit, Wis.; 10 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends.William Young was born Nov. 11, 1920, in Chemung, Ill., to Chris and Sophia (Mutchow) Young. He married Edna (Ohrt) Billman on April 15, 1961, in Lisbon. He was a lifelong resident of the Mount Vernon/Lisbon area. Bill was a jack of all trades. He worked in construction and farmed in the latter part of his life. He loved growing and selling his famous sweet corn. He enjoyed dancing, playing cards, mainly Euchre, the out-doors, and especially playing pranks on and razzin' the grandkids.Bill is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Edna; daughters, Amy Hemmer, Linda Hill and Ronda Malcom; his eight siblings; and beloved dog, Rascal.The family would like to give special thanks to the Hallmark Care Center staff for the loving care Billy received the last several years.Please share your support and memories with Bill's family on his tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries. Full Article Obituaries
bi Big oil overreaches on COVID-19 bailout By www.thegazette.com Published On :: Wed, 6 May 2020 12:06:19 -0400 Like everyone, U.S. oil companies have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they are looking for relief. . Oil companies have requested special access to a $600 billion lending facility at the Federal Reserve, and the administration seems keen to deliver. The president just announced that the Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Treasury would make funds available, and the Department of Energy is also floating a $7 billion plan to pay drillers to leave oil in the ground. Unfortunately, at least one faction of the industry — a group of refiners that traditionally profit when crude feedstocks are cheap — is angling for much more than a financial bailout. They are using the pandemic as cover to cannibalize markets vital to U.S. biofuel producers and farmers.Their plan, outlined in letter from several oil-patch governors, would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It would allow refiners to stop offering biofuel blends at the fuel pump, eliminating the market for U.S. ethanol and biodiesel and decimating demand for billions of bushels of corn and soybeans used to make renewable motor fuel.With half the nation’s 200-plus biofuel plants already offline, thousands of rural workers facing layoffs, and millions of U.S. farmers on financial life support, the destruction of the RFS would be an economic death knell for rural America. It’s hard to imagine why refiners would expect the Trump administration to take the request seriously. The misguided plan would inflict incredible collateral damage on our economy, our energy security, and to the President’s prospects with rural voters. Notably, the courts rejected similar abuse in 2016. Even former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who scorned American farmers, rejected a similar plan back in 2017. Nevertheless, refiners saw the current health crisis as a political opportunity and went for a kill. Fortunately, farm state champions are pushing back. Governors from Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota condemned the oil-backed plan. They wrote, “Using this global pandemic as an excuse to undercut the RFS is not just illegal; it would also sever the economic lifeline that renewable fuels provide for farmers, workers and rural communities across the Midwest.” Aside from the sheer audacity, the refinery-backed plan also suffers from a major flaw — it wouldn’t change the economic situation of a single refinery. They claim that lifting the RFS would eliminate the costs associated with biofuel credits known as RINs, which are used to demonstrate compliance with the nation’s biofuel targets. Refiners that refuse to produce biofuel blends can purchase RINs from those that blend more ethanol or biodiesel into the fuel mix. In turn, when they sell a gallon of fuel, that RIN price is reflected in their returns. The oil industry’s own reports show that “there is no economic harm to RIN purchasers, even if RIN prices are high, because those costs are recouped in the gasoline blend stock and diesel.” Even in a fictional scenario where costs aren’t automatically recouped, a detailed EPA analysis found that “all obligated parties, including the small refiners subject to the RFS program, would be affected at less than 1 percent of their sales (i.e., the estimated costs of compliance with the rule would be less than 1 percent of their sales) even when we did not consider their potential to recover RIN costs — with the estimated cost-to-sales percentages ranging from -0.04 percent (a cost savings) to 0.006 percent.” Clearly, a 0.006 percent savings isn’t going to protect any refinery jobs, but refineries are betting that DC policymakers don’t know the difference between RINs values and compliance costs. They open one side of a ledger and hope that no one asks to see the next page.Meanwhile, the nation’s biggest oil lobby, American Petroleum Institute, is calling on the EPA to simply cut 770 million gallons of biofuel out of the 2020 targets. Earlier this year, regulators approved a modest bump in biofuels to addresses a small fraction of the four billion gallons lost to secretive EPA refinery exemptions. The courts have since sided against the handouts, but the EPA has refused to implement the decision. Now, API says the agency should rip away the few gallons clawed back by U.S. farmers. It’s a baseless argument with one goal: blocking competition at the fuel pump. Keep in mind, collapsing demand for motor fuel is just as hard on the nation’s biofuel producers. RFS targets enforced by the EPA are based on a percentage of each gallon sold — so if refiners make less fuel, their obligations under the law shrink at an equal rate. Meanwhile, biofuel producers across the heartland are closing their doors, as even their modest 10 percent share of the market has been cut in half.Biofuel advocates are focused on their own survival. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley summed it up, saying “[T]here ought to be parity for all liquid fuels. So I look forward to working with (Agriculture) Secretary (Sonny) Perdue to make sure that our biofuels industry gets through this crisis so that we can continue to use America’s (home) grown energy in our gas tanks.” Parity makes sense, but refinery lobbyists want more. The Trump EPA should reject the latest anti-biofuel pitch because it’s bad policy, but more than that, it’s an insulting attempt to capitalize on a health crisis to make an end run around the truth. Former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent spearheaded the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005. He currently serves as co-chair of Americans for Energy Security and Innovation. Full Article Guest Columnist
bi Iowa workers beware, neither Big Debt Chet nor COVID-19 can stop unleashed prosperity By www.thegazette.com Published On :: Wed, 6 May 2020 15:06:52 -0400 Chet Culver really should have known better.Iowa’s former Democratic governor wrote a letter to current Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds decrying her administration’s declaration that workers who refuse to return to jobs amid COVID-19 fears would be denied unemployment benefits. He was among many who questioned whether Reynolds’ policy is even lawful, considering that unemployment rules allow Iowans to claim benefits for unsafe, intolerable or detrimental working conditions.“Any such ill-conceived scheme that deprives them of choice and forces those hardworking, yet vulnerable, employees to report to unsafe workplace environments, while the positive incidences of COVID-19 infection are on the rise, is not merely penny-wise and pound-foolish — it is just plain wrong,” Culver argued.But Culver should have known any overture for the rights of workers during the pandemic would fall on deaf ears. We learned Tuesday that more than 1,600 workers at four meatpacking plants tested positive for the virus. Reynolds continues insisting companies such as Tyson, with more than 1,300 cases at three facilities, are doing all they can to protect workers. In one Tyson facility at Perry, 58 percent of its employees contracted the virus. Culver lost in 2010 to the Branstad-Reynolds ticket, a team that would go on to gut collective bargaining for public employees and make it far more difficult for injured workers to get compensation, among other greatest hits composed by its big business allies. And Culver was bounced from office after issuing bonded debt to help Iowa communities, including Cedar Rapids, recover from natural disasters of 2008. Republicans dubbed him “Big Debt Chet” and decried his mismanagement of a crisis.Strong management, apparently, is Reynolds’ decision to partially reopen 77 counties even as COVID-19 case numbers grow and deaths mount, and before ramped up testing and modeling provide critical information on the scope of the virus. On Monday Reynolds received a lofty “A” grade from FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Reynolds appeared on a conference call sponsored by the groups to talk about her strategy for reopening Iowa.FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity are conservative groups playing a key role in organizing “liberation” protests in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and elsewhere. FreedomWorks, with roots in the Tea Party movement, has been mobilizing local protesters and organizing events, according to The New York Times. It’s also conducting tracking polls in swing congressional districts and sharing data with presidential advisers and congressional staff.“This isn’t political, and it shouldn’t be for anybody,” Reynolds told reporters this week when asked about her virus response. FreedomWorks is among 24 groups who sent a letter to the president in April urging him to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard for the rest of the year due to pandemic concerns, potentially freeing Iowa farmers from more of their already scarce income. So step aside Big Debt Chet. We’re unleashing prosperity. Even if workers get trampled. (319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com Full Article Staff Columnist