BP paid for officials’ meals, airfare and polar bear trip: The embattled oil and gas giant BP paid for a slew of travel and dining arrangements for senior government officials in the years leading up to the massive oil leak in the Gulf. Critics say BP got too close with regulators, neutering the government's safety watchdogs.
Goldman Sachs sold $250 million of BP stock before spill: Firm's stock sale nearly twice as large as any other institution; Represented 44 percent of total BP investment
Europe faces summer of intermittent unrest: "The main risk is going to be in capital city centres where you have a risk of protest," said Daniel Riordan, head of political risk at insurers Zurich.
Experts fear spread of social unrest as financial crisis continues : Continuing financial crisis and associated austerity measures could lead to global social unrest should conditions worsen and populations lose faith and patience in their governments.
In case you missed it: UK police body warns of riots and unrest: The chairman of the Police Federation, which represents thousands of rank-and-file officers, warned on Wednesday of mass 1970s-style social disorder were Britain to suffer a similar crisis to the one that has hit Greece.
Commercial Defaults Hit Record for Both Investors and Banks: A separate study released this week by Trepp LLC shows that the share of past due loans held by investors in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), including those already in foreclosure and REO, jumped 40 basis points in May to 8.42 percent – the highest in the history of the CMBS industry.
Revolving Door: 1,447 Former Government Workers Lobbying For Wall Street: The financial services sector has hired 1,447 former government employees to do its bidding as lobbyists since the beginning of 2009, according to the latest report from the Center for Responsive Politics and Public Citizen.
Hawaii bankruptcy filings up 34.4%: Total bankruptcy filings rose by 34.4 percent in May compared to the year-earlier period, from 250 cases to 336, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii.
Michigan Considers Law to Register Journalists: A Michigan lawmaker wants to register reporters to ensure they’re credible and have “good moral character.”
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