PODCAST: The best states to do business, the best Internet cat videos
CNBC has come out with its annual ranking of the best states for business, and number one this year is Texas thanks in part to the state’s infrastructure and low cost of living. Last year’s top state was Virginia, which lost its ranking in part because of its clogged highways which make it difficult for people to get to work quickly. California and Massachusetts tied as the best states for a business to access capital. And even though it was only ranked 19th overall, New Hampshire was number one on the quality of life list. You can see where your state stands at here.
The other day we mentioned an endangered frog named for Prince Charles. This time the honor goes to Bob Marley — though if he were still with us I’m not sure how much of an honor it would be. The “Gnathia marleyi” is described as a “parasitic crustacean blood feeder.” In its defense, its discoverer calls it “truly a natural wonder” and “as uniquely Caribbean as Marley.”
North Carolina’s legislature put aside the latest predictions of rising sea levels, for coastal planning purposes, in favor of more study. Long-term predictions of a three-foot rise by 2010 could needlessly hurt development, critics said.
If you load the Russian version of Wikipedia today, you’ll find a big pink bar across the top. And the site shut itself down completely yesterday to protest an Internet bill that looks likely to pass the Russian parliament. Human rights groups are also up in arms.
In Cedar Falls, Iowa, brokerage firm Peregrine Financial filed to liquidate under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code, amid accusations from federal regulators that Peregrine defrauded customers and hid losses.
And finally, to Minneapolis, where there’s a different kind of film festival happening next month. A film festival of Internet Cat Videos. Like this one: The Angry Talking Cat. According to the LA Times, the film festival will last up to an hour.
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