Word: scheme
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...case of a strange kind of American alchemy involving coal, don't expect to be welcome on a plant tour. The reason isn't that secrecy is necessary to protect a technological marvel but just the opposite. What you would see behind the curtain is a scheme that would make the Wizard of Oz envious. And you wouldn't be amused, because as an American taxpayer, you're paying...
...vulnerable to energy shocks than they were two decades ago, in part because the U.S. government's policy during that time has failed to produce alternative energy sources. Whipsawed by lobbyists and special interests, taxpayer-supported programs have succeeded mainly in making a few people rich and protecting ineffectual schemes. To be sure, not all energy programs have been a bust. For example, tax credits that gave homeowners an incentive to install storm windows and insulate their homes got results. But the synfuel tax credit is a dead end. It doesn't increase U.S. energy production. It's just...
...arrest of Viktor Kozeny, 40, who lives in the Bahamas and has already been indicted in the U.S. for grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office accused him of pocketing $182 million from a group of American investors in an Azerbaijani privatization scheme that never took place. The Czechs want him in connection with separate allegations that he defrauded 250,000 small investors of up to $370 million. A Czech émigré with a degree in economics from Harvard University, Kozeny made a fortune in the 1990s, handling high-risk investments...
...snap election to create an interim parliament. "The candidates would run on national lists and be elected by proportional representation. The likely result would be a coalition government, which would then have three years to write a constitution and create a permanent government.? The risks of such a scheme are obvious: radicals tend to do best in premature elections, and a large, continuing American military presence and real humanitarian and financial support from the U.N. would still be required. The advantage would be an elected Iraqi government in place by summer. "Ideally, you'd want more time for responsible political...
...ECUADOR ... Punctuality Pays A nationwide synchronization of watches marked the start of a campaign to stamp out the country's legendary tardiness. Locals run on what is referred to as "Ecuadorian time," meaning most people turn up for appointments at least 15 minutes late. The civic group behind the scheme puts the cost of this lax approach at more than $700 million a year. The campaign has the backing of President Lucio Gutierrez, below, who is often as much as three hours late for meetings...