Hot off the Press: Stuff your face for freedom edition

The president of a Rock Valley, Iowa ready-mix company has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and given a $50,000 fine for a price-fixing scheme developed with another ready-mix operator: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110629/NEWS01/110628066/Company-admits-part-in-price-fixing-scheme.

As the price of metal has skyrocketed, thieves are wrecking havoc on European railways as thousands of pounds of copper and steal are taken from the rail infrastructure, causing cancellations and delays for commuters: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,770870,00.html.

German legislators have approved a phase-out of nuclear energy that will make Germany nuclear-free by 2022: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,771646,00.html.

Police in Germany (I am all about Der Spiegel today) are investigating the 12 cannabis plants that were growing in flower boxes at a Green Party office: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,771568,00.html.

In an effort to prevent "Carmeageddon," officials in Los Angeles are asking celebrities with large Twitter followings to spread the word about the closure of a 10-mile stretch of the 405 later this month: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/30/137525890/fearing-carmageddon-los-angeles-police-ask-celebs-to-tweet. I always did like the Mulholland Drive overpass. It looked sleek and sexy in that California sixties way.

Long live the "Oxford comma"!: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/30/137525211/going-going-and-gone-no-the-oxford-comma-is-safe-for-now.

The Chinese have opened the world's longest bridge, which, according to the BBC, could span the English Channel at its shortest point and still have six miles to spare: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/30/137520889/china-opens-worlds-longest-bridge-would-you-cross-if-you-came-to-it.

Well, the Iowa Legislature finally passed a budget for 2012, nine hours before FY 2011 ended. Here are the details from the DMR: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110701/NEWS10/107010356/Iowa-settles-on-5-9-billion-budget-hours-before-deadline?.