The State Department of Public Service, charged with ensuring "safe, secure, and reliable access to electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water services" for residences and businesses, approved the sale of two upstate nuclear plants to Exelon Corporation. Alexander Cockburn writes about close ties between President Obama and Exelon in the latest issue of Counterpunch. According to Cockburn, Exelon has been making generous provision to Obama’s campaign chest ever since his days in the Illinois Senate. Exelon, a Chicago-based company, now acquires two units of the Nine Mile Point nuclear plant in Scriba, Oswego County, and the slightly smaller Ginna nuclear plant in Ontario, Wayne County. Read Alexander Cockburn's story in Counterpunch.