Yearly Archives: 2013

Do You Live in a “Death Spiral” State?

"Eleven states make our list of danger spots for investors. They can look forward to a rising tax burden, deteriorating state finances and an exodus of employers. The list includes California, New York, Illinois and Ohio, along with some smaller states like New Mexico and Hawaii. …Two factors determine whether a state makes this elite list of fiscal hellholes. The first is whether it has more takers than makers. The second element in the death spiral list is large debts, an uncompetitive business climate, weak home prices and bad trends in employment." Continue reading →

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Majority of polled Israelis support Palestinian state

"A slender majority of Israelis support the creation of a separate Palestinian state, but do not have high hopes for a peace deal, a survey said on Friday. The survey by daily Israel Hayom asked more than 800 Israelis 'do you support or oppose the idea of two states for two peoples, i.e. the creation of a Palestinian state independent from Israel?' Almost 54 percent said they favoured the idea, and 38 percent rejected it, with the rest refusing to answer. The survey’s margin of error was 3.4 percentage points. More than 54 percent of those surveyed, however, thought a peace deal with the Palestinians was impossible, the study said." Continue reading →

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Florida: Changing Car Color Does Not Justify Traffic Stop

"Courts in Florida are now split on the question of whether motorists should be subjected to stop and search simply because they repainted their car in a new color. Last year, the Fourth District Court of Appeal said yes, they should be stopped. On December 21, the First District Court of Appeal came to the opposite conclusion." Continue reading →

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Secret NSA cybersecurity program to protect power grid confirmed

"Newly released documents confirm that the National Security Agency (NSA), America's top cyberespionage organization, is spearheading a cloaked and controversial program to develop technology that could protect the US power grid from cyberattack. Of the 188 pages of documents released by the agency, roughly half were redacted to remove classified information. Even so, the documents show Perfect Citizen to be in the fourth year of a five-year program begun in 2009. Valued at up to $91 million, the Perfect Citizen technology is being developed by Raytheon, the Waltham, Mass., defense contractor that won it." Continue reading →

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Al Qaeda Disbands; Says Job of Destroying U.S. Economy Now in Congress’s Hands

"In an official statement published on the group’s website, the current leader of Al Qaeda said that Congress’s conduct during the so-called 'fiscal-cliff' showdown convinced the terrorists that they had been outdone. Mr. al-Zawhiri said that the idea of holding the entire nation hostage with a clock ticking down to the end of the year 'is completely insane and worthy of a Bond villain.' 'As terrorists, every now and then you have to step back and admire when someone else has beaten you at your own game,' he said. 'This is one of those times.'" Continue reading →

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‘Oregon Trial’

"The state of Oregon is considering an 'alternative tax for drivers who have bought efficient or electric vehicles that seldom or never stop at the gasoline pump, where government has traditionally collected money to build and fix roads. In its upcoming session, the Oregon Legislature is expected to consider a bill to require drivers with a vehicle getting at least 55 miles per gallon of gasoline or its equivalent to pay a per-mile tax after 2015.'" Continue reading →

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Delaware taxpayers increasingly on the hook as Fisker auto plant idles

"Delaware taxpayers appear to be getting soaked twice under a deal in which the Democratic governor loaned $21.5 million to a hybrid electric carmaker to set up shop in the state. The company has yet to produce a car in Delaware, and taxpayers are footing the electric bill for the idle plant. The deal was enthusiastically announced in 2009 by Gov. Jack Markell and Vice President Biden -- formerly Delaware's senior senator -- as a way to bring as many as 2,500 green jobs to the state. But California-based Fisker Automotive Inc. has since suffered a series of setbacks that have compounded its shaky financial situation." Continue reading →

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U.S. auto sales jump 13 percent in 2012

"US auto sales jumped 13.4 percent in 2012 to their best performance since the crash of 2008, as better economic times, hot new models and the need to replace ageing vehicles drew consumers to showrooms. It was the biggest yearly gain since 1984. Toyota, Honda and Chrysler outpaced their rivals with sales gains that blew past 20 percent while Ford and General Motors posted modest growth Thursday that led their market share to shrink significantly." Continue reading →

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Flipping Off Police Officers Constitutional, Federal Court Affirms

"A police officer can't pull you over and arrest you just because you gave him the finger, a federal appeals court declared Thursday. In a 14-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the 'ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.' John Swartz and his wife Judy Mayton-Swartz had sued two police officers who arrested Swartz in May 2006 after he flipped off an officer who was using a radar device at an intersection in St. Johnsville, N.Y." Continue reading →

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The world’s first airborne Mexican food delivery system

"Earlier this year, the world was brought to its knees when it was cruelly teased with the promise of tasty Mexican treats being delivered via quadcopter. We believe everyone deserves carne asada when they want it and so today, we make that dream a reality. We’re proud to introduce: Burrito Bomber -- truly the world's first airborne Mexican food delivery system." Continue reading →

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