Yearly Archives: 2013

Glenn Greenwald: Domestic drones and their unique dangers

"What possible reason could someone identify as to why these small, portable weaponized UAS products will not imminently be used by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the US? They're designed to protect their users in dangerous situations and to enable a target to be more easily killed. Police agencies and the increasingly powerful drone industry will tout their utility in capturing and killing dangerous criminals and their ability to keep officers safe, and media reports will do the same. One has to be incredibly naïve to think that these 'assassin bugs' and other lethal drone products will not be widely used on US soil." Continue reading →

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Texas Women Subjected to Roadside Cavity Search Speak Out After Troopers Indicted

"Angel and Ashley Dobbs say they’re relieved and pleased two state troopers now face criminal charges after this controversial traffic stop caught on dashcam video last July. It shows trooper Kelly Helleson conducting a body cavity search of both women on an off-ramp of the Bush Turnpike in Irving last July. A Dallas County Grand Jury charged Helleson with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression. If convicted, she would have to register as a sex offender. The other trooper, David Farrell, who initiated the traffic stop, is charged with theft. Angel Dobbs says her bottle of prescription pills was stolen during the traffic stop." Continue reading →

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Most Consumer Complaints Come From Boca Raton, Upper West Side

"When U.S. officials began collecting consumer complaints about credit cards, one goal was to identify patterns that could help them write rules protecting families with low and moderate incomes. Nearly two years later, it’s the well-to-do neighborhoods of Florida and New York that are supplying the most grievances to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an analysis of agency data shows. Almost 60 percent of complaints originated in zip codes where the median household income is higher than the national median of $52,762, according to the analysis." Continue reading →

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French workers hold company heads captive after they’re fired without pay

"Workers at a French greetings card firm on Friday sequestered the head of their company and the chief of the Dutch firm which owns it after sacked employees were told they would not get their dues. The protest at the office of French firm Edit66 and the Dutch owner Mercurius, targeted their two chiefs Paul Denis and Merthus Bezemer. The town’s socialist mayor Jean Vila said he backed the action. France’s economy, the second biggest in the eurozone, has been stagnating in recent months. Unemployment is just shy of the record level of 3.195 million last reached in 1997 and the spending power of French households fell in late 2012 for the first time since 1984." Continue reading →

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France’s President Hollande finds loophole to impose 75% tax on the rich

"The 75% super-tax on the mega-rich, which was rejected by France's constitutional court might be imposed anyway. French President Francois Hollande suggests laying the burden on businesses rather than on individuals. In the interview with France 2 television President Hollande said he has revised his original plan to lay the massive tax on individuals earning above €1 million, which has been ruled 'unfair' and rejected by the Constitutional Court and later the State Councils, leaving the President embarrassed. Hollande will now propose to tax employers paying their workers more than €1 million. The measure, if approved, will last for two years." Continue reading →

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Ranking the States for Economic and Personal Freedom

"Here are the full rankings from the newly released Freedom in the 50 States from the Mercatus Center, showing North Dakota as the state with the most freedom, with South Dakota (#2), Tennessee (#3), New Hampshire (#4), and Oklahoma (#5) also deserving praise for high scores. What makes Freedom in the 50 States so interesting is that you can mix and match variables based on your own preferences. I checked the 'fiscal' and 'tax burden' categories, and South Dakota (no state income tax!) jumped to #1 for both of those measures. You won’t be surprised to learn that New York is the worst state, not only overall, but also for various fiscal policy measures." Continue reading →

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Amazon, Overstock Lose Challenge to N.Y. Web Sales Tax

"Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), the world’s biggest online retailer, and discount Internet seller Overstock.com Inc. (OSTK) lost a challenge to New York’s Internet sales tax law as the state’s highest court rejected their arguments that it was unconstitutional. Amazon, based in Seattle, and Overstock, based in Salt Lake City, sued the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance separately in 2008, seeking to overturn a law requiring retailers to pay taxes if they solicit business in New York through a link to a website. Justice Eileen Bransten dismissed the suits in January 2009. An appeals court in Manhattan affirmed her rulings in 2010, and the state Court of Appeals agreed today." Continue reading →

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Dead Letter Office: Even U.S. Government Doesn’t Use the U.S. Postal Service

"How bad is the United States Postal Service? In order to get a straight answer on this, ask the federal government. The federal government uses the Postal Service 2% of the time. Here is an agency that is so utterly incompetent that the United States government will not use it. How’s that for a testimonial? Here is an agency run by the government that the rest of the agencies regard as so utterly unreliable and expensive, that they refuse to use it. The Postal Service has had a monopoly over first-class mail ever since the time of Benjamin Franklin. That is the longest monopoly in American history. Yet it cannot persuade the federal government to use it." Continue reading →

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Google Launches Same-Day Delivery in San Francisco Bay Area

"Google has been testing the service, called Google Shopping Express, with employees for a few months. The company opened it up to the public this morning in a limited launch focused on San Francisco residents and others living south of the city from San Mateo to San Jose. Shoppers who sign up will get six months of free, same-day delivery of online orders placed with select retailers in the area. Google plans to charge for the service in the future, but it has not decided how much yet. Companies taking part in the test include national retailers such as Target, Office Depot Inc, Staples Inc and Toys 'R' Us Inc and smaller, local firms." Continue reading →

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The Management-free Organization

"Recently I heard that Valve, a highly successful video game company, has four hundred employees and no management structure. According to all reports, they make that model work. I spent a lot of time trying to imagine working for a company with no management. How do they resolve conflicts, set priorities, measure performance, fire laggards, and all the rest? I couldn't picture it working. Keep in mind that I earn my living by shouting that management is mostly worthless, yet even I couldn't accept the idea that management is 100% unnecessary. I was skeptical." Continue reading →

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