Yearly Archives: 2017

Welsh city refuses man’s £7.4 million offer to dig for lost Bitcoin

"Welsh IT worker James Howells says he accidentally threw away a hard drive full of Bitcoin which he believes is now worth more than $100 million (around £74 million). He’s been fighting Newport city council ever since for a permit to look for the computer, which contains over 7,500 units of the cryptocurrency and is buried below thousands of tonnes of rubbish on a landfill site. A spokesperson for the council said James has been told 'on several occasions' he will not be given a permit despite his offer of a 10% cut."

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US-Backed Saudi Coalition Should Lift Its Yemen Blockade

"There are no heroes in the civil war between Houthi rebels, who have Iranian backing and were responsible for killing Saleh, and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government. Both sides have inflicted death and suffering on civilians. The Saudi coalition currently has a partial blockade on ports and airfields controlled by the Houthis. Hostilities have already killed or wounded at least 14,000 people in nearly three years, and countless others have died from disease and starvation. Some 1 million people have contracted cholera in part because the lack of fuel has affected the ability to pump clean water."

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Warning: TSA Facial Recognition Plan Likely to Become Part of Growing Biometric Surveillance System

WASHINGTON (Dec. 6, 2017) – The federal government plans to use a TSA program advertised as a way to avoid lines at airport security checkpoints to harvest photos and other biometric information that will ultimately end up in multiple federal databases. The TSA touts its PreCheck program as a way to avoid the hassle of…

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The President and Obstruction of Justice (Again)

In the New York Times, Saikrishna Prakash and John Yoo: Don’t Prosecute Trump. Impeach Him. As to prosecution, they argue: The Constitution imposes on the president the duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” which vests the authority to oversee all federal law enforcement. As Alexander Hamilton observed in Federalist 70, “good government”…

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Local Alabama Media Picks Up TAC Talking Points on Gold and Silver Taxes

Last month, a reporter with the Anniston Star in Alabama interviewed me about a bill prefiled in the Alabama House for 2018 that would exempt the purchase of gold and silver bullion from state sales and use tax, encouraging its use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. I could tell…

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New Wisconsin Hemp Law Relies on Federal Permission, Could Go Much Further

MADISON, Wisc. (Dec. 6, 2017) – Last Thursday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill into law legalizing hemp cultivation for research purposes only in compliance with federal law. The new law could lay a foundation to eventually expand the hemp market in the state, and with further action, could set the stage for nullification…

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Judge halts Indiana city’s code-enforcement property seizure racket

"The judge had particularly harsh words for Hall, who indicated in emails that it would be 'financially disastrous' for residents to try to improve their homes, because the homes would be demolished anyway. Such statements, coupled with the city’s policy of not levying fines against LLC-owned homes, undermine the goal of maintaining safety, Mount said."

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How police used a traffic stop to take $91,800 from an innocent man

"He only got a $25 ticket for improperly wearing his seat belt and a warning for 'lane use.' But Wyoming law enforcement officers found and eventually seized the $91,800 in cash, as it was hidden in a speaker cabinet — by getting Parhamovich, under what he claims was duress, to sign away his interest in the money through a waiver. He has since tried to get his money back. But state law enforcement officials have rejected his pleas. Responding to a request for records related to Parhamovich’s case, state officials said they consider the cash 'abandoned.' The state has even moved to forfeiture the money without notifying Parhamovich of the relevant court hearing until after it happened."

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