Most Likely To Secede: The Rise of Nullification
"Nullification acts have been introduced in state legislatures all across the country, particularly in the last few months. According to one estimate at the Tenth Amendment Center, which tracks such things, there are more than 70 proposed bills to nullify federal laws and practices now in state legislatures, sometimes consciously labeled nullification, sometimes not. For example, 12 states have introduced proposals for state marijuana laws in defiance of federal regulations under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. State laws against National Defense Authorization Act indefinite detention provisions have been introduced in almost half the states." Continue reading →
Hacker Who Exposed Steubenville Rape Case Could Spend More Time Behind Bars Than The Rapists
"The case gained national attention after the 'hacktivist' group Anonymous leaked significant social media evidence implicating the assailants — including tweets, Instagram photos, and a 12-minute video of Steubenville high schoolers joking about the rape. But it turns out that working to expose those rapists may land one Anonymous hacker more time in prison than the rapists themselves will serve. As Mother Jones reports, 26-year-old Deric Lostutter — who has been known as 'KYAnonymous' throughout his role in the Steubenville rape case — could face up to 10 years of jail time if he’s convicted of hacking-related crimes. The FBI raided Losuetter’s home in April." Continue reading →
Detroit police’s simulated purse snatching goes awry
"An FBI agent almost shot a Detroit cop on Wednesday at a gas station while filling up. The idea was to simulate a purse snatching and then invite a TV crew to film your reaction Detroit. 'The event takes place. The officer takes the purse, runs around the gas station. As he's running, an off-duty FBI agent is pumping gas. He witnesses the whole thing. He gives chase. He pulls his weapon, and as he turns the corner around the gas station, he's stopped by another officer, who identifies herself as a police officer and don't shoot, don't shoot, this is a scenario,' said Inspector Shawn Gargalino with the Detroit Police Department." Continue reading →
Has Switzerland Really Caved to US Pressure?
"It is important to note that whilst Swiss bank secrecy is already being counted out by mainstream media across the board, the fact is that in Switzerland the resistance to losses of privacy and other fundamental rights based on demands by foreign nations is growing. More and more Swiss, in government and the Swiss Parliament too, are fed up with the pressures emanating from neighboring states and the US, all based on those countries' dismal fiscal situations and overly zealous hunt for tax revenue. Against this backdrop, an initiative was just launched by some Swiss right-wing political parties that would make bank secrecy a constitutional right." Continue reading →
Middletown CT Police Don’t Obey The 4th Amendment
"This is a film of my encounter with the Middletown CT Police Department on June 5th, 2013. Officer Peck illegally detained me without Reasonable Articulable Suspicion that I had committed or would commit a crime, as required by the Constitution (See: Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)). Officer Peck then lied to me and told me that filming the police department building and parking lot was a crime. Eventually the officers gave up on detaining me since I was doing nothing wrong." Continue reading →
How Our Right To Travel Became a Bureaucratic Ordeal
"Last week, my vacationing family was stopped at not one, but two, internal checkpoints along Interstate 8 in Arizona and California and questioned about our citizenship. As recently as eight years ago, I drove to and from a house rental in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, with no identification beyond my driver's license. Since 2009, though, a passport or similar document has been required to cross back into the United States from anywhere. Nominally an internationally recognized right, travel of all sorts has become creepingly bureaucratized in recent decades to an extent that has completely transformed the act of going from one place to another." Continue reading →
Collection of phone records stirs debate: Valuable tool or ‘beyond Orwellian’?
"Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the program helped to disrupt 'terrorist plots' on U.S. soil. 'It is lawful,' the California Democrat insisted. 'It has been briefed by Congress.' Reps. Mike Rogers and Dutch Ruppersberger, the two top Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, both stressed that 'this important collection tool does not allow the government to eavesdrop' and that it is routinely reviewed by Congress. White House spokesman Josh Earnest further stressed the importance of ensuring 'we have the tools we need to confront the threat posted by terrorists (and to) protect the homeland.'" Continue reading →
Margin Debt Hits Record High
"Investors ramped up their borrowing against brokerage accounts in April, taking margin debt to its highest-ever level. Investors borrowed $384.4 billion against their investments in April, a 1.3% gain from the previous month, and a 29% rise from the same month last year, according to the New York Stock Exchange. The rising level of debt is seen as a measure of investor confidence, as investors are more willing to take out debt against investments when shares are rising and they have more value in their portfolios to borrow against. The latest rise has been fueled by low interest rates and a 15% year-to-date stock-market rally." Continue reading →
India Central Bank Prohibits Sales Of Gold Coins By Banks
"Two weeks ago, with its current account getting crushed by relentless gold imports, India's finance minister Chidambaram literally begged the people to stop buying gold. Judging by the popular response, the ongoing physical shortage, and last night's increase in Indian gold import duties from 6% to 8%, appealing to people's feeling when it comes to the choice of fiat vs physical, has failed miserably. Per Reuters: 'The Reserve Bank of India has advised banks against selling gold coins to retail customers, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on Thursday, a day after he raised gold import duty to try to ease pressure on India's bloated current account deficit.'" Continue reading →