‘How Money Walks’: Map shows cash fleeing states with high taxes

“The map’s author, Travis H. Brown, tracked the millions of people in the U.S. who moved from state to state, taking with them more than $2 trillion in adjusted gross income. Brown says Americans are fleeing high-tax states and moving to states that offer lower taxes. The big losers? New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio. The big gainers? Florida won the most, with $86 billion coming its way. Other gainers were Arizona, Texas, North Carolina and Nevada.” Continue reading

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Dutch woman arrested for ‘recruiting Syrian jihadists’ to fight alongside rebels

“Dutch authorities have arrested a 19-year-old woman suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight alongside radical Muslim rebels in Syria, a prosecution spokeswoman said on Monday. There is growing concern in the Netherlands about young Dutch Muslims being enlisted to fight in Syria, with a British study in April saying at least 107 Dutch citizens were fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the war-torn country. Police arrested the woman in Zoetermeer, a small city just east of The Hague, on Wednesday after families filed complaints with the authorities that their relatives had gone to fight in Syria.” Continue reading

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Family of Egypt’s Morsi threaten legal action over ‘abduction’

“The family of Egypt’s ousted Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, said on Monday it would take legal action against the army for abducting him. Mursi has been held at an undisclosed military facility since the army deposed him on July 3 and suspended the constitution in the wake of huge street protests against his one-year rule. The army says Mursi is being held for his own safety. Mursi’s supporters are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil in a Cairo suburb, now in its third week. They say they will stay put until Mursi is returned to office.” Continue reading

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Former jail keeps memory of Communist repression raw in Romania

“The extent of the suffering had largely been hidden. Stalinist purges in the former Soviet Union and Communist repression in Eastern Europe claimed millions of lives in the 20th century, according to historians. In Romania alone, more than 600,000 people were sentenced and jailed between 1945 and 1989 for political reasons. Stanca was one of them. ‘In the jail, we suffered from hunger, we did not get any medical assistance, we were continuously humiliated,’ he said. He was then sent to a labour camp to erect dikes along the Danube river. ‘I think only the pyramids were built with such inhumane physical work,’ he added.” Continue reading

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Japan warns Britain to stay in the European Union

“Japan has warned that tens of thousands of British jobs with Japanese firms could be at risk if London pulls out of the European Union, a newspaper reported on Sunday. Tokyo’s submission to a British government consultation said Japanese companies liked Britain because it offered a gateway to the European market, the Sunday Times said. Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU and then hold a referendum on membership before the end of 2017 if he is still in office. Close ally the United States has also previously warned Britain against isolating itself from the EU.” Continue reading

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Wind Energy Encounters Problems and Resistance in Germany

“Germany plans to build 60,000 new wind turbines — in forests, in the foothills of the Alps and even in protected environmental areas. But local residents are up in arms, costs are skyrocketing and Germany’s determination to phase out nuclear power is in danger. Even valuable tourist regions — such as the Moselle valley, the Allgäu and the foothills of the Alps — are to be sacrificed. On one side stand environmentalists and animal rights activists passionate about protecting the tranquility of nature. On the other are progressively minded champions of renewable energy and climate activists determined to secure the long-term survival of the planet.” Continue reading

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Sysco facing thousands in fines for ‘runaway train’ of food storage violations

“Food distributor Sysco could be forced to pay thousands of dollars in fines after officials with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) found insects and rodent droppings at storage sheds the company used for perishable foods throughout northern California, KNTV-TV reported on Tuesday. The station reported that it secretly filmed employees using sheds in six cities to store and transport pork, bread, lettuce and cheese items. One employee, who did not wish to be identified, told KNTV in an interview that the practice had been going on for more than a decade, saying, ‘Enough is enough. The public needs to know where their food is coming from.'” Continue reading

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Should You Be Able to Buy Food Directly From Farmers? Regulators Don’t Think So

“For the USDA and its sister food regulator, the FDA, there’s a problem: many of the farmers are distributing the food via private contracts like herd shares and leasing arrangements, which fall outside the regulatory system of state and local retail licenses and inspections that govern public food sales. In response, federal and state regulators are seeking legal sanctions against farmers in Maine, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California, among others. These sanctions include injunctions, fines, and even prison sentences.” Continue reading

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