Alternative News

‘Heroic effort at great personal cost’: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

"A Swedish sociology professor has nominated Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the NSA whistleblower could help 'save the prize from the disrepute incurred by the hasty and ill-conceived decision' to give the 2009 award to Barack Obama. In his letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Stefan Svallfors praised Snowden for his 'heroic effort at great personal cost.' He stated that by revealing the existence and the scale of the US surveillance programs, Snowden showed 'individuals can stand up for fundamental rights and freedoms.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Heroic effort at great personal cost’: Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Subsidized Food Programs: 100 Million Americans

"You may have heard that 47 million Americans are on food stamps, or as they call it these days, SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. What about subsidized lunches for children? Add 32 million. What about school breakfast programs? What about WIC — Women, Infants, and Children? Don’t forget snacks at day care centers. Then there is the Special Milk Program for schools and a Summer Food Service Program. When schools close, the subsidies still flow. But the small farmer, in whose name the farm subsidy programs exist, disappeared after World War II. Only 2% of Americans live on farms. Then who wins? Agribusiness." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSubsidized Food Programs: 100 Million Americans

Subsidized Food Programs: 100 Million Americans

"You may have heard that 47 million Americans are on food stamps, or as they call it these days, SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. What about subsidized lunches for children? Add 32 million. What about school breakfast programs? What about WIC — Women, Infants, and Children? Don’t forget snacks at day care centers. Then there is the Special Milk Program for schools and a Summer Food Service Program. When schools close, the subsidies still flow. But the small farmer, in whose name the farm subsidy programs exist, disappeared after World War II. Only 2% of Americans live on farms. Then who wins? Agribusiness." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSubsidized Food Programs: 100 Million Americans

Uncle Sam’s Growing Student Loan Portfolio

"The federal government used to subsidize student borrowing not only by providing loans directly to students, but also by guaranteeing many private loans. In 2009, however, Congress eliminated private guarantees and dramatically expanded direct federal lending. The government’s portfolio of student loans has since increased from about $90 billion at the start of fiscal 2008 to more than $560 billion today. As a result, the government’s financial investments now total about $1.1 trillion, essentially all of which was financed by borrowing. The debt supporting Uncle Sam’s investment portfolio thus accounts for almost 10 percent of the $11.9 trillion in public debt." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUncle Sam’s Growing Student Loan Portfolio

Student Loan Debt Will Exceed Median Annual Income For College Grads By 2023

"In 10 years, the average amount of debt college students leave school with will equal what the median graduate will earn in just a year, an analysis exclusive to The Huffington Post revealed. This conclusion was drawn from a study conducted by the policy and communications consulting firm Hamilton Place Strategies. The study found that while average student debt at graduation has skyrocketed by 200 percent since 1993, income growth has stagnated. In 2012, the median income for all college graduates was $46,412 while average student loan debt was $28,720, the study found." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudent Loan Debt Will Exceed Median Annual Income For College Grads By 2023

The Internet Archive Rescues Bitcoiners From Banking Oblivion

"Yes, the Internet Archive. The outfit that so diligently records our web history also runs its own bank — The Internet Archive Federal Credit Union, or IAFCU, based out of New Brunswick, New Jersey. And when Hockenhull needed somewhere to turn, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle gave him the means to keep his company alive. Since then, the IAFCU has taken on a half-dozen Bitcoin businesses, such as BitBox, giving them a critical link to the U.S. financial system. The Internet Archive’s role as the backer of one of the country’s most Bitcoin-friendly financial institutions is a bit of an unlikely tale." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Internet Archive Rescues Bitcoiners From Banking Oblivion

Nevada Supreme Court Overturns Traffic Stop From Questionable Cop

"The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out a traffic stop performed by a state trooper caught lying in a job application in a way that 'would have been enough to result in his termination.' As he ran a check on Beckman's license and registration, Trooper Pickers told his partner that he suspected criminal activity because there were fingerprints on the trunk of Beckman's car. He asked for a drug dog to be sent out. Before Beckman could leave, Trooper Pickers asked him whether he could search his vehicle. Beckman refused, so he was told he was no longer free to leave and that he would have to wait for the drug dog to arrive." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNevada Supreme Court Overturns Traffic Stop From Questionable Cop

Mission KS Police Take Down, Cavity Search Mom In Front Of Children

"After nearly two months of being told repeatedly by the Mission police that there was no dash-cam video, here it is! It's a MIRACLE we even got it. The officers in the video are Michelle Pierce & Officer Tim Gift. Special appearance by the bald-headed officer who is NOT named nor even mentioned as being on the scene in the police reports. This officer is the one who was threatening my wife with having CPS take our two youngest daughters away." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMission KS Police Take Down, Cavity Search Mom In Front Of Children

Semi-Automatic Rifle Reporting Mandated in (Mexican) Border States

"The Obama Administration now requires gun dealers in states bordering on Mexico to report anyone who buys two semi-automatic rifles in a week’s time. A panel of three federal judges has upheld this. Gun dealers in these states are affected: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California. The official explanation? It’s to keep guns from flowing into Mexico. The government has no similar plan for gun dealers in states on the Canadian border. Where is the ACLU on this one? Missing in action. Back when the Department of Justice ran its 'sell guns to drug lords' operation, called 'Fast and Furious,' there was no reporting required." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSemi-Automatic Rifle Reporting Mandated in (Mexican) Border States