Alternative News

Turn Your Desk Into a Pharmaceuticals Factory

"The Week's Chris Gayomali frets that '[t]oday's primitive psychedelics and artificial mood-boosters may be just the beginning' once 3D printing transforms chemical engineering. The Customs Minister from the land o' hobbits, Maurice Williamson, worries on Radio New Zealand, 'If people could print off ... sheets of Ecstasy tablets at the party they're at at that time, that just completely takes away our border protection role in its known sense.' Cronin, among others, suggests that controlling the 'chemical ink' is the key to preventing DIY recreational chemistry with 3D printers. But much current research uses bathroom sealant as the ink, and that's not the easiest material to restrict." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTurn Your Desk Into a Pharmaceuticals Factory

Parents from faith-healing church charged in diabetes death of daughter

"On Thursday, authorities in Albany, Oregon arrested the parents of a 12-year-old girl who died because they withheld treatment for her type 1 diabetes. Syble Rossiter, the daughter of Travis and Wenona Rossiter, died at her home from complications related to untreated type 1 diabetes. It is unknown to what degree the couple embrace the doctrine of prayer healing, but as of this moment, they are facing first- and second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of their daughter. The Department of Human Services will look after their two surviving children while the couple awaits trial in jail." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingParents from faith-healing church charged in diabetes death of daughter

Police Groups Furiously Protest Eric Holder’s Marijuana Policy Announcement

"A broad coalition of law enforcement officers who have spent the past three decades waging an increasingly militarized drug war that has failed to reduce drug use doesn't want to give up the fight. Organizations that include sheriffs, narcotics officers and big-city police chiefs slammed Attorney General Eric Holder in a joint letter Friday, expressing 'extreme disappointment' at his announcement that the Department of Justice would allow Colorado and Washington to implement state laws that legalized recreational marijuana for adults. If there had been doubt about how meaningful Holder's move was, the fury reflected in the police response eliminates it." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Groups Furiously Protest Eric Holder’s Marijuana Policy Announcement

Republican Mississippi sheriff indicted on 31 counts for abusing powers

"The charges against Sheriff Mike Byrd include 10 counts of embezzlement, and 10 counts of fraud, two counts of extortion and one count of perjury, among other charges. Authorities contend that Byrd, a Republican currently in his fourth term in office, has used his position to target personal and political opponents and fudge his record to boost his re-election prospects. Byrd is also accused of pressuring a detective in 2007 to deliver an arrest warrant in a murder case against a man the detective did not believe committed the crime, so that Byrd could say during his re-election campaign at the time that there were no unsolved murders in the county." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRepublican Mississippi sheriff indicted on 31 counts for abusing powers

50 unmarked graves found on segregated reform school campus in Florida

"A century-old Florida state school for troubled boys is now the site of a forensic investigation after more than 50 bodies were discovered, some in unmarked graves, next to a garbage dump on the side of campus where the African-American students were housed. Students like Richard Huntley, who was sent to the school in the late fifties, told Al Jazeera that he and his fellow inmate-students were forced to do farm work under dangerous conditions under threats of worse. 'This, to me, is a form of slavery,' he said, 'because they, damn it, beat you to what they wanted you to be.' Boys who didn’t comply with orders were sent to 'The White House,' which Huntley likened to a 'torture chamber.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading50 unmarked graves found on segregated reform school campus in Florida

School & Experts Put Genius Boy In Special Ed, Now On Track For Nobel Prize

"Numbers were his passion and he was getting bored of early grades of elementary school as they did not come close to challenging him. Finally, his parents made the decision to take him out of public school and special ed programs regardless of the fact doctors had diagnosed him with ASD. Jacob’s incredible memory and mind allowed him to attend university classes after he taught himself all of high school math in just two weeks. He is currently on track to graduate from college by the age of 14 and it is believed his research into math and physics may begin to challenge some of the established theories in physics." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSchool & Experts Put Genius Boy In Special Ed, Now On Track For Nobel Prize

Labor Day ‘Mackinac Bridge Walk’ will feature warrantless bag searches

"An annual tradition since 1958, the Labor Day walk/run across the Mackinac Bridge creates the kind of family memories that last a lifetime. New for this year, families and friends will have the demeaning experience of police performing warrantless bag searches to add to their priceless memories and timeless photographs. For the 56th annual event, the Michigan State Police (MSP) will conduct searches of bags, purses, and backpacks for all attendees wanting to make the walk across the bridge — all without probable cause of a crime." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLabor Day ‘Mackinac Bridge Walk’ will feature warrantless bag searches

Anti-War Protesters to Cop: We Don’t Need A Permit, We Have The Constitution

"A group of activists gathered on the side of the road to waves signs in Spartanburg, S.C. in protest of Obamas intentions to strike Syria with missiles in response to an alleged gas attack by the Syrian government against it’sown citizens. A police officer approached the activists and told them they would need to have a permit to assemble in the future but the activists were not having it. Citing that the constitution is the national permit for peaceable assembly, these protestors stood strong for the rights of all Americans today." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnti-War Protesters to Cop: We Don’t Need A Permit, We Have The Constitution

CEO of Danish CopyrightAlliance: “Control is Freedom!”

"Maria Fredenslund, the CEO of the Danish CopyrightAlliance, in a debate in which she argues for increased control of the Internet in the name of copyright, proclaims that 'control is freedom.' She lauds the 'highly controlled and regulated society we live in' and insists that 'control gives us freedom.' You see, 'Control and regulation creates innovation … and personal liberty.' She criticizes the Internet as being 'undemocratic' because there is not enough 'control' of it. And people say I am exaggerating when I use the term 'fascism' to describe IP." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCEO of Danish CopyrightAlliance: “Control is Freedom!”

ABA Attempts To Claim Copyright On Bank Routing Numbers

"It appears there's been a followup to our earlier story on the American Bankers Association claiming that bank routing numbers are covered by copyright, and threatening a website that had created a useful way to look up those routing numbers. The website, run by Greg Thatcher, was doing a public service, getting such info from the Federal Reserve's website, and making it much easier for people to find the numbers. Thatcher is now being represented, pro bono, by Andrew Delaney of Martin & Associates, and his response letter to Nigel Howard, the ABA's lawyer who sent the threat letter, is one of the most beautiful responses to a bogus threat letter you'll ever see." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingABA Attempts To Claim Copyright On Bank Routing Numbers