Couple handcuffed for passing out End the Fed literature near Liberty Bell

"A video recently posted on YouTube features a man and woman sitting on the ground near Independence Hall handcuffed for at least 10 minutes. The reason for their detainment: passing out fliers. What’s that sound? I think it’s Benjamin Franklin rolling over in his grave. According to the description for the video, Mark Passio and his wife Barb were passing out End the Fed fliers to folks standing in the line near the Liberty Bell, which Mark says he’s done nearly 20 times." Continue reading

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Cops Taser Then Shoot Man to Death After Family Calls 911 for Help for His Depression

"A California sheriff's deputy needlessly Tasered and then shot a man to death after his father called 911 seeking help for his son's depression, the family claims in court. Parents and two brothers of the late George I. Ramirez sued Stanislaus County, its sheriff's department, Sheriff Adam Christianson, and Deputy Art Parra Jr. in Federal Court. George Ramirez, the father, says he called 911 on April 16, 2012, seeking help for his son. Ramirez says in the complaint that he told the 911 operator that his son was depressed, but never said that the family was in danger or that a crime was in progress." Continue reading

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World Bank Insider Blows Whistle on Corruption, Federal Reserve

"A former insider at the World Bank, ex-Senior Counsel Karen Hudes, says the global financial system is dominated by a small group of corrupt, power-hungry figures centered around the privately owned U.S. Federal Reserve. The network has seized control of the media to cover up its crimes, too, she explained. In an interview withThe New American, Hudes said that when she tried to blow the whistle on multiple problems at the World Bank, she was fired for her efforts. Now, along with a network of fellow whistleblowers, Hudes is determined to expose and end the corruption. And she is confident of success." Continue reading

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Bitcoin Grows Up

"According to the official count, 1200 enthusiasts, techie geeks, trendy investors, eccentric entrepreneurs, crypto hackers, small-government aficionados, and a few downright weirdos had descended on the Bay Area for America's first big bitcoin conference, which, for a $300 fee, promised participants a hard look at the not-so-hard future of money. In one way it was like a rich guy's LAN party, a chance to put a face to people who had known each other mainly through internet forums. But it also had the vibe of one of those night-long infomercials about the Next Big Thing." Continue reading

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New $15 Million Bitcoin VC Fund Seeks Edge with Regulatory, Security Skills

"This month Liberty City Ventures launched the $15 million Digital Currency Fund, which seeks to invest in all types of firms in the Bitcoin ecosystem, including exchanges, banks, brokerages, investment services, insurance, infrastructure, and supporting products and services. It is the largest Bitcoin-related investment fund to date. Liberty City Ventures has been involved in the broader Bitcoin ecosystem through mining and currency investing for a number of years. The team is also very familiar with financial services and payment system startups, having recently retained former U.S. Treasury officials and regulators and computer engineers as advisors." Continue reading

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Need Some Bitcoin? Hit This ATM Machine

"The brothers are converts to the bitcoin story. They were running a guitar shop in Israel, Zach is a guitar player and was in a band, when their interest was piqued in the virtual currency. At first, their enthusiasm was limited to accepting bitcoin at the shop. Josh Harvey has a tech background, though, and together with a third partner, they dreamed up the idea of a bitcoin ATM. They built the first mock-up out of their house, but when they started showing it off at bitcoin conferences, the reception convinced them to build and sell the machine. They’ve got a manufacturer contracted and expect to start sales in the fall." Continue reading

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Japan’s False Dawn

"Ever wonder why Main Street investors are always the last ones into a hot stock market … and the last ones to exit long after the investment cools, and usually with losses? I know the answer. The media. Professional investors never tell reporters they’re building positions in a particular stock, a particular industry or a particular market while they’re in the process. That would undermine the advantage they have. Reporters only notice the trend after the trend is apparent. And by then, the end is already near. Which is the case today with Japan." Continue reading

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Bill Bonner: Statistics show the fall of the US economy

"Good news is bad news. Bad news is good news. Up is down and backwards is forwards. Nothing is what it seems...or what it ought to be. If the economy really were doing better the Fed would have to follow through on its promise to 'normalize' monetary policy. That is, it would stop lending at zero interest rates and stop its $85 billion-per-month QE program. But those hocus-pocus programs - not a genuine recovery - are what keep stock prices going up. What this means is that there is no genuine recovery. It's all the smoke of ZIRP and the mirrors of QE. When the magic show ends...so does the illusion of recovery." Continue reading

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IRS’s Shulman had more public White House visits than any Cabinet member

"Publicly released records show that embattled former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman visited the White House at least 157 times during the Obama administration, more recorded visits than even the most trusted members of the president’s Cabinet. By contrast, Shulman’s predecessor Mark Everson only visited the White House once during four years of service in the George W. Bush administration and compared the IRS’s remoteness from the president to 'Siberia.'" Continue reading

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Marijuana’s IRS Problems Spark New Bill

"Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) will introduce the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2013 on June 5, with the goal of ending the Internal Revenue Service’s persecution of medical cannabis dispensaries. The Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2013 will amend IRS Section 280E of the tax code to resolve a crisis in the newly legal billion-dollar industry, according to Betty Aldworth with the Washington D.C. lobby National Cannabis Industry Association. Marijuana is a federally illegal drug that 20 states have legalized for medical purposes. Two have legalized its use for adults over 21. But the IRS treats all marijuana-related businesses as 'drug trafficking organizations'." Continue reading

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