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Senate embraces Internet sales tax

"The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly today to endorse levying Internet sales taxes on American shoppers, despite warnings that the proposal is antibusiness, harmful to taxpayers, and will be a 'bureaucratic nightmare.' Senators adopted an amendment to a Democratic budget resolution that, by allowing states to 'collect taxes on remote sales,' ushers in the first national Internet sales tax. The vote follows a week of fierce lobbying from the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represent companies including Walmart, Target, AutoZone, Best Buy, Home Depot, OfficeMax, Macy's, and the Container Store." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSenate embraces Internet sales tax

Bitcoin: the fastest growing currency in the world

"Bitcoin is an unregulated, uncontrolled online currency – worth more than £500m, it's the world's fastest growing. It can be used to buy drugs, move money across the world, or get rich quick. The people behind Bitcoin speak to the Guardian's James Ball at their home in a squat in central London." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin: the fastest growing currency in the world

Reports indicate CIA helping Syria rebels obtain arms and intelligence

"The US Central Intelligence Agency has been feeding information to select rebel fighters in Syria to try to make them more effective against government troops, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Citing unnamed current and former US officials, the newspaper said the new CIA effort reflected a change in the administration’s approach that aims to strengthen secular rebel fighters. The CIA has sent officers to Turkey to help vet rebels who receive arms shipments from Gulf allies, the report said. But administration officials cited concerns about some weapons going to Islamists, the paper noted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReports indicate CIA helping Syria rebels obtain arms and intelligence

Obama: U.S. will provide Jordan with $200 million aid package for Syrian refugees

"President Barack Obama says his administration is working with Congress to provide Jordan with an additional $200 million in aid this year. He made the announcement during a news conference in Amman, Jordan, with King Abdullah II. Jordan’s economic troubles have been made worse by the influx of more than 450,000 refugees fleeing the civil war across the border in neighboring Syria. The Syrians are crowding refugee camps in Jordan and overwhelming aid agencies run by the important U.S. ally in the Middle East." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama: U.S. will provide Jordan with $200 million aid package for Syrian refugees

Florida court rules threats on Facebook can be prosecuted

"In an apparent first in Florida law, a state appeals court ruled Monday that posting threats on one’s personal Facebook page can be prosecuted under state law. The 1st District Court of Appeal decided in a criminal case that a Facebook post could be considered a 'sending' for the purposes of the 'sending written threats to kill or do bodily harm' law, a second-degree felony." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFlorida court rules threats on Facebook can be prosecuted

Cost of New Virginia Bus Stop: $1 Million

"A new bus stop on Columbia Pike cost more than $1 million to build, according to a county spokeswoman. The new prototype 'Super Stop' at the corner of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive cost $575,000 for construction and fabrication and $440,000 for construction management and special inspections, according to Arlington County Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel. Of the $1 million cost, just over $200,000 was paid for by the county, with the rest coming from VDOT, Whalen McDaniel said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCost of New Virginia Bus Stop: $1 Million

Ben Swann Reality Check: Central Bankers Want Personal Savings Accounts To Pay For Bailouts?

"A stunning situation is unfolding on the island of Cyprus. Like other countries in Europe, Cyprus is in a debt crisis and is seeking a bailout from European central bankers. But it is the way the EU and Cyprus government has tried to help pay for the bailout that has the entire world paying attention. Ben Swann breaks this story down in Reality Check." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBen Swann Reality Check: Central Bankers Want Personal Savings Accounts To Pay For Bailouts?

New York Cops Arrest Artist Who Posted Embarrassing ‘NYPD Drone’ Posters [2012]

"Back in mid-September, the NYPD (and the city of NY) was embarrassed by the work of an artist who managed to install 100 posters in pay phone kiosks that appeared to show the city was using armed drones to control crime. Last week, police finally arrested Essam Attia, the man they believe was at the center of the campaign. Mr. Attia has been charged with 56 counts of possession of a forged instrument — a fairly serious crime for someone who put up some posters that he claims were meant to spark a conversation about the troubling use of drones both domestically and abroad." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York Cops Arrest Artist Who Posted Embarrassing ‘NYPD Drone’ Posters [2012]

Bloomberg on NYC drone program vs. street cameras: ‘What’s the difference?’

"New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in an interview on Friday that the city may turn to the use of a drone program for public safety monitoring. According to CBS New York, the mayor believes that the thousands of surveillance cameras already mounted all around the city are not enough, but that a program of unmanned surveillance drones would not be a significant incursion into resident’s privacy. 'What’s the difference whether the drone is up in the air or on a building?' the mayor asked. 'I have trouble making the distinction.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBloomberg on NYC drone program vs. street cameras: ‘What’s the difference?’