constitutional liberty coalition

MSCI backs itself into corner on China share inclusion into global index

"MSCI’s decision to defer including Chinese shares in its emerging market benchmark share indexes for a second time may have trapped the index provider into making promises it can’t keep, both to Beijing and to its investor constituents. MSCI’s clients want Beijing to open its capital accounts so they can reliably move their money in and out of China’s markets, but the economy is facing its slowest growth in decades, which has led to capital flowing out of the country. For China, inclusion in the index could over time bring an estimated $400-billion into its stock markets and would help in its drive to internationalize the yuan currency." Continue reading →

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To the Governor’s Desk: New Hampshire Bill Banning Warrantless Location Tracking Passes

CONCORD, N.H. (July 7, 2015) – A bill that would prohibit law enforcement from obtaining location data from electronic devices without a warrant in most cases cleared the state legislature and now heads to the governor’s desk. The legislation would not only protect privacy in New Hampshire, but also takes an important first step in…

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Bitcoin Payment Service Helps Greek Businesses Avoid Capital Controls

"With the banking system locked down, capital controls prevent Greek citizens from accessing cash and this disrupts the economy. The Irish company Spartan Route has come to the rescue of Greek businesses with an innovative service proposal: They will invoice their Greek clients’ foreign customers in euro, collect the payment, and send bitcoin back to Greece. Their proposal to Greek businesses is simple and crystal clear: 1. Invoice Spartan Route for your exports, 2. Deliver your goods as normal to your customer through your current supply chains; 3. Spartan Route pays you with bitcoin; 4. Spartan Route invoices your customer for euro." Continue reading →

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Obamacare’s Tangled Web

In “Pimento,” the ninth episode of Better Call Saul, AMC’s new series about an unethical trial lawyer, Chuck McGill heatedly accuses his shyster brother Jimmy of not being “a real lawyer.” Chuck then exclaims: “The law is sacred!” Americans who cling to that “quaint” idea, or who just care about the integrity of The Law,…

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Greek bank official dismisses ‘haircut’ report as “baseless”

"Greek leaders have repeatedly dismissed the possibility they will have to 'bail-in' depositors to prevent the collapse of the banking system. But citing bankers and businesspeople with knowledge of the measures, the Financial Times reported: 'The plans, which call for a 'haircut' of at least 30 percent on deposits above 8,000 euros, sketch out an increasingly likely scenario for at least one bank.' The report quoted a source as saying: 'It (the haircut) would take place in the context of an overall restructuring of the bank sector once Greece is back in a bailout programme.' The head of Greece's Bank Association dismissed the report as 'completely baseless'." Continue reading →

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Maine Senate Kills Bill Turning off Resources to NSA Spying

AUGUSTA, Maine (July 7, 2015) Late last month, the Maine House approved a bill to turn off support and resources to the NSA in the Pine Tree State, only to have it rejected by the state Senate. Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin) introduced LD531 on Feb. 26. The Maine Fourth Amendment Protection Act would have banned…

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To the Governor’s Desk: Oregon Right to Try Act would Help Protect Terminal Patients from Some FDA Restrictions

EUGENE, Ore. (July 6, 2015) – Last week, the Oregon state House gave final approval to a bill that would effectively nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that prevent terminally ill patients from accessing experimental treatments. It is now headed to Gov. Kate Brown’s desk where it can be signed into…

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22 and Counting: North Carolina Governor Signs Right to Try Act, Takes on FDA Restrictions

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 6, 2015) – Last week, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a measure into law effectively nullifying in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that prevent terminally ill patients from accessing experimental treatments. Introduced by State Reps. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke), Mike Hager (R-Rutherford), Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) and Robert T. Reives (D-Chatman) along…

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The $4 Trillion Money Printing Press

"One pandemic, two great depressions, 11 major wars, and 44 recessions. Four U.S. presidents were assassinated while in office. Hundreds of thousands of businesses went bankrupt; tens of millions of Americans lost their jobs. Did the U.S. government respond to many of these events with countermeasures? Of course. But never once had the U.S. government resorted to such extreme abuses of its money-printing power as it did in 2008-10. Now, all that tradition of leadership and discipline was abandoned — all for the sake of perpetuating America’s addiction to spending, borrowing, and speculative bubbles." Continue reading →

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“It Could Never Happen Here”

"Of course, not everyone in Greece is hurting. Many people saw this coming and took action. They took all their money out of the banks, put it under the mattress, or maybe stored it in a safe. Maybe they bought gold, or diamonds, or something else. These people aren’t standing in lines at ATMs. They aren’t going to go homeless or hungry. But these people get a pretty bad rap—at least here in the US, where we call them 'doomsday preppers.' Or 'bunker monkeys.' Or 'conspiracy theorists.' Or 'gold bugs.' They take a beating. Jim Rickards tweeted the other day, 'I’ll bet there a lot of Greeks saying, ‘I wish I had bought some gold.’' Truer words have never been spoken." Continue reading →

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