The Freedom Watch

No compensation for innocent man who lost spleen in SWAT raid

"The raiding cops brought the wrong-sized battering ram, making it difficult for them to get inside quickly. One of the officers shot Ferreira within seconds, despite the fact that he was unarmed. They had no layout of the house. They weren’t aware of the fact that Ferriera was a guest on the night of the raid, which is at least suggestive of little or no surveillance. The city, of course, appealed the finding against it, and Ferreira appealed the jury’s finding that the officer who shot him wasn’t liable for his injuries. Late last month U.S. district court judge Thomas McAvoy issued his decision. Ferreira is out of luck. McAvoy first upheld the finding of no liability for the officer. He then found that the City of Binghamton isn’t liable, either."

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It’s Time to End the Paid Militarization of the NFL

"Between 2012 and 2015, the DOD shelled out $53 million to professional sports—including $10 million to the NFL—on 'marketing and advertising' for military recruitment. To be sure, some of that was bona fide advertising. But many of those heart-tugging ceremonies honoring heroes and recreating drills and marches and flyovers are what the report denounced as propaganda. Of course, this being government, no one is really sure how much has been spent or where the money went."

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New Ghost Gun Update Allows Rapid Creation Of Untraceable Handgun

"In addition to selling a computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) mill which can complete unfinished lower receivers for AR-15 semi-auto rifles, Defense Distributed will now sell unfinished receivers for Glocks and single-stack M1911s. Using Defense Distributed’s mill, known as the Ghost Gunner, anyone with $1,600 and some basic milling knowledge can create the lower receiver of an AR-15 rifle."

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The end of a world of nation-states may be upon us

"Nation-states are nothing but agreed-upon myths: we give up certain freedoms in order to secure others. But if that transaction no longer works, and we stop agreeing on the myth, it ceases to have power over us. So what might replace it? The trends that are pinching the nation-state are helping the city-state. In a highly connected, quasi-borderless world, cities are centres of commerce, growth, innovation, technology and finance."

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India Central Bank Governor Warned Against Cash Ban Before Resigning

"Raghuram Rajan left the central bank last September after unnerving political leaders with his outspoken nature. Several months later, Modi blindsided the nation by scrapping 86 percent of currency in circulation, saying the move was essential to unearth unaccounted wealth and fight graft. Since then, speculation has raged over who thought up the policy, with the debate getting more divisive last week as a slew of data showed demonetization contributed to a growth slump without meeting its targets."

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India Demonetization Loses Credibility; 99% of Banned Notes Returned

"Indians have deposited nearly all the currency bills voided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, denting the central bank’s profit and dealing a blow to his drive to unearth unaccounted wealth. The cash ban prompted the central bank to print new currency, reducing its profit and cutting annual dividend payout to the government by half."

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European Central Bank Criticizes Estonian National Cryptocurrency Plans

"Despite the dismissive statements from the European Central Bank’s president, Estonia may still be able to conduct a launch of a national cryptocurrency if it is to do so through a private-public partnership. The head of Estonia’s E-residency scheme’s public relations department, Arnaud Castaignet, has expressed that the republic plans to move forward with the project – however, made no reference to the potential ramifications of EU obligations with regard to the national cryptocurrency."

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Overstock.com to Open Exchange for Legal Crypto-Asset Trading

"In short, the ATS will offer a legally approved, regulated alternative to a major securities exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. As such, the platform may be seen as a major step forward for the token space. Simply put, there are currently no other regulator-approved ways for U.S. investors to trade security tokens."

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Dubai Will Issue First Ever State Cryptocurrency

"Dubai has officially launched its own cryptocurrency called emCash, according to announcements by local news media outlets. The cryptocurrency would be used for payment of governmental and nongovernmental services. According to Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General of Dubai Economy, the token will be considered legal tender 'for various government and non-government services, from their daily coffee and children’s school fee to utility charges and money transfers.'"

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IMF Head Foresees the End of Banking, Triumph of Cryptocurrency

"In a remarkably frank talk at a Bank of England conference, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund has speculated that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency have as much of a future as the Internet itself. It could displace central banks, conventional banking, and challenge the monopoly of national monies. Christine Lagarde–a Paris native who has held her position at the IMF since 2011–says the only substantial problems with existing cryptocurrency are fixable over time."

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