The Freedom Watch

One of the world’s largest financial services firms is mining bitcoins

"Abigail Johnson, chief executive of Fidelity, announced that her customers would be able to see cryptocurrency balances on Fidelity’s website, if they held an account with Coinbase, one of the largest providers of storage and trading services in the cryptocurrency business. Johnson also revealed a number of other Fidelity projects underway to figure out how to harness the potential of bitcoin and other digital currencies. One of Fidelity’s projects is mining bitcoin and ethereum, which Johnson said was started for educational purposes, but now turns a tidy profit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOne of the world’s largest financial services firms is mining bitcoins

Centuries-old disfiguring plague breaks out due to the war in Syria

"Doctors in Lebanon are trying to control an outbreak of a centuries-old disease that has re-emerged because of the war in Syria. The 'Aleppo boil', named after the northern Syrian city, had largely been contained before the start of the conflict. Health workers treating refugees fear it could get worse." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCenturies-old disfiguring plague breaks out due to the war in Syria

A Story of Slavery in Modern America

"Lola’s travel papers had expired in 1969, five years after we arrived in the U.S. She’d come on a special passport linked to my father’s job. After a series of fallings-out with his superiors, Dad quit the consulate and declared his intent to stay in the United States. He arranged for permanent-resident status for his family, but Lola wasn’t eligible. He was supposed to send her back. Lola’s legal status became what Filipinos call tago nang tago, or TNT—'on the run.' She stayed TNT for almost 20 years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Story of Slavery in Modern America

1Password adds ‘travel mode’ to keep passwords safe at the (US) border

"Increasingly, people are being asked to turn over and unlock their phones at the border, and doing that can expose a huge amount of data. Add in an app like 1Password — a central repository for a ton of private data — and it’s easy to see why someone would be worried about having to hand over their phone." Continue reading →

Continue Reading1Password adds ‘travel mode’ to keep passwords safe at the (US) border

Manchester Bomber Was Product of West’s Libya/Syria Intervention

"A radicalized Libyan whose family fled Gaddafi's secular Libya, and later trained to be an armed 'rebel' in Syria, fighting for the US and UK 'regime change' policy toward the secular Assad government, Salman Abedi was the direct product of US and UK interventions in the greater Middle East." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingManchester Bomber Was Product of West’s Libya/Syria Intervention

A new GOP bill would make it virtually impossible to sue the police

"Republicans in the House and Senate recently introduced a bill they’re calling the Back the Blue Act of 2017. The bill would create new federal crimes, impose federal police over the will of local officials and voters and shield police officers from virtually any civil liability, even in cases of egregious misconduct." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA new GOP bill would make it virtually impossible to sue the police

IRS Probe of Bitcoin Goes Too Far, GOP Warns

"The Republicans' concerns echo those of Coinbase and its customers, who argue the IRS does not need every single Coinbase account to carry out its audit, and that the investigation sweeps in people who have clearly done nothing wrong. The IRS investigation also comes at a time when the price of bitcoin has been on an incredible tear, climbing from $13 in 2013 to a new high of over $2,000 last week. Some Coinbase customers, however, have not sold any bitcoin at all while many others hold only a minimal amount, raising questions of why the IRS demanded information about every account." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Probe of Bitcoin Goes Too Far, GOP Warns

Court ruling nullifies US requirement that hobbyists register drones

"A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a regulation requiring the public to register drones. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found that the Federal Aviation Administration did not have the authority to regulate so-called 'model aircraft.' If it stands, the decision (PDF) means that the public does not have to abide by the FAA requirement established in 2015. To legally fly a drone, hobbyists are currently required to pay a $5 fee and dole out their name, home address, and e-mail address. Registration was required to be updated every three years. Maximum penalties for failing to comply included three years in prison and a $250,000 fine." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCourt ruling nullifies US requirement that hobbyists register drones