From The Government And Here To Help

NYPD shoot at man with finger gun, hit elderly woman with walker, others

"Two bystanders were shot by New York police officers who were trying to subdue what NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly called 'an emotionally disturbed man.' 'This individual was blocking traffic and appeared to be attempting to be hit by cars when a police officer on foot patrol attempted to take him into custody in the intersection,' Com. Kelly said. At that time, according to a witness who spoke toThe Daily News, the unidentified man started 'pretending that he had a gun' and 'aimed it at the cops.' The cops fired three shots, none of which hit the suspect. However, an unidentified 54-year-old woman in a walker was struck in the right leg, and a 35-year-old woman was grazed in the buttocks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNYPD shoot at man with finger gun, hit elderly woman with walker, others

Charlotte police kill man running to them for help

"Police in North Carolina shot and killed a man running toward them Saturday morning -- but he may have just been looking for help after a car wreck. Officers responded to a 'breaking and entering' 911 call at a home in Charlotte. The homeowner told dispatchers that a man had been knocking on her door repeatedly. Police say that when they got to the scene, a man matching the caller's description ran toward them. One of the officers fired his stun gun, but it was 'unsuccessful.' Another officer then opened fire, police said. Jonathan Ferrell died at the scene. He was shot several times. He was unarmed. Police now believe Ferrell was seeking assistance after crashing his car." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCharlotte police kill man running to them for help

Boston bomb victims who cash survivor checks lose state health insurance

"Months after the Boston Marathon bombing, J.P. Norden is still recovering from losing his leg, but he can’t cash a $1.2 million check provided to survivors because he would lose his state health insurance for the poor. Norden, and his brother Paul, both had legs amputated and received identical checks as part of the $60 million being distributed by One Fund charity. They told The Washington Post that they are very aware they would quickly use up the $1.2 million with their ongoing medical expenses." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBoston bomb victims who cash survivor checks lose state health insurance

Gov. Standards Agency Suggests Dropping NSA-Influenced Algorithm

"Documents provided by Edward Snowden suggest that the NSA has heavily influenced the standard, which has been used around the world. In its statement Tuesday, NIST acknowledged that the NSA participates in creating cryptography standards 'because of its recognized expertise' and because NIST is required by law to consult with the spy agency. Various versions of Microsoft Windows, including those used in tablets and smartphones, contain implementations of the standard, though the NSA-influenced portion isn’t enabled by default." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGov. Standards Agency Suggests Dropping NSA-Influenced Algorithm

“Privacy” Held Hostage By “Security” – Public Unimpressed

"Since Sept. 11, our government has acted as if security and privacy were an either/or proposition. In other words, an increase in one causes a decrease in the other. Like a seesaw, if one side goes up, the other side must go down. As federal security consultant Ed Giorgio stated several years ago in a widely quoted New Yorker article, 'Privacy and security are a zero-sum game.' Apparently, in order to be more 'secure,' we must accept less 'privacy.' That includes allowing increased warrantless surveillance and scrutiny by the government. So is the government’s argument sound?" Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Privacy” Held Hostage By “Security” – Public Unimpressed

Questions persist after Ark. SWAT team fatally shoots 107-year-old man

"When the time came to move 107-year-old Monroe Isadore to a new home, police say he resisted and barricaded himself inside. Authorities tried using a camera to monitor him, along with negotiating tactics, and finally gas to get him to come out. So, a SWAT team went inside and was greeted by gunfire, authorities say. The team fired back, and Isadore died. The weekend confrontation raised a flurry of questions Monday as residents struggled to make sense of how someone known as a pleasant, churchgoing man who was hard of hearing and sometimes carried a cane had died in an explosive confrontation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingQuestions persist after Ark. SWAT team fatally shoots 107-year-old man

Poland Confiscates Half Of Private Pensions To “Cut” Sovereign Debt Load

"Well, once you nationalize private assets, the public debt will lindeed appear lower than it was before confiscation: we give them that much. End result: 'The Polish pension funds' organisation said the changes may be unconstitutional because the government is taking private assets away from them without offering any compensation.... 'This may lead to the private pension systems shutting down,' said Rafal Benecki of ING Bank Slaski.' But best of all, in the aftermath of Cyprus, we now know what the two most recent European blueprints for preserving the myth of solvency are: bail-ins, which confiscate deposits, and pension fund 'overhauls', which confiscate, well, pension funds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPoland Confiscates Half Of Private Pensions To “Cut” Sovereign Debt Load

Student Loan Consequences: Real, Costly, and Personal

"Under the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) signed into law as part of ObamaCare in March of 2010, students may borrow money directly from the federal government regardless of their credit score or any other financial 'issues' they may be facing. They are not priced according to any 'individualized measure of risk' nor are there loan limits. They are instead politically determined by Congress with undergraduates receiving lower interest rates than graduate students, but graduate students allowed to borrow more than undergrads. This forced entry by the government into what was once a private market transaction has numerous consequences." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudent Loan Consequences: Real, Costly, and Personal

Government Interference in the Bowling Shoe Sector

"New York State Senator Patrick Gallivan (R-59th District) New York State Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-140th District) are sponsoring a bill that would cover bowling shoes. The bill in the assembly is co-sponsored by Assembly members Brian Kolb, Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Jane Corwin. It would require alley owners to post signs, warning keglers not to wear bowling shoes outside, lest they become wet and increase the likelihood that a bowler could slip and fall when they come inside. I think we have pretty much everything covered. Can we now disband all state and federal law making bodies?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment Interference in the Bowling Shoe Sector

Ethan Saylor’s death at hands of cops spurs demand for investigation

A spokeswoman says Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is committed to improving police training after a man with Down syndrome died in the custody of Frederick County deputies in January. The 26-year-old died of asphyxia as three deputies, moonlighting as mall security officers, tried to remove him from a movie theater because he hadn't bought a ticket for a repeat viewing. 'We want to know what occurred without a detail left out. No matter what the outcome is, it's the truth,' said Patti Saylor, his mother. A Frederick County grand jury declined to indict the deputies for what was ruled a homicide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEthan Saylor’s death at hands of cops spurs demand for investigation