Land Of The Flea

The Minimum Wage Is Cruelest To Those Who Can’t Find A Job

"U.S. youth unemployment now stands at 16 percent for 16–24 year olds, 23 percent for teens, and a shocking 40 percent for black teens. Firms that are already paying more than the federal minimum wage do so because their workers are producing more than $7.25 per hour. Moreover, if workers produce at least $12 per hour, then an increase in the minimum to $10.10 would not affect their job status—but the higher minimum wage rate could drive smaller rivals out of business or prevent new firms from entering. Hence, one should be skeptical of businesses that favor raising the minimum wage." Continue reading →

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Pennsylvania county to issue same-sex marriage licenses despite ban

"Officials in Montgomery County have agreed to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, though the state has a ban on same-sex marriage. The county’s register of wills, D. Bruce Hanes, said he wants to come down 'on the right side of history and the law.' A lesbian couple contacted him last week to apply for a marriage license. The two women later changed their minds after talking to the American Civil Liberties Union. They feared their license would be invalidated. But Hanes is still prepared to issue same-sex marriage licenses." Continue reading →

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Activists file first lawsuit over “Ag Gag” industrial filming law

"RT has been following the story of Amy Meyer, who became the first person the state of Utah tried to prosecute under its new Ag Gag law. She was being pursued for filming a slaughterhouse from a public street. Her case garnered so much attention that it was dismissed, but the ag gag law is still on the books. A new lawsuit looks to change that. [Various parties] have come together to bring a constitutional challenge to the law. They argue that it pits journalists and whistleblowers against the state, encroaches on the public's right to know and hinders independent regulation of these industries." Continue reading →

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Bob Higgs: Where’s the Outrage?

"We have now reached a condition in which state authorities know an immense amount about the personal lives of virtually everyone in the U.S. and many foreigners, as well. Do people suppose that this access to personal information will be used only for the pursuit of terrorists? Anyone who has looked even superficially into previous government information-collection programs knows better. State authorities will, at minimum, employ the communications data and other personal information now at their fingertips to pursue various sorts of criminals, especially persons suspected of tax evasion. Moreover, they will almost certainly use the information for partisan political purposes." Continue reading →

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Snowden plans to settle and work in Russia – lawyer to RT

"Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer who assists the whistleblower, told RT: 'It’s hard for me to say what his actions would be in terms of a positive decision [on the asylum plea],' Kucherena said. 'We must understand that security is the number one issue in his case. I think the process of adaptation will take some time. It’s an understandable process as he doesn’t know the Russian language, our customs, and our laws.' 'He’s planning to arrange his life here. He plans to get a job. And, I think, that all his further decisions will be made considering the situation he found himself in,' he added." Continue reading →

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States with Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine Laws

"With all of the talk about 'Stand Your Ground' laws and self-defense in the 'media' lately, I thought that it would be a good idea to take a look at which U.S. states have those laws in place and the definition of what the law is, without all of the media hype." Continue reading →

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Oath Keepers Places Pro-Snowden Signs in DC Area, Encouraging More Whistle-Blowers

"Oath Keepers has launched a new campaign to place signs and billboards near Washington D.C. area defense and intelligence agencies, praising Edward Snowden for exposing the NSA spying on Americans and urging other government employees to follow Snowden’s example by becoming whistle-blowers. To launch this new campaign, Oath Keepers has placed three back-lit signs on the subway platform in the D.C. Metro Pentagon Station. The first sign at the Pentagon Station is done in the style of the theater scene from George Orwell’s 1984 and features Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, as 'Big Brother'." Continue reading →

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A Black Box for Car Crashes

"Fourteen states have passed laws that say that, even though the data belongs to the vehicle’s owner, law enforcement officials and those involved in civil litigation can gain access to the black boxes with a court order. In these states, lawyers may subpoena the data for criminal investigations and civil lawsuits, making the information accessible to third parties, including law enforcement or insurance companies that could cancel a driver’s policy or raise a driver’s premium. Privacy advocates have expressed concern that the data collected will only grow to include a wider time frame and other elements like GPS and location-based services." Continue reading →

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Law professor: Should 3rd Amendment prevent government spying?

"If the government places a surveillance device in your home, is that sufficiently like quartering troops there to trigger Third Amendment scrutiny? What if it installs spyware on your computer or your cable modem? What if it requires 'smart meters' that allow moment-to-moment monitoring of your thermostat settings or toilet flushes? These specific concerns weren't what the Framers had in mind. In their day, to spy on a family in its own home, you'd have to put a soldier there. But now we have electronic troops in the form of software, gadgets and sensors. Maybe the law needs to take account of this." Continue reading →

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Colorado Springs bans recreational marijuana shops

"Officials in Colorado’s second-largest city voted on Tuesday to ban recreational marijuana shops, becoming the largest community in the state to utilize an opt-out provision of a law that legalized the non-medical use of pot. Colorado Springs has a population of about 420,000 with a large military and evangelical Christian presence and is one of the most conservative and Republican areas in a state which in recent election cycles has turned leftward. The federal government lists cannabis as a dangerous narcotic and considers it illegal for any purpose, a point underscored by Colorado Springs residents who spoke on Tuesday in favor of the ban." Continue reading →

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