Land Of The Flea

DOJ wants your tips for Trayvon federal civil rights case

"President Obama’s Department of Justice wants Americans’ tips on Trayvon Martin’s civil rights to build its federal case against George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of second-degree murder charges Saturday. The DOJ is asking that all tips be sent to Sanford.florida@usdoj.gov. Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told the Orlando Sentinel the federal government is appealing to civil rights groups and community leaders to help build its case." Continue reading →

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“I’m Going to Take Him Out”

"'You’re dead, mother****r!' Those were the last words spoken to 41-year-old Kamas, Utah resident Wade Pennington as he bled to death from two gunshot wounds inflicted at point-blank range. The man who hurled that sadistic taunt at Pennington, Brett Lopez, wasn’t the shooter; his role had been to trap the unarmed victim in the kill zone while his associate, Jared Nichols, pulled the trigger. Neither Nichols nor Perez faced criminal charges, because they were police officers, and their victim was a man with a lengthy criminal record who was on probation at the time of the May 28, 2009 shooting." Continue reading →

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Ex-Honolulu TSA screener denies stealing cash, resigns and denounces agency

"Owens said she was arrested at her home on her day-off. 'I told them I didn't do it,' she said. TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said Owens has resigned. 'I couldn't see myself working for an agency falsely accusing me of theft,' Owens said, adding that she had been thinking about quitting at the end of the year. She said she disliked all the 'disgusting' and 'invasive' pat-downs she was required to do on the job. 'It was just humiliating to have to do that to people,' she said." Continue reading →

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Police Posing as Punks Bust Rockers: Don’t Cops Have Better Things to Do?

"Boston cops are so eager to bust DIY indie-rock shows that they won't simply wait to respond to noise complaints that might arise. Instead they're going online posing as punk rockers to bust bands before they perform. It's part of a citywide effort to crack down on basement and warehouse shows spurred by a recently passed nuisance control ordinance." Continue reading →

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“You’re Fired. Want to Work Part-Time?”

"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce summarizes what the situation is. 'Small businesses expect the requirement to negatively impact their employees. Twenty-seven percent say they will cut hours to reduce full time employees, 24 percent will reduce hiring, and 23 percent plan to replace full time employees with part-time workers to avoid triggering the mandate.' Thanks, Nancy. Thanks Barack. You have just created the new normal for low-paid workers: lower pay! This is why the government decided to delay implementation of small business rules until 2015. You see, there are Congressional elections in November of 2014." Continue reading →

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Detroit Suffers the Biggest Municipal Bankruptcy Ever — Are Your Muni Bonds Safe?

"The move is clearly a tragedy for Detroit residents, workers and retirees. Many will see their health-care and pension benefits slashed. But, ultimately, Detroit felt it had no choice to get out from under its crushing burden. But what about the broader implications? What does this mean for the $3.7 trillion municipal-bond market? Well, many market pundits will claim Detroit is an isolated case. Many bond-fund managers will try to downplay the significance of this. Do not fall for it. First, Detroit is far from alone. While it is certainly the largest municipality to go broke, the city is just the latest in a long line of troubled municipal borrowers to tumble into bankruptcy." Continue reading →

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The Jobs Number Is B.S., Says Former Head Of B.L.S.

"Keith Hall believes the US economy is a lot sicker than the 7.6 percent unemployment rate would lead you to believe. And he should know. Hall was, from 2008 until last year, the guy in charge of Washington’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that compiles that rate. 'Right now [it’s] misleadingly low,' says Hall, who believes a truer reading of those now wanting a job but without one to be more than 10 percent. The fly in the ointment is the BLS employment-to-population ratio, which is currently at 58.7 percent. 'It’s lower than it was when the recession ended. I think that’s a remarkable statistic.'" Continue reading →

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Detroit Declares Bankruptcy; Citizen Layoffs Begin

After decades of mismanagement, decay, and taxpayer flight led to one of the largest municipal bankruptcies in U.S. history Friday, city officials have begun circulating notices informing citizens that their continued residence would no longer be required. "Look, there's really no need to spell out what everyone knows: Detroiters are a net drain on the Detroit economy," said city emergency manager Kevyn Orr. "The city services they consume cost far in excess of what they can afford. The sooner we complete this restructuring, which will unfortunately require a significant reduction in headcount, the sooner we will be back on track as a city." Continue reading →

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City of Detroit Files for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy

"If the Chapter 9 filing is approved, Detroit’s case would be the largest municipal bankruptcy in the history of the United States. The tax base has been destroyed. Detroit lost a quarter-million residents between 2000 and 2010. A population that in the 1950s reached 1.8 million is struggling to stay above 700,000. Much of the middle-class and scores of businesses also have fled Detroit, taking their tax dollars with them. Likely those holding any of the $11 billion in unsecured debt will get next to nothing. Per person, the debt of the U.S. government ($54K/person) is about twice as large as the debt of the City of Detroit ($26K/person)." Continue reading →

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7 Ways The Obama Administration Has Accelerated Police Militarization

"In many of these examples, Obama is merely continuing policies that began in previous administrations. And there are some areas where he has made progress, notably by apportioning a greater portion his anti-drug budget to treatment instead of enforcement. But in several of the examples above, he has actually stepped up the policies he inherited. Obama the candidate made some unusually frank and critical statements about the drug war, incarceration, and the criminal justice system. His drug czar then showed some rare insight into the dangers of war rhetoric when discussing domestic policing. Obama the president has been more of the same, and in some cases worse." Continue reading →

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