Land Of The Flea

Redacted FBI Documents Show Plot to Kill Occupy Leaders If ‘Deemed Necessary’

"When the Houston Police department was asked about its knowledge of the plot, public affairs officer Keith Smith said it 'hadn’t heard about it' and directed future questions to the Houston FBI office. The obvious question to ask in attempting to determine the identities of the planners is this: Who has sniper training? A number of Texas law enforcement organizations received special training from Dallas-based mercenary company Craft International, which has a contract for training services with Homeland Security. The company was founded by a celebrated Army sniper who was killed by a combat veteran he accompanied to a shooting range." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRedacted FBI Documents Show Plot to Kill Occupy Leaders If ‘Deemed Necessary’

Occupy Oakland protesters awarded $1 million over police brutality

"The payouts come in the wake of criticism from independent experts who said the police department was under-resourced and ill-prepared to deal with the protests. The lawsuits detailed how police reacted to the protesters when they tried to reclaim a camp which had been cleared earlier that day. Suzi Spangenberg and Sukay Sow said they were injured by flashbang grenades thrown by officers. Spangenberg, a 52-year-old seminarian was awarded $500,000 in compensation, while Sow, who suffered chemical burns to her foot, received $210,000." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOccupy Oakland protesters awarded $1 million over police brutality

Swiss government reveals ‘solution’ to settle US tax dispute

"The federal government revealed plans in Bern on Wednesday to settle a bitter dispute with Washington after lawmakers rejected a deal that would have halted US legal action against Swiss banks suspected of stashing cash for American tax dodgers. Rather than a blanket accord, Swiss banks will now have to apply on a case-by-case basis for government permission to cooperate with US investigators, Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said. The moves comes two weeks after the Alpine country's parliament shot down the controversial 'Lex USA' accord, which would have temporarily lifted Switzerland's long-sacrosanct banking secrecy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSwiss government reveals ‘solution’ to settle US tax dispute

Why Is My US Brokerage Firm Closing My Account?

"In many cases the agreement that countries have insisted on with respect to FATCA is reciprocal. In other words, a country will say that yes they are willing to exchange information on financial accounts with the USA but the key word is 'exchange' – that is, in return, US financial institutions must also agree to provide information regarding their clients who are citizens of the country entering into the FATCA agreement with the USA. Imagine the mess this will cause for the large US banks and brokerage firms when they have to start reporting to foreign governments on their accounts for residents of these other countries." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy Is My US Brokerage Firm Closing My Account?

Mastercard and Visa Start Banning VPN Providers

"There’s an unwritten rule that Mastercard and Visa don’t accept file-hosting sites that have an affiliate program and PayPal has thrown out nearly all cyberlockers in recent months. It now turns out that these policies have carried over to VPN providers and other anonymizing services. Before the weekend customers of the popular Swedish payment service provider Payson received an email stating that VPN services are no longer allowed to accept Visa and Mastercard payments due to a recent policy change. The new policy went into effect on Monday, leaving customers with a two-day window to find a solution." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMastercard and Visa Start Banning VPN Providers

SWAT Team Kills Armed Homeowner in Dawn Drug Raid

"Officers from the State Police special response team and DEA agents knocked on the door of Kohler's home at 6:05am. to serve a federal warrant. The newspaper described the special response team as 'akin to a SWAT team.' Officers knocked on the door, State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous said, but no one answered, so police 'had to break down the door or forcefully open it somehow.' When police break down the door, they saw Kohler pointing a rifle at them, Baylous said. The troopers opened fire, shooting multiple rounds and killing Kohler. Baylous said he did not think Kohler had fired his weapon, but it was still unclear." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSWAT Team Kills Armed Homeowner in Dawn Drug Raid

Mom settles for $143,000 after infant taken away over faulty drug test

"A Pennsylvania woman whose infant daughter was taken away from her by state authorities when she was just three days old, all due to a false positive on a drug test, won a $143,500 settlement Tuesday. The lawsuit alleged that a drug test she and her child were unknowingly subjected came back positive for opiates because she ate an 'Everything' bagel hours before giving birth. That carb-heavy treat turned into a genuine nightmare for Elizabeth Mort, who had her infant daughter Isabella literally taken out of her arms at her home days after returning from the hospital, all authorized by an emergency protective custody order." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMom settles for $143,000 after infant taken away over faulty drug test

Swisscom boss pledges data is safe

"Swisscom has never released data to the US authorities, he assured the paper. Information is only released in response to requests from the Swiss police request on the basis of a court order. However, Schloter estimated that just 10 to 15 per cent of data linked to all Swiss internet users is actually stored in Switzerland. The rest is stored in data centres abroad, 'mainly in the United States, via Google, Facebook or Twitter'. Meanwhile one in four Swiss internet users said they would change their online behaviour following revelations of far-reaching US surveillance of personal data." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSwisscom boss pledges data is safe

First Amendment lawyer: ‘It is a terrible time to be a journalist’

"Jeff Portnoy was referring to the Obama administration’s secret subpoenas for journalists’ phone and Internet records, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s secret investigation into Associated Press and Fox News reporters 'in the name of national security.' Portnoy received a First Amendment award for his work in trying to prevent Hawaii’s five-year-old Journalism Shield law from expiring June 30. The version which passed eliminated from protection bloggers, online journalists and non-traditional journalists. Journalists who investigate fraud, waste and corruption are a 'dying breed,' Portnoy said, but they are needed now more than ever." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFirst Amendment lawyer: ‘It is a terrible time to be a journalist’

Glenn Greenwald: ‘Obama Admin Using Snowden as an Example in War on Whistleblowers’

"Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian newspaper columnist who first published Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA surveillance programs, joined Fox and Friends this morning and said that there are many more secrets still to come to light. While he declined to specifically say what they were at this time, he did say, 'There are vast programs of both domestic and international spying that the world will be shocked to learn about that the NSA has engaged in with no democratic accountability.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: ‘Obama Admin Using Snowden as an Example in War on Whistleblowers’