Land Of The Flea

Sen. Lindsey Graham: Support immigration bill since with it “we’ve practically militarized the border”

"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Sunday encouraged Republicans to support comprehensive immigration reform because a recent amendment 'practically militarized the border.' According to Roll Call, a so-called 'border surge' amendment would double the number of border agents to 40,000, complete 700 miles of new border fencing, deploy drones and other sensors, fully implement E-Verify and increase tracking on visas. 'I’ve been hearing for years, let’s secure the border, let’s regain our sovereignty.' 'This whole border security amendment, I think, is the most aggressive attempt to control the southern border and regain our sovereignty.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSen. Lindsey Graham: Support immigration bill since with it “we’ve practically militarized the border”

Paul Craig Roberts: Stasi In The White House

"On June 19, 2013, US President Obama, hoping to raise himself above the developing National Security Agency (NSA) spy scandals, sought to associate himself with two iconic speeches made at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy pledged: 'Ich bin ein Berliner'. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan challenged: 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.' Obama’s speech was delivered to a relatively small, specially selected audience of invitees. Even so, Obama spoke from behind bullet proof glass. Obama’s speech will go down in history as the most hypocritical of all time. Little wonder that the audience was there by invitation only." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Craig Roberts: Stasi In The White House

A life sentence … for pot?

"The top federal prosecutor in Montana — Mike Cotter, the U.S. attorney appointed by President Obama in 2009 — is breaking his silence and speaking publicly, for the first time, about his two-year crusade to shutter the medical marijuana industry and put its practitioners behind bars, in many cases for life sentences. And he is mincing no words. He says that pot has no medical value at all, for anyone, and that if you think otherwise, you are a sucker who has been duped 'by slick Madison Avenue marketing' employed by pot dealers. He says pot is a dangerous drug and growing it is a federal crime that must be punished." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA life sentence … for pot?

IRS Targeted Progressive Groups, Too, Documents Reveal

"The Internal Revenue Service targeted progressive groups applying for tax-exempt status in addition to conservative ones, according to IRS documents released by congressional Democrats on Monday. The documents and an internal IRS report being sent to congressional committees reveal that the tax agency used terms that included 'progressive' and 'occupy' to flag progressive organizations for extra scrutiny before the 2012 elections. The revelations greatly complicate the political scandal that has engulfed the IRS over the past few weeks. A request for comment from the IRS was not immediately returned." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Targeted Progressive Groups, Too, Documents Reveal

Credit Suisse faces $1.2-billion US penalty over taxes

"Credit Suisse faces a penalty of $1.2 billion (1.1 billion francs) from US authorities over cases of tax evasion involving American clients, a Swiss lawyer estimates. The cantonal banks of Zurich and Basel are also believed among those targeted. Last week, MPs in Bern rejected an agreement with the US, backed by the Swiss federal government, to temporarily lift banking secrecy laws to allow Swiss banks to settle with American authorities over past tax evasion cases. The agreement was never made public but was expected to include significant fines against 14 Swiss banks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCredit Suisse faces $1.2-billion US penalty over taxes

Privacy services companies stand up against Big Brother

"Encryption communication services companies are gaining momentum as public trust in US technology companies and social media networks are at an all-time low following explosive revelations by Edward Snowden. 'It’s going crazy. You know a lot of people suspected the US government was spying on Americans. But now we have this confirmation so everybody is contacting us now. We’ve had a huge surge in orders,' said Phil Zimmermann, CEO of Silent Circle, encrypted communications firm. Another company that is bearing the fruits of the NSA’s misfortune is Seecrypt, a mobile application that encrypts information sent over the mobile phone." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPrivacy services companies stand up against Big Brother

Bitcoins Seized By DEA

"The Drug Enforcement Administration posted an Official Notification that Bitcoin (i.e. property) belonging to Eric Daniel Hughes was seized for forfeiture pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881, because the property was used or acquired as a result of a violation of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. §§ 801 et seq.) The DEA appears to have been the first agency to seize actual Bitcoins from an individual with this seizure. Exactly how the Bitcoin was seized is not known as of this writing. However, reading the top of the notice it appears that Mr. Hughes can request release of the seized property during the pendency of the forfeiture proceeding due to hardship." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoins Seized By DEA

Police Charge Mother With Murder After 5-Year-Old Girl Fatally Shoots Self

"Police say a 5-year-old girl fatally shot herself when her mother locked her inside their home and went to the store. The New Orleans Police Department said in a news release the girl was home alone Sunday, somehow found her mother's revolver, and accidentally shot herself in the head. The mother, 28-year-old Laderika Smith, will be booked on a charge of second-degree murder. Police say her negligence resulted in the death of her daughter." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Charge Mother With Murder After 5-Year-Old Girl Fatally Shoots Self

“Homelanders” To U.S. Expatriates: Don’t Come Back… Ever

"The 2008 amendments levy an 'exit tax' applies to both U.S. citizens and long-term U.S. residents—green card holders who have resided in the United States for at least eight of the 15 years prior to expatriation. The tax is predicated on the legal fiction that you sell all of your worldwide property at its fair market value on the day before you expatriate. But that’s only the beginning. In 1996, Congress enacted the 'Reed Amendment' to the Immigration and Nationality Act. The amendment gives the US Attorney General the discretion to deny entry into the United States to a former US citizen who renounced US citizenship in order to avoid US taxation." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Homelanders” To U.S. Expatriates: Don’t Come Back… Ever