Lemonade Stands Legalized in Utah

"Originally, the bill protecting childhood entrepreneurs sought to guard home-based businesses against state intervention. However, many child-run lemonade stands are not operated solely on privately owned property. Often, these amateur businesses are operated on neighborhood street corners or sidewalks, which are unfortunately considered public property." Continue reading

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How a Dog Named Brutus Was Used to Steal $36,000

"The police took more than half of the state’s median yearly income from someone because a dog sat next to their car. If you think this is a horrific injustice, you should feel relieved to know the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with you. Civil asset forfeiture is the formal name for this form of state sanctioned theft." Continue reading

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In America, Growing Tomatoes Might Get Your Home SWAT Raided

"As the family sat quarantined in their own living room while the police searched through their most private and intimate belongings, Bob’s wife Addie had a terrible thought: This must have something to do with the family’s tomato garden." Continue reading

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Jeff Sessions’ Days Numbered, But His Replacements Aren’t Much Better

"The two candidates with the best possibility of being appointed to the newly vacant Attorney General position are Rudy Giuliani and Ted Cruz – neither of which have a favorable track record when it comes to marijuana policy." Continue reading

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People Keep Getting Charged With a Crime for Selling Bitcoin

"It's not illegal to sell bitcoins per se, but at least four people across the US this year have been charged or pleaded guilty to the crime of exchanging the cryptocurrency for fiat as a business without a license—'business' being the keyword." Continue reading

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U.S. bans Americans from traveling to North Korea

"U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has authorized a 'Geographical Travel Restriction' on Americans to forbid them from entering North Korea, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. 'Once in effect, U.S. passports will be invalid for travel to, through and in North Korea, and individuals will be required to obtain a passport with a special validation in order to travel to or within North Korea,' Nauert said. The move was due to 'mounting concerns over the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of law enforcement,' she said." Continue reading

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Jeff Sessions: Justice Department Will Increase Asset Forfeiture

"U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department will issue new directives to increase the federal govenment's use of civil asset forfeiture, a controversial practice that allows law enforcement to seize property from suspected criminals without charging them with a crime. He has already dismantled Obama-era directives on drug sentencing guidelines and ordered a review of all of the existing consent agreements between the Justice Department and police departments that were found to be violating residents' constitutional rights." Continue reading

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IRS Seizes Wedding Boutique, Sells Everything for Next to Nothing

"The elderly Thai immigrants sunk their life savings into designer wedding dresses and were left penniless when the IRS sold them all, according to the couple's attorney. The legal filing claims that the agent on the case originally recognized that the entire inventory would not need to be sold to satisfy the debt. However, Freeman obtained internal IRS communications through a Freedom of Information Act Request and found that IRS higher-ups decided that the agency should 'shut down this failing business.'" Continue reading

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Oregon Takes Couple’s Kids Over Hand-Washing, Sunscreen Habits

"This year the couple had a second son, Hunter. The state also took custody of him. This time they didn't even wait to see how they'd behave as parents: Fabbrini was still in the hospital when they took the boy. One volunteer mediator said she told caseworkers that she believed the couple was capable of raising Christopher. Her conclusion conflicted with the position taken by officials, and subsequently, she says, they told her that her services were 'no longer needed.'" Continue reading

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