Mainstream News

Georgia prepares to execute mentally disabled prisoner under secrecy law

"The second legal challenge, put before Georgia state courts last Friday, concerns the new Lethal Injection Secrecy Law passed recently by the Georgia assembly that allows the department of corrections to obtain supplies of the sedative pentobarbital in secret. The legislation bypasses normal freedom of information rules by declaring the identity of drug suppliers a 'state secret' in an attempt to circumvent a growing boycott of medical drugs used in executions. The Georgia department of corrections is understood to be seeking pentobarbital to kill Hill through a compounding pharmacy, though it is using the new secrecy law to keep details of the supplier obscured." Continue reading →

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Vietnamese boat people return as entrepreneurs [2003]

"Once the world knew them as boat people, some 2 million Vietnamese who fled the communist regime in their country, most of them in rickety vessels, paying for their perilous passages with hoarded family gold. Their traumatic odysseys at sea, where they were targeted by pirates and other bandits, made dramatic news for years. Most boat people found a home in the West; 1 million settled in the United States. Now, thousands of those who fled after the Vietnam War ended in 1975 have been drifting back to Vietnam as Viet-kieu (overseas Vietnamese), bringing entrepreneurial know-how, foreign passports and ambition." Continue reading →

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Gold! $250K in centuries-old coins found

"The coins, called escudos, were part of the treasure aboard a fleet of 11 Spanish galleons wrecked by a hurricane off the Florida coast on July 31, 1715. It was this famous shipwreck that gave this part of Florida its nickname, The Treasure Coast. The coins appear to be in good condition, and still have some legible dates and markings. The oldest bears the date 1697; the youngest is dated 1714. The 48 coins have an estimated value of $200,000 to $250,000, said Brisben. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the expedition is that the coins were found just 100 feet from the shoreline, in only six feet of water." Continue reading →

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Federal Reserve studying effect of Paypal and Bitcoin on banking

"The U.S. is studying the potential risk from online payment mechanisms like PayPal and Bitcoin, a top US Federal Reserve official told an international conference on Monday. Some bankers have expressed worries that newer players in the online marketplace could have negative implications for the financial system. 'We have been talking… with banking organisations over the last year or two, trying more carefully to understand what the concerns are with these new payment mechanisms,' Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen said. Some officials fear the virtual currency can be used by criminals or terrorists, or could be vulnerable to hackers." Continue reading →

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Feeding Stray Cats In Philly Town Could Leave You Responsible For Their Health

"A proposed law in a town along the Main Line could punish people who feed stray cats. The new law would dictate if you feed it, you own it. And if you own it, you’re responsible for its vaccinations, says the proposal here in Radnor Township. In introducing the changes to current law here earlier this week, president of Radnor Township’s Board of Commissioners, Elaine Schaeffer says it’s not a feeding ban, instead it’s designed to protect against rabies. 'It requires those who choose to feed feral cats with a very minimum modicum standard of care.' Violation of the ordinance could carry a $300 to $1,000 fine." Continue reading →

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San Francisco requires licensing, insurance for dog walkers

"A series of regulations went into effect earlier this month that will place new restrictions on San Francisco’s professional dog walkers. The new rules require dog walkers to obtain a city-issued permit, puts a limit on the number of dogs that can be walked at a time and requires dog walkers to have any vehicles used to transport dogs to be inspected, approved and carry $1 million in liability insurance." Continue reading →

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Ecuador imposes ‘gag order’ on radio and TV stations

"Correa’s party Alianza Pais ruling party, which holds an absolute majority of 100 out of 137 seats in Congress, was easily able to pass the bill despite criticism that it will tighten the state’s control over the media. The law redistributes broadcast media frequencies and licenses, allotting 34 percent to community media and 33 percent to the public sector. The private sector, which currently controls 85.5 percent of radio frequencies and 71 percent of television frequencies, will be confined to the remaining 33 percent. Correa, a populist in the mold of the late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, has long clashed with private media." Continue reading →

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Gangs Ruled Prison as For-Profit Model Put Blood on Floor

"More than 130,000 state and federal convicts throughout the U.S. now live in private prisons such as Walnut Grove, as public officials buy into claims that the institutions can deliver profits while preparing inmates for life after release, saving tax dollars and creating jobs. No national data tracks whether the facilities are run as well as public ones, and private-prison lobbyists for years have successfully fought efforts to bring them under federal open-records law. Yet regulatory, court and state records show that the industry has repeatedly experienced the kind of staffing shortages and worker turnover that helped produce years of chaos at Walnut Grove." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGangs Ruled Prison as For-Profit Model Put Blood on Floor

Booz Allen Grew Rich on Government Contracts

"Over the last decade, much of the company’s growth has come from selling expertise, technology and manpower to the National Security Agency and other federal intelligence agencies. Booz Allen earned $1.3 billion, 23 percent of the company’s total revenue, from intelligence work during its most recent fiscal year. The government has sharply increased spending on high-tech intelligence gathering since 2001, and both the Bush and Obama administrations have chosen to rely on private contractors like Booz Allen for much of the resulting work. Thousands of people formerly employed by the government now do essentially the same work for private companies." Continue reading →

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South Korea using smartphone app to curb military leaks

"The ministry said that, from Monday, its 1,500 staff are no longer allowed to bring smartphones into their offices without installing the app, called 'Mobile Management Device'. Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters that the app, which restricts the use of cameras and audio recording, prevents leaks through smartphones and stops outsiders from hacking into the devices of defence ministry officials. About 70 percent of South Korea’s 50 million people have smartphones — the world’s highest penetration rate." Continue reading →

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