Mainstream News

City of Berkeley fights U.S. civil action against marijuana dispensary

"In the latest strategy against federal attempts to shut down marijuana shops, the city contends the U.S. civil action would harm the city by depriving it of hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes, paid over a period of years, according to Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit group whose attorneys are representing the city. In May, the U.S. government filed a complaint for forfeiture against a property leased by the retail marijuana store Berkeley Patients Group at 2366 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, according to court papers filed by U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCity of Berkeley fights U.S. civil action against marijuana dispensary

Berlin Wall to host exhibit on the world’s tensest borders

"'It’s always a problem — in November I hung a portrait of the US wall in Mexico here and an American came by and shouted at me, ‘You can’t compare this.’ But for me, it doesn’t matter if it’s a religious, national or economic conflict — the idea that you have a problem and you can solve it by building a wall has simply been obsolete since 1989.' Wiedenhoefer said the bleak, often heavily militarised ramparts against illegal immigration, like the US fence on the Mexican border and around the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Morocco, or along religious lines such as in Baghdad and Belfast, were tragic testaments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBerlin Wall to host exhibit on the world’s tensest borders

30,000 California inmates launch hunger strike against ‘state-sanctioned torture’

"At any one time, California holds about 12,000 inmates in extreme isolation, including some who have been in windowless boxes known as security housing units (SHUs) for decades. They are allowed out for an hour a day to exercise – some in a yard, others in a kennel-size cage. Supporters say the strike is a legitimate response to cruel and inhumane conditions. 'The use of prolonged solitary confinement is a form of torture,” said Laura Downton, director for US Policy and Program at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. California has an unusual policy of indefinitely putting suspected gang members in solitary until they identify fellow gang members." Continue reading →

Continue Reading30,000 California inmates launch hunger strike against ‘state-sanctioned torture’

Ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn denounces treatment in U.S. rape case

"Disgraced ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the legal principle of being innocent until proven guilty was violated in the sex scandal that brought him down. Strauss-Kahn told CNN he was still angry with the US justice system over his treatment in 2011 when he was paraded before TV cameras in New York in handcuffs, on charges of rape that were later dropped. 'The problem is that it’s a moment where in all European, American society you are supposed to be innocent, you are supposed to be innocent until you are convicted,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-IMF head Strauss-Kahn denounces treatment in U.S. rape case

Police serving search warrant at home of pro-gun activist Adam Kokesh

"FOX 5 has confirmed that U.S. Park Police along with Herndon Police are serving a search warrant at the home of Adam Kokesh, a pro-gun activist who was seen on a YouTube video posted on July 4th loading a shotgun in Freedom Plaza. Roads have been blocked off in the area of the 1500 block of Snow Flake Court in Herndon and residents have been told to stay indoors while police serve the warrant. Darryl Young, Kokesh's roommate and a political activist, defended Kokesh's actions. 'The point is we have the right to bear arms in all states,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice serving search warrant at home of pro-gun activist Adam Kokesh

Blood, spit and cops: Nationwide drug roadblocks raise eyebrows

"The roadblocks are part of a national study led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is trying to determine how many drivers are on the road with drugs or alcohol in their systems. Similar roadblocks will be erected in dozens of communities across the nation this year, according to the agency. It's been going on for decades. Previous surveys date to the 1970s. The last one was run in 2007, and it included the collection of blood and saliva samples without apparent controversy, sheriff's spokesmen in both Alabama counties said. Gov. Robert Bentley complained that his office had not been notified that the surveys were going to be conducted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBlood, spit and cops: Nationwide drug roadblocks raise eyebrows

Walmart may cancel three planned D.C. stores over ‘livable wage’ act

"The District will have three fewer Walmart stores if the city's liveable wage act passes on Wednesday. The number has been cut from six to three, due to the District’s own doing. Councilwoman Yvette Alexander oversees Ward 7, where two of the three proposed Walmarts may no longer be built. Legislation that is supposed to pass on Wednesday requires big box stores like Walmart to start employee salaries at $12.50 – well above the District’s $8.25 minimum wage. Unfortunately, pulling the plug on these locations allegedly means pulling the plug on approximately 900 jobs as well." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWalmart may cancel three planned D.C. stores over ‘livable wage’ act

China Now General Motors’ Biggest Market

"GM and its Chinese joint venture partners saw sales surge by 10.6 percent during the first half of 2013, to nearly 1.6 million vehicles, an all-time record that positions it as the booming Asian nation's No. 2 automotive manufacturer. It sold just over 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S. during the same period. GM isn't the only American maker outpacing the growth of the overall Chinese market. Rival Ford set its own record for the first half, with sales surging 47 percent there and demand up 44 percent in June. While several makers have yet to report their final numbers, it appears that the two American makers significantly outperformed the overall Chinese market." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina Now General Motors’ Biggest Market

Riot after Chinese teachers try to stop pupils cheating

"Last year, the city received a slap on the wrist from the province's Education department after it discovered 99 identical papers in one subject. Forty five examiners were 'harshly criticised' for allowing cheats to prosper. So this year, a new pilot scheme was introduced to strictly enforce the rules. By late afternoon, the invigilators were trapped in a set of school offices, as groups of students pelted the windows with rocks. Outside, an angry mob of more than 2,000 people had gathered to vent its rage, smashing cars and chanting: 'We want fairness. There is no fairness if you do not let us cheat.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRiot after Chinese teachers try to stop pupils cheating

Thomson Reuters to Suspend Early Peeks at Key Index

"Over the last several years, an exclusive group of investors has paid a steep premium to receive the results of a closely watched economic survey a full two seconds before its broader release. Those two seconds can mean millions of dollars in profits for the investors, who practice a computer-driven strategy called high-frequency trading. On Monday, the company providing these investors with that lucrative edge, Thomson Reuters, is expected to announce that it will suspend the practice, yielding to pressure from the New York attorney general, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThomson Reuters to Suspend Early Peeks at Key Index