"Unclaimed property is one of the fastest growing sources for state revenue, and many believe that most unclaimed property is not reported. The lucrative silence surrounding unclaimed property has shifted from business entities, prior to the enactment of unclaimed property laws, to the current lucrative silence that allows unclaimed property to become a vital source of revenue for state governments."
"The creators lauded the launch as establishing the first nation to have all of its territory in space, though no countries have acknowledged its statehood. For now, the primary benefit of 'citizenship' is being able to store data on Asgardia-1 while it’s in orbit. Only those who support the constitution will have the right to upload data to the satellite. Asgardia will have taxes, though only businesses will be forced to contribute. Individual taxes will apparently be voluntary. The website explains that 'people can decide what amount of tax they would like to pay.' The country will also have passports, IDs, a national bank, business regulations, and a cryptocurrency called SOLAR."
"Around seven million people are living on the brink of famine and four million have no access to clean water. Save the Children estimates that even before the blockade began around 130 children were dying each day and that more than 50,000 will have died by the end of 2017. The Saudi-led military coalition has also been bombing the Houthis for more than two years in support of the internationally-recognised Yemeni government, but there is no end in sight to the fighting. Both the US and UK have supported the Saudi-led coalition with logistics and intelligence, despite accusations that the coalition was guilty of war crimes for bombing civilian targets."
"Police made mass arrests that swept up journalists, onlookers and even a black undercover officer, who was reportedly beaten. This also seems like one of those 'How would we view this if it happened in another country?' moments. A judge just found the police guilty of using chemical agents on protesters because those protesters were criticizing the police."
"'Buy bitcoin' is now a more popular search phrase than 'buy gold' on Google. The buzz is starting to impinge on gold’s role as a store of value especially since, like the precious metal, there’s a finite supply of bitcoin, which proponents say gives it anti-inflationary qualities. Sales of gold coins from the U.S. Mint slid to a decade low in the first three quarters months of 2017."
"Many people in Zimbabwe don’t have bank accounts. But a growing number own smartphones. And that’s all you need to buy bitcoin. But this isn’t just happening in Zimbabwe. The people of Venezuela are becoming increasingly desperate. And many are buying bitcoin to survive. That’s because bitcoin doesn’t lose value by the day like the bolivar, Venezuela’s currency. Instead, it becomes more valuable."
"Covered deposits no longer need to be protected, according to the European Central Bank (ECB), which has proposed this month to stop withdrawals when a bank is on the verge of failing. It has suggested the current €100,000 (£85,000) deposit level currently protected in the event of a bail-in would no longer be available."
"Riyadh seems to have found the way to curb the budget deficit caused by lower oil prices. As the Financial Times report, Saudi officials are offering the arrested royals a deal – pay up to 70 percent of your wealth and go free. The Saudi government could appropriate hundreds of billions of dollars from the arrested to refill depleted state reserves, according to the media."
"The House of Saud is in crisis as MBS consolidates his hold on the kingdom and prepares to transform Saudi Arabia in his image. But what is behind the purge, and how does it relate to the future of the world monetary system. Join James for a classic Corbett Report debriefing on the Saudi purge and the rise of the petroyuan."
"The employer mandate is lucrative for the government. It is expected to bring in penalty payments of $207 billion over the next decade, according to projections by the Congressional Budget Office. Businesses will generally incur fines of around $2,000 per employee (excluding the first 30) if they do not offer qualifying coverage to nearly all of those who work an average of 30 or more hours a week. The penalty is activated if at least one employee then buys insurance on the health law’s marketplace and receives a subsidy for it. The per-employee fine increases each year, and can add up quickly: A company with 100 workers that ignored the law this year would owe a penalty of more than $158,000."