statism

Healthy girl confiscated from parents who smoked pot, given to murderous foster mother

"A little girl was confiscated from her loving parents because they smoked marijuana, and given away to a foster mother who put her into a coma and killed her. Alexandria Hill, age 2, succumbed to her injuries after being 'thrown to the ground.' 'We never hurt our daughter. She was never sick, she was never in the hospital, and she never had any issues until she went into state care,' said Joshua Hill, the girl's natural father. Hill says that his daughter was put in to more than one dangerous foster home." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHealthy girl confiscated from parents who smoked pot, given to murderous foster mother

Government Proposes in Effect to Put Itself in Charge of Apple Pricing

"This was actually an attempt by publishers to regain control over their e-book pricing from retailers, and ended when publishers signed consent decrees with the government. This should be the end of the story but instead the government now wants to appoint a monitor who will review all Apple pricing for the next ten years. No economy can thrive without an honest and unmanipulated price system, as the Soviet Union demonstrated so vividly by collapsing. Yet we are at a moment in which our government wants to control more and more prices throughout the economy, now even wanting to control a leading technology company’s prices for a decade." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment Proposes in Effect to Put Itself in Charge of Apple Pricing

Did Goldman Sachs Overstep in Criminally Charging Its Ex-Programmer?

"A month after ace programmer Sergey Aleynikov left Goldman Sachs, he was arrested. Exactly what he’d done neither the F.B.I., which interrogated him, nor the jury, which convicted him a year later, seemed to understand. But Goldman had accused him of stealing computer code, and the 41-year-old father of three was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. Investigating Aleynikov’s case, Michael Lewis holds a second trial." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDid Goldman Sachs Overstep in Criminally Charging Its Ex-Programmer?

JPMorgan’s Latest Guilt-Free Payoff

"There was that awful phrase again, in JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s settlement with U.S. energy regulators: The company 'neither admits nor denies the violations.' The $410 million pact between JPMorgan and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission doesn't do much good for the rest of us. For years the Securities and Exchange Commission has been the agency that gets the most criticism for these sorts of 'no-admit' settlements. The SEC has long defended their use by pointing, in part, to the many federal agencies that routinely do the same thing. The energy regulators just gave the SEC a new high-profile example." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJPMorgan’s Latest Guilt-Free Payoff

Somalis Face a Snag in Lifelines From Abroad

"Humanitarian groups, politicians and Somalis themselves are now sounding the alarm over plans by the British bank Barclays to suspend the accounts of a number of money transfer companies used to send money to developing countries — rather than risk a run-in with regulators over potentially abetting the financing of terrorists or money laundering. The looming cutoff, expected to occur next Saturday, comes at a time when more and more Somalis have returned from abroad to invest in their home country, build new businesses and jump-start the nation’s economy after years of chaos." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSomalis Face a Snag in Lifelines From Abroad

US issues global travel alert over Al Qaeda threat, prepares to close embassies

"The State Department issued a worldwide travel alert on Friday to U.S. citizens over an Al Qaeda terror threat as Washington prepared to close its embassies and consulates throughout the Muslim world this Sunday over security concerns. U.S. officials have not offered many details on the nature of the threat, but apparently are taking it seriously. A White House official said Friday night President Obama was being updated on 'a potential threat occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula.' 'There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it,' said Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS issues global travel alert over Al Qaeda threat, prepares to close embassies

US issues global travel alert over Al Qaeda threat, prepares to close embassies

"The State Department issued a worldwide travel alert on Friday to U.S. citizens over an Al Qaeda terror threat as Washington prepared to close its embassies and consulates throughout the Muslim world this Sunday over security concerns. U.S. officials have not offered many details on the nature of the threat, but apparently are taking it seriously. A White House official said Friday night President Obama was being updated on 'a potential threat occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula.' 'There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it,' said Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS issues global travel alert over Al Qaeda threat, prepares to close embassies

Putin Shows Global Mojo to Russians as U.S. Fumes Over Snowden

"Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing his gamesmanship on a global stage by giving his voters what they want with the asylum granted to ex-U.S. contractor Edward Snowden, while leaving the White House flustered. The decision is backed by almost twice as many Russians as those against it and those who view Snowden’s role as positive outnumber negative assessments three to one. Putin, who used Russia’s oil-powered wealth accumulation to build support for his 13-year rule, is facing an economy that threatens to slide into recession." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPutin Shows Global Mojo to Russians as U.S. Fumes Over Snowden

If I Bribe City Hall, Can I Reduce My Mortgage?

"Richmond, California, sent the securities and real estate industries into a tizzy this week. The city said it is moving ahead with plans to use its power of eminent domain to seize home mortgages and restructure them for residents who owe more money than their homes are worth. This would be a first in the U.S. Normally when governments do things that upset Wall Street millionaires it’s a sign they’re going down the right path. There are exceptions, of course. Cities usually use eminent domain to seize land and buildings. If they’re going to start seizing home mortgages, why stop there?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIf I Bribe City Hall, Can I Reduce My Mortgage?

Top Federal Reserve economist slams ‘incoherent’ European Central Bank

"A paper by the Richmond Fed said the ECB is hamstrung by institutional problems and acts on the mistaken premise that excess debt is the cause of the eurozone crisis when the real cause is the collapse of growth. 'The ECB lacks a coherent strategy for creating the monetary base required to sustain the money creation necessary for a growing economy,' said the paper, written in July by Robert Hetzel, the bank’s senior economist. It called for direct action to buy 'bundles' of small business loans, as well as 'packages of government debt' across EMU states, including German Bunds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTop Federal Reserve economist slams ‘incoherent’ European Central Bank