statism

DOJ wants your tips for Trayvon federal civil rights case

"President Obama’s Department of Justice wants Americans’ tips on Trayvon Martin’s civil rights to build its federal case against George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of second-degree murder charges Saturday. The DOJ is asking that all tips be sent to Sanford.florida@usdoj.gov. Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told the Orlando Sentinel the federal government is appealing to civil rights groups and community leaders to help build its case." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDOJ wants your tips for Trayvon federal civil rights case

Coroner confirms teenager in Asiana plane crash killed by fire truck

"A coroner announced on Friday that a teenager killed in the Asiana Airlines crash earlier this month in San Francisco was killed by a motor vehicle — likely a fire truck that arrived on the scene to provide assistance — and not injuries sustained in the crash, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The coroner warned as early as July 8 that the the victim, a 16-year-old Chinese high school student later identified as Ye Mengyuan, had sustained injuries more consistent with being struck by an emergency vehicle than that of a plane crash. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White apologized to the family on Friday." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCoroner confirms teenager in Asiana plane crash killed by fire truck

Bitcoin Downloads Surge in Argentina

"Since early June, Argentina’s share of global bitcoin software downloads has more than doubled, as the country edges towards what Barclays called 'a balance-of-payments crisis, in slow motion.' With bitcoin, Argentines can transfer their wealth to anywhere in the world instantly, outside of the domain of local authorities. Also, although bitcoin transactions are stored on a public ledger, it’s extremely difficult to determine the identities of the parties involved in the transactions. That anonymity could help Argentines avoid the scrutiny of the national tax agency, which has aggressively used enforcement actions to contain the public’s dollar purchases." Continue reading →

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Bitcoin: A Bet Against the Stupid Horse

"George Mason economics professor Peter Boettke made his first FreedomFest appearance and presented some harrowing statistics pointing to the demise of the United States. However he made the analogy that the economy is like three horses. The Adam Smith horse drives prosperity through gains from trade. The Joseph Schumpeter horse provides constant innovation from technology. The third horse, what Boettke calls the stupid horse, is government. Both the Smith and Schumpeter horses created bitcoin and as much as the government tries to rein it in, those horses will stay ahead. The government horse is too slow and stupid." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin: A Bet Against the Stupid Horse

“You’re Fired. Want to Work Part-Time?”

"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce summarizes what the situation is. 'Small businesses expect the requirement to negatively impact their employees. Twenty-seven percent say they will cut hours to reduce full time employees, 24 percent will reduce hiring, and 23 percent plan to replace full time employees with part-time workers to avoid triggering the mandate.' Thanks, Nancy. Thanks Barack. You have just created the new normal for low-paid workers: lower pay! This is why the government decided to delay implementation of small business rules until 2015. You see, there are Congressional elections in November of 2014." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“You’re Fired. Want to Work Part-Time?”

Going, Going, Gone: Crisis-Plagued Madrid Sells Out City Assets

"Mayor Ana Botella would like to bring the Summer Olympics to Madrid in 2020, following the city's third attempt to capture the games. Her predecessors have already invested more than €6 billion in the effort, and she needs at least another €2.5 billion. That might explain why, in recent months, Botella has begun to sell off public buildings and properties -- even if she hasn't managed to raise very much money so far. A Chinese bank snatched up a magnificent building near the Prado Museum at a price discount of almost a third. The fire sale also included 26 works by Spain's best-known contemporary artists, which were part of the city hall's inventory." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGoing, Going, Gone: Crisis-Plagued Madrid Sells Out City Assets

The Jobs Number Is B.S., Says Former Head Of B.L.S.

"Keith Hall believes the US economy is a lot sicker than the 7.6 percent unemployment rate would lead you to believe. And he should know. Hall was, from 2008 until last year, the guy in charge of Washington’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that compiles that rate. 'Right now [it’s] misleadingly low,' says Hall, who believes a truer reading of those now wanting a job but without one to be more than 10 percent. The fly in the ointment is the BLS employment-to-population ratio, which is currently at 58.7 percent. 'It’s lower than it was when the recession ended. I think that’s a remarkable statistic.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Jobs Number Is B.S., Says Former Head Of B.L.S.

Detroit Declares Bankruptcy; Citizen Layoffs Begin

After decades of mismanagement, decay, and taxpayer flight led to one of the largest municipal bankruptcies in U.S. history Friday, city officials have begun circulating notices informing citizens that their continued residence would no longer be required. "Look, there's really no need to spell out what everyone knows: Detroiters are a net drain on the Detroit economy," said city emergency manager Kevyn Orr. "The city services they consume cost far in excess of what they can afford. The sooner we complete this restructuring, which will unfortunately require a significant reduction in headcount, the sooner we will be back on track as a city." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDetroit Declares Bankruptcy; Citizen Layoffs Begin

Obama Flashback: “We Refused to Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”

"In October of 2012, President Barack Obama triumphantly declared he 'refused to throw in the town' and 'let Detroit go bankrupt.' On July 18, 2013, Detroit went bankrupt. 'We refused to throw in the towel and do nothing. We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt. We bet on American workers and American ingenuity, and three years later, that bet is paying off in a big way,' Obama said in his weekly address. To be fair, it seems that Obama was touting Detroit of an example of how his administration 'saved' the automobile industry. Clearly though, this administration’s big government policies were still not enough to save the city from economic ruin." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Flashback: “We Refused to Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”

Snowden’s surveillance leaks open way for challenges to programs’ constitutionality

"At least five cases have been filed in federal courts since the government’s widespread collection of telephone and Internet records was revealed last month. The lawsuits primarily target a program that scoops up the telephone records of millions of Americans from U.S. telecommunications companies. Such cases face formidable obstacles. The government tends to fiercely resist them on national security grounds, and the surveillance is so secret that it’s hard to prove who was targeted. Nearly all of the roughly 70 suits filed after the George W. Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping was disclosed in 2005 have been dismissed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden’s surveillance leaks open way for challenges to programs’ constitutionality