statism

Homicide convictions upheld for faith-healer parents whose daughter died

"Wisconsin and more than a dozen other states have protections in place to keep parents who choose prayer over medical attention from being charged with child abuse. The Neumanns’ attorneys maintain that the law protects parents up through the creation of a potentially lethal situation, making the line where faith-healer parents cross over into criminal liability a blurry one. An Neumann family attorney told the AP that the couple is 'devastated' by the decision. 'They’re still mourning the loss of this child,' said Dale Neumann’s defense lawyer Steven L. Miller. 'From their perspective they felt they were acting in a legal manner.'" Continue reading →

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NJ Supreme Court Rules State Can Seek Custody Of Child Without Evidence Of Abuse

"The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled this week that authorities can seek custody of a child, even where there’s no evidence of abuse or neglect. The case involved a divorced Camden County mother of 9-year-old twin girls. In 2007, she asked New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency for help, claiming she was unable to care for the girls who had psychological and developmental disabilities and needed to be placed in residential care. 'You can turn to the Division for help, but it may come with a cost,' says Diana Autin, executive director of Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNJ Supreme Court Rules State Can Seek Custody Of Child Without Evidence Of Abuse

France wants to ‘temporarily suspend’ trade talks with US over NSA spying

"France wants to delay the ‘biggest bilateral trade deal in history' by 2 weeks after learning the USA was allegedly tracking economic communications of EU member states. But Germany says they should go ahead as planned. The trade agreement negotiations, which could potentially be a key factor in reversing the slow economic climate, are set to commence Monday in Washington DC. Despite surveillance claims, Germany wants the talks to go on as planned, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said shortly after France raised a 2-week delay proposal. 'We want this free trade agreement and we want to start the talks now,' he said." Continue reading →

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U.S. Postal Service Logging All Mail for Law Enforcement

"Leslie James Pickering noticed something odd in his mail last September: a handwritten card, apparently delivered by mistake, with instructions for postal workers to pay special attention to the letters and packages sent to his home. Mr. Pickering was targeted by a longtime surveillance system called mail covers, a forerunner of a vastly more expansive effort, the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program, in which Postal Service computers photograph the exterior of every piece of paper mail that is processed in the United States — about 160 billion pieces last year. It is not known how long the government saves the images." Continue reading →

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India launches first of seven navigation satellites

"India launched the first of seven satellites for its domestic satellite navigation network in the first step to creating a scaled down version of the US Global Positioning System. The United States’ GPS is the most widely used network by consumers with 24 satellites, but other countries including Russia, the European Union and most recently China have developed rival positioning systems. China’s Beidou, or Compass, navigation system is expected to offer global coverage by 2020. India has a well-established space programme, but its cost has attracted criticism as the government struggles to tackle poverty and child malnutrition." Continue reading →

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U.S. decision delayed on easing gadget use on airplanes

"The advisory panel was supposed to finish its work by July 31 but was granted a two-month extension to continue examining whether the use of electronic and WiFi enabled devices, such as iPods, laptops, e-readers and other gadgets, would be safe to use through takeoff and landing and at altitudes under 10,000 feet. Airlines have long told travelers not to use iPods, music players, laptops and other gadgets during takeoffs and landings. NBC News reported that the recommendations are likely to call for allowing passengers to use devices such as electronic readers throughout a flight, and that FAA officials are likely to adopt the change." Continue reading →

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The Imaginary Trial of Dietrich Schmoller

"Dietrich Schmoller: I plead Not Guilty. Presiding Judge: (screaming) What do you mean, 'Not Guilty'? The facts are crystal clear and undisputed! You disclosed to a journalist for a foreign newspaper what we were doing to inmates inside the Auschwitz concentration camp. As a camp guard at Auschwitz, you took a solemn oath to the German state to keep what we doing inside that concentration camp secret. You knew full well that everything we were doing inside that camp was classified 'Top Secret.' You knew that German law required you to keep such matters secret. You are guilty, guilty, guilty!" Continue reading →

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Redacted FBI Documents Show Plot to Kill Occupy Leaders If ‘Deemed Necessary’

"When the Houston Police department was asked about its knowledge of the plot, public affairs officer Keith Smith said it 'hadn’t heard about it' and directed future questions to the Houston FBI office. The obvious question to ask in attempting to determine the identities of the planners is this: Who has sniper training? A number of Texas law enforcement organizations received special training from Dallas-based mercenary company Craft International, which has a contract for training services with Homeland Security. The company was founded by a celebrated Army sniper who was killed by a combat veteran he accompanied to a shooting range." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRedacted FBI Documents Show Plot to Kill Occupy Leaders If ‘Deemed Necessary’

Mask ban: Canada’s veiled protesters face 10 years’ jail

"A new Canadian law forbids people from wearing a mask or covering their face during a riot or so-called 'unlawful assembly' in the country. The law carries a maximum ten-year sentence for anyone convicted of physically concealing their identity. The law does allow exceptions for those who are able to prove they have a 'lawful excuse' for concealing their face, such as for religious or medical purposes. The bill originally proposed imprisoning an offender for five years, but that sentence doubled to ten years after conservative lawmakers greeted the idea enthusiastically." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMask ban: Canada’s veiled protesters face 10 years’ jail

The Nudge That Will Force Banks to Put More Money Into Treasury Securities

"Translation: The rules will require banks to purchase more government securities, rather than make loans to the private sector. The nudge is in. In a May 1 report,Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee said banks, over time, will need to buy as much as $5.7 trillion in 'safe' assets including government bonds by 2020 to comply with the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act in the U.S., and capital standards set by the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland." Continue reading →

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