The Pentagon has admitted to an airstrike that is believed to have killed more than 200 civilians in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, at the edge of the autonomous Kurdistan region. In the 1980s, Kurdistan was targeted by Saddam … Continue reading →
"One famous answer to the riddle of fiat money is that governments use force to ensure that fiat money is valued. But this can't be the case in Somalia: it hasn't had a government since 1991, yet shillings continue to be accepted." Continue reading →
"President Trump inferred that immigrants are responsible for a crime wave sweeping our nation. He announced in his address to Congress that he ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create a new office – Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) – to provide a voice to those victimized by immigrants. The reality is that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native born Americans. Among men aged 18 to 49 years old, immigrants were 20 to 50 percent less likely to be incarcerated compared to their native-born counterparts. You are nearly 300,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be killed in a terrorist act committed by a refugee." Continue reading →
"Findings from the report reveal that consumers would entrust the running of the country to robots. 66 percent of UK citizens expect that robots will be working within the government by 2037, with 16 percent believing this could happen in the next one to two years. A further finding which may cause concern for Number 10 is that one in four think robots will make better decisions that elected government representatives, mainly in regards to the economy." Continue reading →
"Congress as a whole has been more intent on protecting the government from insider leaks than protecting the public from government surveillance. The tension between privacy and government surveillance is one that runs central to the ongoing debate over the CIA and NSA’s data collection tactics, as well as the potential Homeland Security policy that aims to refocus efforts to target 'insider threats.'" Continue reading →
"There are a few things you should know before taking the plunge. I am happy to assist you with your pre-immigration US tax planning. Just let me know when you would like an appointment. If instead, you feel more comfortable speaking to a fellow Brit, I am sure Boris Johnson will be able to tell you a few things about the US tax system (and most likely, why you should avoid it at all costs)." Continue reading →
"The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) warned that suspending visa-free travel would have a 'large negative impact,' including an additional 10 million annual visa applications to process. Additionally, the GBTA warned that if the United States retaliates with its own suspension of visa-free travel, it could mean approximately €2.5 billion in costs to EU citizens as roughly 8 million travelers would need to pay the $160 visa fee and other application costs. The GBTA also cited an Oxford Economics study that projected a 23 percent decline in travel revenue for the U.S. and Canada as a result of a suspension, as well as a projected 140,000 jobs lost in Europe and 73,000 jobs lost in the United States." Continue reading →
"You read that right: They’re not going to pay. It’s not just Illinois facing crippling pension liabilities: It’s also happening in California and New York." Continue reading →
"On Thursday, two Democratic senators said that Trump indicated he would support the bank following a lunch with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. In addition, they said Trump promised to fill two vacant seats on the bank's board, which in the meantime is barred from financing deals of more than $10 million. 'I specifically talked with the president about the need to get the Export-Import Bank up and running,' Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota said. 'It's great news he agreed.' Though the bank said that 90 percent of its authorizations are for small businesses, Boeing is one of its biggest beneficiaries." Continue reading →
"To the extent that AML policies have had an impact, it’s been negative. In addition to high costs and inefficiency, the laws and regulations have disproportionately harmed poor people." Continue reading →