Bill Bonner: Do You Live Next to One of These Spy Hubs?
"Republicans are back on their feet, cheering the very Big Government they despised a generation ago."
How Silicon Valley workers are revolting against ICE overreach
"The growing recognition among white-collar workers that their labor is a precondition to the carrying out of unjust policies — and that if they withhold that labor, they can help bring these policies to a halt — is critical."
Microsoft Removes Glowing Mention of ICE Contract After Protests
"Microsoft Corp. scrubbed an online reference to its work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the agency faces criticism for its role in separating families at the U.S.-Mexican border."
Amazon employees protest sale of facial recognition software to police
"The employees call out two specific businesses that Amazon should end: the sale of facial recognition software to law enforcement (marketed as Amazon Web Services Rekognition), and the sale of AWS cloud services to Palantir (a data analytics firm that provides 'mission critical' software to ICE)."
China plans to turn itself into a country of 19 super-regions
"As China’s economy has modernised, the tendency towards concentration has been irresistible, especially in coastal areas. Some towns have specialised in electronics, others in the clothing industry and so on. There has also been much more migration to the coast than to other regions. It is the clusters that have coalesced naturally, especially the deltas of the Pearl and Yangzi rivers, that have the brightest prospects."
Trump urges Congress to restrict Chinese investment in U.S. tech companies
"New legislation 'will enhance our ability to protect the United States from new and evolving threats posed by foreign investment.'"
Liberty Dollar relaunches as silver-backed cryptocurrency
"The original Liberty Dollars were promoted by the issuer to be used in commercial transactions as an alternative to federal currency, including Federal Reserve notes. Liberty Dollars eventually drew the attention of federal authorities, who filed criminal counterfeiting charges against Bernard von NotHaus."
Feds ran a money-laundering operation for over a year in $20M darknet sweep
"The core of the operation was an online money-laundering business seized by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and operated as a sting for over a year. By offering cash for bitcoin, HSI agents were able to identify specific drug dealers, ultimately tracing more than $20 million in drug-linked cryptocurrency transactions."
California To Create A ‘Ministry of Truth’ To Combat Fake News
"The Electronic Frontier Foundation opposes the bill, calling it 'flawed' and 'misguided.' The group argues the measure would make the government and advisory group responsible for deciding what is true or false. It also points out the First Amendment prevents content-based restrictions, even if the statements of 'admittedly false.'"
The NSA’s Hidden Spy Hubs in Eight U.S. Cities
"The NSA considers AT&T to be one of its most trusted partners and has lauded the company’s 'extreme willingness to help.'"