Stephen Johnson, commander of the official state apparatus for dispensing violence in Miami Gardens, has been arrested and fired after soliciting a prostitute as part of another law enforcement agency's sting operation. Johnson's predecessor was removed from office for overseeing a period of history in which the Miami Gardens police department singled out a law abiding citizen and his employer for harassment hundreds of times. The dismal situation in Miami Gardens is just a small part of the larger trend in the United States where law and law enforcement have become irreparably detached from actual justice.
Category Archives: News
Anti-Integrity Advocates Push Netflix to Break Contracts
Two days after the United States Federal Communications Commission decided to bring "Network Neutrality" regulations to the Internet in their country, an editorial in Ars Technica is advocating that prominent corporate advocate for these changes Netflix use the rules to break its contracts with a number of Internet Service Providers by having regulators impose more favorable terms for them in their relationships with other businesses. Continue reading
Chinese Yuan Passes Australian, Canadian, Hong Kong Dollars in International Use
A new report by SWIFT shows that the Chinese Yuan (RMB) rising in use for international payments compared to a number of other nationally issued currencies. This surge highlights the constant instability suffered by users of fiat currencies as the increased internationalization of the RMB makes it more difficult for the users of other alternative national currencies to market their chosen value token to new users. The RMB is presently the fifth most popular national currency for payments usage behind the United States dollar, the Euro, the Pound which was formerly Sterling, and the Japanese Yen. The Yen is particularly vulnerable to losing adoption and popularity versus the RMB as it is only 0.52% more popular as of the time covered by this SWIFT report.
Missouri State Auditor Dies of Gunshot Wound
Missouri state auditor and leading candidate for Missouri Governor Tom Schweich died today1 of a gunshot wound described as "self inflicted" by the media. Schweich was a notable force against corruption in government battling efforts to squander the bountiful resources collected from taxpayers at every turn. His death was "confirmed by his office" mere hours after placing numerous phone calls to media outlets requesting and scheduling interviews for later today. Four months ago he was elected to a second term as auditor by 73 percent of voters.
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GPG Criticism Reaches New Low As Use Cases Expand
This week former Twitter engineer and microcelebrity Moxie Marlinspike unleashed a torrent of criticism against the Gnu Privacy Guard encryption software, which he loosely justified by confusing an etiquette problem with a technical problem. Continue reading
NY "Environmental Protection" Raid Drives Suicide
Yesterday Dell's Maraschino Cherries in Brooklyn was raided by the New York Department of Environmental Protection and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office under the pretext of searching for violations of environmental protection regulations. The pretext was used because law enforcement had "received a tip" that the thriving cherry business was being used as a front for an operation engaging in marijuana commerce. The "tip" however was insufficiently credible to justify a search warrant from a judge. Continue reading
Half Million Dollar Ransom Made In Bitcoin
For one Canadian expatriate the term "Ransomware" has taken a more literal turn. According to The Tico Times Ryan Piercy was allegedly kidnapped and held for roughly a month by attackers who demanded a half million dollar ransom to be paid in Bitcoin. Piercy arrived home Saturday via taxi, so if Piercy was indeed held for ransom it seems incredibly likely the ransom was paid and the scheme worked as advertised.
Court: No Surveillance Records for FBI Terrorist
The United States Supreme Court without comment denied Adel Daoud, a 21 year old FBI trained terrorist, access to secret court orders which authorized electronic surveillance against him. Without access to the documents authorizing surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act there is no practical means for Daoud to mount a legal defense against the legality of the surveillance he was placed under. Daoud was arrested for triggering a device outside of a Chicago bar which was provided to him by the FBI and which the FBI swears they told him was a bomb. Continue reading
US Political Crisis May Impoverish Homeland Security Department
The New York Times reports that a legislative impasse in the United States Congress might leave the Department of Homeland Security without funds. If this comes to pass, roughly 30,000 employees in mostly administrative positions will be furloughed while the remaining 200,000 employees deemed "critical" would be compelled to report for work as normal. The "critical" employees would be working without the expectation of receiving a pay check.
The Dangers of Bitcoin Trapping
A place where an illegal transaction happens, such as a drug deal has come to be known as “the trap spot”. In those moments when both parties meet anyone can run up on the participants and cause pandemonium to erupt. Due to the untrustworthy dealings of Coinbase and Bitstamp, the best method for acquiring Bitcoin is through old fashioned OTC trade. However speculation of the dangers of trapping has become reality for unlucky individuals in New York City. The Observer reported a crime wave in which victims have been robbed at gunpoint for their coins. Continue reading