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Ohio police department sparks controversy with fake drug checkpoints | Fox News: "Police in Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Heights recently posted large yellow signs along Interstate 271 that warned drivers that there was a drug checkpoint ahead, to be prepared to stop and that there was a drug-sniffing police dog in use.
There was no such checkpoint, just police officers waiting to see if any drivers would react suspiciously after seeing the signs."
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Welfare for the rich disguised as welfare for the poor - Campaign for Liberty
Welfare for the rich disguised as welfare for the poor - Campaign for Liberty: "When the Committee was drafting the bill, most staffers paid more attention to the concerns of the food industry lobbyists than to the poor women who were the program’s supposed beneficiaries. One staffer even told me directly that “this is about helping agribusinesses, not feeding poor people.”"
"According to the Congressional Research Service, food vendors participating in WIC received $9.86 billion in Fiscal Year 1997–75% of the total funds spent on the WIC program! This fiscal year, producers of food products approved by the federal government for purchase by WIC participants are expected to receive $10 billion in taxpayer dollars! Small wonder the lobbyists who came to my office to discuss WIC were not advocates for the poor, but rather well-healed spokespersons for corporate interests!"
"one of the most contentious issues debated at Committee mark-up was opposition to an attempt to allow USDA to purchase non-quota peanuts (currently the only peanuts available for sale are farmers who have a USDA quota; all other farmers are forbidden to sell peanuts in the US) for school nutrition programs. Although this program would have saved the American taxpayers $5 million this year, the amendment was rejected at the behest of supporters of the peanut lobby."
"Under the law, all the food purchased by the government for distribution has to come from domestic producers and be shipped overseas on US ships. The Obama Administration proposed using a portion of the food aid funds to buy locally produced products on the grounds that this would be a cheaper and more effective way of providing aid. The Senate rejected this rare attempt at fiscal responsibility from Obama. According to my Capitol Hill sources, it was after fierce lobbying from the shopping industry.
Representative Ed Royce offered an amendment to the Farm bill requiring that at least 45% of foreign food aid be used to purchase food from locally produced sources. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 203-220."
"According to the Congressional Research Service, food vendors participating in WIC received $9.86 billion in Fiscal Year 1997–75% of the total funds spent on the WIC program! This fiscal year, producers of food products approved by the federal government for purchase by WIC participants are expected to receive $10 billion in taxpayer dollars! Small wonder the lobbyists who came to my office to discuss WIC were not advocates for the poor, but rather well-healed spokespersons for corporate interests!"
"one of the most contentious issues debated at Committee mark-up was opposition to an attempt to allow USDA to purchase non-quota peanuts (currently the only peanuts available for sale are farmers who have a USDA quota; all other farmers are forbidden to sell peanuts in the US) for school nutrition programs. Although this program would have saved the American taxpayers $5 million this year, the amendment was rejected at the behest of supporters of the peanut lobby."
"Under the law, all the food purchased by the government for distribution has to come from domestic producers and be shipped overseas on US ships. The Obama Administration proposed using a portion of the food aid funds to buy locally produced products on the grounds that this would be a cheaper and more effective way of providing aid. The Senate rejected this rare attempt at fiscal responsibility from Obama. According to my Capitol Hill sources, it was after fierce lobbying from the shopping industry.
Representative Ed Royce offered an amendment to the Farm bill requiring that at least 45% of foreign food aid be used to purchase food from locally produced sources. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 203-220."
Admitted mastermind of 9/11 terror attacks allowed by CIA to design vacuum cleaner in prison | Fox News
Admitted mastermind of 9/11 terror attacks allowed by CIA to design vacuum cleaner in prison | Fox News: "Mohammed had endured the most brutal of the CIA's harsh interrogation methods and had confessed to a career of atrocities. But the agency had no long-term plan for him. Someday, he might prove useful again. Perhaps, he'd even stand trial one day.
And for that, he'd need to be sane."
"the CIA may be in possession of the world's most highly classified vacuum cleaner blueprints"
"By the CIA's own account, the program's methods were "designed to psychologically 'dislocate'" people. But once interrogations stopped, the agency had to try to undo the psychological damage inflicted on the detainees."
"Any type of prolonged isolation in custody — much less the settings described in the press — have been known to have a severe impact on the mental condition of the detainee"
"Agency officers and contractors forced him to stay awake for 180 hours, according to a CIA inspector general's report. He also underwent 183 instances of waterboarding, or simulated drowning."
"The prison had a debriefing room, where Mohammed, who saw himself as something of a professor, held "office hours," as he told CIA officers. While chained to the floor, Mohammed would lecture the CIA officers on his path to jihad, his childhood and family. Tea and cookies were served."
"For security reasons, after a prisoner finished a book, they tediously checked every page to ensure detainees weren't passing messages.
They once caught detainees trying to hide a message in a book warning one another not to talk about Osama bin Laden's courier. The courier would later lead the CIA to bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, where U.S. Navy SEALs killed him in 2011."
"It sounds ridiculous, but answering this question, or confirming or denying the very existence of a vacuum cleaner design, a Swiffer design, or even a design for a better hand towel would apparently expose the U.S. government and its citizens to exceptionally grave danger"
And for that, he'd need to be sane."
"the CIA may be in possession of the world's most highly classified vacuum cleaner blueprints"
"By the CIA's own account, the program's methods were "designed to psychologically 'dislocate'" people. But once interrogations stopped, the agency had to try to undo the psychological damage inflicted on the detainees."
"Any type of prolonged isolation in custody — much less the settings described in the press — have been known to have a severe impact on the mental condition of the detainee"
"Agency officers and contractors forced him to stay awake for 180 hours, according to a CIA inspector general's report. He also underwent 183 instances of waterboarding, or simulated drowning."
"The prison had a debriefing room, where Mohammed, who saw himself as something of a professor, held "office hours," as he told CIA officers. While chained to the floor, Mohammed would lecture the CIA officers on his path to jihad, his childhood and family. Tea and cookies were served."
"For security reasons, after a prisoner finished a book, they tediously checked every page to ensure detainees weren't passing messages.
They once caught detainees trying to hide a message in a book warning one another not to talk about Osama bin Laden's courier. The courier would later lead the CIA to bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, where U.S. Navy SEALs killed him in 2011."
"It sounds ridiculous, but answering this question, or confirming or denying the very existence of a vacuum cleaner design, a Swiffer design, or even a design for a better hand towel would apparently expose the U.S. government and its citizens to exceptionally grave danger"
Protesters of acquittal in Trayvon Martin shooting take to the streets of SF, LA and Oakland | Fox News
Protesters of acquittal in Trayvon Martin shooting take to the streets of SF, LA and Oakland | Fox News: "Demonstrators protested in three California cities against the acquittal of George Zimmerman and officials say they broke windows and vandalized cars in Oakland."
Freakonomics » What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?: Full Transcript
Freakonomics » What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?: Full Transcript: "And [my 3 year old] had figured out how to game a system that a world-leading economist had come up with. It’s really a cautionary tale to economists – when you come up with incentive schemes that even your three year old daughter can undo in a few days? What does that mean when you come up with an incentive scheme the whole world – you know, two, three hundred million people are out there strategizing against it, trying to beat you? You know you’re going to get beaten."
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