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Keyword: protectionracket

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  • FBI Admits It Meddles In ‘Numerous Companies,’ Not Just Twitter

    12/22/2022 2:51:08 PM PST · by E. Pluribus Unum · 60 replies
    The Federalist ^ | DECEMBER 22, 2022 | VICTORIA MARSHALL
    After a series of “Twitter Files” detailed Twitter’s extensive collusion with the FBI and federal agencies to control public discourse before Elon Musk took over the tech giant, the FBI on Wednesday tried to salvage its reputation by spinning the revelations as normal procedure. “The correspondence between the FBI and Twitter show nothing more than examples of our traditional, longstanding and ongoing federal government and private sector engagements, which involve numerous companies over multiple sectors and industries,” the FBI said in a statement to Fox News. “As evidenced in the correspondence, the FBI provides critical information to the private sector...
  • Biden asks Congress to approve $1 billion arms deal with Taiwan

    09/02/2022 5:53:51 PM PDT · by ChicagoConservative27 · 25 replies
    The hill ^ | 09/02/2022 | Jared Gans
    Share Tweet ... More The Biden administration is requesting approval from Congress for more than $1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan amid increased tensions with China over the island’s status. The State Department announced on Friday that it approved three separate proposed military sales for Taiwan, and Congress has been notified of them. If approved by Congress, the three sales will send contractor logistics support for Taiwan’s Surveillance Radar Program, up to 60 AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II missiles and related equipment and up to 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder Tactical Missiles and equipment.
  • Cuomo Pushes Private Businesses to Mandate ‘Vaccine-Only’ Admission

    08/02/2021 4:00:28 PM PDT · by yoe · 37 replies
    The Epoch Times ^ | August 2, 2021 | Jack Phillips
    New York Gov. (Andrew Cuomo) urged private businesses on Aug. 2 to institute “vaccine-only” admission in order to incentivize getting vaccinated against COVID-19.“Private businesses, bars, restaurants: go to a vaccine-only admission. … I believe it’s in your business interest to run a vaccine-only establishment,” he said, without elaborating.
  • EXCLUSIVE: Food poisoning, 'hopeless' lack of regulation cited at NYC's street carts

    11/19/2014 6:00:10 AM PST · by dennisw · 37 replies
    nydailynews ^ | November 17, 2014 | Nolan Hicks , Larry Mcshane
    EXCLUSIVE: Food poisoning, 'hopeless' lack of regulation cited at NYC's street carts The city’s 311 line received 359 calls of food poisoning or unsanitary conditions at street carts and trucks in three years — including tainted food, workers without gloves, roaches on carts and other stomach-churning complaints. Critics say the vendors operate under a lack of oversight. Funky fruit. Icky ice cream. Putrid pretzels. Toxic tacos. Those are among hundreds of complaints made by nauseous New York street diners who pulled their heads from the toilet long enough to dial the city’s 311 line. More than half of the 359...
  • What’s the most expensive ingredient in beer? Taxes! (VIDEO)

    04/01/2014 3:38:43 PM PDT · by TheProducer · 2 replies
    The Libertarian Republic ^ | 4/1/2014 | Ian Huyett
    Obama's & His Dark Sayings; The Wrath of God On America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrp6wUkTGjY
  • 60 Minutes: Grover Norquist 'Likes Things Ugly, Has Characteristics of Protection Racket'

    11/20/2011 6:48:27 PM PST · by governsleastgovernsbest · 27 replies
    NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein
    Serious question: who do you think the liberal media loathes more: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Grover Norquist? I'm going with 'b.' After all, Mahmoud merely wants to build an atom bomb and wipe Israel off the map, for starters. But Grover Norquist wants to keep taxes from increasing and thereby limit the growth of government. In a 60 Minutes hit piece tonight, CBS correspondent Steve Kroft claimed Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, "likes things ugly." For good measure, Kroft claimed that Norquist's strategy has some of the characteristics of a "protection racket." View the video here.
  • CALIFORNIA: Legislature blithely interferes with local decision-making

    06/03/2011 8:14:59 AM PDT · by SmithL · 7 replies
    Sacramento Bee ^ | 6/3/11 | Dan Walters
    While state legislators pay lip service to local decision-making, they also claim a divine right to intervene in local conflicts by siding with one faction or the other, even when it means overturning ordinary governmental and legal processes. Sen. Juan Vargas, who made it back into the Legislature last year by the skin of his teeth, embraces that dubious, time-dishonored practice with measures that would intervene in two local development flaps. ... Meanwhile, another Vargas bill, SB 469, inserts the state into a long-running controversy in San Diego over development of "superstores" by Wal-Mart and other big retailers, taking the...
  • MPAA Admits To Losing PR War To The "Enemies Of Copyright"

    06/15/2009 12:51:44 PM PDT · by steve-b · 43 replies · 1,335+ views
    ZeroPaid ^ | 6/13/09 | Drew Wilson
    The MPAA apparently said that the “enemies of copyright have really done a good job at creating the false premise that the interest of copyright holders and the interest of society as a whole are antagonistic” during the World Copyright Summit. The worry is that their pro-copyright advocacy perspective is fading away in the public conscious. In an interesting report from IP-Watch where there were a few choice words levelled against those that disagreed with the view-points of the copyright industry. Apparently, Fritz Attaway suggested that it's false to assume that the rights of the industry and the interest of...
  • Officer Accused Of Threatening Starbucks Managers For Free Coffee

    07/17/2008 8:49:47 AM PDT · by Huntress · 123 replies · 1,480+ views
    Local 6 (Orlando, FL) ^ | 7/17/08 | Unattributed
    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A police lieutenant in Daytona Beach was fired over accusations that he threatened slower emergency response times if he was not given complimentary specialty Starbucks coffee drinks. An internal police investigation found that Daytona Lt. Major Garvin received free coffee for about two years from a city Starbucks coffee store. However, when recently denied free coffee from new management, Garvin allegedly told managers that he could change the police department's response time if they refuse to give him complimentary drinks. Garvin is accused of saying, "If something happens, either we can respond really fast or we...
  • New board of imams to tackle extremists

    07/14/2008 4:36:35 PM PDT · by forkinsocket · 3 replies · 398+ views
    Timesonline.co.uk ^ | July 13, 2008 | Marie Woolf
    The government is to sponsor a theological board of leading imams and Muslim women in an attempt to refute the ideology of violent extremists. The committee, to be announced this week, will issue pronouncements on areas such as wearing the hijab and the treatment of wives and is part of a government strategy to counter radicalism. It will rule on interpretation of the Koran and promote the moderate strain of Islam practised by most British Muslims. It will also comment on controversial issues affecting Muslims living in Britain, including whether or not they should serve in the armed forces. Its...
  • Democrats: Colleges must police copyright, or else

    11/10/2007 5:33:04 PM PST · by mathprof · 34 replies · 80+ views
    news.com via nyt ^ | 11/9/07 | Declan McCullagh
    New federal legislation says universities must agree to provide not just deterrents but also "alternatives" to peer-to-peer piracy, such as paying monthly subscription fees to the music industry for their students, on penalty of losing all financial aid for their students. The U.S. House of Representatives bill, which was introduced late Friday by top Democratic politicians, could give the movie and music industries a new revenue stream by pressuring schools into signing up for monthly subscription services such as Ruckus and Napster. Ruckus is advertising-supported, and Napster charges a monthly fee per student. The Motion Picture Association of America applauded...
  • "I Got Elected. You May Not Criticize Me"

    11/02/2005 9:06:00 AM PST · by FreeKeys · 22 replies · 1,054+ views
    Real Clear Politics ^ | November 2, 2005 | John Stossel
    "I got elected. You may not criticize me." OK, the incumbents don't put it that way. They say: "There's too much money in politics! We need campaign finance reform." And they get it. "Reform" sounds good. McCain-Feingold and a host of state laws would protect us from the evil influence of big money. But that's nonsense. When our behemoth government has the power to spend more than $2 trillion every year, big money will find a way to try to influence it. It's the little guys, who aren't in office, who are silenced by "reform." McCain-Feingold makes it illegal for...
  • RIAA sued for extortion and racketeering

    02/18/2004 7:51:27 PM PST · by plain talk · 30 replies · 197+ views
    CNET ^ | 2/18/2004 | John Borland
    It's probably not the first time that record company executives have been likened to Al Capone, but this time a judge might have to agree or disagree. A New Jersey woman, one of the hundreds of people sued for alleged music-swapping by the Recording Industry Association of America, has countersued the big record labels, charging them with extortion and violations of the federal anti-racketeering act. Through her attorneys, Michele Scimeca contends that by suing file-swappers for copyright infringement, and then offering to settle instead of pursuing a case where liability could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the...
  • Any Lawsuits Yet To Speak Of?

    07/14/2003 11:30:02 AM PDT · by ConservativeMan55 · 64 replies · 604+ views
    I honestly believe that the threat of lawsuits against individual downloaders was and is bogus. I have not seen one shred of evidence to the contrary. I've downloaded tons of songs beginning back with Napster. It never hurt the recording industry one ounce. What hurts them is when there is no interest. Luckily for them, Napster and Kazza kept the interest alive. When Napster first came out everyone loved it and there was no talk of lawsuits. The recording industry was booming. Sales were up and I remember news pundits and other talking heads say that the reason sales of...
  • Sharpton: I Want Clinton, Kennedy Scandal Protection

    01/21/2003 10:19:02 AM PST · by TLBSHOW · 109 replies · 473+ views
    newsmax ^ | 1/21/2003 | Carl Limbacher
    Sharpton: I Want Clinton, Kennedy Scandal Protection Citing the media's reluctance to confront Senators Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy about scandal skeletons in their closet, Democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton demanded Monday that the press give him the same pass on ethical questions about his past. "The next time anybody wants to know about Tawana Brawley, I'm going to ask them, 'Do you ask Teddy Kennedy about Chappaquiddick? Do you ask Hillary Clinton about her husband?'" the firebrand reverend complained to Newsday columnist Jimmy Breslin, while he was preparing for his Martin Luther King Day commemoration. During an appearance...
  • Jesse Jackson Faces Possible Indictment Says Author

    05/01/2002 6:09:20 PM PDT · by demlosers · 48 replies · 340+ views
    Jesse Jackson biographer Kenneth R. Timmerman said Tuesday night that there's "a strong possibility" the celebrated civil rights leader could soon find himself under indictment for illegally funneling tax-exempt money into Democratic Party political campaigns. "Jesse Jackson has been using nonprofit dollars for political campaigns, especially during campaign 2000 and campaign 1996. That's just flatly illegal," Timmerman told Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly. When asked whether the financial wrongdoing could lead to a Jackson indictment, Timmerman contended, "I think there's a strong possibility. The evidence is against him." Timmerman's book, "Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson," is the first investigative...