‘Porn Lock’ in UK and France May Lead to Internet Censorship
December 21st, 2010
AOL News
By: Dana Kennedy
Just days after France passed legislation requiring Internet service providers to block child-pornography websites, British officials said they want to block all porn on the Web. Critics of both “porn lock” initiatives say they may be the first steps in controlling the Internet in those countries.
Ed Vaizey, Britain’s communications minister, told the Sunday Times the government is considering a plan to restrict pornography websites to protect children from seeing them.
“This is a very serious matter. I think it is very important that it’s the ISPs that some up with solutions to protect children,” Vaizey said.
Vaizey plans to meet with the country’s Internet service providers soon about a proposal that would mean blocking porn sites so children wouldn’t be exposed to them rather than relying on existing parental controls. Customers would have to “opt-in” if they wanted access to pornography sites.
“I’m hoping they will get their acts together so that we don’t have to legislate,” Vaizey said. “But we are keeping an eye on the situation and we will have a new communications bill in the next couple of years.”
Opponents of the measures say the government is using legitimate concerns over kiddie porn and the early sexualization of children who access adult porn online as a way to gain control of the Web. Britain has already had success with measures designed to block kiddie-porn sites.
“It’s like they want to play God on the Internet,” Gilles Lordet, the Paris-based chief editor of Reporters Without Borders, told AOL News today.
“Nobody wants to be seen as fighting an attempt to cut down on kiddie porn or on children watching porn online. But it’s a very slippery slope to more censorship. We know that in a lot of undemocratic countries they start with censoring porn and they move on to other sites,” Lordet said.
Last week, France’s National Assembly passed a bill that is part of the controversial LOPPSI 2 — a law on guidelines and programming for the performance of internal security — allowing the government to filter the Internet without any judicial oversight.
The bill, expected to be approved by the Senate and become law next year, is designed so that the Ministry of the Interior can draw up a blacklist of kiddie-porn sites and tell the ISPs to block them.
Some ISPs in the U.S. reached a more open agreement in 2008 with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to purge their servers of child-porn-related newsgroups as well as kiddie-porn websites identified by a regularly updated registry.
But critics of the French bill worry that giving the government unfettered power in making a blacklist could mean increased blocking of other undesirable sites.
“If you can suppress any content on the Internet you can suppress it all,” John Perry Barlow, founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told AOL News today. “What these laws will do is requires ISPs to become censorious.”
During a parliamentary debate last month in the U.K., Claire Perry, a Conservative MP who wants stricter Internet controls, said that 60 percent of 9- to 19-year-olds had watched porn online, calling the Web “the Wild West.” Perry also said that only 15 percent of computer-literate parents knew how to use filters to block access to certain sites, the Guardian reported today.
Such statistics are hard to argue with, but experts say the larger picture is more complicated.
“Anytime you see countries move in the same way restricting access to information, it may be with the best of intentions,” said Erik Sherman, a BNET analyst. “But suddenly it becomes about other things. And look clearly at the U.K.’s plan to let people ‘opt-in’ for porn sites. Opting in is a way to register people. Think about that.”
Click here for the full report from AOL News
$190k Seized Because Brothers Were Drug Suspects
December 21, 2010 by Andrew
Filed under Government
December 21st, 2010
ChicagoBreakingNews.com
By: Clifford Ward
Two brothers who say police unlawfully seized more than $190,000 from them during a traffic stop had been under surveillance and were suspected of drug-dealing, a lawyer for the city of Aurora said today during a court hearing.
Though neither Jose nor Jesus Martinez is charged with a crime, authorities are seeking forfeiture of $190,040 found in Jesus’ truck when he was stopped by an Aurora police officer on Oct. 18.
A Kane County judge ordered the money returned, but the city has refused.
The Aurora residents claim the money was family savings earned from a remodeling business. But during the hearing, an attorney disclosed reports from an Illinois State Police drug task force saying police had received court permission to tap the brothers’ phones on the suspicion they were involved in drug trafficking.
Chicago attorney John Murphey, who is representing Aurora, said the city had not been at liberty to discuss the case until today.
“We were constrained by a live, serious investigation,” said Murphey, who said he had been informed that the phase of the investigation involving the Martinez brothers was over.
Attorney Patrick Kinnally, who is representing the brothers, said the allegations did not change his assertion that the money had been unlawfully seized.
“Not a bit,” he said. “Let’s just see how the evidence plays out.”
The new documents allege that North Central Narcotics Task Force officers were listening in on a call between the Martinez brothers in which they discuss Jesus’ planned meeting with a man named Charlie in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Aurora.
According to the report, Jose tells Jesus, “The package is ready,” though there is no explicit mention of drugs.
The report said police observed Jesus Martinez arrive in the parking lot at 8:07 p.m. on Oct. 18 and talk with another man for a minute before both left in separate vehicles. No exchange is reported between the men, and police apparently did not stop the second driver, who was in a gray minivan.
“I noticed the gray minivan turn from westbound Indian Trail to northbound Orchard Road and leave the area,” a task force officer noted in the report.
Jesus Martinez was stopped by an Aurora police officer working with the task force about four minutes later. He and his passenger were questioned, and Jesus Martinez consented to have his vehicle searched.
Police brought in a drug dog but no drugs were found. However, they did find a sack of cash.
Aurora police were only involved in an intermediary fashion, Murphey said. After questioning Jesus Martinez at the Aurora police department and giving him a receipt for the money, Aurora police say they transferred the money that same night to the drug task force, which reported handing the money over the following day to the Department of Homeland Security.
The brothers have denied being involved in drugs, and neither has a criminal record. But another brother and a cousin had been convicted of drug charges following a 2002 arrest. Those convictions were overturned on appeal, and the charges were later dropped.
Kinnally filed a complaint on behalf of the brothers about a month after the seizure. In late November, Kane County Judge Michael Colwell signed a temporary injunction against Aurora, ordering the city to return the money because it had been seized unlawfully.
Since then, Colwell has retired. Judge Thomas Mueller, who has taken over the case, set Jan. 5 for a hearing.
A call to the North Central Narcotics Task Force was not immediately returned.
Click here for the full report from ChicagoBreakingNews.com
Harmful Chemical Found in Tap Water of 31 U.S. Cities
December 20th, 2010
CNN
Millions of Americans in at least 31 U.S. cities could be drinking tap water contaminated with the harmful chemical hexavalent chromium, according to a report released Monday by the non-profit Environmental Working Group.
While the dangerous carcinogen, otherwise known as chromium-6, may sound foreign to most people, perhaps the name Erin Brockovich will ring a bell.
After chromium-6 was discovered in the water supply of Hinkley, California, Brockovich helped bring about a lawsuit that ultimately ended in 1996 with the utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric, paying more than $330 million in damages. Norman, Oklahoma; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Riverside, California, top the non-profit organization’s list of cities with water supplies contaminated by chromium-6.
Although the Environmental Protection Agency does not require water utilities to test for chromium-6, and has not established a legal threshold for how much can be in our water, the agency has classified the toxin as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”
“I was expecting to find hexavalent chromium in some of the cities we checked, but I didn’t expect it to be so widespread,” said Rebecca Sutton, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group and the lead author of the study.
Sutton said there is a well-documented corollary between exposure to chromium-6 and a greater risk of stomach cancer in humans. Additionally, there is ample animal evidence showing a broad risk of gastrointestinal tumors in rats and mice exposed to the toxin, she said.
Worse, skipping tap water in favor of bottled water does not guarantee you’ll be protected.
“Bottled water is not necessarily any safer than tap water,” said Sutton. “We just don’t have any guarantee that hexavalent chromium isn’t in that water.”
So how can you protect yourself? Sutton says your best bet is buying an effective water filter.
“Getting the water filter is a great way to protect yourself and your family,” says Sutton. “It’s a step you can take yourself; you don’t have to wait for government action.”
Samples from the test provided a “one-time snapshot” of water systems that serve 26 million people, the Environmental Working Group said. But the organization said the results show that more federal regulation of the cancer-causing chemical is needed.
The National Toxicology Program has said that chromium-6 in drinking water shows “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity.”
California’s state environmental agency has proposed capping levels of the chemical in drinking water at 0.06 parts per billion. The Environmental Working Group said 25 of the cities it tested showed exceeded that level.
To conduct its test, the organization said it recruited volunteers in 35 cities to collect tap water samples “from unfiltered taps in homes or in public buildings such as hospitals, libraries and malls,” the report said.
Click here for the full report from CNN
The Kevin Trudeau Show: 12-20-10
Today, Kevin explains where your tax dollars are really going and why simple tips like, cleaning your desk can lead to a healthier life.
Self Help:
Treat Your Body Right
Lose Weight Safely
Health:
No Dose Of Full Body Scanner Is Proven To Be Safe
The 10 Worst Drug Recalls In The History Of The FDA
Weight Loss Drug Causes 500 Deaths
Media:
Fox News Hosts Mock Sarah Palin When Cameras Are Off
Government
Off With Their Heads!
Cities Shortening Yellow Lights For A Deadly Profit
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Taxpayers Making Federal Workers Rich
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Marshall Sylver
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Marshall Sylver on The Kevin Trudeau Show 12/17/10
Taxpayers Making Federal Workers Rich
December 20, 2010 by Andrew
Filed under Government
December 20th, 2010
Business Insider
By: Michael Snyder
Do you remember the days when getting elected to Congress or choosing to work for the government was referred to as “public service”?
The idea was that you would be making a sacrifice for the greater good of the country. Well, those days are long gone.
Click here to see 12 infuriating facts
Today, getting elected to Congress or working for the federal government is a good way to get rich.
Median household income in the United States fell from $51,726 in 2008 to $50,221 in 2009, and yet the personal wealth of members of Congress and the salaries of federal workers (especially at the higher levels) continue to explode. A lot of corrupt politicians and federal fat cats are raking in stunning amounts of cash, and we are the ones paying the bill. There is certainly nothing wrong with making a lot of money, but does it seem right that so many of our “public servants” are getting filthy rich while so many of the rest of us are barely getting by?
Posted below are 12 facts that will blow your mind. Most Americans have no idea just how obscenely wealthy many members of Congress are, and most Americans are totally clueless about how cushy some of these U.S. government jobs are. If there is one place in America where the good times are still rolling (other than Wall Street), it would have to be Washington D.C.
Members of Congress and employees of the government are supposed to work for us. We are the ones who pay their salaries. But today, they are the ones “living the dream” while most of the rest of us scramble just to survive from month to month….
Click here for the full report from the Business Insider
Off With Their Heads!
December 20, 2010 by Andrew
Filed under Government
December 20th, 2010
Trends Research Institute
By: Gerald Celente
We warned it would happen and it happened as we warned. “Off with their heads! Off with their heads!” chanted the angry mob as they attacked the Royal Rolls Royce carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.
“Off With Their Heads 2.0” read the headline of our Autumn Trends Journal (10 October 2010) predicting the outpouring of outrage that would accompany the harsh austerity measures inflicted upon the general public, while governments doled out generous bailouts and rescue packages for bankers and financiers.
“Since the onset of the Greatest Recession, I’ve been informing readers to expect uncontrolled unrest that would roil markets and destabilize governments,” said Gerald Celente, publisher of the Trends Journal. “When people lose everything and they have nothing left to lose, they lose it.”
According to Celente, the spontaneous attack on the Royal couple was the first salvo in what promises to be a long war between the people and the ruling classes. “Anyone questioning the intensity of the people’s seething anger is either out of touch or in denial,” said Celente, noting that this was the worst show of violence directed towards the Royals since the days of Irish/English hostilities.
In this case, the Royals offered a convenient symbolic target for the young protestors, a new generation that has come face-to-face with a future of downward mobility. It wasn’t only that they would have to pay three times the tuition for a degree that no longer guaranteed them a decent job, it was rage against the machine – a rigged system that paved the way for the privileged and punished the prols.
Celente has also predicted that all the Kings and Queens of Commerce – along with Presidents, Prime Ministers, top level bureaucrats and elected officials – will soon be hearing the same chant of “Off with their heads!”
While the public was being punished with austerity measures, the “too big to fail” bankers, hedge fund hustlers and Wall Street high rollers, blamed for creating conditions necessitating austerity by making the biggest, most crooked and worst of financial gambles – were rewarded with a king’s ransom:
Wall Street Sees Record Revenue in ’09-10 Recovery From Bailout
Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) – Wall Street’s biggest banks, rebounding after a government bailout, are set to complete their best two years in investment banking and trading, buoyed by 2010 results likely to be the second-highest ever.
This profit surge comes after the five largest investment banks – Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley – took a combined $135 billion in TARP money and borrowed billions more from the Federal Reserve’s emergency-lending facilities, while also benefiting from low interest rates and the Fed’s purchases of fixed-income securities.
Trend Forecast: The media has not connected the dots: a new class warfare has begun. The attack upon the Royals exemplified the pent-up hatred building among a population that can no longer be cajoled into believing sacrifices to further enrich the über-rich are in the best interest of their nation.
At the onset of the Great Recession, many bought the argument that if the biggest banks and businesses were not bailed out, the entire financial system would collapse. Now faced with the irrefutable evidence of record corporate profits, billions in bonuses and bailout windfalls, the people will no longer grin and bear it.
As economic conditions continue to deteriorate in Europe and the U.S., the uprisings will grow larger, more frequent, more organized and more ferocious. In response, government crackdowns will be harsher and more violent. As the New Year unfolds, the stage is set for incendiary acts that will be committed by one side or the other, escalating the conflict into prolonged battles.
Governments will declare that hooligans, anarchists, militants and foreign agents are responsible for the unrest, and the press will swear to it. What will be painted as assaults on capitalism and the free enterprise system could more accurately be described as acts of self defense; a battle between the growing number of “have nots” vs. the “haves” that keep taking even more than they had before.
Click here for the full report from Trends Research Institute
The Ten Worst Drug Recalls In The History Of The FDA
December 20th, 2010
247WallSt.com
This year’s recall of certain types of Tylenol and Motrin by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), which began in January, brought back memories of the 1982 Tylenol recall. It affected as many as 21 million packages which were in circulation at the time. Johnson & Johnson’s reaction set the bar for other companies. It did not spare any expense to protect the public from what turned out to be a tiny number of tainted products.
Recalls are commonplace now. And, they are not just for drugs. Recent incidents include children’s beds and toys with high lead content. However, it is still the huge recalls of prescription drugs that garner the most headlines because they often harm the largest numbers of people. These recalls can also cost large pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars.
Many dangerous drugs have slipped past the FDA and found their way into the marketplace. When the agency approves a dangerous drug, there can be a number of consequences, often times tragic. Once news of a tragedy reaches the public, pressure mounts for FDA policy to change, as happened after the Thalidomide controversy in the 1960s.
Prior to 1962, there was no mechanism in the US to approve drugs before they went to market. Although the 1906 Food and Drugs Act required drugs to be accurately and honestly labeled, that was largely the extent of the oversight. In 1961, it was determined that Thalidomide caused horrifying birth defects. It is estimated that between 10,000 to 20,000 people were affected in what is considered to be among the worst medical disasters in history. Thalidomide prompted Congress to act, and the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendments were passed in 1962, granting oversight of drugs to the FDA and compelling manufacturers to prove that their drugs are safe for public consumption.
Each of the drugs or group of drugs on this list drew a strong reaction from the public. In some cases, such as DES and PPA, what is shocking is how long the drugs were on the market before their devastating side effects were acknowledged. In others, the amount of money the drug company paid in settlements was so huge it drew public attention and ire. Still others were surprising because of the fraudulent manner in which they reached the market. This is a list of the worst drug recalls since the FDA became responsible for approving drugs in 1962.
Information for this article about litigation was obtained from the US Department of Justice and from LexisNexis. Facts about the history of each recall and statistics citing numbers of injuries or deaths were obtained from the archives of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and USA Today.
1) Fenfluramine/phentermine (Fen-Phen)
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
Recalled: 1997 (after 24 years on the market)
Financial damage: Awards to victims close to $14 billion, making it one of the most costly products liability cases in history.
Fen-Phen’s was a hugely popular weight loss drug, its popularity peaking in the 90’s. It is estimated that as many as 6.5 million people took it to help fight obesity. After consumers began experiencing heart disease and other pulmonary problems, the FDA set the recall in motion. American Lawyer reported that more than 50,000 Fen-Phen victims have filed suits against Fen-Phen’s maker Wyeth, and legal expenses combined with awards may have exceeded $21 billion. Lengthy time in the marketplace combined with the severity of both the public reaction and the significant awards granted to its victims make its impact unprecedented.
2) Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
Maker: Multiple manufacturers (DES was never patented as it was created with British public funds)
Recalled: 1975 (after 37 years on the market)
Financial damage: Steep, but difficult to quantify because each manufacturer paid out legal damages correlated with its respective market share (a new way of awarding damages in these cases).
DES was prescribed for more than thirty years to prevent miscarriages and other complications during pregnancy. It was not until 1971 before it was connected to a rare tumor that kept appearing in the daughters of women who had taken it. The FDA only banned DES prescriptions to women because no such problems have been found in men. In fact, it can still be prescribed to men to treat estrogen deficiency. Litigation over DES led to a landmark products liability award that heavily influenced how both courts and the FDA approach oversight of drugs with multiple manufacturers.
3) Cerivastatin (Baycol)
Maker: Bayer
Recalled: 2001 (after four years on the market)
Financial damage: Litigation-related damages totaled $1.2 billion
Baycol, prescribed to patients as a treatment for high cholesterol, is reportedly responsible for more than 100,000 deaths and about as many lawsuits. It was connected to a severe muscle disorder known as rhabdomyolysis, which clogs the kidneys with protein from dying muscle tissue.
Click here for the full report from 247WallSt.com
The Kevin Trudeau Show: 12-18-10
Today, Kevin explains how the Wikileaks documents prove that aliens are here on earth and that we are heading towards a new world order and one world currency.
Self Help:
Find A Holistic Doctor
Prepare For A Disaster
Stay Healthy
Health:
Rolaids Recalls 13 Million Packages
FDA Pulls Darvon Painkiller Due to Safety Risks
Corruption:
Ethics Committee Recommends Censure for Charlie Rangel
Jack Camp Stripped of Judgeship for Helping Stripper Buy Cocaine, Pot
FDA Is Criticized for Training Deals
Watchdog Says FDA Risked Integrity
U.S. Reviews FDA Scientists’ Complaints
Duke Cancer Researcher Quits as Papers Questioned
Wealth:
Why Warren Buffett Hates Gold
Congress Getting Richer, Despite Market Meltdown
UK:
Royalty Attacked By Protesters Over Tuition Hikes
Truth:
I Am Julian Assange
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The Kevin Trudeau Show: 12-17-10
Today, Kevin explains exactly what it takes to be successful and who to listen to. Plus, Marshall Sylver gives you the secrets behind creating real wealth and how YOU can make money just by listening to Kevin Trudeau.
Self Help:
Financial Freedom
Reading For Success
Anti-Aging Miracle
Look Younger
Health:
Selenium Eases Asthma
Sleep Cuts Body Fat
NWO:
Nixon Gives Us Proof That The Media Is Government Controlled
Everything Kevin:
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