Author: GrayRider

ABC News – by STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

Sophisticated criminals used an online service run by the IRS to access personal tax information from more than 100,000 taxpayers, part of an elaborate scheme to steal identities and claim fraudulent tax refunds, the IRS said Tuesday.

The thieves accessed a system called “Get Transcript,” where taxpayers can get tax returns and other filings from previous years. In order to access the information, the thieves cleared a security screen that required knowledge about the taxpayer, including Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status and street address, the IRS said.   Continue reading “IRS Says Thieves Stole Tax Info From 100,000”

Our sincerest condolences to our brother, Donald Boettcher, on the loss of his mother!

The New York Times

A joint investigation by attorneys general for each U.S. state produced the biggest ever take down of a fraudulent charitable organization in the country. The U.S. government announced Wednesday that four cancer charities conned donors out of nearly US$200 million from 2008-2012 and spent most of the money on “treats” such as shopping, dating-website subscriptions and cruises to the Caribbean.  The information was obtained trough a joint investigation conducted by attorneys general for each of the 50 states. According to officials the money was enjoyed by friends and family members of those running the groups, while less than 5 percent of the money raised had actually help cancer patients.  Local press has said this is the largest takedown of a fraudulent charitable organization in U.S. history.   Continue reading “Cancer Charities Stole Millions from Donors in the US”

ArsTechnica – by David Kravets

The Justice Department on Tuesday withdrew its appeal of a lower court’s December ruling that said it was illegal for police to attach a webcam to a utility pole and spy on a suspected drug dealer’s house in rural Washington state for six weeks.

The government did not comment on its decision to drop the appeal in a brief filing to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.   Continue reading “Feds drop case in which cops nailed webcam to utility pole to spy on house”

The Guardian – by Chris McGreal and Matt Isaacs

Sheldon Adelson, the multibillionaire casino magnate and key Republican party donor, spent four combative days in a Las Vegas court this week defending his gambling empire from accusations of bribery and ties to organised crime.

By the time the hearing was over, Adelson had argued with the judge, contradicted the evidence of his own executives and frustrated his lawyers by revealing more information than he was required to in response to simple yes or no questions. But most importantly, far from laying the allegations against his Las Vegas Sands conglomerate to rest, the billionaire’s answers threw up yet more questions which he is likely to have to return to court to answer.   Continue reading “Sheldon Adelson faces new scrutiny as documents challenge his testimony”

The Guardian – by Ed Pilkington

One thousand undocumented mothers and children currently detained in immigration centers in Texas and Pennsylvania could be freed imminently at the order of a federal judge, unless the US government can avert the crisis in its immigration policy over the next 10 days.

Emergency talks were under way in Washington on Monday between US immigration officials and attorneys representing hundreds of children who are being held in detention allegedly in violation of child protection laws. Unless agreement can be reached between the two sides by 24 May, the families are likely to be released upon order of the courts, punching a large hole in the Obama administration’s deterrent approach at the border.   Continue reading “Many migrant families held by US could soon be free from detention ‘nightmare’”

Cyrpto Coins News – by Joel Delais

The Denmark Central Bank, National Banken, will be discontinuing the printing of new fiat in 2016. They will be outsourcing the printing of money to a private business or businesses, this part remains unclear.

Their reasoning for this is because more and more people are using digital payment systems. Such as cards, online payments, third party platforms, and to a minor extent (yes, we are still relatively very small), cryptocurrency. Shop owners can even refuse to accept notes and coins from 2016.   Continue reading “Denmark Central Bank to Stop Printing Money: Shops Can Refuse to Accept Notes and Coins”

Oregon Live – by Jeff Mapes

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Monday signed a bill requiring background checks on private gun sales, marking the first time in more than 14 years that the state has significantly tightened its firearms laws.

“We have an obligation to protect Oregonians from gun violence,” Brown said before signing Senate Bill 941.  “If we want to keep our kids, schools and communities safe, we must make it harder for dangerous people to get guns.”   Continue reading “Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signs background check bill as gun violence groups claim landmark victory”

Continue reading “Your Choice – 2016”

NASA Spaceflight – by José Rodal, Ph.D, Jeremiah Mullikin and Noel Munson – subedited by Chris Gebhardt

A group at NASA’s Johnson Space Center has successfully tested an electromagnetic (EM) propulsion drive in a vacuum – a major breakthrough for a multi-year international effort comprising several competing research teams. Thrust measurements of the EM Drive defy classical physics’ expectations that such a closed (microwave) cavity should be unusable for space propulsion because of the law of conservation of momentum.   Continue reading “Evaluating NASA’s Futuristic EM Drive”