The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated jut for Money and Markets readers: personal security and freedom, Obamacare, the mystery man behind Bitcoin
Personal Security and Freedom:
Missouri Teachers Object to Being Shot During Drills
In the past drills have contained political messages. For instance, in 2004, cops in Muskegon, Michigan conducted a “mock attack” on a school bus as part of a terrorism response exercise. The terrorists portrayed in the exercise were said to be fanatical homeschoolers.
‘Our Biggest National-Security Problem is Barack Obama’
With the Obama administration grappling with a crisis in Ukraine, former United Nations ambassador John Bolton took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday and declared that the country’s “biggest national-security problem is Barack Obama.”
ABC, CBS Exclude Scientists Critical of Global Warming for More Than 1,300 Days
The networks were able to promote the myth that there is a scientific consensus for man-made, catastrophic climate change by including climate alarmists much more often than skeptical scientists and by challenging the credentials of the skeptics that they did include.
Spy Game: Local Police Tap Cell Phones
Recent court documents reveal a troubling cell phone surveillance program conducted by a Florida police department against unsuspecting cell phone users. Attempts to keep the practice secret, even from judges, is raising questions as to just how prevalent police spying is within the Sunshine State.
Texas Down to 6 Abortion Clinics by September
More closures are likely to follow: Under House Bill 2, an antiabortion bill passed last November, all clinics are required to close by Sept. 1, 2014, unless they have on-site ambulatory surgical centers. Of the 20 remaining clinics, only six meet that standard and are likely to remain open.
Obamacare:
Obamacare Surcharge Appearing on Restaurant Bills Across the Country
The small business mandate doesn’t go into effect until 2015, but restaurants across the country are already passing the extra costs associated with having to offer healthcare to their employees on to consumers.
Bill to Make the Fine $0 for Violating the Individual Mandate Passes by 90 Votes
The House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday afternoon to make the fine/”tax” for violating Obamacare’s individual mandate $0 for this year, and it did so by the wide margin of 90 votes (250 to 160).
Few Uninsured Signing Up
Only one in 10 uninsured people who qualify for private plans through the new marketplaces enrolled as of last month, one of the surveys shows. The other found that about half of uninsured adults have looked for information on the online exchanges or planned to look.
Michele Obama to Obamacare Counselors: ‘You are Doing God’s Work’
Insurers are counting on the business of the so-called “young invincibles” to offset the costs of covering older, sicker enrollees. The Obama administration has been hotly courting the crucial 18- to 34-year-old demographic through social media campaigns and celebrity endorsements.
Obama Promises Illegals “Obamacare Sign up Info Won’t Be Used for Deportation
“If you are a U.S. citizen or you have a legal presence in this country, you are eligible [for Obamacare],” president said. “And none of the information that is provided in order for you to obtain health insurance is in any way transferred to immigration services.
The Mystery Man Behind Bitcoin:
Newsweek: the Mystery Man Behind Bitcoin
“What you don’t know about him is that he’s worked on classified stuff. His life was a complete blank for a while. You’re not going to be able to get to him. He’ll deny everything. He’ll never admit to starting Bitcoin.”
‘Newsweek’ ID of Bitcoin Founder Sparks Frenzy
Its cover piece, which ran online Thursday, revealed the unconfirmed identity of the elusive founder of crypto-currency Bitcoin, birthing a literal interpretation of reporters chasing a story.
Bitcoin “Founder” Flees Reporters in Car Chase
A man thought to be the reclusive multi-millionaire father of Bitcoin emerged from a modest Southern California home and denied involvement with the digital currency before leading reporters on a freeway car chase to the local headquarters of the Associated Press.
Associated Press Exclusive: Man Said to Create Bitcoin Denies It
Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto said Thursday that he is not the creator of bitcoin, adding further mystery to the story of how the world’s most popular digital currency came to be. The denial came after Newsweek published a 4,500-word cover story claiming Nakamoto is the person who wrote the computer code underpinnings of bitcoin.
Bitcoin Firm CEO Found Dead in Suspected Suicide
Local media are calling it a suicide, but Singapore officials are waiting for toxicology test results. Autumn Ratke, a 28-year-old American CEO, formerly worked with Apple and other Silicon Valley tech firms on developing digital payment systems.
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/03/05/bitcoin-firm-ceo-found-dead-in-suspected-suicide/
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
