The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated just for you: freedom, Obamacare, immigration, technology and more.
Personal Safety and Freedom
U.S. Spied on Future Pope Francis During Vatican Conclave
The NSA spied on the future Pope Francis before and during the Vatican conclave at which he was chosen to succeed Benedict XVI.
Moscow Conducts Large-Scale Nuclear Attack Drill
Russian strategic forces carried out a large-scale surprise military drill on Wednesday, launching four nuclear missiles that were closely monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies, U.S. officials said.
Baltimore ‘Dine & Dasher’ Accused of Faking Seizures to Ditch Food Tab
He has a long rap sheet with 90 arrests and has been found guilty of petty theft at least eight times. He is now in jail. His meal behind bars comes with a $1,500 bail.
Riot Control: DHS Spends $500,000 on Fully Automatic Pepper Spray Launchers
Homeland Security will buy “riot expansion kits†and 240,000 pepper spray projectiles as agency prepares for domestic unrest.
Update: Google Denies NSA Cooperation While Expanding Encryption
The National Security Agency has tapped internal communication links between data centers owned by Google and Yahoo, according to leaked documents former NSA contractor Edward Snowden shared with the Washington Post.
Report: Snowden Gets Tech-Support Job in Russia
Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer for former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden, says his client has found a technical-support job at a Russian website.
Private ATMs Vulnerable to Money-Laundering
One RCMP report estimates Hells Angels bikers control at least 5 percent of the private ATM business in Canada. The same report says at least $315 million a year could be laundered through white-label ATMs.
Cops Buy Own Uniforms, Bullets in Cash-Strapped Detroit
Detroit police on the beat in an insolvent city have resorted to buying their own gear.
Investigation Ids the IRS Leaker
The document leaked by the anonymous IRS employee contained the names and addresses of all those who gave money to NOM in 2007.
Suicide Bomber Blows Himself Up on Empty Mediterranean Beach
Officials say a suicide bomber detonated on an empty beach in front of a hotel in the Tunisian Mediterranean resort town of Sousse. He was the only fatality.
Coast Guard Visits Mysterious ‘Google Barge’
The steel-hull barge is almost 250 feet long and 16 feet deep —significantly longer and deeper than a standard freight barge. Its purpose remains shrouded in the fog of secrecy, however.
Employees Accuse CTA Of Placing Cameras In Workers’ Changing Rooms
The CTA admits it is using hidden cameras to crack down on employees who should be working, but some employees say they are placing the cameras in places they shouldn’t be.
Study: Bat-to-Human Leap Likely for SARS-Like Virus
A decade after SARS swept through the world and killed more than 750 people, scientists have made a troubling discovery: A very close cousin of the SARS virus lives in bats, and it can likely jump directly to people.
U.S. Military Commandos Fought in Benghazi
Masked from public view, two of the U.S. military‘s elite special operations commandos have been awarded medals for bravery for a mission that further undercuts the Obama administration‘s original story about the Benghazi tragedy.
Highway Patrol Officers Drive Semi-Trucks to Catch Drivers Texting
Officers say they have a better chance of spotting violators because the semi-trucks sit much higher.
NYC’s Tobacco Age Raised to 21 — But Still 18 for Marijuana Bongs
So while young adults won’t be able to legally purchase coffin nails, they’ll still be able to blow their minds with weed.
Murdoch Staff Turned to Hacking in “Dog-Eat-Dog†World, Court Hears
Reporters on Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World repeatedly hacked the phones of senior politicians and even rival journalists in a desperate bid to get ahead on salacious front-page stories.
Obamacare
Cupcake store, Car Repair Shop Listed as Obamacare Signup Sites
The owner of this repair shop was stunned to find out it was listed as an enrollment site for Obamacare — and he’s not the only one.
How the iPod President Crashed: Obama’s Broken Technology Promise
“The website†is busted, but there are also persistent errors in the systems that authenticate users, determine eligibility for subsidies or for Medicaid, and hand off purchase information to insurers.
Obamacare Navigator Hasn’t Signed Up Anyone Because It’s Too Expensive
“So far, no one,†says the Obamacare navigator. “Thus far everybody has taken a look at the rates and they’ve walked out the door. There’s sticker shock. They just can’t afford it.â€
Obama Blames ‘Bad Apple Insurers’ for Canceled Insurance Plans
President Obama tried a new tack Wednesday as he fought back against criticism of his Obamacare claims.
Obama Cancels ‘You Can Keep Your Plan’ Promise: ‘Just Shop Around’
Instead, he offered a new promise: “You will be getting a better deal,†the president told health-insurance consumers.
White House Told Insurance Execs to Keep Quiet on Obamacare
White House officials have pressured insurance-industry executives to keep quiet amid mounting criticism over Obamacare’s rollout, insurance industry sources told CNN.
Immigration
Another Flip on Immigration (Video)
Rep. David Valadao (Calif.) on Wednesday became the third House Republican to back a Democratic-led immigration reform bill.
Deportations Plummet in 2013, Lowest Since 2007
Authorities deported fewer illegal immigrants in fiscal 2013 than at any time since President Obama took office, according to secret numbers obtained by the Center for Immigration Studies.
Virginia Latinos, Courted by Democrats, Plunge Into State Political Activism
Latinos in Virginia, the fastest-growing minority in the state, are playing a larger-than-ever role in state political races this fall.
Zuckerberg Group Dials up Pressure on Immigration (Video)
The political advocacy group co-founded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg launched a lobbying blitz on Capitol Hill Tuesday to push House Republicans to act on immigration reform.
Soros and Fellow Billionaires for Open Borders Lobby GOP on Amnesty
The Soros-funded National Immigration Forum (NIF) organized a “fly-in“ of some 600 people to lobby House Republicans to pass the Schumer-Rubio amnesty bill.
Tech and Business
A Chip in the Head: Brain Implants Will Be Connecting People to the Internet by 2020
That may sound like science fiction, but these are technologies that some of the most powerful high-tech firms in the world actually believe are achievable.
iPad Air Review: Apple Makes Big Tablets Beautiful All Over Again
It’s clear there’s a new champion of the large tablet market, and one that breathes new life into Apple’s original slab-style game-changer.
World’s First Bitcoin ATM Opens In Vancouver, Canada
It enables Bitcoin owners to exchange the digital currency for cash, and vice versa.
Email Providers Build Service to Protect Your Inbox From the NSA
“It’s time to build a new email protocol that is secure by default, because we can’t trust the Internet anymore, we can’t trust governments anymore.â€
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
