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Eye 1

Google execs defend new privacy policy

Byron Acohido
USA Today
Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00 UTC
Google executives faced tough questions Thursday, in a meeting with members of Congress, about changes to the company's privacy policy scheduled to go into effect March 1.
sign at Google headquarters
© Justin Sullivan, Getty ImagesA pedestrian walks by a sign at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

However, the search giant failed to assuage lawmakers' privacy concerns stemming from the company's controversial plans to step up the cross-referencing of data generated by consumers who use its popular online services, says Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., who arranged the closed-door briefing.

Pablo Chavez, Google's public policy director, and Michael Yang, its deputy general counsel, outlined how the company supplies consumers with a number of tools to protect their privacy. Lawmakers questioned whether tools that Google makes available to help consumers control their privacy were user-friendly and effective.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, says Chavez and Yang "danced around actual details, and instead spoke in generalities, highlighting their efforts to 'enhance the user experience' - but at what cost?"

Bono Mack said she expects Google to proceed with its planned March 1 change.
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Crusader

US: Alabama State Senator Thinks Increasing Teacher Pay Goes Against A 'Biblical Principle'

Amanda Peterson Beadle
ThinkProgress
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:32 UTC
Bible
© n/a
According to Alabama state Sen. Shadrack McGill (R), the Bible says that increasing teacher salaries would only lead to less-qualified teachers. McGill said at a prayer breakfast that doubling teachers' salaries - starting pay for Alabama teachers begins at $36,144 - would not help education. In fact, he said that keeping teacher pay low is a "Biblical principle":
"If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach.

"To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK?

"And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It's just in them to do. It's the ability that God give 'em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn't matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity.

"If you don't keep that in balance, you're going to attract people who are not called, who don't need to be teaching our children. So, everything has a balance."
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Dollar

Predatory Capitalism: Shell profits up 54% to £2m an hour

Terry Macalister
the guardian
Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00 UTC
Union anger grows over recent closure of oil company's pension scheme despite ever-rising corporate earnings

shell
© Newcast/ShellShell profits are up 54% for the full year.
Shell has been accused of "moral bankruptcy" by unions after unveiling a 54% rise in full-year profits less than a month after shutting its final salary pension scheme to new employees in Britain.

The oil company reported global annual earnings of $28.6bn (£18bn) - more than £2m an hour - while paying out $10.5bn to shareholders during 2011 and promising to raise dividend levels further in the coming months.

Peter Voser, Shell's chief executive, said "there is more [good profit] to come" as he outlined a new programme of increased global investment as well as cuts that he said would provide even better returns for investors.

"We have worked hard to generate a strong pipeline of investment opportunities for Shell ... All of this is supported by efficiency gains from our continuous improvement programmes," Voser said.

But Europe's largest oil group was attacked for displaying "predatory capitalism" by Len McCluskey, leader of the Unite union. "Shell reminds us of the moral bankruptcy of the corporate elite. The company is needlessly closing its final salary scheme while posting colossal profits," he said. "Rather than provide security to its future staff and still make a profit, it has chosen greed. Shell is not alone: Unilever is needlessly slashing its employees' pension benefits when there is no financial reason for doing so."
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Dollar

Rothschild wants one International Currency


You Tube
Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00 UTC
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Target

Best of the Web: Nine Men Plead Guilty To Terrorism Charges; Inspired By Pentagon Asset

Keelan Balderson
Eyes Wide Shut
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:43 UTC
Image
Nine Muslim men have admitted to various terrorism charges, after being inspired by a US Pentagon intelligence asset [1].

Mohammed Chowdhury, 21 of Stanliff House, Tower Hamlets, Shah Rahman, 28, of St Bernard's Road, Newham, Gurukanth Desai, 30, of Albert Street, Cardiff, and his brother Abdul Miah, 25, of Ninian Park Road, Cardiff, have all admitted to planning an attack on the London Stock Exchange. They are charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism.

Usman Khan, 20, of Persia Walk, Mohammed Shahjahan 27, of Burmarsh Walk and Nazam Hussain, 26, of Grove Street, all areas in Stoke, admitted attending operational meetings in Roath Park, Cardiff on 7 November and in a Newport country park on 12 December. They are alleged to have discussed leaving homemade bombs in the toilets of their city's pubs and travelling abroad for terror training. They are charged with engaging in conduct for the preparation of terrorism.

Omar Latif, 28, of Neville Street, Cardiff, admitted to attending meetings with the intention of assisting others to prepare or commit acts of terrorism.

Mohibur Rahman, 27, of North Road, Stoke, admitted possessing two editions of alleged al-Qaeda magazine "Inspire" for terrorist purposes.
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Laptop

U.S. Shuts 16 Sports Piracy Websites Pre-Super Bowl

Jonathan Stempel
Reuters
Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00 UTC
Image
© unknown
Three days before Super Bowl XLVI, U.S. prosecutors said they seized 16 websites that illegally streamed live sports and pay-per-view events over the Internet, and charged a Michigan man with running nine of those websites.

According to the government, the 16 websites provided links to give viewers easy access to other sites that hosted pirated telecasts from the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ("WWE") and TNA Impact Wrestling. The latter is also broadcast on Viacom Inc's Spike TV.

Prosecutors said such piracy costs leagues and broadcasters millions of dollars a year, and some of this cost is passed on to ticket buyers and sports network subscribers.

"These websites and their operators deprive sports leagues and networks of legitimate revenue" in what amounts to "virtual thievery," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan, who announced the website seizures.
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Laptop

'Anonymous' Hackers Attack Brazilian Bank Websites


Agence France-Presse
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00 UTC
Image
© Agence France-Presse/Mauricio LimaHackers from Anonymous's Brazilian branch said they attacked Bradesco, Itau and Banco do Brasil
The shadowy computer hacker group Anonymous said Wednesday it attacked the websites of three major Brazilian banks over the past few days to protest widespread inequality in Latin America's leading economy.

Hackers from Anonymous's Brazilian branch told the economy daily Valor that their attacks on Bradesco, Itau and Banco do Brasil did not aim to defraud clients, but were meant to protest "the countless inequalities in the country."

The last to be targeted was the website of Banco do Brasil, the country's largest state-run bank.

Monday, Itau, the country's biggest private bank and the biggest in Latin America, was attacked, followed a day later by Bradesco, Brazil's third biggest bank.

"Attention sailors: Target hit ! Itau is adrift. TANGO DOWN !," the hackers crowed.
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War Whore

'Syria on its Knees - Prelude to NATO Invading Iran'


RT.com
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:36 UTC

The idea of the Syrian opposition dancing to a foreign tune has been floated by John R. Bradley, author of the book, After the Arab Spring. He says NATO members are committed to toppling the regime and will make Iran their next target.
"[Syrian opposition is] under huge pressure from outside powers who want these talks [between the Assad regime and the opposition] to fail even before they begin - most obviously NATO," he told RT. "NATO is determined to bring the Assad regime to its knees as a prelude to invading Iran."
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Vader

US: Obama Presses Congress to Step Up Aid for Homeowners

Margaret Chadbourn
Reuters
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00 UTC
Obama
© The Associated Press/Larry Downing President Obama holds up a piece of paper he demonstrated as what he would like to see used for future mortgage loans while he talks about the economy at the James Lee Community Center in Falls Church, Virginia, February 1, 2012.
President Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed a multi-billion-dollar package to help U.S. homeowners refinance and stave off foreclosure, part of an election-year push that is likely to face an uphill battle by the Republican opposition in Congress.

Obama moved to counter Republican criticism that the proposal would use taxpayer money to bail out irresponsible borrowers by stressing that only homeowners current on their payments could benefit. The president had sketched out the plan in his State of the Union address last week.

Home values have dropped 33 percent from their 2006 peak and nearly 11 million Americans now owe more than their homes are worth. Millions more have lost their homes in states that are up for grab in November's presidential election.

The White House is seeking to contrast Obama's stance with that of Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, who has said foreclosures should be allowed to run their course.

"The truth is, it will take more time than any of us would like for the housing market to recover from this crisis," Obama said at a community center in Falls Church, Virginia. "But there are actions we can take, right now, to provide some relief to folks who've been making their payments on time."
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USA

US: House Votes to Repeal Part of Healthcare Law

Donna Smith
Reuters
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00 UTC
Image
© unknown
The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to repeal a provision of President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul setting up a home-care program for the elderly and disabled that regulators said was unworkable.

The Republican-led House voted 267-159 for the bill that would terminate the Community Living Assistance Services(CLASS) Act that was supposed to create a voluntary insurance program to help the elderly and disabled pay for home care.

Republicans called it a step toward achieving their goal of dismantling the healthcare overhaul Obama signed into law nearly two years ago.

The legislation is not expected to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate even though Republicans are expected to push for a vote on it.

"There is no doubt that the president's healthcare plan is killing jobs," said Republican Representative Jeb Hensarling. "House Republicans have repealed it in its totality. It has been blocked by the president, by Democrats and so if we can't do it in its totality we'll do it piecemeal. We need to start out by repealing the CLASS Act."
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