All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
International

Breaking Martial Law News: Egyptian U.S. backed military government launching mass arrests nationwide! 149 civilians killed!

14 August 2013 (13:11 UTC-07 Tango)/07 Shawwal 1434/23 Mordad 1391/08 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

U.S. backed puppet government says no more protests will be allowed, will be met with military force “no matter the cost”!

Live press conference from bogus military coup interim Interior Minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, in Egypt.  They say they are launching mass arrests of Muslim Brotherhood political party members, all across Egypt!   All Muslim Brotherhood members arrested will be tortured!

Members of Palestinian Hamas being arrested!  Puppet military junta official says reports of civilian casualties are exaggerated.   Orders news media not to call civilians killed by U.S. backed government forces “martyrs”!

 

International

Hoof & Mouth Disease hits 130-thousand people in Japan! Record outbreak!  1 million cases, 200 deaths in China!

14 August 2013 (12:02 UTC-07 Tango)/07 Shawwal 1434/23 Mordad 1391/08 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

A record 133802 people in Japan have been hit with a viral Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).  That’s the official number as of 28 July, according to Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The hardest hit area is Tokyo, and it’s mainly children.   Early symptoms are similar to influenza or tummy bug; headaches, vomiting, high fever.  Other symptoms are blurry vision and skin rashes.  If symptoms last more than a couple of days see a doctor, it can develop into meningitis or encephalitis.

The HFMD virus can live in your crap for a long time, so wash your hands you filthy animal.  The human version of hoof & mouth disease is caused mainly by Coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6), a type of Enterovirus.  Two years ago there was another recoded breaking outbreak in Japan, but this year’s is already worse than that.

The United Nation’s World Health Organization is reporting that China and Japan are the only Asian countries suffering an increase in HFMD this year.  China (including Macao, but not including Hong Kong) has  already seen 908857 cases, and 188 deaths, as of the end of June.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 13-14 June 2013. California hit hard, again! The “system is just broken”!

Eddie Lampert (Sears Holdings) controled Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) now bankrupt.  The California based company has $261 million USD in debt.  Over the past two years OSH has lost $132.8 million!  Apparently the attempt to sell OSH to Lowes fell through.  OSH is now being parted out, which means lots-o-people will be out-o-work!

Also in California, the Los Angeles County Superior Court eliminated 511 positions, demoted 139 employees and transferred 223 to new jobs!  The county court is short $85 million!  Computer security company, Symantec, laid off 1700 employees!  In January, a company official referred to the U.S. capitalist crony corporate “system is just broken”.

The New York City Housing Authority will layoff 500 employees!  It’s blamed on reductions in federal funding.  Oak Beverages shut down in Brooklyn, 53 people laid off.  And BorgWarner Morse TEC ends their new Powdered Metal Operation in Cortland.  35 people laid off.   Originally the new Cortland location was to have employed 70 people.  I couldn’t find an explanation for the closure.

Too Big to Jail, JP Morgan Chase, announced 1800 layoffs at its New York and Florida mortgage offices.  It’s part of their plans to layoff 17000 people by the end of 2014!

Also in Florida, Okey Dokey Grocery shutting down all 11 stores!  157 people out-o-work!  Originally the company was planning on opening 50 new stores!  Reports now say the company is trying to find tenants for their stores.  Local business analysts think the company rushed into the grocery business without a true gameplan.

In Minnesota, IntriCon of Arden Hills laid off 35 people.  The maker of wireless monitoring devices for medical products is moving production around from a couple of states and a couple of countries.

In Missouri, after 99 years the last Garavelli’s Cafeteria closed down.  The owners blame the increasing costs of doing business, and declining customers. It’s now up for sale.  The non-profit Boone Hospital Center laid off 13 employees, and reduced hours for seven others.  It’s part of non-profit BJC Healthcare’s 160 employee layoffs at several of its hospitals!  It’s blamed on Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act: “…experiencing reductions in our reimbursement for the healthcare services that we provide…”-June Fowler, BJC Healthcare

In Alabama, the Christian God can’t stop Catholic Providence Hospital from laying off 35 employees.  It’s blamed on the federal government’s ‘sequestration’ of funding.  Hospital officials say they’ve lost $2 million in Medicare funding!  And medical bed manufacturer, Hausted Patient Handling Systems, sold their factory to Graham Field Health Products.    Clothing brand, Russel Brands, shut down their Wetumpka factory.  191 jobs lost!  This is in addition to the closing of its Alexander City factory.

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Atlanta Bread Company restaurant shut down.  Local news media reports say it’s not clear why it shut down.  SMS Sportsworld closed in Aiken.  The owner blamed it on too much competition and the bad economy.

Oak Farms milk packager in Waco, Texas, laid off 150 employees!  Production is being consolidated, a few months ago they closed their Louisiana plant.

What booming oil industry? Texas based Enerflex Limited shut down its Casper, Wyoming, natural gas operations.  89 people unemployed.  It’s blamed on a market shift from coal-bed methane to shale gas.

Edinboro University, in Pennsylvania, warned of layoffs due to declining student enrollment, for the first time in decades.  And Kissel Hill closed its North Cornwall Township store.  11 people out-o-work.  The owners said the store was an experimental operation opened last year.

In Cheshire, Connecticut, Bovano’s Retail Store closed.  Seven people out-o-work.   In Fairfield, Cargo Bay clothing store shut down. The owner is taking a break.

Local finished arts & crafts store Sarida, in Maine, closed up shop.  The owner said her first year was great, but by the Autumn of 2012 business crashed: “We started panicking in November.”-Tammy Cook

In Wisconsin, Oshkosh Defense laid off 700 employees!  It’s blamed on reduced government spending.  More layoffs are expected.  In Holman, Blue Cup Coffee House restaurant shut down after ten years of operations.  The owner blames the bad economy: “It’s been a tough couple of years. Last year was significantly down…..Different marketing techniques did help, but at the end of the day, it was too little, too late.”-Kim Granum

In Oregon, Georgia Pacific announced it will layoff 100 people over the next three years.  The paper product maker is replacing them with machines.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

Fukushima

Government & Corporate incompetence: People exposed to high levels of radiation at Fukushima! From contaminated water in nearby lake?

12 August 2013 (13:28 UTC-07 Tango)/05 Shawwal 1434/21 Mordad 1392/06 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Confusing reports about ten workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan.  The workers were tested for contamination after radiation sensors at a bus stop went off.  Their hands and heads were contaminated with 19 becquerels per square centimeter of radiation.  Five times more than Tokyo Electric’s (TEPCo) own safety standards!

Some reports, in western main stream news media, say the workers were contaminated by radioactive dust, but that’s not what is being reported in Japan.

Japanese news media (and some U.S. media) reporting the workers were contaminated by a cooling mister located at the bus stop.  TEPCo installed misters at the bus stop, and other locations, to help keep workers cool during summer.  The misters use water collected from a local lake, located 10km (6 miles) from the nuke plant.  The same lake water is used for toilets and faucets.  TEPCo says they don’t know how the water got contaminated.  Perhaps the water in the lake is contaminated, just as several independent studies warned?

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 11-12 June 2013. 4000 hospital employees laid off, blamed on Obama! U.S. model kit company shutting down? Illinois & New York hit hard, again!

IBM is ending operations and laying off as many as 8000 employees in Vermont and North Carolina!!!  A company press release basically blamed it on tough competition.

British empire owned Kearfott laid off 96 employees in North Carolina.  Kearfott makes guidance systems for UAVs (recon and assassination drones) for the military.  The report of layoffs came from employees, company officials refused to talk to local media about it.  In Lewisville, Shallowford Hardware shut down after only five years in business.

What automotive industry recovery?  Delaware based Lio Energy Systems and China based Miles Electric Vehicles joined California based Coda Automotive in bankruptcy.  Coda is the parent company of Lio Energy and Miles Electric.  It’s blamed on lack of sales of their electric cars.

In Pennsylvania, Wissahickon School District laid off six people, and reduced the pay for two other employees.  Also, the Altoona Area School District closed two elementary schools.  It’s blamed on declining student enrollment.  Philadelphia’s most famous restaurant, Le Bec Fin, shut down.  The restaurant has closed before, and re-opened, but the owner says it’s for good this time.

In Georgia, the Muscogee School Board wants to layoff 20 teachers.  They’ve already closed two elementary schools.  It’s all about balancing the budget.  The city of Columbus warned of massive layoffs.  The city has already laid off hundreds of employees over the past couple of years.

The Louisiana Civil Service Commission laying off 3976 employees at LSU’s hospital in Shreveport!!!  Most of those are classified as state employees.  It’s part of the state’s plans to privatize the hospital, partially blamed on the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act for reducing Medicare/Medicaid payments to the state.

In Connecticut, the Christian God can’t stop Saint Vincent Medical Center from laying off 50 employees, and eliminating 100 other positions!  Catholic hospital officials blamed it on competition and decreased federal funding due to the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act.

The University of Maryland Medical Center laying off an undisclosed number of employees.  Hospital officials are directly blaming the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act.  They also blame federal sequestration, which will cut several billions of dollars from Medicare.

In New York, Lakeside Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and Inpatient Unit shut down, 343 people unemployed! Hospital officials blame it on lack of customers.  In NYC, CNN America-Starting Point laid off 40 employees.  And Artio Global Investors closed, 94 people laid off.  Direct Access Partners closed, 62 people laid off.  Post House Investors closing, 59 employees out-o-work. In Dunkirk, The Carriage House closed, 133 people out-o-work!   In Farmingdale, OSI Pharmaceuticals shut down, 96 people unemployed.  Rochester Beer & Beverage shut down, 63 people unemployed.

Massive layoffs in Illinois, again!  Plastic model kit company Testors laid off 107 employees at it’s Rockford plant!  Testors has operated out of Rockford since 1929, they also make paint and other model building supplies.  Company officials say the bad economy is forcing them to eliminate some of their model supply brands.  This means closing their 84 years old Blackhawk Park Avenue building, and moving operations into a smaller building.  Commercial Vehicle Group shut down its truck parts factory in DeKalb.  75 jobs lost.  Illinois Central School Bus lost its contract in South Beloit.  107 people unemployed!  Life sciences equipment manufacturer, PerkinElmer, shut down operations and laid off 53 people in Downers Grove.  In Chillicothe, warehousing company HK Logistics laid off 59 employees.  Hubbell Central Distribution Center closing its South Holland facility. 82 people laid off.  Book publisher D.B. Hess for sale, 148 employees affected!  Chartwells Dining Services lost their contract in Waukegan, 113 jobs lost.  Chartwells has been losing contracts across the country.  In Edwardsville, Berkeley Contract Packaging shutting down and laying off 161 people!  Commercial building construction firm, All Tri-R, lost a major contract.  173 unemployed!  Military contractor, KBR, closing it’s Chicago office, 83 people out-o-work.  Drug maker AbbVie laid off another 96 employees.  Manufacturer of automated toll collection systems, TransCore LP, closing a call center and laying off 196 people!

In Indiana, reports that Slingshot SEO laid off ten employees.  Company officials say they’re “…right-sizing our organization for our next wave of growth.”

In California, JDSU laid off 125 people at its optical products division in Sonoma County!  The company has ended production of some products.  In Santa Barbara, after 29 years of business the Travel Store closed down.  The owner blamed it on internet competition and declining local customers.

Donation funded PBS NewsHour closing offices in San Fransisco, California, and in Denver, Colorado.  Most employees at those offices laid off.  It’s blamed on declining corporate sponsors.  Current open positions will not be filled.  Because of reduced corporate sponsorship, PBS NewsHour is short $7 million USD!

Commercial cable TV sports channel, ESPN, began a second round of layoffs.  Company officials say they plan to layoff up to 400 people this year!  Reports say the first round of layoffs, in May, came with no warning.

Greyhound bus company shut down their Clearwater, Florida, bus station.  Local news sources say the company would not comment on why they’re closing the station.  JP Morgan & Chase laying off 435 people in Tampa!  It’s part of the Too Big to Jail bank’s plan to layoff 17000 people across the country by the end of 2014!!!

Julie’s Gold Crown Hallmark closed in Arkansas.

In Manassas, Virginia, it was revealed the Kmart would close in September.  71 people out-o-work!

The Lai Thai Restaurant closed in Casper, Wyoming.  Health and family issues forced the owners to sell to a new owner, who will hopefully re-open the restaurant.

In Oregon, FOSS Maritime laid off 60 employees.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

The United States is a Failed State: Another 1.18 million citizens have left the U.S.! Don’t blame new tax rules! Where are they all going?

11 August 2013 (00:28 UTC-07 Tango)/04 Shawwal 1434/20 Mordad 1391/05 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

According to the U.S. Department of State, 6.38 million U.S. citizens are now living outside the United States!  That’s 1.18 million more than what the State Department reported in 2012!  (that does not include government or military personnel)

But wait, the 6.38 million figure is what the U.S. State Department compiled for 2011! You see, the data the State Department just released is two years old!  I could almost guarantee the actual number of U.S. citizens leaving the country is higher.

Already 1810 have renounced their U.S. citizenship, just in the first half of 2013, that’s record breaking!

Since 2008 the numbers of U.S. citizens rejecting their citizenship has only gone up.  These approximate numbers are compiled from the quarterly list of names provided by the Internal Revenue Service.

2008: 235

2009: 743

2010: 1500

2011: 1788

2012: 747

First six months of 2013: 1810

The exodus has got government leaders so riled up that they’ve passed tax laws (like FATCA & FBAR) that essentially makes anyone who leaves the United States a tax evading terrorist.

But you can’t blame the new taxes because expatriates are already required to pay U.S. taxes even though they live in another country: “The U.S. is the only developed nation in the world that taxes its citizens on income they earn abroad.“-William McGurn, Wall Street Journal

The new tax laws require foreign banks to report accounts of U.S. citizens to the U.S. government.  FACTA also require foreign banks to steal up to 30% of U.S. payments to U.S. citizen’s bank accounts! Banks in Germany and Canada are complaining that the laws are too complicated, and will cost them money to comply with.

U.S. expats living abroad, yet paying U.S. taxes with little or no representation.  Isn’t that what the U.S. Revolution of 1776 was all about?

Where are all those U.S. citizens fleeing to?  According to the recently released State Department data (from 2011) the favorite place is still the Western Hemisphere (Canada, Latin America, Caribbean).  Two million 591 thousand U.S. citizens fled north or south of the border.  By the way, this year former USN SEAL, former movie star and former governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, revealed that he moved his family to Mexico.  Don’t blame U.S. taxes, in an interview with controversial Alex Jones, Ventura basically said the sheeple of the U.S. are a bunch of panty wastes who don’t have the guts to fight their repressive elitist British empire/Israeli zionist controlled government!

Europe is the next favorite escape destination, at one million 612 thousand.  But for those who move to Europe you can not blame it on trying to avoid U.S. taxes, because the tax rates in Europe are outrageous! How ’bout that waffling Republican Michele Bachmann? First she’s a U.S. citizen, then she becomes a Swiss citizen in 2012, then changes her mind!  In 2012, Grammy-nominated songwriter Denise Rich renounced U.S. citizenship after moving to United Kingdom.  Also, in January 2013 ‘merican pop music star Tina Turner renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a Swiss citizen.  Tina Turner said she can’t bring herself to call the U.S. ‘home’ anymore: “I’m very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. I cannot imagine a better place to live.”

Next is the Near East (aka Middle East, North Africa) at 870 thousand.  That’s right, U.S. citizens are moving to countries considered to support terrorism!

East Asia and Pacific countries have seen 864 thousand U.S. citizens move in.  In 2012 Facebook co-founder, Eduardo Saverin, renounced his U.S. citizenship and now calls Singapore his home.  In his case taxes might be the motivating factor.  Athlete Quincy Davis renounced U.S. citizenship in June 2013.  He now plays basketball for Taiwan.

212 thousand U.S. citizens moved into South Central Asian countries (Afghanistan anyone?).

And African countries saw 171 thousand U.S. citizens take up residence.

Remember, these are 2011 State Department numbers.

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 29-30 July 2013: More proof Afghanistan is U.S./U.K. hot spot for gay sex! U.S. increases airstrikes! More proof the corruption is United States!

In Parwan Province, U.S. News & World Report stated that three USAF airmen were wounded in a explosion at Bagram airbase.  The airman are part of the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. The explosion ripped through the airmen’s outrageously expensive Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.

In Paktia Province, reports that three villages were bombed by U.S./NATO airstrikes.  At least 65 people killed. NATO/ISAF said they were all Mujahideen.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) claim they’ve killed 140 Mujahideen in Logar, Paktia and Nangarhar provinces.  It was part of Operation Simurgh.  The Afghan Ministry of Defense says many of those killed were Pakistani.

In Logar and Kunar provinces reports of U.S. airstrikes.  At least 80 people killed.  Afghan government sources are saying the airstrikes are being called in to stop human wave attacks by Mujahideen.

Also in Logar Province, Pul-e-Alam, a U.S. Army Specialist was killed by indirect fire.  He was part of the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.  Mujahideen reported the bomb attack, but they claim five U.S. personnel were killed.

In Zabul Province, Shahjoi District, an explosion killed nine people and wounded 12 others.  The bomb was meant for the local Afghan National Police (ANP) commander, who was among those killed.

In Kandahar Province, Spin Boldak District, an explosion killed a woman and her two daughters.  In Panjwayi District, and explosion killed one woman.  Also, the sons of a police commander assassinated by Mujahideen, conducted a home invasion retaliation, killing a man and his two sons.  However, Mujahideen say the man and his sons were not involved in their assassination of the cop commander.

In Kunduz Province, Dashte Archi District, the villages of Haji Zarghoon and Haji Sarfaraz were subjected to Israeli home invasions by NATO/ANA troops.  Six people kidnapped.

In Laghman Province, four villagers were kidnapped by government officials, who’re now asking the village elders to pay a large amount of money for their freedom (25000 Afghani per kidnap victim).

An Afghan diplomat has been kidnapped in Pakistan’s Baluchistan Province.

According to U.S. military news sources, such as Marine Corps Times, Afghanistan has become the craigslist hot spot for homosexual sex!  That is a direct violation of the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which forbids even heterosexual sex in combat zones!  This is just another revelation in the decline and fall of the morality of the United States.  Other news sources have reported on homosexual crimes being committed upon Afghan boys by U.S./NATO personnel.  Even the Canadian military has sealed their scandalous investigation into it!

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) confirmed that U.S. tax dollars are going to Afghan contractors known to support Mujahideen.  SIGAR blamed the U.S. Army Suspension and Debarment Office, which refused to cancel 43 contracts linked to the Mujahideen.  “I am deeply troubled that the U.S. military can pursue, attack, and even kill terrorists and their supporters, but that some in the U.S. government believe we cannot prevent these same people from receiving a government contract.”-John Sopko, SIGAR

Also, SIGAR revealed that $47 million tax dollars went down the toilet in a USAID program called Stability in Key Areas Program.  SIGAR says it was a failure because there’s still no stability in Afghanistan.  SIGAR says it’s because not one dollar went to those who were supposed to get it: “…Although USAID had disbursed approximately $47 million for the four SIKA contracts as of March 31, 2013, none of the funds had gone to grants that fund community projects….”

So who got the $47 million?  DAI of Bethesda, Maryland, and AECOM of Los Angeles, California.

The Christian Science Monitor reporting that a dam being built by the taxpayers of India could mean war with Iran and Turkmenistan.  The Salma Dam could be complete by the end of 2014 (the same time U.S./NATO is to draw down). It blocks rivers that flow into Iran and Turkmenistan.  The dam will allow local Afghan farms to increase production and will generate electricity.

The U.S. Department of Defense admits that 2241 U.S. service members have died since the start of the War on Terror in Afghan.

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Martial law U.S.A.: Think your smartphone data is secure? Silent Circle erases customer data due to fear of the NSA!

10 August 2013 (15:46 UTC-07 Tango)/03 Shawwal 1434/19 Mordad 1391/04 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The following was posted by Silent Circle:

To Our Customers

We designed our phone, video, and text services (Silent Phone and Silent Text) to be completely end-to-end secure with all cryptography done on the clients and our exposure to your data to be nil. The reasons are obvious — the less of your information we have, the better it is for you and for us.

Silent Mail has thus always been something of a quandary for us. Email that uses standard Internet protocols cannot have the same security guarantees that real-time communications has. There are far too many leaks of information and metadata intrinsically in the email protocols themselves. Email as we know it with SMTP, POP3, and IMAP cannot be secure.

And yet, many people wanted it. Silent Mail has similar security guarantees to other secure email systems, and with full disclosure, we thought it would be valuable.

However, we have reconsidered this position. We’ve been thinking about this for some time, whether it was a good idea at all. Today, another secure email provider, Lavabit, shut down their system lest they “be complicit in crimes against the American people.” We see the writing the wall, and we have decided that it is best for us to shut down Silent Mail now. We have not received subpoenas, warrants, security letters, or anything else by any government, and this is why we are acting now.

We’ve been debating this for weeks, and had changes planned starting next Monday. We’d considered phasing the service out, continuing service for existing customers, and a variety of other things up until today. It is always better to be safe than sorry, and with your safety we decided that the worst decision is always no decision.

Silent Phone and Silent Text, along with their cousin Silent Eyes are end-to-end secure. We don’t have the encrypted data and we don’t collect metadata about your conversations. They’re continuing as they have been. We are still working on innovative ways to do truly secure communications. Silent Mail was a good idea at the time, and that time is past.

We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope you understand that if we dithered, it could be more inconvenient.

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Martial Law U.S.A.: Think your secure email is secure? Lavabit shut down for refusing to comply with NSA!

10 August 2013 (15:34 UTC-07 Tango)/03 Shawwal 1434/19 Mordad 1391/04 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The following was posted by the operator of a secure email service that was bullied by the U.S. government:

My Fellow Users,

I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on–the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.

What’s going to happen now? We’ve already started preparing the paperwork needed to continue to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. A favorable decision would allow me resurrect Lavabit as an American company.

This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States.

Sincerely,
Ladar Levison
Owner and Operator, Lavabit LLC

Defending the constitution is expensive! Help us by donating to the Lavabit Legal Defense Fund here.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 09-10 June 2013. Bad economy kills 100 years old non-profit!

What automotive industry recovery? Georgia based lead acid battery maker, Exide, bankrupt. Company officials blame higher production costs, increased competition and a crashing market in Europe.

Texas based National Envelope (aka NE Opco) went through on their threat of bankruptcy.  They blame crashing envelope sales on electronic communications.  In Dallas, the 100 years old non-profit, Camp Fire Lone Star, shut down operations!  It’s blamed on increased competition for decreasing donations, due to the bad economy.

In Pennsylvania, the Allentown School District laid off 99 teachers, with the goal of eliminating 132 teaching positions!  It’s blamed on reduced state and federal funding.  In Philadelphia, Boeing laid off 41 employees. Company officials say it’s necessary to remain competitive.  Bethlehem’s Supermercado Mi Terra grocery store closed after 55 years of business.  It’s being replaced with a C-Town grocery store.  And the Home and Planet home decor store shut down.  The owner said he has to sell the building.

The Hummel Gift Shop closed in Ohio.  The owners retired.  Bradley Caldwell closing their distribution center in August. 81 people out-o-work.

In Minnesota, Nordic Home Interiors shut down their retail operation.  They will focus on internet sales.

Su Casa II Mexican Grill shut down in Wisconsin.  The owners blame skyrocketing increases in all costs, the final straw being a new lease.

Schwan Foods shut down their distribution centers in Oakes, North Dakota, and Faulkton, South Dakota.  The mayors of the two towns complained that the closings will greatly impact their small towns.  The door to door food service is consolidating distribution into a new $1 million USD center in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

In Washington, after failed attempts to sell it off, the owners of Junction Bakery and Café gave up.

In California, the only medical supply store in Lompoc, Valley Medical, shut down.  Management referred local news media to corporate HQ for details of the closing, but corporate officials are apparently ignoring inquiries.  Local news media say 4000 elderly will be affected by the closing.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.