government – Page 21

Swiss government to pay every adult basic income of $2,800 a month

May 16, 2014

The 2,500 francs would work out to be an income of 30,000 Swiss francs per year.

Every Swiss adult may start getting a salary of over $2,800 (2,500 francs) per month whether they work or not. Switzerland has based this on the idea that their citizens will have more time to devote to things they are intrinsically interested in, instead of spending the majority of their time worrying about how they are going to survive, as many individuals with entry level positions find it hard to meet their needs. The income initiative promises every Swiss citizen a living wage , so they can always survive without basic financial worry.

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Analysis, Business, government

Vietnam mobs burn factories in anti-China protest

May 14, 2014

Mobs burned and looted scores of foreign-owned factories.

This is an interesting turn. The one thing that the Chinese government cares about is their image, the China brand. They are super sensitive to criticism and push back, but how can you push back against spontaneous riots in other countries? And this outbreak had a double blow. The rioters attacked Taiwanese factories by mistake. This will tip the Taiwanese against unification with China, which China craves. In the past, the Chinese have rioted against Japanese products, and the Chinese government has used it to their political advantage. Now the situation is reversed. Will the riots spread to more cities and Asian countries? Will China back down to save it’s commercial reputation and foreign investments and markets?

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Analysis, Business, government, Science & Technology News

Creative Commons founder launches crowdfunding project to end America’s political corruption

May 7, 2014

Larry Lessig, Creative Commons co-founder, believes the Internet masses can overcome political corruption in America. Lessig is crowdfunding political races in five congressional districts to elect representatives who will make campaign finance reform their political priority. His idea has already raked in $447,546 in 4 days.

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Analysis, government, Latest Trend

U.S. weighs clemency for thousands of inmates jailed for 10 years

May 2, 2014

Deputy Attorney General James Cole

Thousands of nonviolent federal prisoners are expected to take up an offer by the Obama administration to apply for early release. It’s an effort to deal with high costs and overcrowding in prisons, and also a matter of fairness, the government says.

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Analysis, Big Problems, government, Science & Technology News

Massive FBI facial recognition database raises concerns about privacy

May 1, 2014

The FBI plans to start using facial recognition software.

Most technology watchers believe we shouldn’t be overly concerned just yet about the privacy implications of facial recognition technology because it isn’t yet sophisticated enough to identify people accurately,

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Alternative Transportation, government, Great Videos, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

The military will get a flying car before the rest of us

April 30, 2014

Advanced Tactics Black Knight Transformer

The Advanced Tactics Black Knight Transformer is a scaled up multicopter with a wheeled cargo compartment below. It took to the air for the first time recently. (Pics and video)

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Analysis, Business, government, Latest Trend

Waiting for patent reform is costing the U.S. billions of dollars

April 29, 2014

The U.S. economy has lost $1.1 billion due to inaction on the issue during the Senate’s two week recess.

After almost three weeks of heated debate the Senate Judiciary Committee left for April Recess on the doorstep of an historic deal to curb the scurrilous practices of patent trolls.

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Analysis, Education, government

The ‘impossible’ $10K degree marches on in Texas

April 23, 2014

Governor Perry wants public universities to craft four-year degrees costing no more than $10,000 in tuition, fees, and books.

Bill Ayers did not have in mind any endeavors of conservative Texas governor Rick Perry when he observed that “every revolution is impossible until it happens, and then, looking backwards, every revolution appears inevitable.” But Perry may have launched a revolution of his own with his 2011 state of the state address. Perry challenged Texas’s public universities to craft four-year degrees costing no more than $10,000 in tuition, fees, and books, and to achieve the necessary cost reductions by teaching students online and awarding degrees based on competency.

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government, Great Videos, New Discoveries, Science & Technology News

U.S. Navy develops technology to turn seawater into fuel

April 12, 2014

The U.S. Navy hopes to power all non-nuclear powered ships through seawater.

The U.S. Navy scientists believe they may have solved one of the world’s great challenges after decades of experiments. They know how to turn seawater into fuel. (Video)

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Analysis, Business, Economy, government, Historical Perspectives, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

What job creation looked like under the last six presidents

April 8, 2014

There are many differences between the president’s terms. Overall employment was smaller in the ’80s, so a different comparison might be to look at the percentage change. Of course the participation rate was increasing in the ’80s (younger population and women joining the labor force), and the participation rate is declining now. But these graphs give an overview of employment changes.

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Analysis, government, Internet, Science & Technology News

Europe to abolish roaming charges by December 2015

April 4, 2014

The EU is one step from ending roaming charges and delivering net neutrality for all Europeans.

The first move was to slash pricing of mobile phone roaming costs across Europe. Then calls were made to abolish mobile roaming costs completely, with a view towards “safeguarding citizens’ right to access an open Internet.” Today that vision has become a reality.

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