Sales tax is a a system that is now on the verge of collapse
Futurist Thomas Frey: As a general rule, extreme levels of complexity take a significant toll on society. The price we pay for complexity is far greater than the money involved. With upwards of 90,000 separate taxing districts in the U.S. sales tax has become an overly complicated system deeply entrenched in the fabric of society, but woefully out of touch with the times.
Continue reading… “Reinventing Sales Tax”
China launched a pilot pension program as part of efforts to narrow the standard-of-living gap between rural and urban residents.
China plans to expand a piloted pension program to 60 percent of its rural areas this year, an increase from the original target of 40 percent, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang said Friday.
Continue reading… “China Expands It’s Pension Program to Cover 60% of Rural Areas”
Self-driving Toyota Prius, modified by Google.
Google is quietly lobbying legislators to make Nevada the first state to allow autonomous vehicles on public roads. The company’s self-driving cars might soon become more than a pet project. (Video)
Continue reading… “Google Lobbies Nevada Legislators to Allow Self-driving Cars”
What will cause the power to shift among nations between now and 2050?
Futurist Thomas Frey: I often get interview requests from newspaper and magazines as they probe for a better understanding of the world ahead. However, the request I received two days ago was a bit unusual.
Continue reading… “Interview with Ukraine’s InvestGazeta”
Postal Service reports more that $2 billion in losses.
The U.S. Postal Service is continuing to lose money, reporting a loss Tuesday of more than $2 billion over the first three months of the year and warning it could be forced to default on federal payments.
Continue reading… “Billions in Losses Reported By the Postal Service”
A group of Russian tax officials is alleged to have helped steal $230m (£140m) from the Russian state in an elaborate tax fraud.
Authorities in Switzerland are reported to have frozen dozens of bank accounts belonging to Russian tax officials. This is part of a criminal investigation into claims that the funds on them are derived from the biggest tax fraud in Russian history. The Swiss authorities began investigating after UK investment fund Hermitage filed a complaint against a group of Russian tax officials it alleged had helped steal $230m (£140m) from the Russian state in an elaborate tax fraud.
China introduces a smoking ban.
More than a million Chinese die each year from smoking related diseases, according to the China Centre for Disease Control. China has the world’s most serious smoking problem so China has banned smoking in public places in an attempt to placate the World Health Organization, however, there are no penalties for those who flout the rules.
Continue reading… “China Bans Smoking in Public Places but with No Penalties for Breaking the Rules”
States have laws stipulating that the government becomes the owner of abandoned property after a period of time.
Billions of dollars in unclaimed life insurance benefits are at the center of a legal wrestling match as cash-strapped state governments step up their efforts to make sure insurance companies properly account for the funds.
Regulators are asking food makers and restaurant companies to make a choice: make your products healthier or stop advertising them to youngsters.
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed sweeping new guidelines that could push the food industry to overhaul how it advertises cereal, soda pop, snacks, restaurant meals and other foods to children.
Continue reading… “FTC Proposes Stricter Guidelines on Food Ads for Children”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Over the past month I have hosted a series of meetings to discuss the topic of global elections. The purpose of these discussions was to help expand our understanding of the topic. I also truly believe that someone will begin to produce global elections, in a meaningful way, sometime very soon.
Continue reading… “Global Elections”
A woman smoking an electronic cigarette.
On Monday, the U.S. government said it plans to regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products.
Continue reading… “FDA to Regulate Electronic Cigarettes as Tobacco”
What kind of logic prevails when environmental impact statements
on biotech crops are outsourced to the GMO industry itself?
The U.S. is already cultivating 165 million acres of genetically modified crops, up 7 million acres from just two years ago. Modified seeds and large monocultures in general, are monopolizing our nation’s agriculture system like never before and crop after crop are deemed “safe” by the USDA. We’re headed full speed down a dark, winding road and it seems we’re driving blindfolded. And most recently, according to a story on Grist, the USDA is starting a new program which will outsource environmental impact statements on biotech crops to the GMO industry. Obviously, biotech companies are thrilled with the idea…
Continue reading… “USDA Outsources Biotech Crop Evaluation to the GMO Industry”
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