HUFFINGTON POST: Hotels, beware: Blocking guests’ access to Wi-Fi in order to force them to pay for your own costly Internet service is not a very nice thing to do. And, it turns out, it’s not legal either. The Federal Communications Commission announced Friday that it was fining Marriott International $600,000 for unlawfully blocking customers’ […]
Will the NCAA sanctions against Penn State be ruled invalid?
According to a report in Capital Wire, Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey once again refused to dismiss the law suit challenging the validity of a consent decree entered into by Penn State with the NCAA in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
A family tragedy gives birth to California’s Ballot Proposition 46
By Tom O’Connell, MD Proposition 46, which made this year’s California ballot seems to be one of those ambitious initiatives that simply tries to solve problems beyond its sponsors’ expertise; primarily because It addresses them without an understanding of how they were generated. Here’s a handy explanation of its origins and the fierce dedication of […]
U.S. Eases Embargo on Arms to Vietnam
As the United States’ concerns have grown over China’s increasing military abilities, American officials have gradually moved to strengthen security ties with the Vietnamese.
Documents show sexual emails seemed funny to Attorney General’s staff at the time. The consequences? Not so much
PENN LIVES COLUMN: …It’s a jarring example of how people – even people in law enforcement who grab evidence from computers all the time – still don’t reconcile cyberspace with real life, said Susquehanna Twp.-based forensic technology consultant John Sancenito. “People do stupid things,” Sancenito said. “An acceptable use policy is something that everybody signs […]
The 9 Biggest Myths About ISIS Debunked
HUFFINGTON POST: ISIS is not al-Qaeda. In fact, the groups are on less-than-friendly terms. Here’s the backstory: ISIS’ roots lie in a Sunni Islamist militant group founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden in 2005 and named his group al-Qaeda in Iraq. Their relationship was sometimes tense, and the groups […]
Bagful of progress: With a ban, California makes food shopping green
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE EDITORIAL: …On Tuesday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to make California the first state to ban single-use plastic bags at supermarkets and pharmacies beginning in July 2015, although it does not apply to bags used for fruits, vegetables or meats. The prohibition will extend to convenience stores, liquor outlets and small food […]
Appeals court lets Texas enforce abortion limits
STAR TELEGRAM / AP: ….Two years ago, Texas had more than 40 abortion facilities. Many clinics have already closed under a part of the law requiring doctors who perform abortions to obtain hospital admitting privileges, and now more than a dozen remaining clinics are set to shutter as well. The decision by a panel of […]
Wolf maintains large lead over Corbett with month left in governor’s campaign
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE: Robert Morris University Polling Institute found 54.6 percent of voters say the Sandusky case would not affect their vote, according to an online survey sponsored by Trib Total Media. Almost 27 percent say Corbett’s handling of the investigation makes them less likely to support his re-election, and 12 percent say it makes them more likely to vote for Corbett.
Government Says Jobless Rate Falls to Six-year Low in September
NEWSMAX: U.S. employers stepped up hiring in September and the jobless rate fell to a six-year low, which could bolster bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike in mid-2015 or even earlier… U.S. non-farm payrolls rose by 248,000 last month and the jobless rate fell to 5.9 percent, the lowest since July 2008, the Labor […]
In Secret Service, Some Blacks See a Flawed Shield for the President
“It is something that is widespread in black circles,” said Representative Emanuel Cleaver II of Missouri, who like Mr. Cummings is an African-American Democrat who has been approached repeatedly by voters expressing such a concern. “I’ve been hearing this for some time: ‘Well, the Secret Service, they’re trying to expose the president.’ You hear a lot of that from African-Americans in particular.”
JPMorgan Chase cyber attack hits 76m households
FINANCIAL TIMES: JPMorgan Chase said the names, addresses, telephone numbers and emails of 76m households – or just under two-thirds of the total households in America – were “compromised” in a cyber attack on the biggest US bank by assets. The bank said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that there was “no evidence that […]
Philadelphia mayor signs bill decriminalizing pot
“It is our hope that by decriminalizing marijuana in the City of Philadelphia, we can begin to eliminate this great penalty to many who are otherwise law-abiding citizens trying to lead good, healthy lives,” Nutter said…
Kudos to Mayor Gray for altering job application forms
Potential applicants are fearful of disclosing past criminal offenses. Either they don’t apply, or they fail to disclose the information and thus disqualify themselves. The only time that a conviction can be lawfully used to disqualify an employee is when it suggests a future risk in that position. Someone who embezzled cannot be refused a job raking leaves.