Linus Torvalds Was Approached by the NSA for Backdoor in Linux
Linus Torvalds was approached by the National Security Agency for backdoor in Linux, according to his father Nils Torvalds.
Category: Politics
The Fed Won’t Let Germany Inspect Its Own Gold
The Federal Reserve refused in 2013 to let Germany inspect its own gold stored in the US. This raised questions about whether it still in the vaults or not.
Amazon HQ: Texas Experience Shows Why New Yorkers Were Right to Be Skeptical
New York offered Amazon US$3 billion to build a second HQ on the promise of 25k jobs. Later, Amazon backed out, citing political opposition to its plans.
Drug and Device Makers Pay Thousands of Doctors With Disciplinary Records
Critics of industry payments to doctors say they can influence recipients to prescribe drugs that cost more, may not be necessary or are similar to cheaper generics.
How Big Pharma Is Hindering Treatment of the Opioid Addiction Epidemic
Drugs do exist to reverse opioid overdoses or treat long-term opioid addiction. But while opioids have become easier and easier to obtain through illicit markets and sellers on the dark web, a drug that could save countless lives has become increasingly out of reach.
Barracking, Sheilas and Shouts: How the Irish Influenced Australian English
Irish influence on Australian English and on Australians is less than you’d expect on the surface, but everywhere once you start looking.
Potent Painkiller Maker Explored Expanding Into Opioid Addiction Treatment Market
Not content with billions of dollars in profits from a potent painkiller, its maker explored expanding into the treatment of opioid addiction.
Long-Lost Records Surface in Wrongful Conviction Case
When the lawsuit went to trial in 2010, the judge granted a request by attorneys to disallow questioning about the officer’s disciplinary history.
How Many People Are Enslaved in the World Today?
In 2017, a coalition of states and non-government organizations estimated that there were some 40 million people enslaved worldwide.
How CIA’s Secret Torture Program Sparked Public Reckoning in North Carolina
In 2005, The New York Times reported that two planes used in the CIA torture program were operated by a contractor based in North Carolina.
Climate Change Resilience Could Save Trillions – but How to Fund It?
Adapting to climate change will be a big challenge for cities and citizens around the world. The good news is that investing in it can be cost-effective.
In Defense of Conspiracy Theories (and Why the Term Is a Misnomer)
Conspiracy is a common form of human behavior across all cultures throughout recorded time, and it has always been particularly widespread in politics.
The EU steps up action against disinformation
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 5 December 2018 To protect its democratic systems and public debates and in view of the 2019 European elections as well as a number of national and local elections
The EU awards 12,000 travel passes for 18 year-olds to explore Europe in 2019
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 29 November 2018 The European Commission is launching a second DiscoverEU competition. From today (12:00 CET) until Tuesday, 11 December (12:00 CET), young people aged 18 can apply for
Oil and Gas Execs Out-Earn Their Peers Thanks To the Pay-for-Luck Process
Oil prices are highly variable and completely out of the control of individual executives. So why do executives earn more when oil prices go up?
Why Do Innocent Suspects Confess To Crimes They Did Not Commit?
The Reid technique can even convince some innocent suspects that they are guilty. Suspects will sometimes reenact a crime they did not commit.
It’s Harder Than You Might Expect for Charities To Give Back Tainted Money
When these scandals strike, charities face a dilemma – keep the money given by the now-tarnished donor or return the tainted funds.
What Big Pharma Pays Your Doctor
Receiving money from opioid makers in one year is associated with doctors prescribing more opioids the next year, according to disclosed data.
Truck Drivers Are Overtired, Overworked, and Underpaid
Research shows that economic pressure pushes drivers to work extremely long hours, contributing significantly to truck crashes.
Race of Mass Shooters Influences How the Media Cover Their Crimes, New Study Shows
Media tend to cast the violent acts of white criminals as unfortunate anomalies of illness. For black shooters they render them as inherent criminality.
GERMAN GOVERNMENT FACES A CONSTITUTIONAL COMPLAINT FOR ILLEGAL HACKING OF MOBILES PHONES
Digitalcourage filed a complaint at the Constitutional Court against the German government for using Trojan spyware to illegally read encrypted messages.
Police Kill About 3 Men per Day in the Us, According To New Study
Police in the U.S. kill on average more than 1,000 men per year, or about three men per day, about 8 percent of all adult male homicide deaths.
An Early Expression of Democracy, the US Patent System Is Out of Step With Today’s Citizens
The American patent system was designed to stimulate innovation, but some citizens argue that it’s hurting innovation and limiting access to technology.
Trump Could Be Using Advanced Game Theory Negotiation Techniques
Trump is trying to throw world leaders off-balance so that he can extract more trade concessions from them; or he is just adrift.
Spotting the Political Calculus Behind Some Acts of Corporate Charity
Corporate charitable contributions may bend laws and regulations in ways that boost profits rather than serve the public’s interests.