“It used to be the main exchange currency in Europe, but soon after WW1 governments ditched it. Now, amid turbulent financial times and economic woes, gold is fashionable once more, as RT’s Peter Oliver explains.”
“Arizonans who fear the federal government will make their folding money worthless may soon be able to substitute privately minted gold and silver coins. The measure is crafted to get around a provision of the U.S. Constitution which bars states from minting their own coins. But supporters also note it says that states cannot ‘make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts.’ That, they contend, permits states to recognize coins minted by others. Crandell said the ultimate bottom line is a lack of confidence in the dollar — or at least the real value of the dollar, what with the Federal Reserve Bank continuing to print new money.”
“Thieves stole 1,000 feet of copper wire last week from the lighting system that helps planes land in low visibility at Sea-Tac Airport. The FAA said the wiring was taken from the approach light system for Runway 34L. It’s part of the runway’s Instrument Landing System. There have been no flight delays as a result. Work is under way to replace the wiring. The system is expected to be back online early next week. There was no indication if there are any suspects in the case.”
http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/192100051.html
“You may not be able to get a letter from the U.S. Postal Service on Saturdays, but you will be able to get fashionable new apparel. The cash-strapped post office plans to release a ‘Rain Heat & Snow’ clothing and accessory line. CNN reported that the Postal Service is teaming up with Cleveland-based Wahconah Group, which will design the clothing and accessories. The Rain Heat & Snow line should have something available for men by spring 2014, CNN said. A women’s line also is being planned. CNN said the fashion line will be sold in department and specialty stores.”
http://news.msn.com/pop-culture/post-office-to-release-fashion-line?ocid=ansnews11
“The U.S. Postal Service is set to announce that it will discontinue Saturday mail delivery in a cost-saving measure that is expected to save the agency up to $2 billion per year. According to the Associated Press, package delivery will continue six days a week, but regular mail will be limited to Monday to Friday delivery. The changes are slated to take place in August. Under the new plan, Saturday delivery to post office boxes will continue and post offices that are currently open on Saturdays will remain open.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/06/u-s-mail-to-cut-saturday-delivery/
“A depressed Florida man shot his wife and two children before killing himself after closing his hot air balloon business and facing losing his job as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector because of automatic budget cuts known as ‘sequestration.’ A source told CBS News that 45-year-old Carlos Zuniga was depressed in the weeks before he shot his wife 43-year-old wife, Michelle, his 14-year-old daughter, Lauren, and his 11-year-old son, Stefan. Carlos Zuniga then killed himself. Stefan Zuniga died at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center on Thursday morning. Both the wife and the daughter were in critical condition.”
“Airlines and airports across the country are preparing for across-the-board federal budget cuts due to hit next week as if they were a hurricane, although with even less certainty about how many flights they will have to cancel and how many passengers will be stranded. The federal government is warning about delays that could begin in March, as the first cuts take effect, and reduced takeoffs and slower security lines that could worsen in April with furloughs.”
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/02/warning-you-are-about-to-be-exposed-to.html
“The nascent drone industry is coming under threat from lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures who are weighing restrictions on their use in the United States. Manufacturers of unmanned aerial systems say there is vast potential for police departments and law enforcement officials to use drones in their work. But eighteen states have considered bills that would limit the use of unmanned aerial systems, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and more are likely to follow suit. Several court cases have upheld law enforcement agencies’ rights to aerially surveil citizens, but privacy advocates say drone flights will reopen the debate.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/legislation/283467-states-join-battle-over-drone-flights
“Lucy, who suffers from Spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair was on her way to Disney World when she was stopped after going through security at her home airport. She, along with her parents and siblings made it through the security checkpoint without a problem until the TSA stopped them on their way to their gate. TSA promptly took away Lucy’s favorite toy which led her to weep uncontrollably. TSA demanded that her parents stop recording. Lucy’s father, a lawyer, told them that he was legally allowed to record them and her mother said repeatedly ‘you’re not touching my daughter’ without a camera documenting their actions.”
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/02/tsa-detains-3yr-old-in-wheelchair-who.html
“Rep. Brett Hildabrand wants to stop what he sees as over-the-top searches at the airport gate that distress innocent passengers by acting as if even the most unlikely pose a threat to air safety. ‘Air travelers are subjected to aggressive, humiliating pat-downs, many of which would land the average stranger off the street in jail,’ the Shawnee Republican said. ‘But because the federal government has given someone a blue uniform and a badge, we are told that person has authority over our bodies and we must endure.'”
http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/14/4067959/airport-searches-irk-kansas-lawmakers.html