Monthly Archives: August 2017

Speakers at ‘free speech’ rally dropping out – The Boston Globe – The Boston Globe

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Gavin McInnes (center) was scheduled to speak at Saturdays planned free speech rally on Boston Common. On Monday, he said he wasnt coming.

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A Boston Free Speech Rally poster on Facebook.

Three headliners scheduled to speak at a far-right rally in Boston on Saturday backed out Monday, casting doubt on the event amid strong opposition by city officials worried about a repeat of the bloodshed in Charlottesville.

Augustus Invictus, an Orlando activist who took part in the Charlottesville rally, said organizers of Bostons rally texted him on Monday and said it was necessary to cancel the event from a PR standpoint, after the violence in Virginia.

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Invictus, who attracted support from white supremacists when he ran for the US Senate as a Libertarian in Florida in 2016, said organizers indicated they were also worried about statements he has made espousing support for a second American civil war.

Im upset that my appearance was canceled, and Im upset the rally was canceled because, to me, it is pure capitulation to the mob of leftists, Invictus told the Globe Monday.

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Another planned headliner, Gavin McInnes, said he was also backing out. McInnes, who heads a group of self-proclaimed Western chauvinists called the Proud Boys, accused Mayor Martin J. Walsh and city officials of trying to incite a riot to discredit the assortment of right-wing activists who planned to rally in Boston.

A Cambridge Republican candidate challenging Elizabeth Warren plans to speak at a free-speech rally Saturday on Boston Common.

Its a trap! McInnes said in a post on his Twitter feed. And in an e-mail to the Globe, he added: Im out.

A third speaker, Casssandra Fairbanks, also said she was going to cancel. Im not going to speak at the Boston free speech rally, she tweeted. The threats keep escalating and people are unhinged rn, she wrote, using internet shorthand for right now.

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A fourth speaker, Joe Biggs, who lives in Austin, Texas, said he was still planning to travel to Boston for the rally, despite the cancellations.

If 10,000 lefties murder me, then so be it, he said in an interview.

A former US Army staff sergeant, Biggs worked until recently for Infowars, a website founded by Alex Jones, the notorious conspiracy theorist. Biggs was among those promoting the Pizzagate conspiracy theory that claimed a pedophile ring with links to Hillary Clinton was operating out of a Washington, D.C., pizzeria.

In an interview, Biggs insisted the rally in Boston is designed to promote free speech not hate or violence. These events are not violent in nature at all but people will defend themselves if provoked and thats what happened in Charlottesville, he said.

He disavowed any support for racists, saying, My wife is Guyanese. I have a mixed baby. Im the furthest thing from a [expletive] Nazi.

But in a video posted on his Twitter feed on Saturday, he talked positively about the Charlottesville rally. Theres nothing wrong with white people wanting to preserve their race, he said. Theres nothing wrong with white people bring proud of being white.

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Speakers at 'free speech' rally dropping out - The Boston Globe - The Boston Globe

Barton College Urged to ‘Purge Problematic Policies’ on Free Speech From Handbook – Washington Free Beacon

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BY: Rachel Frommer August 15, 2017 4:45 pm

A North Carolina paper has called on a private college to institute free speech reforms by "purging its problematic policies" from the student handbook, following the passage earlier this month of a bill protecting First Amendment rights at the state's public universities.

Barton College was urged to give its students "the right to express themselves freely without fear of punishment" in an editorial by the Wilson Times, after a new state law was adopted allowing for sanctions on students who disrupt the free speech of others and prohibiting administrators from disinviting campus speakers.

"Adult college students needn't be treated like fragile children," wrote the paper. "They deserve robust free speech protections like the ones they'd enjoy in society at large and on campus at a public university."

The Wilson Times called on Barton to set an example for North Carolina's other private institutions of higher education by adopting the "Chicago principles," as the commitment to free speech outlined in 2014 by the University of Chicago has come to be known.

The paper took issue with a number of specific policies in the college handbook that it said "limit student expression," including the code of conduct's requirement that students "express opinions with civility," "show consideration for the opinions of others," and "respect the sanctity and dignity of ideas."

"While we all prefer politeness, there is no objective standard for civility, and we suspect students could be in hot water simply for voicing a viewpoint others may find unwelcome or offensive," wrote the Wilson Times.

The handbook, the most recent available online being from 2016-2017, also gives the vice president for student affairs the power to determine if materials student groups wish to display or distribute are "degrading to segments of the population due to profanity, racism, chauvinism, etc."

"Student groups are encouraged to seek prior approval of questionable designs," according to the handbook.

The Wilson Times said that "et cetera' can cover whatever a college official wants it to. Could political club fliers be banished because members of another party consider them degrading?'"

The paper also took issue with the college's "bizarre" definitions of bullying and cyberbullying, calling them "so broad that they can be contorted to fit any written or spoken slight."

According to the handbook, "bullying' means deliberate hurtful behavior to someone as a single incident or over a period of time. It can be either physical, verbal, or indirect or a combination of any of these forms."

"Cyberbullying' means, when one person uses digital technology to hurt another person," including "texting or emailing unpleasant, scary or rude mobile phone messages" and "posting abusive or demeaning comments on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, or in chat rooms."

The Times posited that under these guidelines, even a "simple argument via text or a heated Facebook debate can result in a student being forced into a disciplinary conference under threat of sanction."

"That should alarm every single member of the Barton community," wrote the paper.

Kathy Daughety, the director of public relations at Barton College, told the Free Beacon that the college would strive to uphold the University of Chicago principles.

"The College affirms the importance of the freedom of public speech," Daughety said. "In this, we agree with the University of Chicago principles."

"The College also affirms the importance of people treating each other with decency and respect," she added. "And, it's our responsibility as an institution to encourage interaction that will further clarity and engagement over topics of interest. And, we affirm the vibrancy of intellectual debate and exchange within our academic community."

Barton did not respond to questions about specific items in the handbook.

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Barton College Urged to 'Purge Problematic Policies' on Free Speech From Handbook - Washington Free Beacon

Today in actual free speech violations: DOJ issues warrant for info on protesters – A.V. Club

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Although your less-than-friendly neighborhood alt-righter might want to pervert it into a license to say any bigoted thing they want, the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America simply ensures the peoples right to express themselves without fear of government reprisal. So while KekiBro69 or whomever might think that people telling him hes a piece of shit for parroting Nazi slogans have violated his free speech, the fact of the matter is that, as long as the government doesnt get involved, freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Twitter can kick him off its service, Google can deny his domain registration, a private university can decline to book him as a speaker, or a private company can fire him for violating their code of ethics, assuming said employer isnt violating contract law or the Civil Rights Act in the process.

So were clear on that? Yes? Okay, good. Because heres an example of the federal government actually attempting to interfere not only with the peoples right to free expression, but their right to peaceful assembly, as well as the Fourth Amendments ban on unlawful search and seizure. As reported by New York Magazine, this week web hosting service DreamHost revealed that it had received a search warrant from the Department of Justice requesting IP addresses and other potentially identifying metadata on visitors to DisruptJ20.org, which was used to organize protests against the inauguration of Donald Trump. The requested data includes information on dates and times the site was accessed, in addition to contact information, email content, and photos of thousands of people, according to DreamHost. The request, which applies to anyone who visited the site this past Januaryright when planning for the protest was at its heightwould affect more than 1.3 million people. What the DOJ wants with this information is unclear, but whatever it is, it probably isnt to mail protesters $20 bills.

DreamHost refused the request, and is scheduled to appear in court in Washington, D.C. this coming Friday, August 18. Thats according to the pro-online privacy organization Electronic Frontier Foundation, which calls the DOJs search warrant an unconstitutional action of staggering overbreadth. In the face of such a shameless attempt to violate a bedrock American right, were sure all our free-speech loving friends with whom we spend so much quality time in Facebook comment threads and Twitter mentions will rally together to defend this value that they clearlyand loudlyhold so dear. Right?

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Today in actual free speech violations: DOJ issues warrant for info on protesters - A.V. Club

The birth of atheism – Times of Malta

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In his piece No afterlife (August 5), John Guillaumier seems to suffer from tunnel vision in all matters of the ultimate questions of being human. He is so convinced of his intellectual superiority he is incapable of reflecting deeply on survival after death, a subtle and complicated issue.

According to Immanuel Kant, the ultimate questions combine all the interests of human reason. What can I know? sums up the questions about truth. What I ought to do questions the norm. What may I hope questions the meaning.

One thing can be conceded to atheists of substance. It is possible to deny God, to deny the afterlife. Atheism cannot be refuted rationally. In The Christian Challenge, Hans Kung states: It is the experience of the radical uncertainty of every reality which provides atheism with sufficient grounds for maintaining that reality has absolutely no primal reason, no primal support or primal goal.

On the other hand, according to the same author, atheism is also incapable of positively excluding the other alternative: as it is possible to deny Him, so it is also possible to affirm God as the primal reason, the primal support and the primal goal of ones existence despite the ambiguities, the injustices, the contradictions of daily living. In essence, belief in God and survival after death is nourished by a substantial basic trust. This ultimate trust in God in no way isolates one from a deep commitment to others, to the environment and to all the fields of human learning.

What is needed is a genuine dialogue between believers in God and level-headed atheists. Atheism must be taken seriously, giving it its due weight to its causes and values. Believers can have more than a little to do with the birth of atheism.

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The birth of atheism - Times of Malta

Tech-Death Tuesday: Join ARKAIK In Embracing The Joys Of Living In A "Futile State" – Metal Injection.net

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Hey there tech fiends, it's that time of the week again. Once again, there's an exclusive premiere for you here today that's well worth your time. Before we dive into it, here's the usual weekly reminder that if you're looking for more shred jams, all prior editions of this series can be perused here.

At this point, Arkaik doesn't need much in the way of a lengthy introduction. They're a well-known staple in the tech-death world, and fans of the genre by and large already know them. While I'm of the opinion that their prior full-length, Lucid Dawn, was a rare dip in quality for the group, I'm quite pleased with what their upcoming album, Nemethia, has to offer. From what I've heard so far, Nemethia is everything I was hoping the follow up to 2012's Metamorphigntion would be, and then some. Since the new one shows the band not merely content to construct material that will please prior fans, but sees them actively branching out across the board with a stylistic evolution I did not anticipate. So for fans of Arkaik old and new, I'm proud to premiere a new song and music video for "Futile State".

The song itself kicks off with a deathly groove peppered with audible elastic bass guitar lines, quickly spiraling towards an overload of killer lead guitar work,paired with an endless array of back and forth growls and screams, and made complete by an onslaught of maniacal and spidery rhythm riffs and machine-like drumming. To call "Futile State" a pummelling effort would be an understatement, this is a war zone and your ears will either embrace its rage or become overwhelmed amidst the chaos within it. I love the push and pull dynamic at work here between groove and shred that "Futile State" expertly exploits and finds comfort in.

As for the vibe and themes the music video that accompanies's "Futile State" seeks to explore, I'll leave it to a statement from the band to explain what's going on. Arkaik had this to say about it: "The song is about the feeling of existential futility and the catharsis it can create. The video is a blend of ideas. I took inspiration from Plato's Allegory of the Cave, mixed with neo-shamanism and put a transhumanist spin on it. Nikko DeLuna is great at taking my ideas and bringing them to life. It was a pleasure to work with him again, and the rest of our team. Enjoy!"

So jam out to "Futile State", and if you're digging the music, you can pre-order Nemethia through Unique Leader Records here and here. The album drops on September 29th. Be sure to follow the group over on the Arkaik Facebook Page if you aren't already doing so.

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Tech-Death Tuesday: Join ARKAIK In Embracing The Joys Of Living In A "Futile State" - Metal Injection.net

New Hampshire biologist reacts to gene-editing discovery – The Union Leader

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By KIMBERLY HOUGHTON Union Leader Correspondent August 14. 2017 11:06PM

This sequence of images shows the development of embryos after being injected with a biological kit to edit their DNA, removing a genetic mutation known to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.(Oregon Health & Science University)

Bryan Luikart, an associate professor of molecular and systems biology at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.

It is pretty amazing. It is a super-exciting time to be a scientist right now, said Bryan Luikart, an associate professor of molecular and systems biology at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature, was detailed in a New York Times report. According to the article, Oregon researchers reported they repaired dozens of human embryos, fixing a mutation that causes a common heart condition that can lead to sudden death later in life.

The way they have dodged some ethical considerations is that they didnt go on to have that embryo grow into a person, said Luikart, explaining that if the embryos with the repaired mutation did have the opportunity to develop, they would be free of the heart condition.

At the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Luikart and his colleagues have already been using this concept with mouse embryos, focusing specifically on autism.

Researchers are using the gene-editing method called CRISPR-Cas9 in hopes of trying to more fully understand autism, which he said is the most critical step in eventually finding a cure.

I think the CRISPR is a tremendous breakthrough. The question really is where and when do you want to use it, Luikart said. I have no ethical concerns using it as a tool to better understand biology.

The new milestone, an example of human genetic engineering, does carry ethical concerns that Luikart said will trigger some debates. He acknowledged that while the advancement of gene-editing technology could eventually stop unwanted hereditary conditions, it also allows for creating babies with smarter, stronger or more attractive traits.

The ability to do that is now within our grasp more than it has ever been, he said.

More importantly, the breakthrough could ultimately eliminate diseases, Luikart said. As the technology advances, he said, genetic diseases that are passed down to children may be corrected before the child receives them.

He used another example of a brain tumor, which often returns after it is surgically removed. Now, once the brain tumor is removed, there is the possibility of placing something in the space to edit and fix the mutation that causes the brain tumor in the first place if physicians are able to find the right cell to edit, Luikart said.

People are definitely thinking along those lines, or cutting the HIV genome, said Luikart, who predicts that those advancements will occur in mice within the next decade, and the ability to do that in humans is definitely there.

The big question is whether that can occur without some sort of side effect that was not predicted, he said.

Columbia University Medical Center posted an article earlier this year warning that CRISPR gene editing can cause hundreds of unintended mutations, based on a study published recently in Nature Methods.

This past May, MilliporeSigma announced it has developed a new genome editing tool that makes CRISPR more efficient, flexible and specific, giving researchers more experimental options and faster results that can accelerate drug development and access to new therapies, according to a release.

CRISPR genome editing technology is advancing treatment options for some of the toughest medical conditions faced today, including chronic illnesses and cancers for which there are limited or no treatment options, states the release, adding the applications of CRISPR are far ranging from identifying genes associated with cancer to reversing mutations that cause blindness.

It is pretty big news, Luikart said.

khoughton@newstote.com

Health Hanover

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New Hampshire biologist reacts to gene-editing discovery - The Union Leader

Russia’s military exercises: Could they turn into war? – CNN

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As a result, this regular event receives a lot more attention than other Russian manoeuvers of similar size. Held every four years, the exercise can even develop its own mythology: Much of the Western coverage said that the 2009 exercise ended with a simulated nuclear attack on Warsaw, Poland, even though there is no evidence at all from unclassified sources to suggest this was the case.

What happens during this year's Zapad exercise is important. The United States, NATO and especially the front-line states bordering Russia will be watching closely to learn what they can about the latest Russian capabilities and military procedures.

But unlike those exercises, Zapad is not a purely Russian undertaking. It is run in cooperation with Belarus.

Belarus finds itself in the difficult position of being officially an ally of Russia's but not sharing Moscow's antagonism toward the West and wanting instead to remain neutral in the confrontation between Russia and NATO.

But at the same time, the country shares NATO's concern about the danger of inadvertent conflict in the region, and is looking for ways to avoid inflaming the situation.

Belarus is pushing for openness to the West during the exercises -- which will also help ensure that Russia does not take the opportunity to deviate from the exercise scenario to launch some kind of unfriendly action.

And Belarus is running its own program of advance briefings for NATO and Western countries on how the exercise is to run, in parallel with information that Russia is providing.

There has been little public discussion on what the "staying behind" option might actually look like. While major Russian units remaining on Belarusian territory seems a remote prospect, another possibility that has been put forward is Russian military equipment being left there without troops, as part of pre-positioning for possible future Russian military action launched against neighbors such as Lithuania or Poland, or the so-called Suwaki gap, from Belarus itself.

But this too would require cooperation and agreement from Minsk, which does not fit with Belarus' track record of resisting attempts at increasing the amount of Russian military infrastructure in the country.

At the same time, Russia has good reason at the moment to play down conflict instead of launching new military adventures. With a strong interest in rolling back sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe, Moscow could choose to act calmly to defuse anti-Russian rhetoric and undermine those who warn of the Kremlin's aggressive intent.

As a result, Russia is currently mixing threatening language designed to intimidate the West with another, contradictory message: that those who fear a Russian military threat are "hysterical," "living in the last century," and hankering for the Cold War.

With the current level of Western alarm at possible developments of the upcoming exercise, if it comes to an end with no incident, then Moscow can quite readily say, "We told you so."

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Russia's military exercises: Could they turn into war? - CNN

‘Germany should exit NATO; Cold War is over’ chairman of Berlin’s Pirate Party – RT

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Published time: 15 Aug, 2017 13:10 Edited time: 15 Aug, 2017 20:02

On the eastern border of Europe, NATO is trying to play like it is ready for a big strike against Russia, I think it is time to demilitarize again, explains Bruno Kramm, chairman of the Berlin branch of the Pirate Party to RT.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Monday accused Angela Merkel of kowtowing to US President Donald Trump with her commitment to increase military spending.

The Chancellor's position to practically voluntarily bend over and promise to double the German military budget after the Bundestag election is nothing less than a sign to Trump that they will give in to his pressure, he said in a statement.

He also suggests the next German federal elections will be a vote on whether Germany remains a peaceful power or joins Trump's weapons madness.

Earlier the Social Democrats, which occupy roughly a third of the German parliament, the Bundestag, rejected NATO's target of spending two percent of GDP on defense.

Thomas Oppermann, the SPD leader in the Bundestag, said it is the wrong way, and while the SPD is in government, there will be no boost in the military spending.

RT: What do you make of the statements from Sigmar Gabriel and Thomas Oppermann?

Bruno Kramm: I think it is at the moment just about the rally for the Bundestag. So basically their statements sound like the SPD, the Social Democrats are going a completely different way than the CDU [Christian Democratic Union] But basically they have many months before already confirmed they also would raise funding for the military up to two percent.

RT: Are there many politicians with clout in Germany who support the Chancellor in her move to increase military spending to meet two percent of GDP?

BK: There are a lot of politicians, who of course would like to raise it, especially if you look at our Minister of Defense, Ursula von der Leyen. She always tries to make the Bundeswehr stronger. And briefly, it needs to be said the Bundeswehr and all their supplies and technology is on a bad level. There is a need for some money to be spent. But it got a special twist when Donald Trump came and was asking to raise the funds. I think there is a lot of leftist politicians who dont want to go this way; who want to say Germany should get out of NATO. On the other side, there are the law and order people from the more conservative parties, who want to raise this fund.

RT: In your opinion, should German military spending be increased?

BK: My opinion is to leave NATO because NATO has just brought bad things, but this will not come. I am totally against raising this fund. I think at the moment we have enough weapons everywhere. It is more about de-escalation. And de-escalation needs communication and talks instead of playing with new military options and possibilities. If you look how NATO is trying on the eastern border of Europe to play like they are ready for a big strike against Russia, I think it is really time to demilitarize again, and especially Germany with its own history, and with its important history gives us as Germans the main voice for being peaceful, to be in negotiations. Today it is time to step out of NATO. The times of the Cold War are definitely over.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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'Germany should exit NATO; Cold War is over' chairman of Berlin's Pirate Party - RT

Apple, Facebook, others urge Supreme Court to change Fourth Amendment privacy doctrines – Washington Examiner

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Several of the largest technology companies in the nation filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to enhance Fourth Amendment protections for consumers by changing the way the amendment is applied to meet the public's expectation of privacy.

Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Verizon, and several other tech companies filed a brief late Monday night in Carpenter v. United States, a case the high court will hear next term regarding the constitutionality of the warrantless search and seizure of cellphone records showing the location and movements of the phone's user.

The tech giants made no explicit statement regarding how they want the case to be decided, but they wrote in their brief that the Supreme Court "should refine the application of certain Fourth Amendment doctrines to ensure that the law realistically engages with Internet-based technologies and with people's expectations of privacy in their digital data."

"The number and variety of organizations and experts filing represent the widespread recognition that your cell phone's location history is your own business, and the government needs to have a good reason to get its hands on it," said Nathan Freed Wessler, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, in a statement. "In particular, the tech firms are sending a very clear message that the law needs to catch up with the technology that is now an integral part of our everyday lives." The ACLU is one of the groups representing Timothy Carpenter, the petitioner.

No date has yet been set for Carpenter v. United States' oral arguments.

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Apple, Facebook, others urge Supreme Court to change Fourth Amendment privacy doctrines - Washington Examiner

State faces lawsuit over guns in foster homes – WSYM-TV

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State faces lawsuit over guns in foster homes
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(WXYZ) - A federal lawsuit brought on by two Michigan families and the national Second Amendment Foundation alleges the state of Michigan is violating Second Amendment rights by targeting gun owners who foster children. The dispute centers around ...

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State faces lawsuit over guns in foster homes - WSYM-TV

FIRST AMENDMENT: How far does it go? – Evening News and Tribune

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SOUTHERN INDIANA With the recent events in Charlottesville, many Americans are asking themselves: Does the first amendment protect all forms of speech?

According to Ted Walton, lawyer and partner at Clay Daniel Walton Adams, a law firm in Louisville, the First Amendment protections for the freedom of speech are wide and do include speech that is distasteful, offensive and hateful.

There is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment and in fact thats been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court very recently in an interesting case, Walton said.

That case, which was heard by the court earlier just this year, was Matal, Interim Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office vs. Tam, in which the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that an Asian-American band The Slants was legally allowed to trademark its name despite its potentially offensive nature.

This Supreme Court has really championed First Amendment rights and youve seen that with things like the campaign finance rulings that theyve passed," said Rhonda Wrzenski, associate professor of political science at Indiana University Southeast. "Theres been other rulings too where theyve allowed groups that werent necessarily popular to have more speech rights. So typically they make exceptions to the speech rights, theyve banned obscenities, defamations, inciting violence. Basically, threats.

Walton explained that, legally speaking, the First Amendment doesnt protect verbal acts

If you are using words in such a way that its directed at a particular person and meant to incite someone and beat somebody up, that can be a criminal act, Walton said.

Yelling Fire! in a crowded theater is a verbal act and intentionally creates a hazardous situation and is not protected by the First Amendment, according to Walton

Thats the dichotomy," Walton said. "You have folks that are standing up and saying they hate these groups [of people]. Its going to be protected speech. But if people are saying lets go drive a car into this group and somebody drives a car into that group, that person is not going to have First Amendment protection."

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FIRST AMENDMENT: How far does it go? - Evening News and Tribune

Pittsburgh Prepares For March On Google By Self-Proclaimed First Amendment Supporters – 90.5 WESA

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Pittsburgh city officials said they're preparing public safety resources in light of planned right-wing protests Saturday at several Google sites across the country, including the companys Bakery Square location.

The march is being promoted as a response to Google's firing of engineer James Damore, who was terminated earlier this month over an internal workplace memo some considered hostile to the tech company's diversity efforts.

Self-described "new right" activist Jack Posobiec, who pushed the "PizzaGate" conspiracy theory, called for the protests before last weekend's clashes between alt-right demonstrators and counter-protestors in Charlottesville, Va. But the fallout from that event has drawn closer attention to subsequent planned events by far-right leaning groups.

On the Google marchs website, Posobiec said the protest is not an alt-right event, describing it instead as a "First Amendment" demonstration. He also issued a statement condemning violence in the wake of the Charlottesville unrest. Posobiec also posted a code of conduct for the marches Monday, which disavows violence and all groups that espouse it such as White Nationalists [and] KKK.

In a statement issued Monday night, Mayor BillPeduto said no permits for the protest have been requested or issued, but that public safety resources will be present if it does take place. He said that social media and intelligence reports regarding the protest are being monitored.

As Pittsburghers, we have zero tolerance for violence or hatred, and we will do everything in our power to keep our city's residents safe, Peduto said in his statement. While we must respect First Amendment rights, let me be clear: those spreading hate, fear and violence are not welcome in our city."

The website Infowarshad planned on holding an event surrounding the Google march, but it has been cancelled due to threats on a Facebook event page. Infowars is headed by longtime conspiracy theorist and propagator Alex Jones. A segment entitled "Flyover America," was slated to live stream interviews with protestors, but the Pittsburgh event page was flooded with nearly 100 negative comments from residents telling them to stay out of the city. Some comments included threats.

"I removed and cancelled the event, and I am not going," said Infowars' Millie Weaver in a Facebook video.

At least one counter-protest effort is in the works. A planning meeting will be held Tuesday evening.

(Photo Credit: Kezee/Flickr)

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Pittsburgh Prepares For March On Google By Self-Proclaimed First Amendment Supporters - 90.5 WESA

Why the First Amendment won’t protect Charlottesville white supremacists from being fired – MarketWatch

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Why the First Amendment won't protect Charlottesville white supremacists from being fired
MarketWatch
But the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from interfering in the free exercise of speech and religion, does not protect employees who make statements or donations in favor of causes their employers disagree with from being fired, said ...

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Why the First Amendment won't protect Charlottesville white supremacists from being fired - MarketWatch

Total Crypto Market Cap Is Greater Than Money Stored in 64 Countries Combined – The Merkle

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The value of all Bitcoins in circulation has grown by quite a margin these past few years. Going from a worthless cryptocurrency to a disruptive financial force has been a powerfulexperience for everyone who has followed Bitcoin since the early days. Moreover, we have seen other popular currencies emerge as well. Amazingly, the current overall cryptocurrency market cap is greaterthan the sum of broad money in the 64 poorest countries in the world. In other words, all of cryptocurrency is worth more than one-third of the countries on this planet combined.

The people who ignored cryptocurrency over the past few years will receive a wake-up call very soon. In fact, the value of all cryptocurrencies combined has taken on such proportions that it is difficultto remember none of these currencies had any value a decadeago. In fact, most of the cryptocurrencies in circulation today did not even exist a few years ago. A lot has changed in the world of money, to say the least.

At the time of writing, the total cryptocurrency market capitalizationis nearly US$139 billion. Earlier this year, that numberwas hovering well below the US$60 billion mark. A lot of money has been poured into cryptocurrencies these past few months, and it looks like the overall bullish trend will not berelenting anytime soon. There is still a lot of volatility incryptocurrencies, but things are slowly falling into place on a global scale.

Bitcoin is still the clear market leader. Its own market cap is nearly half that of the overall cryptocurrency market at themoment, and no competitor has even come close. This also goes to show that without all of thoseother currencies, the cryptocurrency market cap would be half of what it is right now. There is a clearly defined relationship between Bitcoin and all of the alternative cryptocurrencies in existence. So far, this system seems to be working quite well, despite the challenges encountered along the way.

Looking at the bigger picture, the total cryptocurrency market cap is larger than the sum of the stock of broad money in 64 countries aroundthe world. That may not saymuch to the average person, but it means all cryptocurrencies combined are worth more than one-third of all of the countries combined right now. This is quite a milestone for this fake internet money some people so readily dismiss to this very day.

This list of 64 countries includes regions with which manyreadersmay not be familiar. There is a lot of poverty in the world today and the graphic aboveillustrates that point perfectly. Most of the countries on this list are located in Africa and Middle America, which comes as no real surprise. It also includes nationssuch as Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Belize, Georgia, and Barbados. These are not the biggest countries in the world, but they suffer nonetheless fromthe same old problems caused by the current financial ecosystem which need to be addressed.

As ofAugust 14, Bitcoin has surpassed the US$4,150 mark for the first time, yet this may very well be only the beginning of its full growth potential over the next few years. Other currencies such as Ethereum, Dash, Monero, and Litecoin are only just starting to shine as well. In a few years from now, we could be talking about multi-trillion dollar cryptocurrency market caps. If that were to happen, cryptocurrencies combined would easily surpass the sum of the stock of broad money in over 50% of the worlds countries, if not two-thirds.

All of this goes to show cryptocurrency should not be ignored. Even though not everyone will invest in Bitcoin or altcoins nor should theyif they havent first done their research it is a good time to start paying attention to this industry. Cryptocurrencies may not displace traditional currencies anytime soon, but they are certainly making a lot of waves right now. It will be interesting to see how this situation evolves over the comingyears.

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Total Crypto Market Cap Is Greater Than Money Stored in 64 Countries Combined - The Merkle

US Law Labels Cryptocurrency Illicit Finance Trend – The Merkle

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Cryptocurrency has always been intriguingto governments aroundthe world. This is not for their own gain, but mainly because crypto is oftenperceived as a majorthreat to theireconomic and political power. A new foreign sanctions billsigned by President Trump could spella very difficult future for cryptocurrency as a whole. Under the law, specific foreign governments are asked to monitor cryptocurrency circulation to combat terrorism and illicit financial trends.

Every time a new piece of legislation is signed and turned into law,there is reason for concern. This has beenespecially true in the world of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency as of late. The so-calledCountering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Actmay bring a lot of problems to the cryptocurrency world in the near future. Among other things, the law coversanti-terrorist financing and combating illicit finance trends. It also touches oncryptocurrency in its current form, which is considered an illicit finance trend.

As a result of the new law recently signed by President Trump, severalforeign governments are requiredto take actionby monitoring cryptocurrency circulation within their borders. The countries affected by this directiveare Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Two out of those three would not seem to becausing significantproblems for cryptocurrency, as neither Iran nor North Korea is particularlyactive in the Bitcoin industry.

The exception is Russia, a country which has finally shown some appreciation for cryptocurrency in recent months. With thenew lawin place, the Russian government would effectively have to crack down on cryptocurrency usage once again. Although the U.S.proposal was designed to help counter terrorist financing, there has never been any evidence of cryptocurrency beingused to successfully fund such operations. For some unknown reason, governments are still eager to connect the two topics.

It is certainly true that cryptocurrencies have created new money flows which remain largely unregulated. That is a problem for any government, even though it has become clear that regulating cryptocurrency isa futile effort. The onlything governments can do is go after the companies who facilitate such transactions, including exchanges and brokers. Even then, cryptocurrencies can still be traced in a peer-to-peer fashion without relying on centralized platforms subject to governance.

The recently passed law callsfordiscussion of trends in illicit finance including forms of value transfer such as cryptocurrencies. Additionally, it requires the collection ofdata regarding cybercrime or other threats that may be identified by the U.S. government in the future. Thisis not the first time we have seen such adirective, as a similar proposal was made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in May 2017.

All of this goes to show that the U.S. government is willing to attackcryptocurrency as a whole. Specifically, the countrycontinues to impose its vision onother nationswhere Bitcoin can make a big difference, such as Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Having a global currency that could remove the need for the dollar is understandably a significantconcern for the U.S. It will be interesting to see how this lawimpacts cryptocurrency in the future if at all.

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Russian cryptocurrency legislation faces delays amid Bitcoin price … – FinanceFeeds (blog)

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The working group on crypto currencies at Russias State Duma monitors Bitcoin price moves and still has to establish a common stance for all parties involved in the legislative process.

There has been some serious speculation about Russias plans to legalize Bitcoin and its likes. This has been due to a large extent to comments like those made by Russias Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev, who said in April this year that Russia may recognize bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as legal in 2018. His comments were followed by more moderate statements, including ones by the Maxim Grigoriev, Chief of the Centre for Financial Technologies at the Bank of Russia, who said it was too early to talkof legalization of crypto currencies in Russia.

The latest news concerning the coming cryptocurrency legislation in Russia are in tune with the more sceptic stance on the matter.

In an interview with online news source Invest-Foresight, Elina Sidorenko, who heads the working group on cryptocurrencies at the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, said the bill for regulating Bitcoin and its likes is about to get delayed.

Ms Sidorenko explained that the bill, which was originally set to be ready in October, will be ready in the winter at the earliest. She mentioned several factors for the delay the need to establish a common position for all institutions involved in the process, as well as the recent Bitcoin price fluctuations, which raise additional questions about the vulnerability of crypto currencies.

Ms Sidorenko said that at present there are discussions on whether cryptocurrencies need a new law altogether or should an existing law (or laws) be amended to cover Bitcoin and its likes. In case of the latter, there has to be consensus on which law(s) should be amended.

Another important discussion topic is the nature of crypto currencies. There is disagreement on whether they should be treated as means of payment, derivatives, digital assets, etc.

Ms Sidorenko concluded that there is a chance that the cryptocurrency legislation will be passed into a law in 2018, but added that the timing depends on market developments.

In July this year, Russias Internet ombudsman Dmitry Marinichevalso commented on the coming cryptocurrency legislation in Russia, saying that it will partially resemble that of Japan, and will also have elements of the New York DFS licensing system.

Regarding Bitcoin trading, however, he was rather sceptic, and said that although the long-term perspectives for cryptocurrencies are good, he would not recommend to Russians to participate in Bitcoin trading in the near future, as the risk of loss is too high.

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Bitcoin ‘miners’ dig more than just the money – CNBC

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Yet these new assets comprise just a fraction of the world's multi-trillion currency market. And as a new asset with a smaller pool of investors, cryptocurrencies are subject to wild swings in value. In the last week alone, for instance, one bitcoin has ranged from a high of $4,463 to a low of $3,283.

It's also largely unpredictable which digital currencies will have staying power. Like any new market remember all those dot.com busts? it can take years for a shakeout and for lawmakers and regulators to figure out their oversight approach. Already, the anonymity that comes with these digital transactions raises concerns of money laundering and the funding of illicit activities.

Another major difference is that bitcoin's creation, value and integrity come from complicated, mathematical wizardry, known as "blockchain" technology, that regulates the creation of new units and ensures the security of every transaction involving the digital currency.

That's where Samson comes in as a miner. Basically, new bitcoins come into circulation via these miners. (See chart below.) When 21 million units are reached, expected in 2040 or so, no more bitcoins will be created.

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Bitcoin 'miners' dig more than just the money - CNBC

Bitcoin market cap is within touching distance of major stocks like Netflix – CNBC

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Bitcoin hit another record high on Tuesday, with the continuing rally bringing its market capitalization within touching distance of major stocks like Netflix.

The price of the cryptocurrency hit an all-time high of $4,483.55 in early trade on Tuesday, continuing the strong rally seen in the past couple of weeks, according to industry website CoinDesk. Bitcoin did dip, however, as low as $4,265.29 on the day.

Bitcoin's market capitalization the total number of coins in circulation multiplied by the price also hit $73.5 billion when the record high was hit, Coinmarketcap data shows. This makes it the highest market capitalization yet.

If bitcoin was a stock (which it isn't), it would be the seventy-fourth biggest by market capitalization, just behind Adobe and Netflix on the S&P 500. Adobe has a market cap of $73.6 billion while Netflix is worth $73.8 billion, putting bitcoin within touching distance of both.

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Bitcoin market cap is within touching distance of major stocks like Netflix - CNBC

Bitcoin Is Literally Soaring Into Space After Rocket-Like Surge – Bloomberg

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Space-like adjectives are often used to describebitcoins stratospheric price rise. Now there may be some truth in those analogies.

Blockstream Inc. plans to make the digital ledger underpinning the cryptocurrency accessible via satellite signal so people without Internet access, or in places where bandwidth is expensive, can trade and mine bitcoin. The company also touts the service as additional layer of reliability for bitcoins blockchain data in the event of a network disruption.

Bitcoin has soared more than 50 percent since the start of the month. A plan to move some data off the main network was activated last week in an effort to quicken trade execution and broaden access, helping to fuel the optimism. The price climbed to a record $4,449.90 Tuesday before retreating.

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With more users accessing the bitcoin blockchain with the free broadcast from Blockstream Satellite, we expect the global reach to drive more adoption and use cases for bitcoin, while strengthening the overall robustness of the network, Blockstream co-founder Adam Back wrote in an e-mailed statement.

Ground stations, called teleports, will uplink the public bitcoin blockchain data to the satellites in the network, which then broadcast the data to large areas across the globe, the company said.

The network currently consists of three satellites that cover Africa, Europe, South America, and North America. By the end of 2017, Blockstream said it plans to reach almost every person on the planet.

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Here’s why one technical trader is picking bitcoin over gold – CNBC

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Tuesday's sell-off in both bitcoin and gold has many suspecting that the two are correlated, but Todd Gordon thinks that not only is there no such relationship, bitcoin is also the better bet for a rally.

The TradingAnalysis.com founder says that while a shorter-term chart of bitcoin and gold together may show that the two are moving in tandem, a longer-term chart actually tells a different story. Looking at a four-hour chart of bitcoin and gold, Gordon remarked Tuesday on CNBC's "Trading Nation" that "the two have run up fairly well here together in August."

However, looking at a chart of both dating to March, Gordon remarks that while gold has failed to break through the $1,300 level three times, bitcoin actually saw big rallies right when the yellow metal dropped.

"The three major peaks in gold were associated with bitcoin at $1,222, in June at $2,969, [and more recently at] $4,374," said Gordon. "So as gold has triple topped at around $1,300, bitcoin is making new highs."

The consistent rally in bitcoin and gold's failure to reach $1,300 has the trader concluding that out of the two, there is a "buying opportunity in bitcoin."

The cryptocurrency has surged this year and is now up about 326 percent year to date.

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Here's why one technical trader is picking bitcoin over gold - CNBC