Following the first ever congressional hearing on “Stingray” cellphone surveillance, new details reveal the Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service are also using the controversial spying devices. At a congressional hearing last Wednesday, officials with the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security released new details about the federal government’s use of “Stingray” cellphone surveillance. Stingrays, also known as cell …
Feds Taking Kombucha Off Shelves?
No, we’re not kidding. Help us stop this unwarranted attack. Action Alert! The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the US Treasury Department, recently sent letters to several producers of kombucha, warning them that since their beverages supposedly exceeded the allowable alcohol limit, they must be labeled as alcoholic beverages and be subject to alcohol regulation or face hefty …
Expat Files – 08.28.15
-In Latin America its getting more and more difficult to change US dollar funny money into local Latin funny money… all because of the phony drug war, FATCA and US pressure.
-When coming down for a visit how much cash should you bring and how should you carry or wear it?
-Some tips for using Latin ATM’s. You can use many of them to withdraw both US dollar funny money and local Latin funny money too.
-Lots of interest and ideas these days for using recycled 40-foot shipping containers. Some say they can be ideal for creative housing and many other inspired construction projects. That said, down here there’s been a lot of talk about containers for many years and still almost no action. Why not?
-More on the Latin macho society effect, the female forgiveness factor and the unusually strong Latin family unit that exists even in the poorest of families.
-Some surprising info concerning what’s really going on behind the scenes in Latin media and in the fashion and modeling world
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Is the IRS Abandoning Its Duty to Stop “Dark Money” From Ruling the 2016 Election? By Candice Bernd
A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld a ban on government contractors contributing to federal election campaigns, saying the ban was originally put in place to prevent government corruption. However, in deciding the case, the court didn’t address such contractors’ anonymous contributions to “dark money” nonprofit groups, organizations that abuse the rules of their tax exempt status to engage in political spending, such …
KEEPING DARK MONEY IN THE SHADOWS – Jon Hecht
With the Supreme Court knocking down regulations with a wrecking ball, the FEC out of commission, and an election heating up that will likely redefine the term “big money,”there are few avenues left for regulation of American elections. And now, Congress is set to close one off. On June 17, the House Appropriations Committee passed 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations …
Feds bust four fake cancer charities that defrauded $187 million from Americans by L.J. Devon
A string of cancer charities — the Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, the Breast Cancer Society and the Children’s Cancer Fund of America — have turned out to be manipulative frauds run by a family of con artists. The money they raised for cancer patients actually went to pay for personal luxuries instead — Disney World trips, jet …
Walmart Accused Of Using Its Charitable Foundation To Build More Walmarts By Chris Morran
There are more than 4,500 Walmart stores in the U.S., but the nation’s largest retailer continues to expand. The company, once associated with rural communities, has recently made pushes into urban markets. And a new complaint to the IRS accuses Walmart of wrongfully using its tax-exempt Walmart Foundation charity to get a foothold in those cities. In a lengthy and …
Record Number of Americans Renounced Their U.S. Citizenship in 2015 By Gabrielle Cintorino
Between January and March of 2015, a record 1,336 Americans renounced their U.S. citizenship, according to a quarterly report by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that was published in The Federal Register. The list includes long-term permanent residents who are considered American citizens under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA), the IRS noted. The previous record was 1,130 in the second quarter …
Groups Add to Evidence in “Whistleblower” Tax Fraud Claim Against ALEC
Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy sent federal authorities new evidence today that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is falsely passing itself off as a tax-exempt charity and effectively using taxpayer dollars to subsidize its lobbying on behalf of private interests. Common Cause filed a supplement to its three-year-old tax whistleblower complaint against ALEC, and the two groups …
Endangered Species: The Self-Employed Middle Class – Charles Hugh Smith
Including the professional class, perhaps 3% of the workforce is truly independent. Being self-employed (i.e. owning your own small business that does not require employees) is an integral part of the American Dream. Many start out dreaming of a corner office in Corporate America, but as they move up the ladder, many become disillusioned by the process and the goal: do …