Category: Uncategorized
CIA used Cats as Spies
PURR-FECT SPIES
CIA ‘implanted microphones into CATS’ in a bizarre attempt to spy on Russia
Spooks were praised for their ‘pioneering work’ creating robo-cats in declassified docs
By Neal Baker
28th April 2017, 3:05 am
CIA spooks tried to spy on Soviet Russia using CATS implanted with microphones under their skin.
Declassified docs show how spy chiefs praised “pioneering” scientists for slitting open moggies and stitching in electronic hardware to uncover their enemies’ secrets.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3433398/cia-wikileaks-cats-soviet-russia-spy-programme/
“Total Chaos” – Cyber Attack Feared As Multiple Cities Hit With Simultaneous Power Grid Failures
file photo by Boyd Loving
by Tyler Durden
Apr 21, 2017 9:50 PM
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
The U.S. power grid appears to have been hit with multiple power outages affecting San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.
Officials report that business, traffic and day-to-day life has come to a standstill in San Francisco, reportedly the worst hit of the three major cities currently experiencing outages.
Power companies in all three regions have yet to elaborate on the cause, though a fire at a substation was the original reason given by San Francisco officials.
InterContinental Hotels Group reports Massive Data Breach
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Notifies Guests of Payment Card Incident at IHG-Branded Franchise Hotel Locations in the Americas Region
NOTICE OF DATA BREACH
IHG values the relationship we have with our guests and understands the importance of protecting payment card data.
What Happened
Many IHG-branded locations are independently owned and operated franchises, and certain of these franchisee operated locations in the Americas were made aware by payment card networks of patterns of unauthorized charges occurring on payment cards after they were legitimately used at their locations. To ensure an efficient and effective response, IHG hired a leading cyber security firm on behalf of franchisees to coordinate an examination of the payment card processing systems of franchise hotel locations in the Americas region.
The investigation identified signs of the operation of malware designed to access payment card data from cards used onsite at front desks at certain IHG-branded franchise hotel locations between September 29, 2016 and December 29, 2016. Although there is no evidence of unauthorized access to payment card data after December 29, 2016, confirmation that the malware was eradicated did not occur until the properties were investigated in February and March 2017. Before this incident began, many IHG-branded franchise hotel locations had implemented IHG’s Secure Payment Solution (SPS), a point-to-point encryption payment acceptance solution. Properties that had implemented SPS before September 29, 2016 were not affected. Many more properties implemented SPS after September 29, 2016, and the implementation of SPS ended the ability of the malware to find payment card data and, therefore, cards used at these locations after SPS implementation were not affected.
A list of affected IHG franchise locations and respective time frames, which may vary by location, is available here.
What Information Was Involved
The malware searched for track data (which sometimes has cardholder name in addition to card number, expiration date, and internal verification code) read from the magnetic stripe of a payment card as it was being routed through the affected hotel server. There is no indication that other guest information was affected.
What You Can Do
It is always advisable to remain vigilant to the possibility of fraud by reviewing your payment card statements for any unauthorized activity. You should immediately report any unauthorized charges to your card issuer because payment card rules generally provide that cardholders are not responsible for unauthorized charges reported in a timely manner. The phone number to call is usually on the back of your payment card. Please see the section that follows this notice for additional steps you may take.
What We Are Doing
On behalf of franchisees, IHG has been working closely with the payment card networks as well as with the cyber security firm to confirm that the malware has been eradicated and evaluate ways for franchisees to enhance security measures. Law enforcement also has been notified.
For More Information
We regret any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have questions, and reside in the United States, please call 855-330-6367 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. If you reside outside the United States, please call 800-290-9989 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday.
More information on ways to protect yourself
We remind you it is always advisable to be vigilant for incidents of fraud or identity theft by reviewing your account statements and free credit reports for any unauthorized activity. You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. To order your annual free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting companies is as follows:
Equifax
Phone: 1-800-685-1111
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, Georgia 30348
www.equifax.com
Experian
Phone: 888-397-3742
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, Texas 75013
www.experian.com
TransUnion
Phone: 800-916-8800
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
www.transunion.com
If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney General’s office in California. You can obtain information from these sources about steps an individual can take to avoid identity theft as well as information about fraud alerts and security freezes. You should also contact your local law enforcement authorities and file a police report. Obtain a copy of the police report in case you are asked to provide copies to creditors to correct your records. Contact information for the Federal Trade Commission is as follows:
Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), www.ftc.gov/idtheft
House GOP Moves to End “Bailout Nation” with the Financial CHOICE Act
No More Bank Bailouts, Accountability for Wall Street and Washington, Economic Growth at the Core of Republican Plan
April 20,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
WASHINGTON – Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) today announced that the Committee will hold a hearing to discuss the Financial CHOICE Act on Wednesday, April 26 at 10:00 a.m.
“Republicans are eager to work with the President to end and replace the Dodd-Frank mistake with the Financial CHOICE Act because it holds Wall Street and Washington accountable, ends taxpayer-funded bank bailouts, and unleashes America’s economic potential,” said Chairman Hensarling. “We want economic opportunity for all, bailouts for none. We want real consumer protections that will give you more choices. Our solution grows the economy from Main Street up, creates more opportunities for working families to get ahead, and levels the playing field with no more Wall Street bailouts.”
CHOICE stands for Creating Hope and Opportunity for Investors, Consumers and Entrepreneurs.
The ideas and principles behind the Financial CHOICE Act were first unveiled last June by Chairman Hensarling in a speech to the Economic Club of New York. The Financial Services Committee approved the Financial CHOICE Act in September. The Committee will discuss an updated version of the bill at Wednesday’s hearing.
“Supporters of Dodd-Frank promised it would lift the economy, end bailouts and protect consumers. Yet Americans have suffered through the worst recovery in 70 years, Dodd-Frank guarantees future bailouts for Wall Street, and consumers are paying more and have fewer choices. Dodd-Frank failed to keep its promises to the American people, but we will work with President Trump to follow through on his promise to dismantle Dodd-Frank. That’s not what Wall Street wants, but it is what hardworking Americans need to have a healthier economy with more opportunities so they can achieve financial independence.”
FINANCIAL CHOICE ACT AT A GLANCE:
BANKRUPTCY, NOT BAILOUTS
No more bailouts: that’s at the core of our plan and our commitment to hardworking taxpayers. With bipartisan changes to our bankruptcy code, large financial firms can fail without disrupting the entire economy or forcing hardworking taxpayers to pay for more bailouts.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WALL STREET AND WASHINGTON
The Financial CHOICE Act includes the toughest penalties in history for those who commit financial fraud and insider trading. Holding Wall Street accountable with the toughest penalties in history will deter corporate wrongdoing and better protect consumers. At the same time we hold Wall Street accountable, the Financial CHOICE Act also holds Washington accountable. Tougher accountability for Wall Street and Washington will protect the integrity of our markets so they benefit ordinary Americans who are working, saving and investing.
STRONGLY CAPITALIZED BANKS
Dodd-Frank’s one-size-fits-all regulations treat all financial institutions the same, regardless of their size. That makes no sense and hurts smaller, hometown banks and credit unions that did nothing to cause the last financial crisis.
The Financial CHOICE Act is based on two important principles: First, all banks need to be well-capitalized and, second, community banks and credit unions deserve relief from the crushing burden of over-regulation. Under the Financial CHOICE Act, banks and credit unions will qualify for regulatory relief if they elect to maintain enough capital to ensure that if they get in trouble, taxpayers won’t be forced to bail them out. Ninety-eight percent of the financial institutions that met the Financial CHOICE Act’s requirements for being well-capitalized did not fail during the financial crisis. Of the miniscule percentage that did fail, none posed a systemic risk.
EMPOWER AMERICANS
The Financial CHOICE Act grows our economy from Main Street up. Dodd-Frank tries to control the economy from Washington down. The Financial CHOICE Act will help get credit and capital into the hands of working men and women to fuel their economic growth.
Meet Hirsh Singh who is running as a Republican Candidate for Governor of New Jersey
April 19,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Hirsh Singh who is running as a Republican Candidate for Governor of New Jersey 2017. Mr. Singh seems to be filled with common sense ideas ,well educated ,blessed with a likable personality , and good looks .
We sense he may be a bit naive as to the grittiness on New Jersey politics and perhaps underestimating the gravity of the of the financial crisis facing the state , but he certainly someone to keep an eye on.
Born in Atlantic City as the middle of three children, Hirsh learned at a young age the value of hard work and determination from his immigrant parents who were trying to make their American Dream possible.
He attended a public high school in Egg Harbor Township and learned from a group of dedicated, supportive, caring, and encouraging teachers. Through high school, Hirsh got involved in many extracurricular activities, which encouraged him to take on many leadership roles during his time in college at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Hirsh went on to receive a Bachelor of Science from NJIT in Engineering.
Over the last nine years, Hirsh has become a result-driven leader who directs and manages small and large teams providing the most cutting edge engineering services nationwide across civilian and defense government agencies. As an executive and engineer working in the aerospace and defense industry, he has managed programs providing Aviation Safety and Security in the National Airspace System, National Missile Defense Program, and supporting Military Intelligence, Communication Systems development and Satellite Navigation Systems Engineering. The complexity and scope of the programs he has supported ensure the safety of countless Americans and the flying public.
The last 12 years have been a disappointment for everyone in New Jersey, and Hirsh has the experience and skills to turn New Jersey’s fate around. He believes problems that face this state are due to a flawed philosophy of government held by our state leaders, and believes the solution has always been right in front of us in the state motto: Liberty and Prosperity. Through Liberty we attain Prosperity.
Hirsh is the product of New Jersey, and symbol of the American Dream. His goal is to give that back. He is ready to lead the way, but he cannot do it alone. He hopes to earn your trust and your vote so together we can fix this great state!
‘SNL’ Alum Joe Piscopo Believes He Can Replace Chris Christie in New Jersey
7:30 AM PDT 4/18/2017 by Seth Abramovitch
Known for his impressions of Frank Sinatra and David Letterman, the conservative radio host plans to enter the gubernatorial race in November.
First came Al Franken. Will Joe Piscopo be the nextSNL alum to join the political fray?
The witty wiseguy — famed for impressions of Frank Sinatra and David Letterman from 1980 to 1984 — may heed the call of his AM radio listeners, mostly blue collar conservatives, to enter the New Jersey gubernatorial race in November. “They say, ‘You should run. You’ll rip it up!’ ” says Passaic-born Piscopo, 65. “And I’m like, ‘Who would want this job, really?'”
A lifelong Democrat, Piscopo switched teams in 2016 when he backed Donald Trump for president. (“I wanted somebody out of the box,” he says.) Ask him how he feels about POTUS’ performance so far, however, and he not-so-deftly deflects: “I’m more concerned with — and this is the answer to that question — what’s going to lower property tax in New Jersey.”
The Mother of All Stupid Idea’s : Trenton Run NJ state bank plan
Governor candidate Murphy pitches his state bank plan to bankers. Opponents pounce.
By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 19, 2017 at 8:30 AM, updated April 19, 2017 at 10:54 AM
TRENTON — Phil Murphy, the early Democratic front-runner for governor, defended his proposal to create a state bank to an audience peppered with skeptics Tuesday: members of New Jersey’s banking industry.
Meanwhile, speaking to the same group, a number of his fellow candidates from both parties — including Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the Republican favorite — assailed the idea as being dangerous for the Garden State.
Murphy was one of five gubernatorial hopefuls who addressed a gathering of the New Jersey Bankers Association at the Trenton Masonic Temple. The candidates pitched their plans to stimulate the state’s economy in the wake of Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican whose final term ends in January.
The speech came as critics are worried that Murphy’s proposal for a state bank — a key plank in his economic platform — would hurt local banks in New Jersey and that political influence and corruption could seep into the process.
Opposing immigration wasn’t always racist
Opposing immigration wasn’t always racist
By Peter Skerry APRIL 16, 2017
T oday, the battle lines over immigration policy are sharply defined. In the last two years, Donald Trump’s rise has drawn attention to the Republican Party’s lurch toward the right. Opposition to current levels of immigration, illegal and otherwise, has taken on a tone that is stridently populist, even reactionary.
Meanwhile on the left, big-city mayors and blue-state legislatures are declaring sanctuaries for undocumented residents. Democrats have criticized not just Trump’s limitations on refugees, travelers from Muslim countries, and H-1B visas, but also his stepped-up enforcement of existing immigration laws. While liberals and progressives have stopped short of endorsing open borders, they’ve come to treat opposition to illegal immigration and constraints on illegal immigration as unacceptable, even racist.
In academia and the media, Trumpism is receiving plenty of attention. Yet the Democrats’ new default position — that opposition to illegal immigration and constraints on legal immigration are virtually unacceptable — is just as extreme, certainly by historic standards. The shift in the liberal perspective has just received far less scrutiny.
Innovate Or Perish: Businesses That Stand Still Stand To Lose
April 8,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, It’s often said that all it takes to change a person’s life – or the life of a business – is one big idea.
While it’s true that many individuals and businesses have gone a long way on the strength of a lone idea, plenty of others prospered even further because they are constantly innovating – coming up with one good idea after another.
“Businesses usually start out with an innovative idea,” says Mayur Ramgir (www.mayurramgir.com), president and CEO of Zonopact, Inc. “But they soon lose that innovative edge as they just try to survive with their day-to-day operations.”
Ramgir has seen the problem often while working with the clients of Zonopact, which provides companies with software products that help them streamline their processes, carving out more time for innovation.
“It’s easy to lose sight of your vision, and the kind of innovative thinking that got you to where you are, when you become bogged down in solving each day’s problems,” he says.
So why it is important that companies keep innovating?
• Other companies can claim your market share. Apple has become a perfect example of what a gap in innovation can leave. There hasn’t been much game-changing innovation from Apple since it released the iPad in 2010, thus giving its competition time to make up the ground that separated them from the tech juggernaut. Whether it was the death of Steve Jobs or another factor, there is no doubt that the technology gap has narrowed.
• Failure to meet consumer demands could put a company out of business. It was the late 1980s; hair was big, neon was cool and there was a Blockbuster Video Store on every corner. Fast forward to 2017, where the hairstyles have flattened out and Blockbuster is nowhere to be found. At least neon has made a nice comeback! Blockbuster failed to meet the changing demands of consumers who were going to their local grocery store or pharmacy to rent a movie out of what looked like a vending machine. As a result, the one-time $5 billion company was liquidated and now lives with the VHS tapes that used to fill its shelves.
• Lack of product-storage innovation hurts supply volume. It seems as though we hear the same story every year around Christmas; there is a hot item that every child has to have. The only problem is that there aren’t enough of the toys to go around, leaving plenty of disappointed faces around the tree on Christmas morning. Companies that do not have an innovative supply plan run the risk of falling short on getting products to their customers. This lack of foresight could give those customers an opportunity to walk away and discover other items.
“My advice to businesses out there is don’t stop,” Ramgir says. “Keep innovating and keep moving forward.”
About Mayur Ramgir
Mayur Ramgir (www.mayurramgir.com) is an International award-winning author, speaker, innovator and entrepreneur. Educated at Georgia Tech, MIT, Oxford and the University of Sussex, he currently serves as the President and CEO of the Boston-based Zonopact, Inc. An advocate of innovation, Ramgir’s book, “Unbarred Innovation: A Pathway to Greatest Discoveries,” was published in 2016. The book takes readers on a journey of self discovery and helps them realize that they are more than the sum of their parts.
Former NJ Governors Led by Christie Whitman Unite to Push Environmental Initiatives in Washington
April 5,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , not sure weather to laugh or cry . Are we the only one that sees any irony in this? In what cant best to described as a collection of failed politicians with terrible environmental records ,or perhaps its a desperate attempt to remain relevant , a bi-partisan group of former New Jersey elected officials on Tuedsay announced that, despite differences in politics, they were joining together to push environmental advocacy issues in Washington, D.C. The group which includes former Governors Tom Kean (R), Christie Whitman (R), Jim Florio (D) and Brendan Byrne (D), as well as former Democratic Congressman Rush Holt and former NJ Assemblywoman Maureen Ogden (R) wants New Jersey’s current congressional delegation to fight to protect public land, water, air and wildlife.
In an air “its my party too” the former New Jersey elected officials on Tuesday released the “Principles to Protect our Public Lands, Water, Air and Wildlife.” Those principles claim that environmental protections are “fundamental to the economic success and vitality” of both the state and the nation, that the environment is fundamental to health/well-being, and that “environmental protection must remain a bipartisan matter.” In their letter the officials also call for support of environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Wilderness Act and Antiquities Act. Additionally, they push for protection of public land, promoting renewable energy, an acknowledgement of climate change and demand that “all federal agencies, policies and laws be grounded in sound science.”
This all from the women former governor Christie Whitman , who most notable contribution to environmental protection was misguidedly telling workers at Ground Zero the air was OK , when breathing it turned out to lead to health problems and for some death.
Considering New Jersey’s air is regularly ranked as among worst in U.S. by clean-air group the American Ling Association. In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2011 New Jersey ranked as the 18th most polluted state in the USA. Also in 2011 was 5th least “green” state in the nation by a 24/7 Wall St. analysis of environmental issues facing the 50 state. In 2017 New Jersey education officials said 21 school districts have reported elevated levels of lead in drinking water and of coarse you do not want to forget about chromium-6 in the drinking water . The state of New Jersey also came in with the most EPA Superfund sites at 116.
Seems rather bold for any New Jersey politician to criticize anyone on the environment particular Whitman.
Newark schools superintendent: Why charters succeed | Opinion
Posted on April 2, 2017 at 9:15 AM
Y STAR-LEDGER GUEST COLUMNIST
By Chris Cerf
I serve as superintendent of the Newark Public Schools and previously served as the state commissioner of education. In both capacities, I have defined my goal in precisely the same way: to do everything possible to assure that every child, regardless of birth circumstances, has access to a free, high-quality public education that launches him or her into adulthood prepared for success.
The most striking aspect of Charles Wowkanech’s opinion article in The Star-Ledger (“Charter schools threaten diversity”) is that he is indifferent to this basic and, in my view, inarguable goal. Stuck in the same ideological quagmire that has consumed so many others, his view is that public charter schools are bad and traditional public schools are inherently good. In service of that argument, he then proceeds to misstate a rather remarkable array of objectively provable facts about public education in New Jersey.
https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/04/newark_schools_superintendent_why_charters_succeed.html
