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U.S. Tax Judge Widens Scope of IRS Whistleblower Relief

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The judicial body overseeing federal tax disputes has issued a ruling that expands what whistleblowers can claim as a reward when they help the government crack down on evasion. US Tax Court on Wednesday awarded $17.8 million to undisclosed informants—likely those who helped bring about the prosecution of a now-defunct Swiss bank called Wegelin & Co, according to The Wall Street Journal. The firm shuttered in 2013 after pleading guilty to conspiring with American taxpayers to obscure their assets from the Internal Revenue Service. The…

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With Fears of Foreign Influence in U.S. Election Abound, DHS Eyes Voting Machine Vulnerabilities

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During a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said that his department was “actively thinking about election security,” and considering granting voting systems new federal protections. Secretary Johnson’s comments, which were first reported by BuzzFeed News, suggest that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could soon classify the myriad of voting machines in use across the nation as “critical infrastructure.” DHS currently identifies 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the US that receive enhanced cybersecurity assistance from the federal government. They include…

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After Libya Strikes, Barbara Lee Renews Call for War Oversight

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The only lawmaker to have voted against the broad legislation that launched the War on Terror criticized its continued use on Monday, immediately after the Pentagon cited it when carrying out airstrikes in Libya against the Islamic State (ISIL). Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) expressed discomfort at the lack of congressional oversight in the global counter-ISIL campaign, noting in a statement: “The US military continues to become engaged in the Middle East, despite the lack of a Congressional debate or a specific authorization.” “I have called…

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First GOP Rep. Jumps Trump Train, Becomes Ready For Hillary

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Donald Trump received word on Tuesday of his first defector in the House, as Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) announced he would be voting for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, in November. In an op-ed for the Syracuse Post Standard, Rep. Hanna called his party’s candidate for president a “national embarrassment.” He went on to say that although he disagrees with Clinton on “many issues,” he would vote for her. “I trust she can lead,” Rep. Hanna wrote of Clinton. “All Republicans may not like the…

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Conglomerates’ Attack on Net Neutrality Reaches Next Step

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Telecoms industry groups late last week launched their challenge of a major ruling that upheld President Obama’s 2015 Net Neutrality initiative. The trade organizations, led by the US Telecom Association (USTA), asked the federal appeals court in Washington to reconsider their case “en banc”–with every judge on the circuit weighing in. Federal appellate cases are litigated first before three-judge panels. In June, one of those panels ruled 2-1, in favor of Net Neutrality rules passed in Feb. 2015 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a…

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Lying, Aggressive Debt Collection Agencies Targeted by New CFPB Rules

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is rolling out a set of rules designed to clampdown on aggressive and reckless debt collection agencies. Third party debt collectors would be barred from attempting to contact alleged delinquents more than six times per week, the bureau said. The initiative would also require collection agencies to verify that the person they’re contacting actually owes money to the entity that contracted their services in the first place. Rules would also place a 30-day waiting period after a person’s death,…

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Federal Judge: O.K. to Bug Courthouse Steps

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A federal judge in California ruled that the FBI acted lawfully when it placed recording devices around the steps of two county courthouses. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton said, however, that the surveillance scheme was “unsettling.” According to filings, the government bugged light fixtures along the steps and in nearby proximity to courthouses in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, in hopes of acquiring incriminating evidence on four defendants accused of real estate fraud. Lawyers for the defense had attempted to suppress the recorded conversations, saying they…

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Despite Clinton Endorsement, Bernie Lays Foundation to Carry On “Revolution”

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) may have officially endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after losing to the centrist in a bitterly-contested primary, but the senator is hoping to keep his “political revolution” alive. Sanders has started a “social welfare” 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, to support progressive groups seeking to coach and vet those who want to run for office. He touted the group, called “Our Revolution,” in an email sent to supporters earlier this week. “The goal of this organization will be no different from…

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Clinton Campaign Manager Dismisses Future TPP Flip-Flop

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Hillary Clinton’s staff moved to reassure voters on Tuesday night that her opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership is solid, and not just a campaign promise likely to be broken if she makes it to the White House. Campaign manager John Podesta took to Twitter to push back against comments that Clinton supporter, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), made to Politico, predicting Clinton would end up supporting TPP. “Listen, she was in support of it. There were specific things in it she wants fixed,” McAuliffe said.…

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TTIP on Ice After Brexit

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President Obama’s top trade negotiator said that Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks can’t proceed until the contours of the “Brexit” become more clear. The trade deal, which boosters were hoping to finalize before Obama leaves office, has been complicated by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. In a referendum held last month, Britons voted 52-48 to leave the EU. “As a practical matter, it is not possible to meaningfully advance separate trade and investment negotiations with the United Kingdom until some of the basic…

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Fed Set to Fine Goldman, In Revolving Door-New York Fed Leak Case

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The Federal Reserve is preparing to fine Goldman Sachs because one of the firm’s bankers in 2014 conspired to receive confidential information from an official at the New York Fed. Penalties aren’t expected to exceed the $50 million in fines that Goldman has already paid to state regulators as a result of the leak, according to The New York Times, which broke the story of the new enforcement action on Monday. Fed officials are also considering punishing the former superior of the now-ex Goldman employee…

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