Showing posts with label ABUSE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABUSE. Show all posts

Thursday, October 01, 2026

Heavy Drinking Rises Sharply For Older Americans As Younger Generations Cut Back


By  iHeartRadio
Sep 30, 2026


Photo: SeventyFour / iStock / Getty Images


Heavy drinking among Americans ages 50 to 64 has jumped more than 36% since 2018, even as overall alcohol use in the United States has declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study led by Dr. Brian P. Lee at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California found that while younger generations are cutting back, middle-aged adults are moving in the opposite direction.

Researchers analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey conducted from 2018 through 2024. The results, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (September 2026), showed that heavy drinking rose by over one-third in adults 50 to 64, while alcohol use in this group increased by nearly 4%.

In contrast, Americans in other age groups have reduced their drinking habits. Gallup’s August 2026 poll found that only 54% of U.S. adults now drink alcohol, tying last year’s record low. Generation Z and millennials saw the largest drops, with Gen Z drinking down almost 6% and millennial heavy drinking falling by 17%.

The study defined heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks per week or five or more in a day for men, and eight or more a week or four or more in a day for women, matching standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers have not pinpointed exactly why heavy drinking is up among older adults, but they note that this group faces increased health risks, including higher rates of cirrhosis and alcohol-related cancers. As noted by Dr. Lee, “The encouraging national decline should not overshadow the fact that some groups continue to be at increased risk.”

Experts say several factors may contribute to these risks. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that older adults have less body water and muscle, which means the same number of drinks leads to a higher blood alcohol level than in younger years. They are also more likely to take medications that can dangerously interact with alcohol and to have chronic health issues that alcohol can worsen.

The overall decline in drinking is seen as positive, but the rise among those aged 50 to 64 signals a need for targeted prevention and treatment efforts. Most people with alcohol use disorder do not receive treatment—in 2024, only 7.5% sought help, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Outpatient care, which can be scheduled around work and family, is now considered a practical option for many.

Looking ahead, health experts urge ongoing awareness and support for older adults at higher risk of alcohol-related harm. The study’s authors recommend that individuals discuss alcohol use with their healthcare providers, especially if they are taking other medications or managing chronic conditions.


Source  

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Indicted Democrat Editing Diamond Ring Out of Photo Raises Eyebrows

PUBLISHED
DEC 26, 2025, AT 03:28 PM EST

UPDATED
DEC 26, 2025, AT 03:29 PM EST

Florida Democrat Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has come under fire for allegedly editing out her diamond ring in a new holiday photo post shared on X.

Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, was indicted in November for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA coronavirus relief funds. The new post appears to have airbrushed out a $109,000 yellow diamond ring she’s accused of buying with the allegedly stolen cash.

Newsweek reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick for comment via email.

Why It Matters

A federal grand jury in Miami indicted Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants in November, charging them with stealing roughly $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster-relief funds. They are also accused of funneling the money into Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Cherfilus-McCormick represents Florida’s 20th District. Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, also was charged after allegedly diverting an overpayment from a COVID-19 vaccination-staffing contract to the family’s home health care business. Both have pleaded not guilty.


From left: Representative Ilhan Omar, then-first lady Jill Biden and Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick attend the Women of Impact Celebration hosted by ELLE at Ciel Social Club on April 28, 2023, in Washington. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for ELLE).

Saturday, August 25, 2018

enditnow Emphasis Day Observed August 25th


Global initiative fosters platform for abuse awareness
Aug 17, 2018 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Beth Thomas for ANN




[Photo credit: Getty Images]

Abuse. The statistics are startling. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated1 billion children, aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year. Likewise, a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control showed that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical abuse by an intimate partner throughout the course of their relationship. One cannot turn a blind eye to the abuse so prevalent in society, even in the Church.

In 2009, the Adventist Church launched enditnow, a global initiative to raise awareness and advocate for the end of violence around the world. According to the official website for the initiative, “enditnow is the most important stand the Church has ever taken regarding violence against men, women and children. It is a call to action for all Adventists and supporters to stand up and put into practice those principles we hold true. Domestic violence has been documented as a major issue within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Incidences of abuse follow trends documented in non-Adventist populations. This is why enditnow seeks to increase personal awareness, responsibility, and involvement to effectively help end violence in every family and community.”

One way the Church has created awareness is by designating an annual Sabbath, the fourth Sabbath in August, as enditnow Emphasis Day. The Women’s Ministries Department (GCWM) at the denomination’s headquarters in the U.S. state of Maryland, facilitates the campaign.

Raquel Arrais, associate director for GCWM, explains why an annual Sabbath is necessary. “There are so many people suffering silently thinking the Adventist Church doesn't care. But the Church does care. Observing enditnow Emphasis Day is one tangible way our congregations globally can help to raise awareness in the community, showing that we serve a God of justice and a God of love.”

Arrais continues, “Our purpose also is to create a church environment where all can address this issue in a safe way. The #MeToo movement has become a platform or a forum where many survivors of sexual abuse have the opportunity to bring to the surface the trauma they have experienced. In many ways, this is a venue to break the silence about this very sensitive issue.”

And while there is still much to do, Heather-Dawn Small, GCWM director, says she has seen a change in the attitude of many members who are now willing to talk about abuse and seek solutions.

“GCWM has focused on this since 2002 and there is hardly a church where the topic is not known. The issue of abuse is a social issue we, the Church, cannot ignore. It goes against the essence of who God is – God is love (1 John 4:8),” she says. “To show the world God’s love, we must deal with these social issues of abuse, poverty, illiteracy, etc.”

This year’s theme focuses on Words That Wound: The Trauma of Emotional Abuse. You will find a variety of resources available for planning an enditnow Day by visiting women.adventist.org/enditnow-day or enditnow.org.




Saturday, June 09, 2018

#MeToo goes to church: Southern Baptists face a reckoning over treatment of women



"Many women have experienced horrific abuses within the power structures of our Christian world," Beth Moore, an evangelical teacher, wrote in a letter. 

by Alex Johnson / Jun.08.2018 / 4:35 AM ET / Updated Jun.08.2018 / 1:26 PM ET


People pray during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2016, in St. Louis.
Jeff Roberson / AP file


The Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest evangelical denomination, is headed for a showdown over its treatment of women that could not only have far-reaching ramifications for the church but also influence the broader secular #MeToo movement.

At its annual meeting next week in Dallas, delegates called "messengers" will decide whether to approve a resolution acknowledging that, throughout the church's history, male leaders and members of the church "wronged women, abused women, silenced women, objectified women."

"The #MeToo moment has come to American evangelicals," Albert Mohler, president of the flagship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote last month. "And I am called to deal with it as a Christian, as a minister of the Gospel, as a seminary and college president, and as a public leader."

The convention is meeting in the wake of several widely publicized scandals in which prominent Southern Baptist leaders have been accused of or have admitted inappropriate behavior toward women.

"Many women have experienced horrific abuses within the power structures of our Christian world," Beth Moore, a prominent evangelical teacher in Houston, wrote in an open letter last month.

Most recently, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in nearby Fort Worth fired Paige Patterson, a pre-eminent figure in the denomination's conservative resurgence in recent decades, who had been its president since 2003.

Monday, January 08, 2018

More than 1,000 churchgoers complain of spiritual abuse




The respondents were from denominations including Anglicanism Credit: Charlotte Graham




Olivia Rudgard,
Religious Affairs Correspondent 8 January 2018 • 4:53pm


Church-goers at mainstream churches have said they are being "spiritually abused" by leaders.

Research showed that more than 1,000 British Christians said they had experienced the abuse, which usually involves members invoking God's will or religious texts in order to punish or control and coerce a worshipper.

Two thirds of respondents to the survey carried out by Dr Lisa Oakley of the National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work at Bournemouth University said they had experienced spiritual abuse in the past.

Respondents said church leaders were also experiencing abuse from members of their own congregations.

Dr Oakley said: “There has been a focus in previous work in this area on leaders controlling and coercing those they lead, but a strong message in this research is that ministers and leaders also experience this form of abuse.


We do have to be mindful as to the way we deliver messages that are based on our own theological or doctrinal position


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

POPE SAYS CHURCH SHOULD SEEK FORGIVENESS FROM GAYS FOR PAST ABUSES





Published on Jun 29, 2016


Sub for more: http://nnn.is/the_new_media | Philip Pullella for Reuters reports Pope Francis said on Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way they had treated them. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome from Armenia, he also said the Church should ask forgiveness for the way it has treated women, for turning a blind eye to child labor and for "blessing so many weapons" in the past.

See the report here:
https://youtu.be/D59nHGeWIaE

Read more:
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/pope-says-c...

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Wednesday, June 03, 2015

The Masterplan of the Illuminated Rothschilds







THE MASTER PLAN OF THE ILLUMINATED ROTHSCHILDS: Ron Patton interviews Marion Knox



Marion Knox is a farmer, Gospel singer, and counselor from Lebanon, Oregon. For several years, he has been helping set people free from the affects of ritual abuse and mind control. Although some may think of his methodology as unorthodox, it appears to be effective in eliminating highly-structured dissociation in many of the people he's worked with. While tediously assisting and supporting these survivors, Marion has uncovered startling information concerning the inner-workings of the Illuminati, the Rothschilds, and a possible end-times scenario. His conclusions are not only based upon what his clients are uniformly conveying, but also through Biblical and historical research. Mr. Knox would like to emphasize that some of his opinions are speculation or conjecture and need to be objectively verified and validated by independent sources.

Ron Patton: How did you get into counseling survivors of SRA (Satanic Ritual Abuse) and mind control?

Marion Knox: To begin with, my first experience with anything dealing with the occult was through a friend of mine who thought his house was haunted. So I volunteered. While trying to figure out what was going on, a woman living in the house felt she was possessed. We went through a deliverance session with her and she eventually became a Christian. After that, I worked with people who had common sexual abuse. It wasn't until several years later, in 1993, I started counseling on a regular basis those who were ritually abused. So as far as the Satanic stuff goes, I first worked with three women who had multiple personalities. put in several hundred hours with each of these victims and as a result, began to understand the belief system and motives of the perpetrators.

RP: So what did you basically learn about the perpetrators belief system and motives?

MK: Since I already had a pretty good understanding of the Bible, it gave me part of the picture. But what I learned from other sources and what the survivors were telling me help put it together more clearly. Basically, Satan's system is built on the mirror image principle to copy the kingdom of God. The perpetrator's goal is to gain power. They believe that the devil has the most power, and the most powerful component in the rituals is the blood sacrifices in blasphemy of Christ's atonement. Another very important component is the act of sodomy which is the opposite of the "new birth" we have in Christ. The ritual abuse system is normally built around a three year old child, because this usually is the optimal time to create dissociation or MPD. This system is actually a mirror image or reflection of what appears to be a shattering of the core personality. To illustrate it better, let's say you stand between two mirrors and look down the corridor. You can then see yourself in multiple representations to infinity.

RP: Can you elaborate further on how the ritual abuse system is formed and how it works?

MK: Well, as I began to work with more survivors, I gathered more details and was able to kind of form a victim's profile. So as I mentioned before, they take a child at approximately three years of age and make the child fast for several days, force the child to witness human sacrifices, and to participate in a cannibalistic communion service. In some instances, they physically abuse the child and then place he or she in a cage or coffin to further the trauma. The child is sometimes drowned in a baptismal ceremony and brought back to life. In the process of all this blasphemy, the child's mind is reversed or shattered into multiplicity. The act of sodomy is also performed to open up the victim's "third eye" which is suppose to enhance psychic ability. During this vial act, a demonic system called, "Legion" is installed. In the King James Bible, Legion is refered to as an, "unclean spirit". This is systematically done to have complete control over the child, like creating a programmed robot.

RP: How is your therapeutic approach different then others in the area of "deprogramming"?

MK: Well, the key to being healed is the blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know alot of survivors and therapists have a hard time with this because they might have a distorted view of Christianity, but what we are dealing with is in the spiritual realm; it's a spiritual battle between Satan, who wants to steal, kill and destroy as many lives as he possibly can, and, The Lord Jesus Christ, who wants to save and bring healing to the afflicted. I may not have all the details figured out, but I have seen many survivors come to freedom. You see, the integration route can produce containment, whereas I get to the core of the problem and knock-out the whole MPD system by exposing the lies and secrets with truth and casting the high demons out into the pit. Before I get into the actual deliverance, I listen to their story, take note of their symptoms, and ask a lot of questions. Once it's accurately determined they are ritual abuse victims, I start to investigate deeper by testing the subconscious mind; by the way, I do it without the use of hypnosis. Once I locate the highest demon, called the "Strongman", I attempt to cast it out along with Legion.. In conjunction with the deliverance, we will sometimes have a Christian communion service but we try not follow a ritualistic pattern too much. After the deliverance, there needs to be intensified Christian support that should include, prayer, friendship, understanding, teaching, counsel, and accountability. The person needs to do whatever it takes to stay away from any relationships and associations that gets in the way of the healing process. I guess it seems too simple for some therapists to understand or comprehend because I have people come to me who have been through conventional psychiatric therapy for years yet I am able to get many of them free, anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days... Let me give you an example of what occurred with one of the first survivors I was able to help. She was a twin who grew up in Great Falls, Montana and was programmed by Josef Mengele, who she remembered as "Dr. Mingles". Anyway, the unique feature about her, that I never heard about from anyone else until then, was her mind was programmed that someday her MPD would be reversed so she could be used as a ruler over many covens within the Illuminati. So, while working with her I discovered that one of her personalities was programmed that if we would give her a normal Christian communion service, her MPD would be reversed. We discussed it some and got approval from her husband to go along with it. At the end of the service, she fell over backwards and was unconscious. About 10 minutes later she woke up and knew she was no longer multiple. This was several years ago and it never did come back [the MPD]. Eventually, I developed more efficient ways of dealing with this thing and understanding the larger scope of what all is involved.

RP: I noticed you mentioned this woman was to be groomed at a high-level within the Illuminati. What's your perspective or insight into this nefarious organization?

MK: The Illuminati is a Luciferian religion that is counterfeit to the church of Jesus Christ [not the Mormon one]. Illuminati means, "Light Bearers" or "Enlightened Ones". The Illuminati belief system says that freedom is only obtained through the entrance of true or pure light (sodomy) and life (sacrifice) is only obtained through death. They tell their people that nothing can ever penetrate that power because the [unholy] trinity of Cain, Nimrod, and Joseph seals it in. The core religion of their belief system comes from the Cabala, a book containing mysticism, and written by a sect of the Pharisees who went into Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, the holy language of the Illuminati is Hebrew... As history records, the official birth of the Illuminati was in 1776 and started by a trained Jesuit named Adam Weishaupt and financed by the House of Rothschild. The idea was to get together 13 powerful families or bloodlines; with the Rothschilds being the most influential, to rule the world.

RP: Can you be more specific as to the role the Rothschilds play into all of this?

MK: Well, most people who are into conspiracy know the Rothschilds are the most powerful family in the world. But you really don't hear about the details relating to how they have set themselves up to be "King of the Jews", and to usher in the Anti-Christ. It was the Rothschilds who financially backed the nation of Israel so they could eventually set up the throne for the Anti-Christ in Jerusalem. And yet during WWII, their money and resources were used to kill millions of Jews, but these were seen as the expendable Jews from the House of Jacob. Remember, these guys have the audacity to use the Bible as a blueprint to take over the world... Let me give you some background information. On one level, the Rothschilds secretly call themselves the House of David from the tribe of Judah. Now, Rothschild translated from German to English means, "red shield". During Biblical times, the Edomite's fortress was the red rocks of Petra. Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, was described as, " red and hairy". So this information fits perfectly with what survivors have been telling me. That on a deeper level, the Rothschilds are also claiming to be descendants of Esau and thus, are really from the House or tribe of Esau. What they are trying to do, is to get the birthright back from the House of Jacob, who are the real Jews. However, the book of Obadiah talks about the destruction of the Edomites in the last days. So this leads us to another interesting point. In Revelation 3:9 it says, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet..." Then I ask the question, "Who is the synagogue of Satan?" The only logical conclusion I can come up with is the Illuminati Rothschilds... OK, now lets look at some other things. Mayer Amschel Rothschild had 5 sons and in order to keep the wealth in the family, there was alot of inbreeding, like what the European royal families did. One of their hobbies was horse racing and they were known to be horse breeders as well. I think this may have given them additional insight into purifying their bloodline. Normally you would think that random inbreeding would bring degeneration to the genetic pool, but they had the mindset to eliminate the weak ones [offspring] and save the ones who were strong and healthy. So this is part of their master plan: to improve the genetics in order to have a superior bloodline.

RP: It seems identical to what the Nazis were doing in an attempt to create the Aryan race.

MK: Yes, but that was a smokescreen because you had Nazis like Hitler and Mengele who did not have Aryan features. The way I see it is that the Nazi's master race concept was a controlled experiment and the knowledge was used for the real master race, which is alive and well today... Adolph Hitler was more of a puppet for propaganda purposes, whereas , I believe Josef Mengele was one of the "chosen ones" [a Rothschild] to bring forth the Anti-Christ.

RP: What makes you think Josef Mengele was a Rothschild?

MK: To me, it's the only thing that makes sense. First of all, let's go back to the start of the Illuminati. The three men who collaborated and were able to put it together were Jacob Frank, Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Josef Johan Adam Weishaupt --that is Weishaupt's complete name, which begins with Josef. Now the Joseph in the Bible was the favorite son of Jacob and the savior of the 12 tribes while in Egypt. The survivors who were experimented on and programmed by Mengele, would refer to him by different names. Two of those names were David and Alexander, which happen to be the first names of the last two generations of Rothschilds. You have to remember that their genealogy and the names they choose for the "chosen ones" are very significant to them. Also, the name Joseph in the Illuminati is considered, "the name above all names". When Rothschild survivors are being sodomized, the name Joseph is chanted and inbedded into their subconscious. They inately know that Josef Mengele is a Rothschild... Another point to consider is that within their belief system, the three men that are immortal; that never die are Cain, Nimrod, and Joseph.

RP: Marion, if I may interject for a moment?

MK: Go ahead.

RP: I noticed Josef Mengele's father Karl did not look anything like him. His father was fair-skinned and robust while Josef had dark features and a slight build. Now I realize that some people would say that Josef inherited more of his physical traits from his mother. But, from several of the Illuminati survivors that I have been in contact with, this appears to be a consistent trend; that is, having one parent that is biologically-related and one that is not.

MK: Exactly. What the Rothschilds have done is to place their seed into other important Illuminati families. In this way, they can hide the true identities of their offspring... But getting back to Mengele -- He was a devout Catholic and was reported to have all the Catholic spiritual gifts, including, stigmata. At the same time, he was heralded as the top-ranking person in the Illuminati. The Vatican never did ex-communicate him or any other of the top Nazi's because the Illuminati and the Catholic church are part of the same Babylonian religion. His fascination with twins may not only have been for genetic experimentation, but to also play out the role of the twins, Jacob and Esau in the Bible, which states, "Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated". You see, Jacob got the birthright even though he was the second-born. Survivors have told me Josef Mengele is a second-born twin and they sacrificed the first one in order for him [Josef] to gain more power. The name of the first twin may have been "Kore" which is a Hittite name. You see, Esau's first wife was a Hittite and you can find that Abraham bought the burial place for Sarah from a Hittite whose father's name was Kore. Well then, the interesting thing is that Esau's first born son had seven sons. Son number 5 was Kore. From Mayer Amschel down to 5 generations may have been Kore and Josef, besides Guy, who is probably a half-brother and more of a "front" man. Another interesting thing is you'll find the name James in many of the Rothschild names, which is another translation for Jacob. Remember, Joseph was the son of Jacob, so they have made it look like the whole line of men leading to the Anti-Christ is from the House of Jacob -- see how this fits together?

RP: Yeah. It seems to make sense in a morbid and convoluted way.

MK: So in the book of Revelation it says that the Anti-Christ or the Beast is the eighth of seven. Starting with Meyer Amschel Rothschild and inserting Josef Mengele at the right place of the generation of families it comes out to number 5. The sixth is David, representing the House of David, and listed at number 7 is Alexander. He was named after Alexander the Great, who was not only a revered general, but was also the Supreme Pontiff of the Babylonian religion during his reign. He was the swiftest conqueror of the world and also a sodomite. These close-in Rothschild survivors all have this MONARCH programming, which includes an internal computer system called ALEX. In order to access it, you need to find the master access code number, repeat it three times in a row, and designate the type of information you would like to retrieve. What I have surmized from getting into the minds of these people is that Alexander may be the name for Anti-Christ. Alexander means, "mighty one of Cain", according to one researcher... The Illuminati believes they will win the final battle at Armageddon, seize the vineyard [the world], overthrow Jesus Christ and have Lucifer rule with the master race for 1000 years. Hitler even talked about 1000 years -- the Third Reich.

RP: Do you have any additional insights into the Illuminated Rothschilds?

MK: Now these survivors have told me that the, "Key of David" is the Rothschild sodomy. The penetration occurs at an upward angle, so it strikes the nerves at the end of the spine and produces white flashes of light in the brain. They do this on a regular basis -- sort of maintenance program to keep everything intact. As a side note, there are Catholic black masses where they sodomize children with a crucifix calling it the, "Peace of Mary" because once the dissociation occurs, it almost produces a calming affect; sort of a peaceful feeling... Another ceremony described to me is that the Rothschilds take a pregnant 13 year old girl to a place like the Mayan pyramids and perform a ritual in which an Anaconda snake will swallow the baby as it's being delivered. This symbolizes giving your first fruits to god... OK, there is supposedly a replica of the Dachau concentration camp at the Aldin Plateau in S.E. Siberia. This is reported to be a major programming center for Rothschild offspring. On this site is a large temperature and humidity-controlled warehouse where they are stockpiling the skins off the backs of 12,000 sacrificed women from each of the other 12 bloodlines. These skins are being made into aprons for the 144,000 bodyguards of the Anti-Christ during the, "Abomination of Desolation", as mentioned in the book of Daniel. This is a counterfeit of the 144,000 in the book of Revelation who will serve Jesus. Something else I've uncovered from these survivors is that Area 51 in Nevada is called the, "New Jerusalem", where there appears to be a large underground ceremonial temple, lake, and oasis called the, "Garden of Eden".

RP: Do you think the UFO stuff there is a camouflage or diversion?

MK: I think it's a deceptive ploy to cover up what the Illuminati has there. No doubt, there are high-tech machines developed by the NWO, but you'll find that alot of these secret underground places have a different agenda as to what they're feeding the public.

RP: I think there was one more thing we discussed awhile back that had to do with injections into the heart...

MK: Oh, you mean the blood injections into the heart?

RP: Yes.

MK: Well, they do that for at least a couple of reasons. One, is to traumatize the person so they dissociate more and the other is to weed out the weak ones -- some don't make it; you know, survival of the fittest.

RP: Have there been any repercussions, like threats on your life for helping Illuminati Rothschild survivors?

MK: Virtually none. The Lord has helped me to not be afraid and as long as he wants me to be alive and untouched, he won't allow anyone to get to me.

RP: What do you think of _______ (name of individual intentionally withheld), who is regarded as one of the foremost authorities on the Illuminati and mind control and has written several books on the subject matter?

MK: I think he's a double-agent working for the other side [the Illuminati]. ______ never gets to the bottom line of what it takes to get people free of this stuff. He tells alot of truth but complicates it and leaves alot of people feeling hopeless and confused... I saw a video of when he spoke at the Prophecy Club about the CIA programming Amish boys for assassinations. He slipped up and almost said, "we" do this and quickly changed it to, "they" referring to the CIA. It seemed to un-nerve him a little bit... He says he's a Christian yet leaves his family and moves in with a MONARCH woman, who he says he's deprogrammed but the reality is she's still being controlled. And this is not just my opinion but also therapists who specialize in MPD or what they now call, DID [Dissociative Identity Disorder]. Some of these experts in the field who have evaluated him during his presentations say that he has the characteristics of a programmer and someone under mind control... He and ______ had gone to a church near Portland [Oregon] telling the pastor they have an Illuminati familiy in their congregation and would like to talk to them about it. My question is, "How did they know they were Illuminati without even knowing them?". What I think they are trying to do is gain trust by exposing the secrets but even in his book he says the Illuminati put out their secrets and plans up front.

RP: I have also read that book you are referring to and on one of the pages he discusses how programmers test young children at an early age to see what occupations they are best suited for. One of the specializations was that of a, "social and religious reformer". Interestingly, ______ was interviewed by Contact: The Phoenix Liberator, which is regarded as a CIA "front" tabloid. Anyhow, during the interview he was asked what his calling was and he replied: "to be a social and religious reformer".

MK: Yes, and I know of one survivor who drew a picture of a man at a ritual. Now this was several years ago before ______ became well known. I showed the drawing to his ex-wife and she knew right away that was him. She also showed it to her youngest son at he said, "that's daddy!"... I've seen the psychological evaluation of that young boy and it clearly shows PTSD [ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] through sexual abuse.

RP: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?

MK: Ah, yes... I understand how hard it is for survivors to break away from their tormentors or whatever you want to call them. If they have not truly accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, I really can't help them much because we're in a different paradigm or mindset. If they are Christians wanting to get out, it's still difficult for them because of trust issues. When survivors make up their mind and come to me for help, there's alot of resistance at first because they've been brainwashed to think there is no way out from this. I don't have any hidden agendas, I don't ask for money but I am up front and confrontational, which doesn't mean I don't have compassion for them... I've been accused of not being sensitive enough or not empathetic enough but that's not necessarily what's going to set them free from all of this. So the bottom line is this: once they get serious to the extent of committing their time and trust to me, I can probably help them -- and I think I have a pretty decent track record and reputation to prove it.

Marion Knox can be reached at (541) 259-1839. His mailing address is 35136 Hwy 34, Lebanon, OR 97355


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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Pope meets ex-sex slaves, denounces trafficking



Nicole Winfield, Associated Press 11:03 a.m. EDT April 10, 2014




(Photo: L'Osservatore Romano via AP)



VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis denounced human trafficking as a crime against humanity Thursday after meeting with four women who were trafficked and forced into prostitution.

Francis attended a Vatican conference of church workers, charity representatives and police chiefs from 20 nations, Interpol and Europol who pledged greater cooperation to prevent trafficking and encourage its victims to come forward to police.

"Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ," Francis said. "It is a crime against humanity."

The pope met privately with freed sex slaves from his native Argentina, Chile, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Three of them addressed the conference, which issued a final statement pledging to develop strategies to do more to prevent trafficking, care for victims and help them reintegrate into society once freed.

"Our strategy must work across all borders, languages cultures and religious beliefs," Interpol's secretary general, Ronald Noble, told the group. "The 'merchants' do not care about these differences, indeed they thrive on them, as they have done for years."

Attending were police chiefs from countries where women are routinely trafficked for sex, including Nigeria, Romania, Poland and Albania.

Francis has made combating human trafficking and slavery a priority of his papacy. The Vatican recently joined forces with the Anglican Church and Al-Azhar university, the world's foremost seat of Sunni learning, in an anti-slavery initiative.

Yet only about 1 percent of all trafficking victims denounce their smugglers to police and seek assistance, said Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the metropolitan police commissioner in London which has formed a partnership with the Westminster archdiocese to care for victims. Many victims fear coming forward, thinking they will be judged, deported or prosecuted when in fact law enforcement and the church want to offer them a "sanctuary," he said.

The conference, dubbed the "Santa Marta Group" after Francis' Vatican hotel where participants stayed, meets again in London in November.


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Interpol's secretary general, Ronald Noble, to the right of Pope Francis (Bergoglio) in photo above.
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Feinstein: CIA searched Intelligence Committee computers



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Video: Senate Intelligence Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) accused the CIA of breaking the law by searching her committee's computers. The Post's Karen Tumulty, Scott Wilson, Terence Samuel and Adam Goldman explain the impact in Washington.




By Greg Miller, Ed O’Keefe and Adam Goldman, Published: March 11

A behind-the-scenes battle between the CIA and Congress erupted in public Tuesday as the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee accused the agency of breaking laws and breaching constitutional principles in an alleged effort to undermine the panel’s multi-year investigation of a controversial interrogation program.

Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) accused the CIA of ­secretly removing documents, searching computers used by the committee and attempting to intimidate congressional investigators by requesting an FBI inquiry of their conduct — charges that CIA Director John Brennan disputed within hours of her appearance on the Senate floor.




Video




Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) questioned whether a CIA search of congressional records might have undermined government oversight during a Senate floor speech Tuesday.


Read more:

Why the CIA and lawmakers are feuding




Adam Goldman MAR 11

What you need to know about the dispute over an investigation o the agency’s interrogation program.

Transcript: Feinstein says CIA searched Intelligence panel computers




MAR 11

“Let me say up front that I come to the Senate floor reluctantly,” she said.

Transcript: Brennan says his agency has done nothing wrong


MAR 11

“If I did something wrong, I will go to the president and I will explain to him exactly what I did and what the findings were,” he said.

Senators praise Feinstein speech, want answers from CIA




Wesley Lowery and Ed O'Keefe MAR 11

If true, “this is Richard Nixon stuff,” one senator says.


Feinstein described the escalating conflict as a “defining moment” for Congress’s role in overseeing the nation’s intelligence agencies and cited “grave concerns” that the CIA had “violated the separation-of-powers principles embodied in the United States Constitution.”

Brennan fired back during a previously scheduled speech in Washington, saying that “when the facts come out on this, I think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong.”

The dueling claims exposed bitterness and distrust that have soared to new levels as the committee nears completion of a 6,000-page report that is expected to serve as a scathing historical record of the agency’s use of waterboarding and other brutal interrogation methods on terrorism suspects held at secret CIA prisons overseas after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Displaying flashes of anger during her floor speech, Feinstein said her committee would soon deliver the report to the White House and push for declassification of a document that lays bare “the horrible details of the CIA program that never, never, never should have existed.”

The latest dispute is in some ways a proxy for a deeper conflict over that document. The CIA and the committee are at odds over many of the report’s conclusions about the effectiveness of the interrogation program, but they are battling primarily over tension that surfaced during the investigation.

Feinstein’s remarks provided the most detailed account of that investigation, describing an arrangement in which the CIA set up a secret facility in Northern Virginia with computers where committee investigators were promised unfettered access to millions of operational cables, executive memos and other files on the interrogation program.

The disagreement between Feinstein and Brennan centers on whether agency employees or committee staff members — or both — abused their access to that shared network to gain an upper hand.

Feinstein implied that the CIA sabotaged the committee’s efforts from the outset, loading a massive amount of files on computers with no index, structure or ability to search. “It was a true document dump,” she said.

Over a period of years, investigators pored over more than 6.2 million classified records furnished by the CIA, using a search tool that agency technical experts agreed to install. But U.S. officials said the committee gained access to a set of documents that the agency never intended to share, files that were generated at the direction of former director Leon E. Panetta as part of an effort to take an inventory of the records being turned over to Feinstein’s panel.

The two sides have engaged in heated exchanges in recent days over the nature of those files and how they were obtained.

Referring to them as the “Panetta internal review,” Feinstein insisted that committee staff members discovered the documents during an ordinary search of the trove. She said they are particularly valuable because in tracking the flow of documents, CIA employees in some cases drew conclusions about their contents that match the subsequent interpretations made by committee staff members.
Jeremy Bash, Panetta’s former chief of staff, said Tuesday that that was never the director's intent. Panetta “did not request an internal review of the interrogation program,” he said. “He asked the CIA staff to keep track of documents that were being provided. . . . He asked that they develop short summaries of the material, so that we would know what was being provided.”

Meanwhile, a letter that Brennan distributed to the CIA workforce on Tuesday raised questions about Feinstein’s claims and her awareness of how and when the committee obtained what she is calling the Panetta review files.

The letter, which Brennan sent to Feinstein on Jan. 27 and which was attached to a message he sent the workforce, recounts a meeting they had weeks earlier to discuss the matter. During that meeting, Feinstein said she didn’t know that the committee already had copies of the Panetta review. Brennan pushed her to explain why the panel had recently requested the files when they were already in its possession.

“You informed me that you were not aware that the committee staff already had access to the materials you had requested,” Brennan wrote, according to a copy obtained by The Washington Post. Brennan urged Feinstein to work with the agency to determine how the committee had obtained the documents, a request she ultimately rejected, officials said.

The CIA began to suspect that the panel had obtained those files this year after lawmakers referred to the supposed “internal review” publicly. U.S. officials said CIA security personnel then checked the logs of the computer system it had set up for the committee, and found that the files had been moved to a part of the network that was off-limits to the CIA.

“They did something to get those documents,” said a U.S. official briefed on the matter. A security “firewall was breached. They figured out a work-around to get it.” The official declined to elaborate.
Feinstein said the review documents were “identified using the search tool provided by the CIA” but she was careful not to say precisely how they were obtained. “We don’t know whether the documents were provided intentionally by the CIA, unintentionally by the CIA, or intentionally by a whistleblower,” she said.

She acknowledged, however, that committee investigators made hard copies of those files and whisked them away to its offices on Capitol Hill, in part because the committee had previously seen cases in which more than 900 pages of records dis­appeared from the database with no explanation.
Feinstein expressed outrage that the CIA referred the matter to the FBI. “There is no legitimate reason to allege to the Justice Department that Senate staff may have committed a crime,” she said, describing the move as a “potential effort to intimidate this staff, and I am not taking it lightly.”
She also noted that the referral was made by Robert Eatinger, the CIA’s acting general counsel, who previously served as the top lawyer for the department that ran the CIA’s secret prisons, and who “is mentioned by name more than 1,600 times in our study.”

Feinstein, who has been a staunch supporter of other CIA programs including its drone campaign, said the agency may have violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, as well as laws against domestic surveillance.

Although Republicans on the committee initially voted in favor of opening the investigation, GOP members abandoned the effort after it began and none has voted to endorse it.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the intelligence panel, told Bloomberg News that the dispute is “more complicated than what’s being put out there by Senator Feinstein or others. . . . I don’t think anyone has a clean hand and I think it’s important for the full truth to come out. I think people may be surprised to learn that, in this case, there were no good guys and maybe two or three bad ones.”

[Read a full transcript of Feinstein’s remarks.]

Brennan said he had ordered the CIA’s inspector general to review the agency’s conduct. The inspector general, in turn, has issued a separate referral seeking a Justice Department review.

Asked whether he would resign if the CIA was found to be in the wrong, Brennan said he would let the president decide his fate. “If I did something wrong, I will go to the president,” the director said. “He is the one who can ask me to stay or to go.”



Ellen Nakashima and Julie Tate contributed to this report.


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Above the Law: Secret Deals, Political Fixes, and Other Misadventures of the U.S. Department of Justice



David Burnham
Above the Law: Secret Deals, Political Fixes, and Other Misadventures of the U.S. Department of Justice
Scribner, 1996
ISBN 0-684-80699-1
444 pages, $27.50 hb.
Reviewed by Gary McGath
This review copyright 1996 by Gary McGath


The Department of Justice wields a great amount of power; and as our government as a whole grows more powerful and abusive of our liberties, it is only to be expected that many of these abuses will be found in its law enforcement apparatus. David Burnham has provided an illuminating account of some of these abuses.

Burnham's political sympathies clearly lie toward the left side of the conventional political spectrum, but he addresses his subject matter with a minimum of bias. For example, in discussing the Senate's investigation of Watergate, he points out that previous Presidents, notably Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, had also made use of the FBI for their own political purposes, obtaining background checks on their opponents and leaking information to influence campaigns.

Some of Burnham's views are disturbing. For instance, he notes that two-thirds of the corporations in a survey violated environmental laws, in the opinion of their own lawyers; but rather than thinking that there might be something wrong with a system of laws which makes the large majority of the affected parties criminals, he appears to take this as evidence that not enough businesses are being prosecuted. But the fact that Burnham provides enough facts to support arguments against his own conclusions does illustrate his thoroughness.

Both Democratic and Republican administrations come under scrutiny. Burnham condemns Jimmy Carter's orders to expel Iranian students en masse and Bill Clinton's exploitation of the Oklahoma City bombing to promote "antiterrorism" legislation which "had very little to do with terrorism," as well as Ronald Reagan's alleged violation of tax laws and Richard Nixon's many manipulations. And he gives credit where due to Republican actions, such as Rep. Henry Hyde's strong opposition to the excesses of civil forfeiture. (Yes, this is the same Hyde who wrote language into the Telecommunications Act outlawing the posting of information about abortion. His name seems eerily appropriate.)

The discussion of the FBI's attempts to increase its surveillance capabilities and reduce the privacy of citizens will be of special interest to most of the online readers of this review. Burnham discusses the efforts to make the key-escrowed Clipper chip the de facto standard for encryption, Louis Freeh's campaign to outlaw strong encryption and obtain a vast expansion of federal wiretapping capability, and the sweeping use of telephone call logs to gain information on anyone who calls or is called by a suspect. The book argues that Freeh has used distorted statistics to make the crime problem look worse than it is; while its does not directly tie this to Freeh's claims that encryption will frustrate legitimate law enforcement efforts, the material in the book provides at least a starting point for casting doubt on the FBI chief's arguments.

In discussing the War on Drugs, Burnham takes a conventional liberal position; he does not dispute the legitimacy of laws criminalizing people's choice to ingest certain substances, but he recognizes that the enforcement of anti-drug laws is ineffective in stopping drug abuse, especially harsh on some ethnic groups, and often detrimental to people's liberties. He notes that intensive anti-drug efforts have often let crimes against people increase by diverting enforcement resources. He also points out the rapidly growing cost to the taxpayer: "For the Justice Department alone, spending for drug-control purposes has grown at an astonishing pace, increasing more than eleven times, from $360 million in 1981 to slightly more than $4 billion in 1994."

The current Attorney General also comes in for criticism; for example, Burnham notes that Janet Reno has spoken in favor of arbitrary sentencing disparities in drug laws and has defended the practice of seizing the assets of people who have not been convicted of any crime. Curiously, there is no mention of the Waco siege, although other examples of stormtrooper justice are cited.

Above the Law is heavy but rewarding reading for those who want to learn more about how the growth of government power has injured our liberties. While I do not agree with all of Burnham's conclusions, I think he has presented a compelling and well-documented case that the government officials who are charged with protecting us from crime are often the ones from whom we are most in need of protection.


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Monday, February 10, 2014

Montana Catholic diocese files for bankruptcy amid 362 sex abuse claims


The diocese of Helena filed for bankruptcy in advance of a proposed $15 million settlement for victims of clergy sex abuse. Bishop Georg Leo Thomas apologized to the victims, while maintaining that most of the accused clergymen have died.
 
 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: Friday, January 31, 2014, 3:58 PM
Updated: Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 3:37 PM



 
JON EBELT/AP
Bishop George Thomas, right, apologized to the victims in a statement. He said most clergy members who were credibly accused have died, and none remain in active ministry.




HELENA, Mont. — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena filed for bankruptcy protection Friday as part of a proposed $15 million settlement for hundreds of victims who say clergy members sexually abused them over decades while the church covered it up.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan comes after confidential mediation sessions with the plaintiffs' attorneys and insurers, resulting in a proposed deal to resolve the abuse claims, diocese officials said.

Bishop George Leo Thomas expressed "his profound sorrow" and apologized to the victims in a news conference.

"I know the pain is real, the pain is in the present tense, and in the name of the church, I want to say I'm sorry and we're sorry as a church," Thomas said.

RELATED: POPE BENEDICT DEFROCKED 400 PRIESTS OVER TWO YEARS

The $15 million "will at least be a beginning point for people who are seeking resolution in their lives and in their hearts," he added.

In addition to the money, the diocese must publicly apologize, publish the names of clergy members who have been credibly accused of abuse, offer to meet with abuse survivors, provide victim counseling and reinforce its policies and procedures to prevent abuse, plaintiffs' attorneys said.

The diocese already has set up abuse-prevention programs, including worker screenings, a claims-review board and a hotline to report abuse.

The settlement details are being worked out, but the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Montana would be responsible for approving and supervising the disbursement of $15 million to compensate the 362 victims identified in the two lawsuits.

RELATED: U.N. COMMITTEE CRITICIZES VATICAN FOR ALLEGEDLY ENABLING CHILD SEX ABUSE

In addition, at least $2.5 million will be set aside for victims who come forward later, according to the diocese.

The church anticipates paying that $2.5 million, with the rest paid by insurers.

The victims and creditors will have the chance to vote on the proposed settlement, diocese officials said.


Church officials are planning to pay the diocese's share of the settlement with cash, though they may have to sell some property in the future, Thomas said.

RELATED: CATHOLIC OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF COVERING UP ABUSE TO BE FREED FROM JAIL

The diocese was in a precarious financial position before the lawsuits were filed, and a reorganization was already likely, he said.

Court documents filed Friday show the diocese has estimated assets between $1 million and $10 million, and estimated liabilities between $10 million and $50 million.

Molly Howard, an attorney for the plaintiffs in one of the lawsuits, said she believes the bankruptcy process will resolve the case more quickly than years of litigation and trials with uncertain outcomes.

"Given the age and ill health of many of the victims, this is in their best interest," Howard said.


 
Ron Zellar/AP
The Cathedral of St. Helena is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Helena, Montana. The diocese doesn’t expect to have to liquidate any assets or close programs because of the bankruptcy filing.


RELATED: EX-PRIEST HEADS TO CANADA COURT OVER INUIT SEX ABUSE

The Helena diocese is the 11th in the nation to seek bankruptcy protection in the face of sex-abuse claims.

David Clohessy, the executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, criticized the diocese for seeking bankruptcy protection, saying it will allow church officials to keep records closed that might have come out in a trial.

He also said the settlement falls short because it does not publicly name the church officials who shielded and protected predator clergy members.

"Those individuals have to be exposed and punished," Clohessy said.

RELATED: LOS ANGELES CATHOLIC CHURCH SEX ABUSE FILES RELEASED

Thomas said in response that church officials will comb their records to see if there were "intentional failures of leadership." But the records from the time of the abuse are incomplete, he said.

The two lawsuits filed in 2011 claim clergy members groomed and then abused the children from the 1940s to the 1970s. They claim the diocese shielded the offenders and knew or should have known the threat they posed to children.

The plaintiffs, the diocese and the Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province, another defendant, began mediation talks in 2012, but the talks faltered with legal challenges by the church's insurers over the claims they are obligated to cover.

A court hearing was scheduled for Friday ahead of the first civil trials, which were to begin in March. Howard said she expects the court proceedings will be suspended.

RELATED: CHURCH SLOW ON PUNISHING PRIESTS, NOT ON SAVING $57M

The diocese's territory covers all or part of 23 counties in western Montana and employs about 200 people in its parishes, schools and social-service programs. It was created in 1884, five years before Montana became a state, and covered the entire state until the Diocese of Great Falls was formed in 1904, according to the Helena diocese's website.

The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings now covers the eastern half of Montana.

Most clergy members who were accused in the lawsuits have died, and none remains in active ministry, diocese officials said.

In one of the lawsuits, the plaintiffs said they were repeatedly raped, fondled or forced to perform sex acts while at school, on the playground, on camping trips or at the victims' homes.

The second lawsuit, filed a week after the first in 2011, includes 95 of the 362 plaintiffs and contains similar allegations against priests, but also alleged that nuns at the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius abused dozens of Native American children.

The Ursulines are not part of the proposed settlement, the diocese said.

Blaine Tamaki, the plaintiffs' attorney in that lawsuit, said the case against the Ursulines will proceed to its July date.

Tom Johnson, an attorney for the Ursulines, acknowledged the sides were still far apart in negotiations, but that the order intends to either settle or file for bankruptcy on its own.

 
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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Aaron's Rent-To-Own Chain Settles FTC Charges That it Enabled Computer Spying by Franchisees



22 Oct 2013 12:20

Written by Press Release



Aaron's Prohibited from Using Monitoring Technology, Must Obtain Consumer Consent Before Using Location-Tracking Software

Washington, DC--(ENEWSPF)--October 22, 2013. Aaron’s, Inc., a national, Atlanta-based rent-to-own retailer, has agreed to settle FTC charges that it knowingly played a direct and vital role in its franchisees’ installation and use of software on rental computers that secretly monitored consumers including by taking webcam pictures of them in their homes.

According to the FTC’s complaint, Aaron’s franchisees used the software, which surreptitiously tracked consumers’ locations, captured images through the computers’ webcams – including those of adults engaged in intimate activities – and activated keyloggers that captured users’ login credentials for email accounts and financial and social media sites.

“Consumers have a right to rent computers free of cyberspying and to know when and how they are being tracked by a company,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “By enabling their franchisees to use this invasive software, Aaron’s facilitated a violation of many consumers’ privacy.”

The complaint alleges that Aaron’s knew about the privacy-invasive features of the software, but nonetheless allowed its franchisees to access and use the software, known as PC Rental Agent. In addition, Aaron’s stored data collected by the software for its franchisees and also transmitted messages from the software to its franchisees. In addition, Aaron’s provided franchisees with instructions on how to install and use the software.

The software was the subject of related FTC actions earlier this year against the software manufacturer and several rent-to-own stores, including Aaron’s franchisees, that used it. It included a feature called Detective Mode, which, in addition to monitoring keystrokes, capturing screenshots, and activating the computer’s webcam, also presented deceptive “software registration” screens designed to get computer users to provide personal information.

Under the terms of the proposed consent agreement with the FTC, Aaron’s will be prohibited from using monitoring technology that captures keystrokes or screenshots, or activates the camera or microphone on a consumer’s computer, except to provide technical support requested by the consumer.

In addition, Aaron’s will be required to give clear notice and obtain express consent from consumers at the time of rental in order to install technology that allows location tracking of a rented product. For computer rentals, the company will have to give notice to consumers not only when it initially rents the product, but also at the time the tracking technology is activated, unless the product has been reported by the consumer as lost or stolen. The settlement also prohibits Aaron’s from deceptively gathering consumer information.

The agreement will also prevent Aaron’s from using any information it obtained through improper means in connection with the collection of any debt, money or property as part of a rent-to-own transaction. The company must delete or destroy any information it has improperly collected and transmit in an encrypted format any location or tracking data it collects properly.

Under the agreement, Aaron’s will also be required to conduct annual monitoring and oversight of its franchisees and hold them to the requirements in the agreement that apply to Aaron’s and its corporate stores, and to terminate the franchise agreements of franchises that do not meet those requirements.

The Commission vote to accept the consent agreement package containing the proposed consent order for public comment was 4-0. The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through Nov. 21, 2013, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit written comments electronically or in paper form by following the instructions in the “Invitation To Comment” part of the “Supplementary Information” section. Comments in electronic form should be submitted online by following the instructions on the web-based form. Comments in paper form should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for the latest FTC news and resources.

Source: ftc.gov
 
 
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Monday, October 01, 2012

Shocking moment cop sucker punch woman during parade



VIDEO: Watch the moment a Philly cop cold clocks a reveler





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2211276/Puerto-Rican-Day-Parade-Cop-floored-woman-single-punch-thought-threw-water-him.html