Category: News and Views

‘Spell-check for hate’ needed, says Google’s Schmidt | BBC News

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Technology companies should work on tools to disrupt terrorism – such as creating a hate speech “spell-checker” – Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt has said.

Writing in the New York Times, Mr Schmidt said using technology to automatically filter-out extremist material would “de-escalate tensions on social media” and “remove videos before they spread”.

His essay comes as presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton again called on Silicon Valley to help tackle terrorism, specifically seeking tools to combat the so-called Islamic State.

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Wal-Mart Sues Puerto Rico Over ‘Astonishing And Unsustainable’ Tax Increase | Forbes

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Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc. (Wal-Mart PR), the Puerto Rico arm of the venerable Wal-Mart chain, has filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in a bid to overturn certain new tax laws the retailer says are discriminatory and violate federal laws and the U.S. Constitution. The case is Wal-Mart Puerto Rico Inc. v. Zaragoza-Gomez, 15-cv-3018, U.S. District Court, District of Puerto Rico (San Juan).

According to the complaint, more Puerto Ricans work for Wal-Mart PR than for any other private employer in the Commonwealth: Wal-Mart PR operates 55 Walmart Stores, Walmart Supercenters, Sam’s Clubs, Super Ahorros, and Amigos stores, employing nearly 15,000 people in Puerto Rico. Wal-Mart PR also asserts that it collects more sales tax on behalf of the Commonwealth than any other company or entity, collecting approximately $100 million in sales tax annually.

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Women to Be Allowed in All U.S. Combat Positions, Pentagon Says | Bloomberg

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Women will be allowed in all combat positions throughout the U.S. military, ending decades of exclusion from front-line jobs, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Thursday.

“To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country’s talents and skills,” Carter told reporters at the Pentagon.

The change, which will be implemented within 30 days, will open almost 220,000 reconnaissance, infantry, and special-operations positions that were not previously available to women. Women will have access to any position in the armed services whose requirements they can fulfill, Carter said.

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New laws force police to put guns back on the street | CNN Money

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Every year, police officers seize tens of thousands of rifles, shotguns, machine guns and other firearms from criminals across the country. While many agencies destroy these weapons, a growing number of police departments are selling them instead. And it’s not always by choice.

Since 2009, at least 11 states have passed laws that either encourage or require police departments to sell seized or recovered guns — with some banning police from destroying guns altogether, according to an exclusive CNNMoney analysis of state laws.

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Toys R Us is closing its flagship store | Business Insider

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Toys R Us is closing its iconic flagship store in New York City’s Times Square at the end of this month.

The retailer is not renewing its lease on the 110,000-square-foot store, which features a giant indoor Ferris wheel, a life-size Barbie dollhouse, and a 20-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur, CNN Money reports.

“It is certainly bittersweet,” Toys “R” Us CEO Dave Brandon told CNN Money, referring to the rush of shoppers in the store for the final Black Friday at the Times Square location.

We reached out to Toys “R” Us and will update when we hear back.

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Children’s Photos Among Data Stolen in Hack of Toy Maker VTech | Entrepreneur

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It’s a parent’s worst nightmare: Photos of their kids’ smiling faces stolen by a stranger online, along with identifying information including their names, genders, birth dates, mailing addresses and the contents of their private chats.

Thanks to a security breach at toy maker VTech, that nightmare just became a reality for thousands of parents.Yesterday, the children’s toymaker admitted that it’s on the hook for exposing all of the above private data, plus additional personal information.

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Tax Scams are Once Again on the Rise | Small Biz Trends

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Tax scammers are again at work and your small businesses could be vulnerable just like other consumers. Authorities insist calls from scammers claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service are on the rise around the country.

Just in case you are not aware of this tax scam, it works on fear and intimidation by the criminals. They call their victims and leave a menacing message on voice mail stating you have a warrant for your arrest because of a tax violation. When you call the number to find out what it is all about, the ruse continues to play out until they talk you into sending them money.

Here’s what you need to protect your business and yourself.

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Not one Paris attacker has been identified as a Syrian refugee | Mashable

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In the wake of the Paris attacks, politicians in the United States and Europe are claiming that the movement of refugees and migrants across Europe’s borders made it possible for Islamic State (ISIS) militants to infiltrate the continent.

In response, Europe is tightening its borders, and the refugee crisis has become an unlikely subject in next year’s U.S. election. So far, Donald Trump has questioned whether Syrian refugees seeking asylum in America were part of a “Trojan Horse” plot and Gov. Chris Christie has suggested that even 5-year-old Syrian orphans should be kept out of the U.S. There have also been calls to discriminate among refugees according to religion.

But while investigators are still unravelling the plot, one fact is clear at this point: Not one Paris attacker has been identified as a refugee.

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