In the first half, government whistleblower and former CEO of a cancer detection laboratory, Michael Daugherty, detailed how in 2010 his business LabMD faced extortion from a cybersecurity company named Tiversa, which told him there'd been a security breach of his patient files. But according to a former Tiversa employee, it was Tiversa itself that hacked into LabMD, trying to force them into hiring them to fix the "breach." When Daugherty refused to comply, Tiversa reported LabMD to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about the so-called breach, and the FTC ended up taking Daugherty to court over the issue.
The FTC is overreaching in their power, Daugherty contends, as "they want to say that if you have data on your work station that is vulnerable or exposed, even if it has not been stolen, even if there has not been a crime, even if there is not a victim-- you are breaking the law." Most US citizens are not aware of the excessive powers of some of the government agencies, he added. Cause of Action, a government watchdog group, ended up taking Daugherty's case pro bono, and in November, 2015 LabMD was vindicated by an FTC Chief Administrative Law Judge's ruling. Yet the case lingers on, he lamented, and may eventually end up in the Supreme Court.
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In the latter half, artist, author, and dancer, Laura Tempest Zakroff spoke about being a practicing Modern Traditional Witch for over two decades, and the history, tradition, and modern uses of spellcraft and the witch's cauldron -- from blessing and using the cauldron in ritual and divination to practicing kitchen witchery. A cauldron is a kind of container, typically cast iron, though in the past, they were made out of such materials as bronze, brass, and copper. Even a bathtub might be considered a kind of cauldron, she noted, and could be used for a cleansing spell in which sea salt, lavender oil, and herbs are infused into hot water, to help remove old energies and make way for the new.
A "memory cauldron" is made out of papier mache and could be decorated with images of what you want to manifest in your life. It can then be buried in your backyard next to plants and shrubbery, so you can help grow it, as it becomes a container for your aspirations, she detailed. Some of the best spells, Zakroff continued, are ones you create yourself, as you personally understand all the elements, and have belief in it. However, it's best to fine tune your spells, she added, sometimes asking for things are that less specific, such as a kind, fulfilling partner in one's life, rather than an individual person.
News segment guests: John Curtis, Nancy Lehnert, Lauren Weinstein
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