Larry Mayer for The New York TimesBill Collectors Buy Debts, Hoping to Cash InBy ANDREW MARTIN Collecting old consumer debts has become a labyrinthine industry involving muddled statutes of limitation, lawsuits and abusive tactics. Above, Timothy McCollough stopped making payments on a credit card in 1999. Read Article
Johann Hari: The looming threat of terror that comes from the far right The threat comes not from jihadis but 'neo-Nazis' out to kill black people, Jews and gays Britain is facing the real risk today of a bombing campaign that targets random civilians for death – but it is being virtually ignored. When its supporters step closer every day to mass murder, nobody notices. When its perpetrators are caught, there is (at best) a little flick of information in News in Brief, before everyone goes back to talking about the Strictly Come Dancing race row. This silence suggests something dark about us – and requires us to change our behaviour, fast. The campaign I am talking about is not being planned by jihadis or fringe Irish nationalists but by white "neo-Nazis" who want to murder Asians, black people, Jews and gays in the bizarre belief it will trigger a "race war". They have struck before. Exactly a decade ago, a 22-year-old member of the British National Party called David Copeland planted bombs in Brixton, Brick Lane (where I live), and a gay pub in Old Compton Street. He managed to lodge a nail deep in a baby's skull, and to murder a pregnant woman, her gay best friend, and his partner. He bragged: "My aim was political. It was to cause a racial war in this country. There'd be a backlash from the ethnic minorities, then all the white people would go out and vote BNP."Related articlesVexed questions raised by Griffin's TV appearanceSteve Richards: The panel format may allow Griffin to thriveLeading article: Poisonous debateThe police are warning ever-more urgently that similar attacks seem to be coming today. The West Yorkshire Police recently launched a huge series of raids against far-right groups…
Letting the Machines DecideA new wave of investment firms are turning to artificial-intelligence programs to make trading decisions. The programs are designed to crunch numbers, learn from decisions, and adapt. Some are having success.Read Article
Obama bashes America AGAINStanding with the President of Mexico, Obama teed off on America and the Arizona immigration law. It's bad enough that our own President feels the need to apologize time and time again for America's so-called bad behavior, what's worse is he does so without even giving an explanation of why the law is bad. Full Story
