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New TSA Checkpoint Technology for Travel Documents

April 20, 2012

In June 2007 a layer of aviation security was added when the TSA assumed travel document checking responsibilities from airline contractors. Specially trained Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) using black lights and magnifying glasses, were positioned in front of the checkpoint to check passengers boarding passes and identification. Since the program was implemented, security officers performing…

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Vergleich in der Klage gegen “Nutella” Hersteller Ferrero

April 19, 2012

Wie am 24. Februar 2011 auf unserem Blog berichtet, lagen gegen den Hersteller des beliebten Brotaufstrichs “Nutella”, Ferrero, zwei Sammelklagen („class actions“) in den USA vor. Beide Verfahren wurden Anfang Januar durch Vergleiche beendet. Sowohl am United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (In re Ferrero Litigation No. 11-CV-205 H), als auch…

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ATTENTION: New Non-immigrant Visa Fees / Neue Visumantragsgebühren

April 17, 2012

For visa applications submitted on or after April 13, 2012 the U.S. Department of State has established a new visa application fee schedule: The application fee for B-1/B-2 (visitor for business/pleasure), J (exchange visitor), F (student), M (non-academic student), I (foreign press media representative visa) and C-1/D (transit and crewmember) visas is $160. The application…

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Green Wind and Solar for North Carolina

April 16, 2012

North Carolina is attracting green energy investment from Apple. The state is also setting itself up as a hub for the wind industry sector. The newest green developments we can report on are thanks to Baldor Electric Co. and NxGen Power. Baldor is planning a $17 million plant to manufacture motors capable of powering wind…

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security Monitors Social Networks

April 13, 2012

Behind the ostensibly innocuous abbreviation “IOI” stands a vast list of terms monitored -through a subcontractor- by the Department of Homeland Security. The terms are supposed to help the Department uncover “Items of Interest.” IOIs currently relate to 14 categories: 1) Terrorism2) Weather/Natural Disasters/Emergency Management3) Fire4) Trafficking/Border Control Issues5) Immigration6) HAZMAT7) Nuclear8) Transportation Security9) Infrastructure10)…

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Update on FY 2013 H-1B Petitions

April 12, 2012

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2013 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 2, 2012. USCIS has received approximately 17,400 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 8,200 petitions toward the 20,000 cap…

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The White House Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

April 10, 2012

In today’s networked and computer-pervasive world, data is being generated, collected and shared at a rate unimaginable just a couple of decades ago. Each swipe of your credit card, each purchase online leaves a paperless trail. Together, the sum of individual transactions enables companies and other interested parties to generate an -often enough quite scarily…

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The U.S. Startup Visa – something to keep an eye out for

April 9, 2012

The startup visa is something a lot of people in the United States want. Senator John Kerry co-sponsored a startup visa bill in 2011, the Startup Visa Act of 2011. The Act would have allowed an immigrant entrepreneur to receive a two year visa if he or she could show that a qualified U.S. investor…

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Center for Copyright Information will Internetnutzer in den USA erziehen

April 9, 2012

Das Center for Copyright Information (CCI) in den USA, ein Zusammenschluss von Filmstudios, Musiklabels und Internet-Provider, soll dabei helfen, illegale Onlineaktivitäten zu bekämpfen. Bekommt ein Provider von einem der Rechteinhaber die Nachricht, dass ein Internetnutzer beispielsweise Filme oder Musik online tauscht, soll der Provider zunächst einen „erzieherischen Hinweis“ an den Nutzer schicken und ihn zur…

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New Yorker Schule verlangt Löschung von Facebook-Accounts

April 9, 2012

Die jüdische Mädchenschule Beth Rivkah High School in New York in den USA, verlangt von ihren Schülerinnen, ihre Facebook-Accounts zu löschen und $100 USD an die Schule zu zahlen – ansonsten drohe ihnen der Rauswurf. Die Schule begründet ihr Verlangen damit, dass Facebook nicht mit jüdisch-orthodoxen Religionsvorschriften vereinbar sei; schließlich könnten Mädchen dort mit Jungs…

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