Colorado Warns Drivers “Don’t Drive Stoned”

End of the Age News

By Jim Stigleman

Colorado Warns Drivers: “Don’t Drive Stoned”

13 days after the state of Colorado officially began selling marijuana, they have begun issuing this warning to drivers: “Don’t drive stoned.” Using $430,000 in federal funding, this promotion, financed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will include public service announcements on television stations and flyers and posters being distributed at local marijuana shops.

 

Penalties for those caught “driving stoned” will be comparable to the penalties issued for “driving under the influence of alcohol.” Though still illegal under federal law, possession of limited amounts of cannabis by adults in Colorado is legal. President Obama’s Administration has stated that as long as users follow their individual state’s laws, federal law enforcement officials will not intervene.

 

The executive director of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, Mike Elliott, said

“The (state department of transportation) and the industry want to stress the importance of using this newly legalized drug in a safe manner.”

 

In 2012, Washington State and Colorado voters passed laws, which allowed adults to possess small amounts of cannabis.

 

Cyber Attacks Plague U.S. Retailers

At least 5 U.S. retailers have suffered recent cyber attacks that have breached their networks. Target and Neiman Marcus are two major retailers that have reported these cyber attacks.  Reports say that at least 70 million Target customers had their information stolen. Customer names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and payment card numbers are among the information stolen.

 

Sources from law enforcement agencies say that in all likelihood the masterminds behind the attacks are from Eastern Europe, a place where multiple cyber crimes have originated from over the past ten years.

 

In most states, laws require businesses to inform customers when certain personal information is believed stolen. This usually is the responsibility of the credit card issuer. Retailers are required to report cyber breaches of personal information.

 

Investigators believe that malware know as a RAM scraper was one of the methods used in the attacks on Target and the other companies. A RAM scraper is software that enables encrypted data to be captured from the live memory of a computer. Hackers have used this technique for many years.

 

Visa had issued two warnings over the past year about increases in cyber attacks using memory phasing software. These warnings also gave retailers information on how the attacks were accomplished and how they could combat them.

 

Obamacare: More Young Adults Needed

More than 2 million people have presently enrolled for insurance through the Affordable Care Act, President Barak Obama’s new healthcare law.  Obamacare, as it is better known, will need more young adults to sign-up for coverage in the next three months in order to counteract the costs from elderly people who have signed-up. This response by young adults is needed so insurers can keep their rates down.

 

Critics of the law say that it cannot attract enough younger people to keep it financially afloat. This means that the government will have to use its own funding to atone for insurer losses.

 

An independent healthcare consultant, Dale Yamamoto said, “The whole insurance relationship is counting on them signing up,…otherwise rates will have to increase.”