Luxembourg Takes a Leak

The ICIJ has obtained a trove of leaked documents detailing the nefarious tactics of massive multi-nationals to evade taxes all over the world using the "squeaky clean on the outside, corporate friendly on the inside" Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and their secret tax agreements.  See this video from the ICIJ to see how it all works.  The Corporate cast of villains includes a cast of usual suspects including AIG, Deutchse Bank, IKEA and more.  According to Wikipedia:

In March 2010, the Sunday Telegraph reported that most of Kim Jong-Il's $4bn in secret accounts is in Luxembourg banks.^[45] Amazon.co.uk also benefits from Luxembourg tax loopholes by channeling substantial UK revenues as reported by The Guardian in April 2012.^[46] Luxembourg ranked third on the Tax Justice Network's 2011 Financial Secrecy Index of the world's major tax havens, scoring only slightly behind the Cayman Islands.^[47] In 2013, Luxembourg is ranked as the 2nd safest tax haven in the world, behind Switzerland.

 Additional ICIJ background is here and here.

Hungry and Homeless in Ft Lauderdale

A number of US Cities have enacted laws making homelessness illegal and those who would feed them criminals, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.  The latest abomination took place in Ft Lauderdale, FL where two ministers and a 90 year old man who runs a charitable organization were arrested for illegally feeding homeless people.  Take note Oregon, this could be coming to a community near you.

Despite heated protests, Fort Lauderdale passed an ordinance early on Oct. 22,restricting charitable groups from doling out meals to homeless people in public, the Sun Sentinel reported.

The new rules, billed as "public health and safety measures," limit outdoor feeding programs to one per city block and must be set up at least 500 feet away from residential properties. Organizers are also required to bring portable toilets for workers, according to the Sentinel.

Making it increasingly difficult for people in need to access food has become the norm in a number of major U.S. cities.

Find out more about Love The Neighbor and how you can support the group here.