Category: government

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Government Cheese: A Controversial Chapter in US History

In the 1980s, the US government found itself with a massive surplus of cheese due to volatile milk production and federal support for the dairy industry. With over 500 million pounds of processed American cheese stored in warehouses across 35 states, the government struggled to find a use for it. When the public discovered the surplus, they criticized President Ronald Reagan for not distributing the cheese to struggling families.

In response, Reagan authorized the release of 30 million pounds of cheese through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program, targeting the elderly and low-income individuals. Dubbed “government cheese,” it became a symbol of hard times, with some grateful for the assistance, while others felt it stigmatized their socioeconomic status. The cheese distribution continued until the 1990s when dairy prices stabilized.

After the cheese distribution ended in the 1990s, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the government-owned corporation responsible for the surplus, faded from the headlines. However, it resurfaced during the Trump administration when it was announced that the CCC would provide significant subsidies to offset the impact of trade wars with China, Canada, and the European Union.

In retrospect, the “government cheese” program remains a controversial and memorable chapter in US history. Some people remember the cheese fondly for the assistance it provided during difficult times, while others still associate it with the humiliation of revealing their economic hardships. The cheese itself, with its unique flavor and texture, has become a cultural touchstone, evoking memories of a challenging period in American history.

For those who have experienced the taste of “government cheese,” it leaves a lasting impression. The cheese’s flavor is often characterized as a mix between Velveeta and American cheese, evoking feelings of either humiliation or appreciation for those who relied on it for sustenance. Its distinctive pale orange hue and iconic five-pound blocks quickly set it apart from common cheddar or Camembert.

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Affordable, Government-Subsidized Phone Comes with Pre-Installed Malware

Yikes…

Smartphones and their related phone plans can be expensive. That’s why many low-income Americans depend on the FCC’s Lifeline Assistance Program so they can access quality service at an affordable price.

According to WIRED, the program currently provides UMX U686CL Android phones tied to the Virgin Mobile Assurance Program.

Unfortunately, Malwarebytes reports that the phones contain a malware called HiddenAds, and removing the bad programs could make the phone unusable.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The surprising thing to security and malware experts is that the malware comes pre-installed in the phone, meaning that customers are getting a defective product right off the bat – and the government is paying to provide it.

WIRED says the malware is capable of installing apps and adware without the user’s permission beforehand. This can subject the phone’s owner to a lot of unwanted ads and unseen data-collection.

One of the apps the device has been shown to download is called AdUps. In 2016, this app reportedly collected data from users without prior consent or warning. Malwarebytes comments that the app itself isn’t of much concern, but it’s still unacceptable that smartphone users are being subjected to data collection, downloads, and adware without their consent or knowledge.

Photo Credit: < ahref=”https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/red-pirate-skull-on-smart-phone-screen-gm1067920116-285623129″target=”_blank”>iStock

This isn’t the first time phones for low-income users have been found to carry malware. And the devices are such an important lifeline to low-income people in the digital age that it’s frankly shameful for the government to be providing a pre-infected product.

Share your thoughts (or outrage) in the comments section.

The post Affordable, Government-Subsidized Phone Comes with Pre-Installed Malware appeared first on UberFacts.

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The Irish parliament recently spent…

The Irish parliament recently spent €808,000 on a new printer, and when they discovered it didn’t fit they spent another €236,000 moving walls and reinforcing the building. It remains unused as staff refuse to operate it without a pay rise.

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The Irish parliament recently spent…

The Irish parliament recently spent €808,000 on a new printer, and when they discovered it didn’t fit they spent another €236,000 moving walls and reinforcing the building. It remains unused as staff refuse to operate it without a pay rise.

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TVs emit a tone during ad breaks…

TVs emit a tone during ad breaks that are inaudible to humans but that smartphones are listening for; now corporate entities can link the tv & phone as belonging to the same person. It means government entities can play a tone through the TV and ping all the phones in the room, identifying the whole […]

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A revolt of textile workers in 14th…

A revolt of textile workers in 14th century Florence led to the son of a washerwoman becoming president when he entered the palace barefoot and overthrew the oligarchic government. For 4 years the republic was ruled almost entirely by middle class artisans and shopkeepers.

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10 of the Most Bizarre Declassified Government Documents

Some people are really into conspiracy theories – or more prone to believing that the government is hiding certain truths from us, maybe – and still others have just watched too many episodes of The X-Files to trust that we’re being told every last detail.

But if these 10, slightly terrifying declassified documents are any indication, people are definitely right to ask questions, because the truth is often buried behind miles of red tape.

10. Okay so this needs to be a movie, if it isn’t.

In East Germany a committed freedom fighter and her husband had dealt with having her home raided while she was away, being arrested on the way to protests and all sorts of state sponsored harassment. After the wall fell she was able to read the documents the Stasi had kept on her and found out her own husband was an undercover agent and had written many reports on her activities with a bloodless banality.

9. Everything about the Challenger explosion is horrible.

When the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed, it was reported that all 7 astronauts were killed instantly. It was revealed decades later that some, if not all of the astronauts survived the initial explosion, as the cockpit cabin had enough protection to not be breached. For 2 minutes and 45 seconds, they were awake and aware, as they plummeted toward the Atlantic Ocean.

Understandably, NASA knew that the news of their terrifying death would have crippled the space program even more than it already was.

8. Evil people sometimes have security clearance.

Canadian here… The Somalia Affair Not sure if it was ever classified but definitely a horrific scandal. A now disbanded division of the Canadian military torturing a kid to death in the 90s, and taking hero pics with him while doing it… I think it’s important to remember when your country does something shitty – it’s not always the “bad guys” who can be fucking evil.

7. This seems awfully small and petty when, you know, actual life should scare people enough.

Devil Eyes

The plan after 9/11 to make figurines that look like Osama Bin Laden and give them to kids in South Asia. After it’s left in the sun for a certain amount of time, it’s face would peel off to reveal a “demon-like visage with red skin, green eyes, and black markings,” basically a demon. The objective was to scare kids and their parents so Bin Laden and Al Qaeda would lose support.

6. This idea was actually floated, so what’s not possible?

Operation Northwoods; A plan for a false flag operation that came from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Department of Defense in 1962 and given to JFK who turned it down. The plan called for the CIA to commit terrorist actions against US Civilians across the United States and frame Cuba, allowing us the right to invade and depose Castro and the communist government there. It was declassified and can be found online at the JFK Library. Terrifying that no one knows or seems to care that this was suggested by our government to the President.

5. We have to prepare for all contingencies.

The Nixon Administration had a speech prepared for if the moon landing had failed, and it’s chilling.

You can read it here

4. The Manhattan Project was terrifying from the ground up.

My hometown was littered woth radioactive waste by the federal government as part of the Manhattan project. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/01/nyregion/big-atom-waste-site-reported-found-near-buffalo.html

then we wonder why cancer and thyroid conditions thereare the norm.

3. It really seems likely that we’re going to wipe ourselves out on accident.

There are over 50 mishaps with nuclear weapons by the US Airforce in the 1950s alone.

2. So as you can see, we’ve never been a society that puts children first.

They tested Iodine on “retarded children” as well. In that time, oftentimes orphans and children who were behind in school ended up at these institutions.

The US government also inserted radioactive material into a man after a motorcycle crash and didn’t tell him.

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/03/us/panel-urges-us-to-apologize-for-radiation-testing-and-pay-damages.html

1. Drug testing on clueless citizens. That’s not scary.

Operation Midnight Climax

The government hired sex workers to dose “johns” with LSD for research purposes so to speak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Midnight_Climax

 

Some of these going to haunt my thoughts for weeks, and you know…the truth is out there, y’all.

Are you into conspiracy theories? Do these documents tickle your sixth sense? Let us know!

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