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RALEIGH - Susan Hogarth of Raleigh has been named the Libertarian Party of North Carolina's new chairwoman.

N.C. Libertarian officials elected a new state party chair and a slate of officers during the party's annual convention held in Lake Lure, according to a release.

"I'm honored to have been chosen as chair of the Libertarian Party North Carolina," Hogarth said. "I couldn't be more excited at the prospect of working with all the intelligent and hardworking folks just elected to the executive committee."

Nathan Phillips of Asheville was named vice chair, Brent DeRidder of Hampstead will serve as secretary, Clement Erhardt of Greensboro is the party's treasurer, and at-large members are Angela Anderson of Winston-Salem, Matt Clements of Carrboro, Chris Dooley of Charlotte, James Hines of Asheville, Amy Lamont of Oxford, Ryan Teeter of Hampstead, Andreas Steude of Cary, J.J. Summerell of Greensboro and Alec Willson of Asheville.

Summerell was the Libertarian candidate for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 2016. Incumbent U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, won re-election with 68.6 percent of the vote, defeating Republican candidate and Stantonsburg town councilman Powell Dew (28.9 percent) and Summerell, who picked up 2.4 percent of the vote.

The Libertarian Party, formed in 1971, is the third-largest political party in the U.S. and North Carolina, as well as the only ballot-recognized alternative party in the state.

Read more here:
Hogarth tapped to lead NC Libertarian Party - The Wilson Times (subscription)

Invading your privacy without your permission is essentially theft, yet it happens every day on the internet and without consequence. Large corporations, law enforcement, the government, and just about anyone who knows how to use the internet, can easily obtain your personal information in a matter of seconds.

It comes as no surprise that anything you intentionally post online can be used to your detriment, but did you know that information brokers are collecting your personal information regardless of what youve decided to share yourself?

They use information such as your phone number, address and even your social security number to line their pockets. Details about you that cant be found for free are provided by information brokers in exchange for a small fee, allowing them to get rich on the invasion of peoples privacy.

To see how easy it is to obtain someones address, try running a Google search of your name and the city you live in. The results might surprise you but whats truly shocking is that they serve as only one example of why you need to care deeply about internet surveillance.

Here are some other reasons you should be concerned:

Even if you decide to use an alias online, it wont be very effective at hiding your identity or protecting your data. At some point or another, youll probably have to make a payment online or sign up for something that requires you to provide your address and phone number anyways.

Websites, as well as advanced users, can also track your IP address, which provides your location. By knowing your location, they can ultimately determine who you are, so using an alias wont help. You can try to use public Wi-Fi so your home address cant be determined by your IP address, but theres still the issue of surveillance.

Hackers can use unsecured networks, such as public Wi-Fi, as an access point to spy on your online activities and obtain your personal information. They can see your files on your computer, cell phone, or tablet, which may provide clues about your identity.

The invasion of your privacy online isnt just a violation of your personal freedoms; it can also put you at risk. Criminals often use the internet to their advantage because the ease of retrieving information about people makes it easy for them to commit crimes and even stalk people. Identity theft is one of the main issues you need to be concerned about since your social security, full name, address, and phone number are within anyones reach.

As mentioned above, other personally identifiable information can also be located by those who know enough about technology to hack into your data. For example, if a hacker is spying on your online activities and you visit a website and enter your debit card number, they now have those details. Account logins are especially vulnerable and accounts tend to contain enough of your personal data for a criminal to commit identity theft.

Another concern is that information about you listed on the web is sometimes linked to your family members, making it a possibility for them to be targeted as well, even if they dont use the internet.

Though internet surveillance is common and not entirely avoidable, there is a way you can maintain your digital freedom. A proxy service is one of the best ways to protect yourself, as itll hide your IP address and at the very least provide a level of anonymity you wont have otherwise.

When you use a proxy service, youre able to connect to a remote server thats encrypted, essentially securing your internet connection while masking your IP address. Since the same remote server is used by a number of other users, your identity cant be traced.

Any data about you that is already present online (for example, that which has been collected by information brokers) will still exist, but youll be able to put a halt to the majority of future surveillance efforts.

Do you have any additional advice that can help others avoid internet surveillance? Let us know in the comments below.

* Carla is an online security expert and freedom advocate. In her spare time, she often finds herself engrossed in reading blog posts, particularly those that focus on stemming the tide of growing government interventionism.

Image: New Eastern Outlook

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Why You Need To Care Deeply About Internet Surveillance - Being Libertarian

A self-professed white nationalist featured in a video about protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend has been identified by Suffolk County political figures as a man who once tried to run for Congress in the 1st District on the East End.

Christopher Cantwell, 36, announced as a Libertarian Party candidate in 2009 but failed to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot, according to his website and Republican, Democratic and Libertarian political operatives.

In a video documentary from Vice News that was viewed by millions of people, Cantwell brags about his capacity for violence and he and others chant anti-Semitic slogans as they march with torches to a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Facebook banned Cantwell, and YouTube removed his videos on Wednesday for violating their policies on hate speech.

As recently as 2014, Cantwell was a featured speaker at the Suffolk County Libertarian Partys annual fundraiser at a Babylon restaurant, according to Suffolk Libertarian Party chairman Michael McDermott. There was no indication of hatred or violence on Cantwells part, McDermott said.

Cantwell attended Ward Melville High School and court records show he had multiple arrests in Suffolk County and served time in jail.

Cantwell told Hatewatch, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit whose mission is to fight extremism, that he grew up in Stony Brook and lives in Keene, New Hampshire.

The center describes him as an unapologetic fascist who uses his call-in Internet show and website to argue for a state free of African-Americans, Jews and nonwhite immigrants, save, perhaps for the occasional exception.

In a separate video posted Wednesday, Cantwell wipes away tears and says hes facing an arrest warrant and is terrified of being killed. He says he did not provoke any of the violence in Charlottesville. In a post on his Web page Thursday, Cantwell says hes preparing to turn himself in to police in Virginia.

Cantwell did not respond to requests left on his cellphone, in text messages and through his website seeking comment.

Long Island political operatives said they recognized Cantwell from videos of the Charlottesville march.

Cantwell became involved in Suffolk politics in 2009, local political figures said.

I remember him being a passionate libertarian, said Kevin Tschirhart, a political consultant who worked for Republican congressional candidate George Demos at the time.

This is just very surprising, and frankly very sad that someone would fall into this sick type of thinking, Tschirhart said of Cantwell. He said he has not had contact with Cantwell since the campaign.

McDermott, the Suffolk Libertarian Party chairman, described Cantwells 2014 speech to the annual fundraiser in Babylon as very calm and normal.

It was a warm and tender speech that came from the heart, he said.

McDermott said he has followed Cantwells progression toward racism and fascism through Facebook. Now I cant even listen, its so obscene, McDermott said.

In a 2014 posting on his website of his prepared remarks for the 2014 speech, Cantwell said a DWI arrest in 2009 caused him to lose his job and nearly bankrupted him. He said he contemplated violence against the police officers and the government.

Gary L. Donoyan, a Nassau Libertarian who Cantwell has said managed his congressional campaign, said he helped Cantwell only briefly.

I did not know that he is a racist or a fascist, as he himself calls himself, said Donoyan, who recognized Cantwell from current pictures. Thats a shock to me, and Im very disappointed.

Donoyan, an attorney, said he last spoke with Cantwell about a year ago when Cantwell called him with a business issue. Donoyan said he told him he couldnt help him.

Cantwell in 2000 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and driving while intoxicated. Cantwell told the Southern Poverty Law Center he served four months in jail before being released.

The issue of his criminal record was raised by his opponents in his attempted run for Congress, in particular because he had faced another DWI charge after a March 2009 arrest by East Hampton Town police, according to Tom Stevens, a Mineola-based attorney and libertarian activist. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, according to Suffolk County court records.

During his try for Congress, Cantwell listed a Stony Brook address, and his mother as his campaign treasurer on Federal Election Commission documents.

A man at the Stony Brook house, who confirmed he was Mr. Cantwell, said Wednesday he did not know a Christopher Cantwell.

Shown pictures of Cantwell from the Charlottesville rally, two neighbors in Stony Brook confirmed that it was Christopher Cantwell who had lived there years before. They declined to give their names.

More here:
Christopher Cantwell, white nationalist in Va. protest, sought to run for Congress - Newsday

Adam Fondren, Deseret News

I voted stickers and voting cards at the Sandy City Office polling location on August 15, 2017.

On Aug. 16, Republicans in the 3rd District finally chose a candidate to fill the empty seat formerly held by Jason Chaffetz. Because this was a three-way race with no run-off, the fiscally responsible voters of the 3rd District were divided, and as a result, the GOP candidate for this fall will be the least fiscally responsible, least free market oriented of the three. And this is in Utahs most fiscally responsible congressional district.

On the Democratic side, we have a candidate advocating an even more aggressive federal government micromanaging of health care from D.C., raising the tax and debt burden on every American.

Meanwhile, our local media have zeroed in on only one alternative to this lack of real choice, the son of the late Sen. Bob Bennett, who was ousted by Utahs fiscal conscience Sen. Mike Lee. The fiscally sound folks from Utahs 3rd Congressional District currently have six candidates on the November ballot to choose from, but only three are being mentioned as viable choices to represent their interests in Washington.

This letter is not a reflection on the character of the candidates in this race, in fact, having met both Jim Bennett and John Curtis, I can genuinely say that these candidates are seemingly very good people with good intentions.

However, the records and statements of the Democrat and the Republican in this race present two candidates with only slight differences in their tax and spending policies. With Congress discussing the critical issue of tax reform in the coming year, it is critical that the fiscally responsible people of Utah are represented by a true voice for substantive tax reform.

When Jason Chaffetz resigned, one of the most often referenced concerns of voters was the absence of a voice in Congress during this critical time. Ask yourself, do you want a congressman who has a bad record on taxes, or do you want a sane voice for fiscal discipline? Do you want a candidate who, once elected, must immediately turn around and begin campaigning for re-election?

Despite what you are hearing from the media and the political elite, there is another option, a reasonable option that will give the 3rd District a determined and knowledgeable voice on tax reform for one year, a powerful option that will look straight in the eye of the political elite and let them know that the 3rd District is not for sale. If you vote for the Libertarian candidate in this election, you will be voting for principled tax reform you can trust that no matter what happens, your representative will represent your interests and not be beholden to the Democrats and Republicans who keep their freshman members on a tight leash.

If you vote for the Libertarian, you will have a representative for one year who will not be forced to focus on re-election, and who will instead work every day to provide real reform in Washington. If you vote for the Libertarian, you can tell the lobbyists with Count My Vote that this system placed two tofu candidates on the ballot and you wont be a part of it.

Here is the bottom line, this candidate will only hold office for one year before a new election is held. By sending the Libertarian to Washington, you will have the time to focus on finding a candidate for the 3rd District that truly represents Utah values. You have an opportunity to vote for the only candidate who was nominated at a convention rather than in a well-funded primary. A candidate with an MBA in finance, a career in education and a principled stand. A candidate who will enjoy the support of the leaders of the national Liberty Movement. There are so many reasons to vote for the Libertarian this November, take a risk and vote for Dr. Joe Buchman.

Joseph Buchman is chairman of the Libertarian Party of Utah and a candidate for Utah's 3rd Congressional District. Buchman has a Ph.D. in media from Indiana University and has spent his career teaching marketing, finance and communications.

Read more:
Op-ed: Why you should consider the Libertarian candidate for the 3rd District - Deseret News

LISTEN: How John Curley changed his mind about Seattle bike shares

Hey, check out my bike! (John Curley, KIRO Radio)

John Curley has been critical of any bike share in Seattle. So how is it possible that he could change his mind about something he has called socialist in the past?

Then I realized that Im supporting private enterprise, Curley said. The other one (Pronto!) I was forced to participate in it by having my tax dollars support it. I wasnt given a choice whether or not I wanted to get on the bike. The government just said, Hey, we think this is a good idea. We are going to pour money into this failure.

RELATED: 3 days commuting via a Seattle bike share

Seattles previous failed bike share, Pronto!, was largely publicly funded. The city even bought it out for $1.4 million before shutting it down. But the bike share companies currently setting up shop in Seattle are quite different than the Pronto system. First of all, as Curley points out, they are private companies competing to become Seattles main bike share (SDOT will make some money off of them, however). They also dont use stations. You drop them off wherever you are.

In Curleys case, he picked up a Limebike from Eastlake near the KIRO Radio studios and rode it down to Safeco Field to watch a Mariners game avoiding traffic and parking.

I got there in plenty of time; soon enough to see the first batter, get the second pitch and hit a home run against the Ms, Curley said.

Overall, it was terrific, he said. One dollar was all I got charged. It was fast, easy, and efficient. I didnt wear a helmet; made you feel a little bit like an outlaw, especially as I rode past a bunch of cops without a helmet.

RELATED: Seattle enforcing bike helmet law less and less

While he found it convenient and cheap to use, there are some drawbacks.

I will do it again in the future, but you will never win the Tour de France on one of these things, Curley said. They are clunky and slow. At first, I felt really embarrassed to be on it. Because you got the big basket and you look like the Wicked Witch of the West. Its just not something you want to see yourself on. I passed by a plate glass window and watched myself on it not the best look.

Read the rest here:
A Libertarian changed his mind about using a Seattle bike share - MyNorthwest.com