Word: illicit
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Moonshine, that most illicit of drinks, is shedding its hick reputation, and making it is becoming a popular (and illegal) project for do-it-yourself hobbyists eager to distill their own hard liquor. Into this new paradigm steps journalist Max Watman, whose new book, Chasing the White Dog, chronicles hooch's colorful history and its place in modern culture. Watman talked to TIME about his moonshine misadventures and the difficulties of producing or procuring illicit booze...
...British prisons ban inmates from accessing the Internet except for educational purposes, and then only under staff supervision. But prisoners are still finding ways to update their Facebook pages from behind bars, sometimes using smart phones they've smuggled into jail. More than 3,800 illicit cell phones were seized in British prisons in 2008, prompting authorities to start using mobile-phone signal blockers and body-orifice security scanners in some jails. Nevertheless, officials admit there's not much they can do to stop prisoners from having friends or family update their Facebook pages for them...
...wake of the 9/11 attacks, the West moved quickly to crack down on the money laundering and secret banking systems that fund much of the terrorism in the world. But as evidence in both the U.S. and Europe suggests, illicit finances continue to circulate around the globe - and quite often the money has nothing to do with violence, but plain greed. Indeed, a new report released by the U.S. Senate this month cites cases of huge volumes of suspect cash being moved from Africa to the U.S. for no other reason than to fatten the bank accounts of crooked leaders...
Officials say "countless investigations" end with the outlaws disappearing down these perfectly legal rabbit holes - and it's a growing frustration. All criminals need to launder their illicit earnings, and our lax incorporation requirements make the U.S. a highly attractive domicile. Only two states, Alabama and Alaska, bother to ask the names of the real owners. After incorporation, these anonymous companies can open U.S. bank or brokerage accounts, or obtain credit cards, all of which lend some U.S. legitimacy - the better to evade scrutiny or entrap more victims. In fact, the U.S. just might be the world's biggest washing...
...pirates to sell it on the street," laments Malhotra. "You drive down any of the main roads in Delhi, and you'll see all the latest titles for less than half the price." And the cost to the industry is significant a significant one: For the most popular titles, illicit sales of pirated copies can rival store-bought sales figures. (Read: "Foreign Luxury Cars: Picking Up Speed in India...