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Law enforcement is tracking Americans' cell phones in real time—without the benefit of a warrant. Federal prosecutors are seeking the locations of cell phone customers' via company records--sometimes in real time, sometimes after the fact.

Appeals court rules law enforcement agencies don't need a warrant to "ping" and track prepaid cellphone locations.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/warrantless-gps-phone-tracking/
http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/12a0262p-06.pdf

In the language of credit cards, “gold” has long been used to describe a certain level of benefits and consumer protections. Many banks issue Gold Visa or MasterCard credit cards, and American Express features a Gold card in its charge-card lineup.
Soon, “gold” will be used to describe a new type of credit card – but in more literal terms. The Gold Bullion credit card promises to be backed up by the value of your own gold bullion coins. Don’t have any? The company marketing the card can buy them for you at market rates.

"Aides taking cabs home late that night got rude awakenings when they found the credit cards linked to the campaign no longer worked."

Credit cards are no longer being accepted at California medical marijuana dispensaries -- thanks to pressure from the federal government. Someone -- likely the Treasury Department -- has informed credit card companies that they must no longer process credit card transactions involving medical marijuana, according to SF Weekly.

Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. agreed to pay scores of retailers more than $6 billion to settle a long-running lawsuit in an agreement that also permits merchants to charge higher prices to customers who pay for purchases with credit cards.

The settlement is expected to have wide-ranging implications for consumers, retailers and the card industry. It is also the latest victory for merchants, who have recently logged some significant wins in their efforts to reduce their cost of accepting plastic.

ACLU affiliates across America requested information on local law enforcement's use of cell-phone tracking across the nation and have received a wealth of disturbing information about the extent of wireless tracking. They have produced a map showing which police departments were discovered to be tracking people's phones without a warrant.

FBI Special Agent Joseph Schadler said, “court decisions have consistently upheld that there is no warrant necessary for GPS tracking of a vehicle.” but that’s not entirely true. This issue in full of legal vagaries with contradictory rulings from the Ninth Circuit Court and the DC Court of Appeals.

Internet sellers who don't report their sales will no longer be under the radar. Starting next year, any bank or other payment settlement company that processes credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payments such as PayPal will have to issue information returns telling the IRS what merchants receive. The new returns are Form 1099-K, Merchant Card and Third-Party Payments.