Bitcoin Named Worst-Performing Currency of 2014

If Bitcoin received a year-end grade for value, it would be a giant F.

While Bitcoin buzz and adoption experienced a healthy growth spurt in 2014, its value in U.S. dollars did the opposite. The virtual currency was the worst-performing currency of the year, plummeting by more than 56 percent since January and 72 percent since last November, according to Bloomberg. Bitcoin fared worse in the last 12 months than even Russia's ruble, which plunged 42 percent this year.

Read more...  http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241306

Visa, MasterCard pull bank-card support in Crimea

he world's two largest credit and debit card companies, Visa and MasterCard, said on Friday they could no longer support bank cards being used in Crimea, following U.S. sanctions imposed earlier this month.

The United States last Friday prohibited U.S.-registered companies from investing in Crimea or providing services to firms operating there, among sanctions imposed over Russia's annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.

Read more... http://www.cnbc.com/id/102296607

Fact Check: Brnovich on medical-marijuana cardholders

WHO SAID IT: Mark Brnovich. 
TITLE: Arizona attorney general-elect.  PARTY: Republican.

THE COMMENT: "In Arizona, we legalized marijuana for medical purposes and the results of that apparently are that there are a bunch of 18- to 25-year-old males with back problems and migraine headaches because that's who's getting the cards, most of them."

THE FORUM: Nov. 22 interview on AZTV's (Channel 13) "The 48th."

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT: Whether Brnovich correctly characterizes the demographic makeup of Arizona medical-marijuana cardholders.

ANALYSIS: Marijuana advocates have begun preparing for a 2016 ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona. The initiative would ask voters to approve a law similar to Colorado's, which allows those  21 years old and older to purchase and use up to 1  ounce of the drug at a time.

Read more... http://azc.cc/16NVTyI

Hong Kong Democracy Protest Leaders Surrender To Police

HONG KONG, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Leaders of Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement surrendered to police on Wednesday for their role in democracy protests that the government has deemed illegal, the latest sign that the civil disobedience campaign may be running out of steam.

Three founders turned themselves in a day after calling on students to retreat from protest sites in the Asia financial center amid fears of further violence, just hours after student leader Joshua Wong had called on supporters to regroup.

Read more...  http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6258900?ir=World&utm_campaign=120314&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-world&utm_content=Photo