Fresh from working for the I.R.S. in 1996, Edward Mofrad, CPA MBA CVA, was eager to implement some of the many ideas that had occurred to him while working with taxpayers from "the other side."  By providing seasonal tax services for clients as if he was doing it for himself with a "touch of personal care," he could take his time with the returns, examine alternatives, and come up with unique suggestions.  Clients often said, "No one ever suggested this to me before!" 

Wall Street bets on change in Brazil, but the gradual kind

Brazil's financial markets have soared over the past month on hopes that the government may run smaller deficits, stop interfering as much in the private sector and perhaps even undertake long-needed reforms to revive the economy.

But some of the most experienced Brazil-watchers on Wall Street are saying: Not so fast, guys.

While the business climate is likely to improve somewhat in the next few years, hopes for a truly dramatic changes such as an overhaul of the public pension system are probably overdone, they say.

The markets' optimism has centered around an October presidential election in which left-leaning President Dilma Rousseff, who seeks a second term, has been losing popularity among voters.

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Brazil airline Azul to order Airbus wide-body jets: sources

Brazil's third-biggest airline, Azul Linhas Aereas, is set to announce a fleet expansion on Wednesday including an order for its first wide-body aircraft from European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA), according to two industry sources.

The order would vault Azul, which is controlled by JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O) founder David Neeleman, into the international market with long-range jumbo jets challenging regional heavyweight Latam Airlines Group SA LAN.SN.

Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing Co (BA.N) battle intensely for such orders. Airbus has recently offered deep discounts on its wide-body A330 to tempt lower-cost airlines away from Boeing's more modern 787 Dreamliner.

Airbus and Boeing officials declined to comment on the matter. Azul announced a Wednesday press conference but offered no details of the announcement.

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Brazil Is About To Have an Internet Bill of Rights

A first-of-its-kind bill spelling out internet users' rights to access and privacy is set to become law once Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff signs off on it.

The Marco Civil da Internet, which has been hailed by open internet advocates such as Mozilla and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, was unanimously approved by Brazil's Senate today and may be signed into law as early as tomorrow at the NetMundial conference.

The bill had been in the works for years before the Snowden revelations, but they (especially the parts about the NSA spying on Rousseff) really kicked things into high gear. Rousseff asked for the bill to be treated with "constitutional urgency." 

Marco Civil will provide for net neutrality (something we in the United States don't have), limits gathering data from internet users, and says that internet services used by Brazilians are subject to Brazil's laws -- even if those services (say, Twitter or Google) aren't provided by Brazilian companies. In turn, service providers will not be held responsible for content posted by their users.

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Future of the internet debated at NetMundial in Brazil 

Leo Kelion,Technology desk editor, BBC News 

A meeting to determine how the internet should be governed gets underway in Sao Paulo, Brazil later.

The country's president, Dilma Rousseff, organised the two-day NetMundial event following allegations the US National Security Agency (NSA) had monitored her phone and emails.

Last month the US announced plans to give up its oversight of the way net addresses are distributed.

But campaigners have warned the move could backfire.

The US currently determines who runs the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the body responsible for regulating the internet's codes and numbering systems.

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Strikes mar run-up to Brazil World Cup 

Philipp Barth, Deutsche Welle

Seven weeks ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, no mass protests have broken out but unions are mobilizing the rank and file. But the government can't afford another police strike like the one in Salvador, Bahia.

Brazil's reaction to unrest in Salvador was quick and targeted. On the second day, the government dispatched 2,500 soldiers and 250 elite police officers to take control.

Why the intervention? Security police in Salvador da Bahia, as it is called colloquially, went on strike for two days. Several people were murdered and numerous people were mugged and stores looted as the result of a cynical power struggle for higher wages with the regional government of Governor Jaques Wagner, a member of the ruling Workers Party (PT) led by Brazilian President Dilma Roussef. The strike ended only after government officials responded to police demands and a court order was issued. 

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