Monthly Archives: July 2013

Edward Snowden’s father: ‘Absolutely no faith’ son would get fair trial in U.S.

"Lon Snowden, the father of National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden, on Monday revealed that he and his legal team had attempted to work with the U.S. Department of Justice to find a way for his son to come home, but talks had broken down. '[W]e’ve attempted to work with the Justice Department and both the people investigating this, and I just do not believe that that collaboration, that the good faith exists anymore,' he explained. 'So I’m very very disappointed and we’ve attempted to get assurances that Ed would receive a fair trial. I have absolutely no faith in Eric Holder, the Attorney General of the United States. None.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden’s father: ‘Absolutely no faith’ son would get fair trial in U.S.

Bradley Manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy, but guilty of theft and espionage

"Army Private First Class Bradley Manning was found not guilty on Tuesday morning on charges of knowingly aiding enemies of the U.S. by transferring 750,000 pages of military files to WikiLeaks, the Associated Press reported. Manning was tried on 20 other criminal counts, and offered to plead guilty to most of them, but refused to say he helped the terrorist network al-Qaeda. The Guardian reported that Manning was found guilty on five counts of theft and five counts of espionage." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBradley Manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy, but guilty of theft and espionage

Jeffrey Tucker: How the Internet Saved Civilization

"The new world transcends states, borders, charts, and plans. It is a spontaneous order, extended constantly by people’s desire to know and connect. It is the most poignant and beautiful example in our midst of the capacity of people to organize their lives on their own, with the assistance of merchants, coders, promoters, entrepreneurs, and property holders. The CEO of Google recently summed it up in this profound statement: 'The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJeffrey Tucker: How the Internet Saved Civilization

‘Anonymous’ hackers attack New Zealand Prime Minister’s website over spying bill

"The 'hacktivist' group Anonymous on Tuesday briefly crashed New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s website in protest at plans to allow the country’s intelligence agency to spy on local residents. New Zealand’s intelligence service, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), is currently barred from spying on New Zealand citizens or residents. Key argues the restriction should be removed so it can cooperate more closely with agencies such as the police and military in an increasingly complex cyber-security environment. The bill is currently before parliament and expected to pass by a single vote." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Anonymous’ hackers attack New Zealand Prime Minister’s website over spying bill

A new, dangerous job in Mogadishu: tax collector

"Militias extorted cash from civilians during much of the last two decades of chaos. Now Mogadishu has a government in place, but shopkeepers view the taxman as the latest in a long line of troublemakers. That makes tax collection one of the riskier jobs in Mogadishu: Five tax collectors have been killed so far this year, following the killings of 10 last year. The idea of paying taxes for social services seems outlandish in a nation where few have seen functioning hospitals or schools. One obstacle tax collectors face is philosophical: If it's an established fact that government leaders in Somalia steal tax money, why should citizens pay?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA new, dangerous job in Mogadishu: tax collector

Trial set for Tulsa police officer accused of robbing Hispanic drivers

"A nonjury trial has been scheduled for Aug. 7 for a police officer who is accused of robbing Hispanic drivers during traffic stops. The robbery counts involve allegations that Blades - while driving his patrol car, dressed in a Tulsa police uniform and with a gun in his holster - pulled over Hispanic drivers on traffic stops outside his assigned patrol beat, ordered them to hand over their wallets and took money from them before returning the wallets. He was arrested during a sting operation in August 2012 after he pulled over an undercover law enforcement agent and stole $600 in documented bills that were later found on Blades, according to an arrest report." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTrial set for Tulsa police officer accused of robbing Hispanic drivers

Preliminary Hearing: D.C. vs Kokesh

"Adam’s lawyer pressed the witness to describe the shotgun that was found in Herndon, and the witness could not name the model, but stated that it was the same shape and color as the one portrayed in the video. When asked if he knew what a green screen was, Detective Freeman noted that he 'knew they existed” but that he 'was not a video forensics analyst'. Judge Sullivan stated that it was ‘ridiculous to question’ the authenticity of the video, because Adam had ‘racked a shotgun for all the world to see’. It remains to be seen whether the facts will overcome the overwhelming bias that Judge Sullivan showed in the opening act of this high-profile case." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPreliminary Hearing: D.C. vs Kokesh

German president, contra chancellor Merkel, says whistleblowers like Snowden merit respect

"Germany's president, who helped expose the workings of East Germany's dreaded Stasi secret police, said whistleblowers like U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden deserved respect for defending freedom. Weighing in on a debate that could influence September's federal election, President Joachim Gauck struck a very different tone from that of Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has assured Washington that Berlin would not shelter Snowden. Gauck, who has little power but great moral authority, said people who work for the state were entitled to act according to their conscience, as institutions sometimes depart from the law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGerman president, contra chancellor Merkel, says whistleblowers like Snowden merit respect

Momentum Builds Against N.S.A. Surveillance

"The sudden reconsideration of post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism policy has taken much of Washington by surprise. As the revelations by Mr. Snowden, a former N.S.A. contractor, were gaining attention in the news media, the White House and leaders in both parties stood united behind the programs he had unmasked. They were focused mostly on bringing the leaker to justice. Backers of sweeping surveillance powers now say they recognize that changes are likely, and they are taking steps to make sure they maintain control over the extent of any revisions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMomentum Builds Against N.S.A. Surveillance

The Heartbreaking Story Of A Harmless Deadhead Sentenced To Die In Prison

"Timothy Tyler was 25 when he was sentenced to die in prison. Tyler, a Grateful Dead fan with no history of violence, got life without the possibility of parole for selling LSD to a police informant. He'd never gone to prison before. But a judge was forced to give him life because of two prior drug convictions — even though both those convictions resulted in probation. At 45, Tyler has been in prison for more than 20 years and will likely spend the rest of his life there. He got the same life sentence as rapist and kidnapper Ariel Castro because of federal mandatory minimum sententence guidelines." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Heartbreaking Story Of A Harmless Deadhead Sentenced To Die In Prison