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U.S. says it did not sanction holding Glenn Greenwald’s partner at Heathrow

“The White House spokesman confirmed that Britain alerted the US authorities after Miranda’s name appeared on a passenger manifest of a flight from Berlin to Heathrow on Sunday morning. ‘I think that is an accurate interpretation of what a heads up is,’ Earnest said. He would not rule out whether the US authorities had been passed any information from Miranda’s electronic equipment seized at Heathrow, which included his phone, laptop, memory sticks, DVDs and games consoles. ‘I’m not in a position to do that right now,’ Earnest replied.” Continue reading →

UK: Greenwald’s partner had ‘highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism’

“The government has embarked on an aggressive offensive to justify the detention of David Miranda by suggesting that the partner of the Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald possessed ‘highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism’. Amid calls from across the political spectrum for a fuller explanation, the Home Office made clear that his nine-hour detention was fully justified on the grounds that he was carrying leaked documents. The statement by the Home Office, including a challenge to critics to think about condoning the leaking of sensitive documents, marks a significant change in tone by the government.” Continue reading →

Jeffrey Tucker: An Empire in Panic

“Snowden had only behaved as a patriot should, but he then found himself on the run from the law, trying to find safe haven somewhere in the world where the U.S. did not have control. The safe haven he found was the old Cold War enemy of Russia — a deeply embarrassing reality for those of us who cheered the U.S. victory in the Cold War. But that was just the beginning. The national security state is out there right now trying to settle all family business, Godfather style, taking down anyone and everyone who might have assisted him in his deeds. It’s all part of the great drama called ‘the empire strikes back.'” Continue reading →

The NSA: ‘The Abyss from Which There Is No Return’

“By sifting through the detritus of your once-private life, the government will come to its own conclusions about who you are, where you fit in, and how best to deal with you should the need arise. Indeed, we are all becoming data collected in government files. Surveillance of all citizens, even the innocent sort, gradually poisons the soul of a nation. Surveillance limits personal options—denies freedom of choice—and increases the powers of those who are in a position to enjoy the fruits of this activity. Frankly, we are long past the point where we should be merely alarmed. These are no longer experiments on our freedoms. These are acts of aggression.” Continue reading →

Colorado county puts seceding to form 51st state on November ballot

“Residents in one rural Colorado county will get an opportunity to decide in November if they want to break away and form the 51st state. In an unanimous vote on Monday, commissioners in Weld County voted to include the initiative on November’s ballot. Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway (R) said that more than 85 percent of residents support the effort to break away a create a state called ‘North Colorado.’ Cheyenne, Sedgwick and Yuma counties have already put similar initiatives on their ballots. Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, and Washington counties have also held discussions about joining the new state.” Continue reading →

San Francisco bans helmet cams after firefighters captured running over victim

“The Associated Press reported on Monday that video from Battalion Chief Mark Johnson’s helmet camera shows a fire truck running over 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan, who was lying on the ground following the crash. The discovery of the footage led Chief Joanne Hayes-White to expand a 2009 order banning cameras on department grounds to include helmet cameras, citing concerns over firefighters’ safety. ‘Why would anybody not want to know the truth?’ attorney Anthony Tarricone. told the AP. ‘What’s wrong with knowing what happened? What’s wrong with keeping people honest? That’s what the helmet cam did, in effect, in this case.'” Continue reading →

A Summer of Troubles Saps India’s Sense of Confidence

“The Indian government recently loosened restrictions on direct foreign investment, expecting a number of major retailers like Walmart and other companies to come rushing in. The companies have instead stayed away, worried not only by the government’s constant policy changes but also by the widespread and endemic corruption in Indian society. Wednesday night, the government announced measures to restrict the amounts that individuals and local companies could invest overseas without seeking approval. It was an astonishing move in a country where a growing number of companies have global operations and ambitions.” Continue reading →

George Soros Takes a Giant Put Position Against the S&P 500

“Hedge fund titan George Soros’ biggest position is a huge bearish bet that the Standard & Poor’s 500 will go down, MarketWatch reported. Soros has a history of rolling the dice on risky propositions in the past and making giant gains. He is known as ‘The Man Who Broke the Bank of England’ because of his successful bet against the British pound that led to $1 billion in profits during the 1992 Black Wednesday U.K. currency crisis. Soros Fund Management reported it bought a put on 1,248,643 units of the SPDR S&P 500 Trust (SPY) exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the second quarter – its largest holding, according to MarketWatch.” Continue reading →