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Paul Rosenberg: The Internet Is Being Slaughtered in the Back Room

“US government-funded contractors and US government agencies (like the National Institute of Standards & Technology) are the big pushers. Many people who actually run things are complaining about BGPSEC. These complaints, however, will either be ignored, or will be used to write still more proposals, with more contractors being hired to address the problems. At the base of it all, however, are engineers – smart guys – who are willing to do whatever they are asked, so long as they get a paycheck. They are forging electronic chains for humanity, and passing it all off as ‘a harmless piece of software,’ or, ‘a systems design.'” Continue reading →

Appeals court upholds decision to block New York City soda ban

“New York City’s plan to ban large sugary drinks from restaurants and other eateries was an illegal overreach of executive power, a state appeals court ruled on Tuesday, upholding a lower court decision in March that struck down the law. The law, which would have prohibited those businesses from selling sodas and other sugary beverages larger than 16 ounces, ‘violated the state principle of separation of powers,’ the First Department of the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division said in a unanimous decision. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had advanced the regulation as a way to combat obesity among city residents.” Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

‘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 →

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 →

Increasing use of costly military-style equipment by NH law enforcement questioned

“Concord is poised to accept $258,000 in federal funding to buy an armored vehicle that police say would provide protection during a terrorist attack, riot or shooting incident. In its grant application to DHS, the police department said New Hampshire’s experience with terrorism ‘slants primarily towards the domestic type,’ and said ‘the threat is real and here.’ ‘Groups such as the Sovereign Citizens, Free Staters and Occupy New Hampshire are active and present daily challenges,’ the application stated. In addition to organized groups, it cited ‘several homegrown clusters that are anti-government and pose problems for law enforcement agencies.'” Continue reading →

How the Military Industrial Complex Targeted the Amash Amendment

“The NSA gave members of Congress private scare briefings. Former Attorney Generals and past ‘spook agency’ leaders signed an open letter of opposition. The Wall Street Journal attacked Amash as ‘unqualified’ to introduce such a bill. The Democratic Whip’s office even suggested that the Amash amendment ‘…pertain[s] to persons who may be in communication with terrorist groups…’ But the absolute worst tactic came from the House Republican leadership. They offered an amendment that would supposedly protect Americans from the PRISM system. Sounds good right? Well… It was a fraud designed to peel away support from Amash.” Continue reading →