Alternative News

Washington man arrested for strapping bomb to his dog and blowing it up

"A Washington state man was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly killed his dog by attaching a bomb to the animal and then detonated it. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the metro area’s bomb squad assisted in the investigation. Dillingham was charged with second-degree malicious mischief, reckless endangerment and possession of an explosive device. Officials declined to give a motive for the crime, citing an ongoing investigation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington man arrested for strapping bomb to his dog and blowing it up

Lawyers: Illegal body cavity searches of women standard policy at Texas traffic stops

"A lawyer representing women who faced 'unconstitutional' cavity searches of their genitals at traffic stops in Texas last year have said that the practice is essentially standard practice in many jurisdictions. In two separate cases last year, four women said that they were humiliated with illegal cavity searches on the side of Texas highways. Angel Dobbs, 38, and her 24-year-old niece, Ashley Dobbs were searched after a trooper saw them throw a cigarette butt out the car window. And Brandy Hamilton, 27, and Alexandria Randle, 26, were searched after a trooper claimed he smelled marijuana." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLawyers: Illegal body cavity searches of women standard policy at Texas traffic stops

Glenn Greenwald: Embassy closings looks like a conspiracy to silence NSA debate

"Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald on Monday suggested that President Barack Obama had ordered 19 U.S. embassies in the Middle Easy closed not because of a legitimate terror threat, but to silence a debate on recently-revealed details of National Security Agency (NSA) data collection programs. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said that the embassies had been temporarily closed after the NSA learned of a terrorist plot. Speaking to Democracy Now‘s Amy Goodman on Monday, Greenwald observed that the Obama administration may have shuttered the posts just to stop discussion about his reporting." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: Embassy closings looks like a conspiracy to silence NSA debate

‘Asset forfeiture’ laws designed to strip criminals of assets target innocent homeowners

"Over the last two decades, forfeitures have evolved into a booming business for police agencies across the country, from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to small-town sheriff’s offices. In 2000, officials racked up $500 million in forfeitures. By 2012, that amount rose to $4.2 billion, an eightfold increase. Often the victims are minorities like Bing without the financial resources or legal know-how to protect their assets. And prosecutors typically prevail. Of nearly 2,000 cases filed against Philadelphia houses from 2008 through 2012, records show that only 30 ended with a judge rejecting the attempt to seize the property." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Asset forfeiture’ laws designed to strip criminals of assets target innocent homeowners

Federal Court Upholds Random ‘Papers Please’ License Roadblocks

"Motorists suspected of no wrongdoing can be pulled over and their license searched in a database regardless of whether they are suspected of having done anything wrong, a federal court ruled on Thursday. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found no problem with the way the New York City Police Department (NYPD) handled a roadblock that impeded traffic for two hours in the Bronx on October 5, 2010 just before midnight. Each person traveling on the road was stopped and ordered to produce his license which an officer ran through the NYPD 'Finest' program that checks with NYSpin (New York Statewide Police Information Network)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFederal Court Upholds Random ‘Papers Please’ License Roadblocks

Bloomberg Article Describes the Death of Digital Privacy: Snowden’s Revenge

"If anyone has any doubts that Edward Snowden personally blew a hole in the dam of the U.S. government’s surveillance state, consider this article on Bloomberg. This is a conventional media site. It is mainstream to the core. Yet here is what it has reported. There is no way that anything like this would have been published by Bloomberg three months ago. Snowden provided the evidence. This blew the hole in the dam. The dam is beginning to crack. The American public is now aware of what has taken place. The government’s attempt to paint Snowden as a traitor is not working." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBloomberg Article Describes the Death of Digital Privacy: Snowden’s Revenge

Yemeni Engineer Begs Obama to Stop Murdering His Family with Drones

"Last year, Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber, a respected Muslim cleric in Yemen, gave a speech denouncing al Qaeda. Representatives from Al Qaeda came to speak with Jaber and his cousin in a private meeting. During this meeting, they were all incinerated in a drone strike by the United States. Jaber’s brother-in-law, Faisal bin Ali Jaber, has written a letter, distributed by human rights group Reprieve, begging Obama and Hadi to stop killing innocents in these drone strikes and warning that they are making enemies of the very communities they claim to be trying to protect." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingYemeni Engineer Begs Obama to Stop Murdering His Family with Drones

Miss Utah contestant charged with making and throwing homemade bombs

"18-year-old Kendra Gill and three friends, John Reagh, Shanna Smith and Bryce Stone, told authorities in Riverton, Utah, that they bought household chemicals, aluminum foil and plastic bottles to make the devices, which they then threw out of Smith’s car while riding through the area late Friday night or early Saturday morning. No injuries were reported, but while officials told KUTV they were still looking for a motive for the group’s actions, the station reported that, according to Stone, the joyride involved them playing a prank on friends, including Stone’s ex-girlfriend. The four suspects were charged with 10 counts each of setting off incendiary devices." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMiss Utah contestant charged with making and throwing homemade bombs

Thousands now using online gun sales to avoid background checks: report

"Online gun sales have become a haven for buyers looking to avoid background checks, leading gun safety advocates concerned they are becoming more of a problem than sales at private gun shows, according to a new report by a progressive think tank. Among the advertisements for more than 15,000 guns on the sales site Armslist, in 10 states where lawmakers voted against bills that would have required background checks for private gun sales were nearly 2,000 listings by people looking to buy their firearms privately. 'Nobody’s monitoring this,' Hatalsky told the Post. 'Nobody has any ability to stop these people who are looking for private sellers.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThousands now using online gun sales to avoid background checks: report

Hackers now stashing child pornography on business websites

"A new study from an online watchdog group shows a surge in complaints that hackers are manipulating both adult and regular business sites to spread viruses and images of children being sexually assaulted. According to the BBC, the group, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), has tracked 227 reports of use of 'orphan folders' to hide the offending material in the past six weeks. One example involved a furniture store site being used as a repository for the images of sexual abuse. 'What better way to scare someone into paying a ransom than to tell them that they have been spotted accessing child pornography?' Cluley told the Independent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHackers now stashing child pornography on business websites