"A case that began with reports of suspicious activity in northeast Wisconsin forest land last spring may be headed for the US Supreme Court. That's because a US district court judge ruled in the case last fall that it was okay for the DEA to enter the rural property without a warrant and install surveillance cameras that were used to help convict five members of a family on charges they were growing marijuana." Continue reading →
"Responding to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Department of Justice (DOJ) turned over a bundle of documents that are completely blacked out. The lawsuit was filed after the DOJ ignored a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking information on how the agency interpreted a 2011 Supreme Court decision that bans law enforcement from using GPS technology to track Americans without a warrant. The Department responded to the lawsuit with 111 pages of attorney memos, but only two pages are legible. The rest are covered by large black rectangles that blot out all useful information." Continue reading →
"On This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte, who is understandably worried, suggests that podcasters get together and fight this patent, instead of being picked off one by one. This may be a good strategy, but another thing podcasters should do is reevaluate their (typical) support for IP—for patent and copyright." Continue reading →
"Nearly four years ago, on his second day in office, President Obama ordered the Guantanamo prison closed within one year. Today it remains open with 166 detainees, and human rights violations in the name of 'global war' have become the 'new normal'." Continue reading →
"A video from Defense Distributed popped up just in time for Barack Obama's momentous address to the nation about, among other things, banning the sale of 30-round magazines. The video shows a test fire of an assault rifle using a 3D-printed 30-round clip. The capability adds another layer to the loopholes and problems that exist in a 'high-capacity magazine' ban. The implication is that, as technology becomes more available, it won't be long before regular people can put 30-round magazines in the printing queue next to their TPS reports." Continue reading →
"Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Shamseddin Hosseini says the country plans to phase out dollar and euro in its future international transactions after the US and the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Iran. '[Iranian] government has made up its mind to phase out vehicle currencies such as dollar and euro in its [foreign] trade,' Hosseini told reporters. He added that after the imposition of sanctions on Iran by the US and the EU, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) immediately moved to change the country's hard currencies reserves into euro and gold which 'was beneficial to the country.'." Continue reading →
"The United States, incapable of allowing a military intervention to pass by without jumping on board, dutifully followed France in the Libya debacle, blowback from which was responsible for the re-igniting of the Touareg rebellion in Mali. What do the Touaregs have that is causing such stirring in France's colonial loins? France is dependent on nuclear power for 75 percent of its energy needs. The larger African region controlled by the Touareg, including particular in Niger, contains tons and tons of that substance that brings back memories of the Bush administration's Iraq lies: uranium." Continue reading →
"...knew the importance of using children as props." Continue reading →
"An Oregon sheriff wrote Vice President Joe Biden announcing his refusal to enforce any new gun safety legislation placing restriction on semi-automatic weaponry, saying they would 'infringe upon the liberties of responsible citizens who have broken no laws.' According to KOIN-TV, Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller said he is unsure Biden will actually read the letter, in which he accuses lawmakers of 'attempting to exploit the deaths of innocent victims by advocating for laws that would prevent honest, law abiding Americans from possessing certain firearms and ammunition magazines.'" Continue reading →
"Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions. Today, the President is announcing that he and the Administration will: 1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system. 2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system..." Continue reading →