Animal Farm

SWAT Officers Dragged 10-Year-Old from Bathtub, Stood Him Naked Next to Sister, Terrorized Family

"Although the team purportedly sought to arrest William for quarreling with a drunk, off-duty police officer at a local veterans club early that morning, the family says that their 'terrorization' continued for another 45 minutes after William was apprehended. The officers threw to the floor, kicked and handcuffed Georgeia, her stepfather and her adult son Billy. They also injured Mark's shoulder and forced Billy to lie face down in broken glass, according to the complaint. When Georgeia pleaded repeatedly that she had young children in the house, at least one officer allegedly stated, 'You think you can get one of ours, and we won't get one of yours?'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSWAT Officers Dragged 10-Year-Old from Bathtub, Stood Him Naked Next to Sister, Terrorized Family

Paul Rosenberg: The Beauty and Dignity of the Productive Class

"If you are a member of the productive class, you should re-arrange your mind and stop responding to the demands of hierarchy and status. Instead, pay attention to things that really improve human life in the world. Creating things, improving things, or making it possible for other people to create… these are noble, beautiful, and important things. We should gain a deep and enduring satisfaction from doing them. And, indeed, when we put our minds and efforts to it, that’s exactly what we will gain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Rosenberg: The Beauty and Dignity of the Productive Class

Iowa law enforcement agent fired after reporting Republican governor’s car for speeding

"Hedlund’s problems at the department began on April 26, when he radioed dispatchers about a vehicle traveling 'a hard 90' miles per hour. Troopers, who clocked the car at 84 m.p.h., pulled over the SUV and discovered that it was a being driven my a fellow trooper, who was transporting Gov. Branstad. They waved the vehicle on, but shortly after, Hedlund filed a complaint with his supervisor, DCI Dir. Paulson. His superiors in turn filed a formal complaint against Hedlund and on April 30 and he was suspended from duty at the behest of Public Safety Commissioner K. Brian London." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIowa law enforcement agent fired after reporting Republican governor’s car for speeding

NSA Official: Privacy Of NSA Employees Should Remain Despite Hampering Leak Detection

"Privacy mandates that prevent the government from monitoring the personal data of National Security Agency employees should not be altered to stop insider threats, despite leaks of Top Secret information, a senior NSA official said on Thursday. 'This is a case where I wouldn't advocate a change of laws,' NSA Technical Director Boyd Livingston said. 'It's very difficult to do insider threat monitoring -- there are a whole other set of federal laws having to do with personal identification information, PII, and your Social Security [number], that prohibit various monitoring.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA Official: Privacy Of NSA Employees Should Remain Despite Hampering Leak Detection

Pepper-Spray Lieutenant Appealing For Worker’s Comp

"The former police lieutenant who became the target of worldwide ire after dousing Occupy UC Davis protesters with pepper spray, John Pike, is appealing for worker’s compensation, claiming psychiatric injury caused by the Nov. 18, 2011, incident. Pike ceased to be a UCD employee in July 2012. He remains entitled to retirement credit for his years of service, a UCD spokesperson said at the time, but he was to receive no other payout. If Pike receives disability benefits, it will cover income, health and other benefits until he turns 65. Pike, whose annual salary was $121,680, remained on paid leave for eight months while the pepper-spraying was investigated." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepper-Spray Lieutenant Appealing For Worker’s Comp

Military estimates 500 sexual assaults per week

"Recent congressional hearings featured generals promising change and outlining programs created to fix the issues, but those in this military community say that's not enough to solve the problem. For the past 20 years, the military has confronted periodic sexual harassment and assault scandals, and reports show the problems have gotten worse. Ten years ago, 12% of the Air Force Academy's female graduating class said they had been sexually assaulted, and 70% said they had been sexually harassed. Last year, the Pentagon estimated that about 500 men and women were assaulted each week." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMilitary estimates 500 sexual assaults per week

Los Angeles sheriff gives comedian award for racially-motivated routine

"The sheriff for Los Angeles County is facing criticism for presenting an award to a comedian who told a series of racially-motivated jokes at a luncheon held Wednesday, leaving some in the crowd feeling very uncomfortable. About 600-700 people were present for Wednesday’s lunch, put on by the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County, according to The LA Times. Officers in full uniform were roaring with laughter during the lunch as comedian Edwin San Juan cracked racially-motivated jokes spiked with sexually explicit language and ethnic slurs targeting African-Americans and people of Asian descent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLos Angeles sheriff gives comedian award for racially-motivated routine

France drops law that makes insulting the president a criminal offense

"Being rude to the French president is no longer an offence after parliament amended legislation dating back to 1881 in favour of freedom of speech. Previously any rude remark risked a fine and criminal conviction for 'offending the head of state'. But the change was pushed through after criticism from the European court of human rights. In March, the court ruled that France had violated the right to freedom of expression after giving a criminal conviction to a man holding a cardboard sign telling the then-president Nicolas Sarkozy to get lost, uttered by Sarkozy himself months earlier when a man refused to shake his hand at an agricultural fair." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrance drops law that makes insulting the president a criminal offense

Malawi man charged with ‘breaching the peace’ for calling president ‘stupid’

"Police in Malawi said Tuesday they had arrested a 37-year-old man and charged him with breaching the peace, after he allegedly called President Joyce Banda 'stupid.' Japhet Chirwa is believed to have called the head of state 'stupid and a failure' after a failed bid to change the name in his passport, police spokesman Maurice Chapola told AFP. 'He got furious and started talking ill of the president,' said Chapola, speaking from the northern city of Mzuzu. Chirwa has been charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, which could carry a fine or a six-month custodial sentence." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMalawi man charged with ‘breaching the peace’ for calling president ‘stupid’

Who Owns Congress? The NSA or the FED?

"What did it tell Congress? It did not have to tell Congress anything. Congress knows who has the phone data of every member of Congress. But what about 'We, the people?' Them, too. Then who owns Congress? The NSA spies on the FED. It can blackmail any FED official at any time -- just as it can blackmail any member of Congress. Yes, the FED can cut off the government's money. Maybe Congress will then cut off the NSA's funding. But it never has in the past. So, the Federal Reserve is not the owner of Congress. It merely holds a long-term sublease through a lease arrangement from the NSA." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWho Owns Congress? The NSA or the FED?