bill of rights

Occupy Oakland protesters awarded $1 million over police brutality

"The payouts come in the wake of criticism from independent experts who said the police department was under-resourced and ill-prepared to deal with the protests. The lawsuits detailed how police reacted to the protesters when they tried to reclaim a camp which had been cleared earlier that day. Suzi Spangenberg and Sukay Sow said they were injured by flashbang grenades thrown by officers. Spangenberg, a 52-year-old seminarian was awarded $500,000 in compensation, while Sow, who suffered chemical burns to her foot, received $210,000." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOccupy Oakland protesters awarded $1 million over police brutality

Credit card donations to WikiLeaks once again flowing through Iceland

"International credit card donations to WikiLeaks are flowing again after an Icelandic court ruling forced MasterCard’s and Visa’s local agent to process payments, the companies involved in processing the funds said. One of WikiLeaks’ most important sources of funding – donations made from Visa and MasterCard users around the globe – was cut off in 2010 when the firms stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks’ direct payment line in Iceland. Their move came after criticism by the United States of the anti-secrecy organization’s release of thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables, which embarrassed Washington." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCredit card donations to WikiLeaks once again flowing through Iceland

First Amendment lawyer: ‘It is a terrible time to be a journalist’

"Jeff Portnoy was referring to the Obama administration’s secret subpoenas for journalists’ phone and Internet records, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s secret investigation into Associated Press and Fox News reporters 'in the name of national security.' Portnoy received a First Amendment award for his work in trying to prevent Hawaii’s five-year-old Journalism Shield law from expiring June 30. The version which passed eliminated from protection bloggers, online journalists and non-traditional journalists. Journalists who investigate fraud, waste and corruption are a 'dying breed,' Portnoy said, but they are needed now more than ever." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFirst Amendment lawyer: ‘It is a terrible time to be a journalist’

Glenn Greenwald: ‘Obama Admin Using Snowden as an Example in War on Whistleblowers’

"Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian newspaper columnist who first published Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA surveillance programs, joined Fox and Friends this morning and said that there are many more secrets still to come to light. While he declined to specifically say what they were at this time, he did say, 'There are vast programs of both domestic and international spying that the world will be shocked to learn about that the NSA has engaged in with no democratic accountability.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: ‘Obama Admin Using Snowden as an Example in War on Whistleblowers’

Text of the June 27 Letter of 26 U.S. Senators to the Director of National Intelligence

"Twenty-six Senators on June 27 sent a letter to James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence. The letter begins with an admission that the information about this domestic snooping came from 'an unauthorized disclosure.' This means Edward Snowden. Only because Snowden had the courage to release the documents supporting this practice were 26 Senators willing to confront the domestic spying network. We will now get to see Mr. Clapper stonewall the 26 Senators. We will get to see if he gets fired for stonewalling them. We will get to see if the officially admitted budget of the NSA is reduced for Clapper to comply with the requests of the 26 Senators." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingText of the June 27 Letter of 26 U.S. Senators to the Director of National Intelligence

John Whitehead: Orwell Revisited

"In conjunction with the upcoming release of his new book, A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, John W. Whitehead sits down to discuss several 'pressure points' that are threatening the Bill of Rights and undermining our essential freedoms. In part seven of this special series, Whitehead explains the ways in which George Orwell's dystopian nightmare is slowly but surely becoming our reality." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJohn Whitehead: Orwell Revisited

3D Printer Company Aims to Block Printing of Guns

"A Danish 3D printer company has developed an algorithm that would prevent independent 3D printer owners from being able to print gun part files, adding fuel to the demonization and censorship campaign already being waged against the incredible technology’s powerful potential. According to Create it REAL’s CEO Jeremie Pierre Gay, his company’s line of 3D printers will be sold with the software already loaded that will block files recognized as gun part components before they’re printed – so far namely those needed to assemble the Liberator or Defense Distributed’s lower receiver." Continue reading →

Continue Reading3D Printer Company Aims to Block Printing of Guns

NSA Whistleblower: Phone Collection Data Could Be Used to Determine Active Tea Party Members

"William Binney worked for the NSA for over 30 years as a cryptanalyst-mathematician but resigned in 2001 as a whistleblower. In the clip below, he discusses the problems with mass NSA data collection and also explains how the data could be used to identify, for example, who are the key active members of the Tea Party." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA Whistleblower: Phone Collection Data Could Be Used to Determine Active Tea Party Members

Americans troubled more by governmental abuse than terrorism

"In the dozen years since 9/11, frequent polling conducted by Fox has suggests that the majority of Americans have all the while said they’d give up their freedoms for the sake of security. Only with the latest inquiry though are those answers reversed: the last time a majority of Americans opposed giving up privacy for security was May 2001. Not only are Americans more opposed now to giving up personal freedoms for the sake of security than they were after 9/11, but other statistics show that distrust against the federal government continues to climb." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmericans troubled more by governmental abuse than terrorism

Women Win Lawsuit After Being Violated During Roadside Search

"State Trooper David Farrell claimed he smelled marijuana in the car and decided to do a search. He called female Trooper Kelly Helleson to do the search. Rather than sticking to a standard pat down search, she put on a pair of latex gloves and used her fingers to search the anuses and vaginas of both women. Helleson even used the same pair of gloves for both women. Helleson’s searches turned up nothing, but the women contacted attorney Scott Palmer and filed a lawsuit. The women won their lawsuit and were awarded $185,000. Helleson was fired and charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWomen Win Lawsuit After Being Violated During Roadside Search