bill of rights

Alabama man sentenced to prison for tweeting ‘let’s kill the president’

"U.S. District Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. sentenced 26-year-old Jarvis Britton of Birmingham to one year in prison for threatening the life of Obama. He must serve three years on probation after finishing the prison term. Britton pleaded guilty in March to threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict bodily harm on the president by tweeting the message, 'Let’s kill the president. F.E.A.R.,' in September. He received a warning from the Secret Service in June, but continued to make the threats. 'Serious question? If you knew about a terrorist group planning to kill the president, would you tell? I kinda wanna see if they can! F.E.A.R,' he tweeted on September 19, 2012." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAlabama man sentenced to prison for tweeting ‘let’s kill the president’

Police Barge Into Home To Make Arrest Over The Length Of Grass

"A Turtle Creek woman recorded police, when they came to her door, demanded she show identification then followed her inside. 'I didn’t want to tell them anything,' Robyn Ruckman said. Police from Turtle Creek, The Housing Authority and East Pittsburgh showed up at Ruckman’s door, looking for her landlord. They had a warrant for Roben Edwards for Failure to Maintain property. Ruckman recorded the officers as they told her to get her ID. She can be seen closing the door and asking the officers if they can wait outside. On the video, you hear one officer respond 'No, I can’t wait here because I think you’re trying to avoid us.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Barge Into Home To Make Arrest Over The Length Of Grass

Hong Kong says Snowden has left the country despite U.S. extradition request

"Hong Kong said in a statement that it allowed Snowden to leave despite an extradition request from the U.S. because documents provided by the U.S. government did not 'fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law.' It said there was no legal basis to stop Snowden from leaving, and the U.S. had been informed of his departure. Hong Kong also said it had asked the U.S. to clarify reports, based on interviews with Snowden, that the NSA had hacked into computers in Hong Kong and would follow up on the matter 'to protect the legal rights of the people of Hong Kong.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHong Kong says Snowden has left the country despite U.S. extradition request

Pelosi booed at Netroots while defending espionage charges against Snowden

"A man identified by Politico as 57-year-old Marc Perkel can be heard shouting, 'It’s not a balance. It’s not constitutional! No more secret laws!' Perkel was ejected from the room by security, while other audience members shouted for him to be left alone. Shortly thereafter, loud boos can be heard coming from the audience after she said former NSA contractor Edward Snowden 'did violate the law' in releasing details about NSA programs like PRISM. Pelosi also defended President Barack Obama against charges that the surveillance of private residents’ phone and internet use constituted a 'fourth term' for his predecessor, George W. Bush." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPelosi booed at Netroots while defending espionage charges against Snowden

Snowden spy squabble deepens as U.S. is accused of hacking China

"Within hours of news breaking that the US had filed charges against Snowden, the South China Morning Post reported that the whistleblower had handed over a series of documents to the paper detailing how the US had targeted Chinese phone companies as part of a widespread attempt to get its hands on a mass of data. Text messaging is the most popular form of communication in mainland China where more than 900bn SMS messages were exchanged in 2012. As Snowden made his latest disclosures, he appeared to be gaining support from politicians in Hong Kong who said China should support him against any extradition application from the US." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden spy squabble deepens as U.S. is accused of hacking China

Petition To Pardon Edward Snowden Reaching 100,000 Signatures

"WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Pardon Edward Snowden. Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPetition To Pardon Edward Snowden Reaching 100,000 Signatures

US steps up efforts to break Guantánamo hunger strike

"Shaker Aamer claims that the US authorities are systematically making the regime more hardline to try to defuse the strike, which now involves almost two-thirds of the detainees. Techniques include making cells 'freezing cold' to accentuate the discomfort of those on hunger strike and the introduction of 'metal-tipped' feeding tubes, which Aamer said were forced into inmates' stomachs twice a day and caused detainees to vomit over themselves. The momentum behind efforts to release Aamer – who has spent more than 11 years without trial inside the camp – mounted sharply last week with David Cameron raising the issue directly with Barack Obama." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS steps up efforts to break Guantánamo hunger strike

Official: Water quality complaints could be ‘act of terrorism’

"A Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation deputy director warned residents that unfounded complaints about water quality could be considered an 'act of terrorism.' 'We take water quality very seriously. Very, very seriously,' said Sherwin Smith, deputy director of TDEC's Division of Water Resources, according to audio recorded by attendees. 'But you need to make sure that when you make water quality complaints you have a basis, because federally, if there's no water quality issues, that can be considered under Homeland Security an act of terrorism.' Smith went on in the recording to repeat the claim almost verbatim." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficial: Water quality complaints could be ‘act of terrorism’

Edward Snowden charged with espionage; arrest warrant issued

"Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden was charged with espionage, theft and conversion of government property by federal prosecutors. Snowden has been in hiding in Hong Kong since leaking details about the NSA’s surveillance activities over U.S. citizens’ phone and Internet usage. He told a Chinese newspaper on June 12 that the NSA’s activities also extended into Hong Kong and mainland China. Attorneys representing Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have reportedly reached out to Snowden’s lawyers to help him find asylum in Iceland. U.S. prosecutors also filed a 'provisional arrest warrant' asking Hong Kong police to arrest Snowden." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden charged with espionage; arrest warrant issued

Snowden And Manning Saw Something, And Said Something

"Most Americans – 76% of them, in fact – have never heard of the DHS’s propaganda, 'See Something, Say Something.' Robert Jensen, DHS principal deputy assistant secretary in the office of public affairs, responded, 'We will continue to expand the campaign in the coming months and years.' Years. Years more of ham-fisted SS-SS. It's enough to send a gal screaming over the border. See something, say something…..isn’t this what Snowden and Manning have done? Should they not be lauded for following this directive? Ah, but mere serfs should never expect consistency from a police-state." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSnowden And Manning Saw Something, And Said Something