"There are many, many reasons to be concerned about the rise of the surveillance state, even if you have nothing to hide. Or rather, even if you think you have nothing to hide. For those confronted by such simplistic arguments, here are a three counterarguments that perhaps might get these people thinking about what they’re actually giving up." Continue reading →
"The Department of Justice now wants to be notified of any mental health concerns and commitments 'for other reasons' for Americans so their names can be added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System list of people banned from owning guns. But it appears the requirements of the privacy rule for medical records will be a barrier to that quick transfer of personal details, so the Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a change. Attorneys Todd Garvey and Brian Yeh wrote that federal firearms regulators will be aggressive about banning anyone who uses marijuana from buying – or possessing – a weapon." Continue reading →
"Today, 14-year-old Jared Marcum appeared before a judge and was officially charged with obstructing an officer. A $500 fine and up to a year in jail, that’s the penalty that Jared could face, now that a judge has allowed the prosecution to move forward with it’s obstructing an officer charge against him. Prosecuting attorney Michael White refused to respond to any questions, as did Logan Police. The arresting officer from the Logan City Police Department, James Adkins, claims that when Jared refused to stop talking during the arrest and that hindered his ability to do his job, hence, the obstruction charge." Continue reading →
"Just two days after a judge struck down a decades-old law banning protests on Supreme Court grounds, the nation’s highest court has in effect restored it with a new rule governing conduct on its premises. The ban, first passed by Congress in 1949, was struck down Tuesday with extreme prejudice by Obama-appointed Judge Beryl A. Howell, who called it 'repugnant' and a clear violation of the First Amendment. According to The Associated Press, a rule the court issued Thursday bans 'picketing, speech-making, marching or vigils' on the Supreme Court’s plaza, while explicitly making way for 'casual use' by visitors." Continue reading →
"Tuesday marked the second day of Private First Class Bradley Manning's trail and the hacker responsible for turning the whistleblower in took the witness stand. Adrian Lamo alerted federal authorities of the information leak and the former hacker gave detailed information on how he communicated with Manning. RT's Adriana Usero is at Fort Meade with the latest." Continue reading →
"In response to a few years of anti-rural, anti-gun, and high tax government in Denver, some rural counties in northern and eastern Colorado have proposed that they secede from Colorado. At the center of the effort is the Weld County government, which is controlled by rural and agricultural interests, and relatively more bible-belt-ish compared to much of the state. In addition, the northeastern part of the state is experiencing an oil-driven boom thanks to oil discovered in the Niobrara formation. These newly oil-rich counties also want to opt out of regulations they anticipate will be coming from Denver." Continue reading →
"'I'm worried about somebody in our government who might kill him, with a cruise missile or a drone missile.' 'We live in a bad time where American citizens don't even have rights and that they can be killed,' Paul continued. 'But the gentleman is trying to tell the truth about what's going on, he is not defecting, there's no signs of that happening. It's a shame we're in an age where people who tell the truth about what the government is doing gets into trouble.'" Continue reading →
"Home Deport Co-Founder Ken Langone told Neil Cavuto the NSA leaker Edward Snowden should be celebrated. 'I'd throw a party for him. I'd congratulate him. I'd say thank you for helping protect America's privacy rights. That's what I'd do for him... I think we ought to be grateful that we have kids like that in America.'" Continue reading →
"When Boulder, Colorado resident Chrissy Smiley returned to her condo after walking her dog, she was stunned to find a card from a police officer on her dining room table. When she called the department she was informed that the fact she had left a sliding door unlocked and partially open constituted 'probable cause' to conduct a welfare check. The Boulder Police Department insists that entering what they call 'unsecured residences' is 'standard operating procedure' and that it will continue. In Stillwater, Minnesota Sonya Sylos was startled to find a sheriff’s deputy and two police officers who had entered her home at 2:00 a.m. without a warrant or permission." Continue reading →
"Physically, the NSA has always been well protected by miles of high fences and electrified wire, thousands of cameras, and gun-toting guards. But that was to protect the agency from those on the outside trying to get in to steal secrets. Now it is confronting a new challenge: those on the inside going out and giving the secrets away. While the agency has had its share of spies, employees who have sold top-secret documents to foreign governments for cash, until the last few years it has never had to deal with whistleblowers passing top-secret information and documents to the press because their conscience demanded it." Continue reading →