bill of rights

Antiwar.com Lost Major Donors After News of FBI Monitoring Broke

"Yesterday the ACLU filed a lawsuit on our behalf against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, demanding the receipt of records in their possession regarding surveillance of Antiwar.com, and key editorial personnel. We know they possess such records because of documents received as a result of a third party Freedom of Information Act request, subsequently published online. A memo from FBI headquarters in Washington speculates Antiwar.com and its principals are possibly 'a threat to national security' engaging in a conspiracy 'on behalf of a foreign power' and recommends a more thorough investigation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAntiwar.com Lost Major Donors After News of FBI Monitoring Broke

Governor Kills Funding For Florida Snitch Program

"Florida Governor Rick Scott has killed funding for a controversial 'violence prevention program' in Florida which caused a public backlash after the Sheriff’s office in Palm Beach County encouraged people to report on their neighbors for anti-government rhetoric. The program would have created a 24 hour hotline via which citizens could report 'suspicious behavior,” prompting “a knock on the door and a referral to services' by specially trained deputies and mental health caseworkers. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stoked anger when he suggested the program would be used to target political free speech deemed potentially violent by authorities." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernor Kills Funding For Florida Snitch Program

Texas Man Transporting His Unloaded Firearms Through NJ Now Doing 3-5 Years in Prison

"A TX man, who was in the process of moving to Maine, made a very simple mistake, and never made it to his hew home. Dustin Reininger is serving a 3-5 year prison sentence in the Garden State because he made a mistake, he stopped to take a nap in NJ during his multi day drive from Texas to Maine. Police approached Reininger’s car when he was taking a nap near a bank in Readington, NJ. Reininger would not have been arrested if his guns were simply in locked cases, or if he possessed a NJ Firearm Owner’s Identification Card, which not being a resident of NJ, he obviously did not possess." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas Man Transporting His Unloaded Firearms Through NJ Now Doing 3-5 Years in Prison

Over 7,700 Americans Have Been Arrested Protesting Big Banks

"While Wall Street has escaped prosecutions, thousands of Americans have been arrested in the course of protests against the banks. As of May 2013, that number is 7,736 — according to the website Occupy Arrests, which tracks arrests. On Monday, dozens of homeowners who have faced abuses by Big Banks rallied outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C. The demonstrators marched to the Department of Justice, where they rallied outside the main entrance. At that entrance, several police armed with pepper guns and other crowd control weapons at first pushed the demonstrators back, and began arresting several activists." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOver 7,700 Americans Have Been Arrested Protesting Big Banks

After You Read This Kid’s Story, You’ll Think Twice About What You Post On Facebook.

"Meet Cameron D’Ambrosio. He’s 18 and lives in a small town outside Boston. He wants to be a rapper and calls himself 'Cammy Dee' in his YouTube videos. He’s been locked up without bail for weeks — facing terrorism charges and 20 years in prison — all for something he posted on Facebook. On May 1st, Cam was skipping school and messing around online. He posted some lyrics that included a vague reference to the Boston Marathon Bombing and called the Whitehouse a 'federal house of horror.' Shortly after that he was arrested and charged with Communicating a Terrorist Threat, a felony that carries 20 years in prison." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfter You Read This Kid’s Story, You’ll Think Twice About What You Post On Facebook.

IRS head Lois Lerner invokes 5th Amendment but may be compelled to testify anyway

"The woman at the center of the IRS scandal refused to testify to Congress on Wednesday, but House Republicans said Lois Lerner botched her attempt to invoke her right against self-incrimination and said they likely will force her to come back and explain why the agency targeted conservative political groups. Ms. Lerner’s refusal to testify shifted attention to her onetime boss, former Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman, who apologized to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee but refused to take responsibility, leaving furious lawmakers warning that the Internal Revenue Service could end up facing a special prosecutor." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS head Lois Lerner invokes 5th Amendment but may be compelled to testify anyway

Using a Gun to Save a Child’s Life in DC Will Get You a $1,000 Fine

"We have what at first seems like a feel-good story. A little boy is attacked by some vicious pit bulls. Other people in the neighborhood flee to protect themselves. But one man acts quickly and saves the child’s life. Mr. Srigley seems like a great guy. Or at least a guy who did something great. Surely he was rewarded, right? Did he get a commendation from the police department? A ceremonial key to the city from the Mayor? Don’t be silly. We’re talking about Washington, DC." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUsing a Gun to Save a Child’s Life in DC Will Get You a $1,000 Fine

IRS Demands: “Turn Over Those Names!”

"In 2012, the IRS demanded that the Conservative Leadership Institute turn over the names of its student interns. It also demanded the names of interns in 2008. No other years were audited. Both were election years. The Leadership Institute refused to comply. It supplied none of this information. The IRS found nothing amiss, but it cost the Leadership Institute $50,000 in legal fees." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Demands: “Turn Over Those Names!”

AP: Sources Aren’t Talking To Us Out Of Fear Of US Government Spying

"Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, Pruitt, AP's president and chief executive officer, said the government's seizure of the phone records was 'unconstitutional' and was already clearly harming the press's ability to do its job. 'We are already seeing some impact. Already officials that would normally talk to us and people we talk to in the normal course of newsgathering are already saying to us that they are a little reluctant to talk to us. They fear that they will be monitored by the government. We are already seeing that. It's not hypothetical,' said Pruitt." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAP: Sources Aren’t Talking To Us Out Of Fear Of US Government Spying