False Sense Of Security

Glenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

"The Washington Post this morning has a long profile of Gen. Keith Alexander, director the NSA, and it highlights the crux of the NSA stories, the reason Edward Snowden sacrificed his liberty to come forward, and the obvious focal point for any responsible or half-way serious journalists covering this story. It helpfully includes that crux right in the headline, in a single phrase. What does 'collect it all' mean? Exactly what it says; the Post explains how Alexander took a 'collect it all' surveillance approach originally directed at Iraqis in the middle of a war, and thereafter transferred it so that it is now directed at the US domestic population as well as the global one." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

Glenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

"The Washington Post this morning has a long profile of Gen. Keith Alexander, director the NSA, and it highlights the crux of the NSA stories, the reason Edward Snowden sacrificed his liberty to come forward, and the obvious focal point for any responsible or half-way serious journalists covering this story. It helpfully includes that crux right in the headline, in a single phrase. What does 'collect it all' mean? Exactly what it says; the Post explains how Alexander took a 'collect it all' surveillance approach originally directed at Iraqis in the middle of a war, and thereafter transferred it so that it is now directed at the US domestic population as well as the global one." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: The crux of the NSA story in one phrase: ‘collect it all’

US Supreme Court Rules Against DMV Disclosing Driver Info

"The US Supreme Court issued a ruling Monday confirming federal privacy protections for the personal information stored by state motor vehicle departments. The justices considered the issue in a case where one group of lawyers found a way to file a $200 million class action lawsuit against another group of lawyers that also files class action lawsuits. Ordinarily, the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) prohibits the disclosure of personal information from motor vehicle records, unless it is for law enforcement or public safety purposes. The law does have an additional exemption for 'investigation in anticipation of litigation.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS Supreme Court Rules Against DMV Disclosing Driver Info

Govt wants all cars to track driver behavior, seatbelt usage and more

"Most people are unaware that newer vehicles already contain these event data recorders, which are a continuous feed of information, recorded by sensors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 96 percent of 2013 model cars already house these black boxes. Private security expert Steve Rambam believes law enforcement agencies might seek to cut costs and save resources by monitoring driver data from discreet locations. Law enforcement could monitor people from the comfort of their office, sending tickets to the driver by mail. Old fashioned patrols could evolve into data police centers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovt wants all cars to track driver behavior, seatbelt usage and more

South Korea using smartphone app to curb military leaks

"The ministry said that, from Monday, its 1,500 staff are no longer allowed to bring smartphones into their offices without installing the app, called 'Mobile Management Device'. Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters that the app, which restricts the use of cameras and audio recording, prevents leaks through smartphones and stops outsiders from hacking into the devices of defence ministry officials. About 70 percent of South Korea’s 50 million people have smartphones — the world’s highest penetration rate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSouth Korea using smartphone app to curb military leaks

USDA skeptical of Monsanto sabotage claim in ‘zombie wheat’ probe

"The Department of Agriculture, which is conducting a secretive investigation into the renegade GM wheat outbreak, maintains the GM wheat remained confined to a single 125-acre field on a single farm in eastern Oregon. Officials said there was no evidence the contaminated wheat was in the marketplace. The stakes are high for America’s wheat exports, with Japan and South Korea cancelling shipments; for Monsanto, which faces lawsuits from farmers for falling wheat prices and a consumer backlash against GM products; and for the US government, which must shore up confidence in the safety and integrity of the food supply." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUSDA skeptical of Monsanto sabotage claim in ‘zombie wheat’ probe

Monsanto unapproved GMO wheat was in Colorado government storage facility until 2011

"Monsanto Co’s unapproved, experimental genetically engineered wheat, which is feared to have potentially contaminated U.S. wheat supplies after it was found growing in an Oregon field this spring, was kept in a U.S. government storage facility until at least late 2011, according to documents obtained by Reuters. The revelation that the seed for the controversial genetically engineered wheat was kept viable in a Colorado storage facility as recently as a year and a half ago comes as the U.S. government is investigating how the strain of experimental wheat wound up growing in an Oregon field this spring." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMonsanto unapproved GMO wheat was in Colorado government storage facility until 2011

Greenpeace activists break into French nuclear power plant

"Several dozen Greenpeace activists broke into a nuclear plant in southern France early on Monday, unfurling banners against atomic power, the organisation and police said. They hung banners reading 'Tricastin: a nuclear accident' and 'Francois Hollande: president of a catastrophe?' in reference to the French leader, according to Isabelle Philippe, a Greenpeace spokeswoman. Activists from the environmental anti-nuclear group have staged several break-ins in French nuclear plants in recent years in an effort to highlight what they say are dangers of atomic power and to expose security problems at the power stations." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreenpeace activists break into French nuclear power plant

College Girls, Bottled Water and the Emerging American Police State

"Public outcry has gone viral over an incident in which a college student was targeted and terrorized by Alcohol Beverage Control agents (ABC) after she purchased sparkling water at a grocery store. The girl and her friends were eventually jailed for daring to evade their accosters, who failed to identify themselves or approach the young women in a non-threatening manner. What makes this particular incident significant is the degree to which it embodies all that is wrong with law enforcement today, both as it relates to the citizenry and the ongoing undermining of our rule of law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCollege Girls, Bottled Water and the Emerging American Police State

DHS’ Napolitano Leaves Legacy of Corruption, Lies, Lawsuits, and Waste

"One of the most outrageous incidents concerned the publishing of a threat assessment report entitled 'Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence of Radicalization and Recruitment' in April, 2009. The report claimed that the election of a black president, the economic meltdown, home foreclosures, concerns about impending gun control legislation, illegal immigration, and other factors were likely to drive recruiting into right-wing extremist factions. When challenged about those 'findings,' Napolitano was forced to make numerous apologies and her department admitted to a 'breakdown in internal processes' in creating the report." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDHS’ Napolitano Leaves Legacy of Corruption, Lies, Lawsuits, and Waste