Mainstream News

Supreme Court Upholds Maryland Law, Says Police May Take DNA Samples From Arrestees

"As with other recent court decisions involving the Fourth Amendment’s 'right of the people to be secure in their persons, ­houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,' the justices split in an unusual fashion. In his dissent, Scalia wrote that the majority’s attempts to justify the use of DNA as an identification tool 'taxes the credulity of the credulous.' He added, 'Make no mistake about it: As an entirely predictable consequence of today’s decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national DNA database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court Upholds Maryland Law, Says Police May Take DNA Samples From Arrestees

Mentally disabled woman calls 911 while being beaten during own arrest

"Federal Way Police are reviewing their use of force during a recent arrest in which a woman diagnosed with cognitive and hearing disabilities was punched several times, while being restrained. Police, in turn, are recommending the woman be charged with felony assault to an officer. Megan Graham told her story to KIRO 7, her face still black and blue and swollen from the beating. 'I had a concussion. I still have a hard time understanding how things got so out of control, so fast,' Graham said. 'It was a total lack of communication.' Graham says because the officer was speaking to her from his running car, she never heard his order to get back into her car." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMentally disabled woman calls 911 while being beaten during own arrest

Der Spiegel Laments The Rapid Spread of Printable Pistols

"A student from Texas has invented a plastic pistol that anyone can make with a 3-D printer. It is undetectable by metal detectors and capable of killing. And it is spreading unchecked across the continents. A few days after Cody Wilson's invention had been created, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to the rest of the world. The officials, responsible for fending off terrorist attacks, wrote three pages about the dangers of a weapon against which they are powerless. They wrote that public safety is threatened. They also wrote that, unfortunately, it is impossible to prevent this weapon from being made." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDer Spiegel Laments The Rapid Spread of Printable Pistols

Civil liberties groups launch StopWatching.us to protest surveillance

"A coalition of Internet and civil liberties groups launched a campaign Tuesday protesting the huge US online surveillance program revealed in the past week. Joining the effort were the Mozilla Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union, Greenpeace USA, the World Wide Web Foundation and more than 80 other organizations or companies. The coalition launched a website, StopWatching.us, and called on Congress to launch a full probe and urging more disclosure from US officials about the National Security Agency’s vast program Internet surveillance program. An online petition was also launched on the website." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCivil liberties groups launch StopWatching.us to protest surveillance

Sales of George Orwell’s 1984 skyrocket in wake of spying scandal

"Big brother is watching — sales of George Orwell’s dystopian novel '1984' have skyrocketed in the wake of revelations of US government surveillance. The centennial edition of the novel surged 7,005 percent on Amazon, according to the online retailer’s 'Mover and Shakers in Books' page that monitors biggest gainers in sales rank compared to 24 hours ago. 'Only 8 left in stock (more on the way),' potential buyers are advised when clicking on the novel’s icon. A hardback encompassing both '1984' and Orwell’s 'Animal Farm' jumped 314 percent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSales of George Orwell’s 1984 skyrocket in wake of spying scandal

Guardian Reporter Glenn Greenwald: We Have List of NSA Targets

"Glenn Greenwald, the reporter at The Guardian who broke the story about NSA surveillance programs, discusses the information received from whistleblower Edward Snowden, saying the federal government is now trying to 'scare the American people' to justify its 'massive spying program.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGuardian Reporter Glenn Greenwald: We Have List of NSA Targets

ACLU challenges constitutionality of NSA phone surveillance program

"The American Civil Liberties Union sued senior U.S. government officials on Tuesday to challenge the constitutionality of the National Security Agency’s telephone surveillance program, saying it violates rights to free speech and privacy. The suit asked the court to immediately halt the NSA’s vast tracking program of telephone calls, declare the program illegal, and order the U.S. government to purge all databases of the call records. The ACLU suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York named James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, and the leaders of the NSA, the Defense Department, the Justice Department and the FBI." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingACLU challenges constitutionality of NSA phone surveillance program

Thousands flood Istanbul’s protest square after police clashes

"Thousands of demonstrators squared off against riot police on Tuesday and defiantly packed an Istanbul square after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned he had 'no more tolerance' for the mass protests against his Islamic-rooted government. The nationwide unrest first erupted after police cracked down heavily on May 31 on a campaign to save Gezi Park from redevelopment. The trouble spiralled into mass displays of anger against Erdogan, who is seen as increasingly authoritarian, tarnishing Turkey’s image as a model of Islamic democracy. Four people, including a policeman, had died. Nearly 5,000 people have been injured." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThousands flood Istanbul’s protest square after police clashes

Senator Feinstein: U.S. authorities are vigorously pursuing Edward Snowden

"Under the PRISM program, revealed by Snowden, the NSA can issue directives to Internet firms like Google or Facebook to win access to emails, online chats, pictures, files, videos and more, uploaded by foreign users. On Monday, rights watchdog the American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion with the FISA court demanding it publish its findings as to the scope and constitutionality of its powers to trawl Internet and phone records. 'The government appears to have secretly given itself shockingly broad surveillance powers,' ACLU staff attorney Alexander Abdo said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSenator Feinstein: U.S. authorities are vigorously pursuing Edward Snowden

Riveting and Chilling: Victims of IRS Targeting Tell Their Stories on Capitol Hill

"Testifying on Capitol Hill Tuesday, witnesses from Tea Party, pro-life and patriotic educational groups from around the country testified about their experience of intimidation and targeting from the Internal Revenue Service. Witnesses described being sent hundreds of pages from the IRS asking invasive questions about members, books, contents of prayers and the names of anyone attending meetings, including children." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRiveting and Chilling: Victims of IRS Targeting Tell Their Stories on Capitol Hill