Boston Police Tracking Protesters

"The Boston Regional Intelligence Center is one of more than 40 so-called 'fusion centers' around the country that were set up after Sept. 11, 2001 to share intelligence among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The documents show that the center has conducted extensive surveillance and investigations of lawful political activities. Members of the Boston Police Department are tracking the internal workings of political groups, interrogating peaceful activists, and filming demonstrations, such as an Occupy Boston protest from last year. In it, Occupy activists chant as the police video slowly pans the faces of those demonstrating." Continue reading

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Cubans ditch exit permits for international travel

"Cubans will no longer need an exit permit to travel abroad from January, the communist regime said on Tuesday, in a major overhaul of a half-century-old policy despised by the island’s citizens. The changes are the latest in a series of gradual reforms implemented in recent years by President Raul Castro, who took the helm from his ailing brother Fidel Castro in 2006. Cubans will no longer have to apply for a 'white card' to leave the island from January 14, and the period allowed for overseas stays will be extended from 11 to 24 months, according to decrees published in the official journal." Continue reading

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Iowa: Proposed Citizen Initiative Would Ban Traffic Ticket Drones

"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is taking up the fight against red light cameras and speed cameras in Iowa. Earlier this month, lawyers from the left-leaning activist group sent an affidavit to the city council in Iowa City containing the text of a proposed initiative banning the use of all forms of photo enforcement -- including license plate recognition cameras (ALPR or ANPR) and the use of drones. Residents had called the ACLU for help after city attorney Eleanor M. Dilkes took action to block citizens from ever voting on the topic." Continue reading

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Now Mexico Bans Cash Transactions

"Outgoing Mexican President Felipe Calderon has signed into law a ban on large cash transactions. Under the law, a Specialized Unit in Financial Analysis operating within the Attorney General's Office will be created to investigate financial operations 'that are related to resources of unknown origin.' For real estate transactions, cash payments of more than a half million pesos ($38,750) will be forbidden and, for automobiles or items like jewelry, art, and lottery tickets, cash payments of more than 200,000 pesos ($15,500) will be forbidden. The law carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison." Continue reading

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The Politics of Fear in America: A Nation at War with Itself

"Turn on the TV or flip open the newspaper on any given day, and you will find yourself accosted by reports of government corruption, corporate malfeasance, militarized police and marauding SWAT teams. Yet even more dangerous than these violations of our basic rights is the language they are couched in—the language of fear. And, as John Whitehead says in this week's vodcast, the only thing which will improve our present condition is the taming of our fear." Continue reading

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Obama Rep. Schultz on The NDAA and Secret Kill List

"Last night at the presidential debate at Hofstra University, Luke Rudkowski got a chance to talk to Obama's representative congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Spin Room. The Spin room was full of spin as both Obama and Romney representative's dodged questions from WeAreChange after the debates." Continue reading

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U.S. military judge: ‘Torture’ is not ‘relevant’ in Guantanamo cases

"Five alleged al-Qaeda conspirators accused of aiding the 9/11 hijackers all say they were tortured for years while in CIA custody, but sitting in a military courtroom on Monday, they all heard a judge insist that 'torture' is not 'relevant' to their cases. Critics of the Bush administration’s torture program have long argued that it could taint prosecutions with evidence obtained under duress, which is exactly what defense attorneys have argued on behalf of defendants Walid bin Attash, Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, and alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed." Continue reading

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Disabled Vet Labeled “Terrorist” For Investigating Cost Of Surveillance Cameras

"A 55-year-old disabled veteran was labeled a 'terrorist' by three county commissioners after he photographed security cameras at the Elbert County administration building in Colorado as part of an investigation, a designation the man claimed was retribution for him filing multiple open-records requests. Elbert County resident Don Pippin took pictures of the security cameras back in April as part of an open-records request that sought to discover the cost of the surveillance system." Continue reading

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Tracking School Children With RFID Tags? It’s All About the Benjamins

"Just as the U.S. Department of Agriculture mandates Radio Frequency Identification Device chips to monitor livestock, a Texas school district just begun implanting the devices on student identification cards to monitor pupils’ movements on campus, and to track them as they come and go from school. Tagging school children with RFID chips is uncommon, but not new. A federally funded preschool in Richmond, California, began embedding RFID chips in students’ clothing in 2010. With the RFID tracking, students not at their desk but tracked on campus are counted as being in school that day, and the district receives its daily allotment for that student." Continue reading

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