Police State

Environmental activist re-jailed after writing blog post about prison conditions

"Environmental activist Daniel McGowan was taken back to prison on Thursday after he wrote a Huffington Post op-ed post while in a halfway house asserting that his fellow inmates were imprisoned for their religious or political beliefs. After publishing his op-ed, McGowan was then sent back to a high-security prison facility Thursday morning. His wife, Jenny Synan, told the Huffington Post, 'If this is indeed a case of retaliation for writing an article about the BOP retaliating against his free speech while he was in prison, it is more than ironic, it is an outrage.'" Continue reading →

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Feds Seize Property; Tell Owner, “Prove It’s Yours!”

"Eight years ago this week, on a sunny, clear, but windy and hence cold day, near a wide spot in the road called Garryowen an hour north of the Wyoming border, vans full of armed, SWAT-geared federal agents sped down I-80. Garryowen is a private town owned by Christopher Kortlander that features, among other structures, a gas station, a convenience store, a fast-food outlet, an arts and crafts store ('The Trading Post'), and the Custer Battlefield Museum. The vans skidded to a stop before the museum and the agents leaped out as they drew weapons, surrounded and stormed into the museum, and held its employees at gun point." Continue reading →

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Eight month pregnant woman tasered by cops

"In Springfield, Illinois, Lucinda White was tasered by a cop after her boyfriend's dispute with another individual over a fender bender went south. The 29 year-old called the police in an effort to settle the dispute, but later the eight months pregnant woman was brought down and tasered. According to the police report White was yelling, cursing and resisting arrest. RT's Margaret Howell brings us more on the video that has gone viral." Continue reading →

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Sheriff’s ‘Provocative And Intimidating’ Tactics Draw Fire After Rubonia Tussle

"At first glance it looks like a bad rap video — a phalanx of officers walking through a neighborhood, residents yelling taunts and obscenities, while Ice-T’s 'F— the Police' is pumping out of a stereo at full volume. It shows the Manatee County Sheriff’s gang unit snapping pictures of residents with their cellphones — sometimes inches from their faces. It also shows two arrests. '“The video shows the officers standing with scowls, flexing their muscles in front of one group of eight or nine friends, who are standing on their own property,' Britt said. ' ‘Provocative’ is a word for it. It certainly is intimidating to say the least.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSheriff’s ‘Provocative And Intimidating’ Tactics Draw Fire After Rubonia Tussle

Sheriff’s ‘Provocative And Intimidating’ Tactics Draw Fire After Rubonia Tussle

"At first glance it looks like a bad rap video — a phalanx of officers walking through a neighborhood, residents yelling taunts and obscenities, while Ice-T’s 'F— the Police' is pumping out of a stereo at full volume. It shows the Manatee County Sheriff’s gang unit snapping pictures of residents with their cellphones — sometimes inches from their faces. It also shows two arrests. '“The video shows the officers standing with scowls, flexing their muscles in front of one group of eight or nine friends, who are standing on their own property,' Britt said. ' ‘Provocative’ is a word for it. It certainly is intimidating to say the least.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSheriff’s ‘Provocative And Intimidating’ Tactics Draw Fire After Rubonia Tussle

State Confiscates $10,000 From Airline Passenger Over Exchange Rate Disagreement

"Docherty was boarding a flight to Costa Rica in November 2010 when a dog trained to sniff out money (they have those?) found Docherty's stash of cash. There was $9,880 in U.S. currency and another $335 Canadian. Docherty explained he'd calculated the Canada-U.S. exchange rate so the total amount to come in under the $10,000 limit. The trouble was that by the time he took his flight two days later, the U.S. dollar had strengthened, making his package worth more than $10,000 Canadian. Agents seized the money under the legislation and unlike criminal charges, the onus falls on people like Docherty to prove the money was legitimately acquired." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingState Confiscates $10,000 From Airline Passenger Over Exchange Rate Disagreement

‘Don’t Shoot My Dog’ Laws Proposed

"The natural enemy of the family dog is the local cop. Some of the stories we hear about cops shooting dogs, man, it’s like they don’t even try to deal with the animal reasonably. They shoot first and put the leash on later. I get that some people are just irrationally afraid of dogs, but cops are armed and in stressful situations. And since 'dog murder' isn’t really a thing, there’s no incentive for cops to hold their fire. We’ve reported in the past about how jury awards are going up when cops are found to recklessly kill family pets. But money cannot replace the companionship of a best friend. Now, one state is trying to take more decisive action." Continue reading →

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Anti-drone protests kick off in San Diego

"From coast-to-coast, human rights activists have launched a month-long protest against the use drones by the US government. Throughout the month of April, the 'Days of Action' demonstrations will take it to the companies behind the construction of these robots in the sky. RT's Ramon Galindo brings us more from San Diego, California." Continue reading →

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Cops with Drones: Alameda Co., CA Weighs Technology vs. Privacy

"For a long time, drones - unmanned aircraft - were used only by the military. Now local law enforcement wants them for police work such as surveillance and search-and-rescue missions. That in turn has sparked a fierce debate over the balance between cutting-edge law enforcement technology and the privacy rights of citizens." Continue reading →

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Glenn Greenwald: Three Democratic myths used to demean the Paul filibuster

"For the first time since the 9/11 attack, even lowly cable news shows were forced to extensively discuss the government's extremist theories of power and to debate the need for checks and limits. All of this put Democrats - who spent eight years flamboyantly pretending to be champions of due process - in a very uncomfortable position. The politician who took such a unique stand in defense of these principles was not merely a Republican but a leading member of its dreaded Tea Party wing, while the actor most responsible for the extremist theories of power being protested was their own beloved leader and his political party." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: Three Democratic myths used to demean the Paul filibuster