Who Watches The Watchers

White House insists NSA surveillance review will be independent

"The White House has moved to dampen controversy over the role of the director of national intelligence James Clapper in a panel reviewing NSA surveillance, insisting that he would neither lead it nor choose the members. Statements by Barack Obama and Clapper were widely interpreted as the director of national intelligence being placed in charge of the inquiry, which the president had announced on Friday would be 'independent'. The apparent involvement of Clapper, who has admitted lying to Congress over NSA surveillance of US citizens, provoked a backlash, with critics accusing the president of putting a fox in charge of the hen house." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhite House insists NSA surveillance review will be independent

Worried About Obamacare? The Government’s “Federal Data Hub” Is Here to Help

"If you’re confused about the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known 'Obamacare,' worry not. The federal government has conveniently used your tax money to hire 'patient navigators' to help you understand… and enroll you in the program. These otherwise unassuming civil servants will help you learn about the act, navigate its complexities, and select the benefits that fit your criteria. They will also have access to your personal information. All of it. The hub will 'bring together information about you and your family from the Treasury Department and IRS, the Department of Homeland Security [and] the Department of Justice…'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWorried About Obamacare? The Government’s “Federal Data Hub” Is Here to Help

President’s Spy Review Commission Provides Unintended Comedy

"President Obama announced to great Beltway fanfare late last week that he was setting up a commission to review the policies and procedures of the NSA. This was announced as part of a larger reform of NSA surveillance that the president promised, including inserting an adversarial 'privacy rights' voice in the secret FISA Court proceedings. And…who has the president tasked with setting up this NSA spying review group? The same guy who lied to Congress about NSA spying in the first place! We can only guess who might be appointed as the FISA Court’s 'privacy rights' advocate — maybe Diane Feinstein?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPresident’s Spy Review Commission Provides Unintended Comedy

Intelligence director introduces group to review NSA privacy issues

"US intelligence director James Clapper introduced a review group Monday that will assess whether the right balance is being struck between national security and personal privacy. The group will assess whether the US 'optimally protects our national security and advances our foreign policy while appropriately accounting for other policy considerations,' the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a statement. The body is required to brief the president on its findings within 60 days and provide a final report with recommendations no later than December 15, according to ODNI." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIntelligence director introduces group to review NSA privacy issues

British police officer keeps job after having sex on duty while wearing handgun

"A police marksman who had sex on duty with a woman while his loaded gun was in a holster around his ankles has been allowed to keep his job, it has emerged. The police watchdog condemned Gwent police’s handling of the case, saying it had omitted key details in a report. PC Shaun Jenkins was originally dismissed from the force over the incident in 2010 but reinstated on appeal. He used a police armed response vehicle to get a lift to the house where the woman was, and was inside for between 30 to 40 minutes during which time he said he continued to monitor the police radio." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritish police officer keeps job after having sex on duty while wearing handgun

Scholarly book presents ‘hidden history’ of Nazi ‘gun control’

"'A skeptic could surmise that a better-armed populace might have made no difference,' the overview for 'Gun Control in the Third Reich: Disarming the Jews and ‘Enemies of the State’' observes, 'but the National Socialist regime certainly did not think so -- it ruthlessly suppressed firearm ownership by disfavored groups.' The book, 'based on newly-discovered, secret documents from German archives, diaries and newspapers of the time … presents the definitive, yet hidden history of how the Nazi regime made use of gun control to disarm and repress its enemies and consolidate power.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScholarly book presents ‘hidden history’ of Nazi ‘gun control’

Entire New York Town Placed On Lockdown Over Police Standoff

"The entire upstate New York town of Bovina was placed on lockdown Sunday while police were engaged in a standoff with an armed man. A New York Alert notification was activated at about 2 p.m. Sunday, but a Delaware County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher said people in the town of Bovina were not in imminent danger and nobody was injured. There were no official details released about the man or why police were after him, the newspaper reported. Police officers were seen swarming on the ground as helicopters flew overhead, and residents were stopped by police and advised not to pick up hitchhikers, the paper reported." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEntire New York Town Placed On Lockdown Over Police Standoff

Photo of snoozing police officer in America’s most dangerous city enrages public

"A photo of a police officer in Camden, New Jersey, apparently asleep in his cruiser has prompted an investigation in the U.S. city with the nation’s highest violent crime rate in 2012. The photo, which shows the uniformed officer wearing sunglasses, head cocked back and mouth agape in the driver’s seat, began circulating on Camden-related Facebook pages this week. It was unclear whether the officer was napping or caught yawning at a bad moment, whether he was on break or on duty, or how long he had been on patrol. Camden has scrapped its city police force as a cost-saving measure, and the county force replaced it in May." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPhoto of snoozing police officer in America’s most dangerous city enrages public

Are Mexican drug cartels recruiting U.S. soldiers as hit men?

"What would cause U.S. soldiers to utilize their skills in such ways? Well, quite frankly, the pay is good — really good. From their military income, Walker brings home around $2,500 per month and Corley about $4,500. Both had agreed to perform the hits for $50,000 each in addition to receiving a supply of cocaine. Burton said that trained soldiers from the U.S., Mexico and Guatemala are highly sought after — and extremely valuable — to the cartels, who can more readily and easily transport drugs into and throughout the states, as well as carry out hits within the country using U.S. servicemen." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAre Mexican drug cartels recruiting U.S. soldiers as hit men?

Insecure, Frustrated Bully With Something To Prove Considering Career In Law Enforcement

"Lockhart, a recent high-school graduate who sources confirmed is plagued by resentment, self-doubt, unexpected fits of rage, and has always had a penchant for tormenting those who are smaller and weaker than him, explained that he feels he is well suited to serve as a police officer. 'I’ve always wanted to be a cop,' said Lockhart, whose paranoia and inferiority complex constantly haunt him, leading him to lash out at others in order to convince them he is in control. 'I know it’s a tough line of work, but I think I’ve got what it takes to earn my shield and get out there and keep the peace.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInsecure, Frustrated Bully With Something To Prove Considering Career In Law Enforcement