Who Watches The Watchers

Court Eases Prosecutors’ Burden of Proof in Leak Cases

"In a new interpretation of the Espionage Act, a federal judge made it easier for prosecutors in leak cases to meet their burden of proof, while reducing protections for accused leakers. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the prosecution in the pending case of former State Department contractor Stephen Kim need not show that the information he allegedly leaked could damage U.S. national security or benefit a foreign power, even potentially. Her opinion was a departure from a 30-year-old ruling in the case of U.S. v. Morison, which held that the government must show that the leak was potentially damaging to the U.S. or beneficial to an adversary." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCourt Eases Prosecutors’ Burden of Proof in Leak Cases

Newly leaked NSA program sees ‘nearly everything’ you do

"The Guardian, which obtained slides of a NSA employee presentation, claims that the program is the 'widest-reaching' intelligence system. According to Snowden's files on X-Keyscore, NSA employees can, with just a few clicks, obtain everything from phone numbers to e-mail addresses. The agency also can see e-mail content, full Internet activity, browser history, and an IP address. According to the files and Snowden, the NSA can essentially see everything a person is doing on the Internet without the need for a warrant. Debate rages over whether such information is accessible and is being used in any negative ways by the U.S. government." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNewly leaked NSA program sees ‘nearly everything’ you do

Trial set for Tulsa police officer accused of robbing Hispanic drivers

"A nonjury trial has been scheduled for Aug. 7 for a police officer who is accused of robbing Hispanic drivers during traffic stops. The robbery counts involve allegations that Blades - while driving his patrol car, dressed in a Tulsa police uniform and with a gun in his holster - pulled over Hispanic drivers on traffic stops outside his assigned patrol beat, ordered them to hand over their wallets and took money from them before returning the wallets. He was arrested during a sting operation in August 2012 after he pulled over an undercover law enforcement agent and stole $600 in documented bills that were later found on Blades, according to an arrest report." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTrial set for Tulsa police officer accused of robbing Hispanic drivers

Chicago Firearms Confiscation Begins

"There’s a good reason that law abiding gun owners don’t want their names on a national gun registry — namely, registration leads to confiscation. Gun control advocates immediately spout that “no one wants to take your guns” and other assorted platitudes. In Illinois, gun owners are required to get a Firearms Owners ID card, or FOID. Cook County police officers have become increasingly worried that when someone’s FOID card is revoked, their guns aren’t instantly confiscated. So they’re doing exactly what gun control advocates have said that registration would never result in — door to door confiscation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChicago Firearms Confiscation Begins

Undercover Police Informant Plants Crack Cocaine in Smoke Shop; Business Owner Saved by Tape

"Who exactly is the victim when crack cocaine is found on someone’s person or property? Maybe the owner of that property? In Scotia, New York, local and county police decided they were suspicious of Donald Andrew’s smoke shop, one of many in Schenectady County but, according to Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing, apparently the only one owned by a black person. They sent an informant, someone facing jail time of their own, to, er, 'investigate.' Here’s what happened, via the local NBC affiliate,WNYT." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUndercover Police Informant Plants Crack Cocaine in Smoke Shop; Business Owner Saved by Tape

The American Surveillance State Is Here. Can It Be Evaded?

"On any given day, the average American going about his daily business will be monitored, surveilled, spied on and tracked in more than 20 different ways, by both government and corporate eyes and ears. Whether you’re walking through a store, driving your car, checking email, or talking to friends and family on the phone, you can be sure that some government agency, whether the NSA or some other entity, is listening in and tracking your behavior. Erected in secret, without any public input, these surveillance programs amount to an electronic concentration camp which houses every single person in the United States today." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe American Surveillance State Is Here. Can It Be Evaded?

New Zealand military told to soften manual that equates media with extremist groups

"Opposition defence spokesman Phil Goff said it was 'utterly wrong and intolerable' for the military’s top brass to display such paranoia about journalists, showing they did not understand the media’s role in a democratic society. Goff said the situation raised further doubts about moves to expand the power of intelligence services so they can spy on New Zealanders, particularly after it was revealed that Internet mogul Kim Dotcom was illegally snooped upon before his arrest in January last year. The expanded powers, backed by Prime Minister John Key, are due to go to parliament this week and are expected to be passed by a narrow majority." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Zealand military told to soften manual that equates media with extremist groups

Oklahoma prosecutors return $21,227 more to Interstate 40 travelers

"District Attorney Jason Hicks agreed Thursday to return the funds in the three cases, dropping efforts to have the money forfeited to law enforcement use. Hicks is under fire for hiring a private company, Desert Snow LLC, to assist in his drug interdiction effort. After hiring the Guthrie company in January, his task force seized more than $1 million in the stops, mostly along a 21-mile stretch of I-40 in Caddo County. Hicks agreed to pay the company 25 percent of all forfeited proceeds from stops involving its trainers. Hicks said he does not plan to return nearly $850,000 seized in one stop in May. No one was arrested in that stop." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOklahoma prosecutors return $21,227 more to Interstate 40 travelers

More countries abolishing capital punishment, but some returning to it

"Although 33 of the 40 countries that still have the death penalty are ruled by despots, some 'liberal democracies' returned to capital punishment in 2012, the report said. 'While China seems to be progressively improving, some liberal democracies seem to be going the opposite way,' said Sergio d'Elia, Hands off Cain secretary. In 2011, of the 'liberal democracies', just the United States and Taiwan carried out executions, while in 2012 Japan, Botswana and India began using capital punishment again after many years in which the practice was suspended. This year, Indonesia joined them, carrying out its first death penalty for five years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore countries abolishing capital punishment, but some returning to it