Winning Hearts & Minds

Thomas Drake: Snowden saw what I saw – surveillance criminally subverting the constitution

"I differed as a whistleblower to Snowden only in this respect: in accordance with the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act, I took my concerns up within the chain of command, to the very highest levels at the NSA, and then to Congress and the Department of Defense. I understand why Snowden has taken his course of action, because he's been following this for years: he's seen what's happened to other whistleblowers like me. By following protocol, you get flagged – just for raising issues. You're identified as someone they don't like, someone not to be trusted. In November 2007, I was raided by a dozen armed FBI agents." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThomas Drake: Snowden saw what I saw – surveillance criminally subverting the constitution

California Homeowner Arrested For Shooting Burglary Suspects

"According to a local Fox News affiliate, the homeowner, James Monroe, 57, had witnessed the trio burglarize a neighbor’s home, only to return less than an hour later looking for additional loot. According to the San Diego Police Department, one had a felony warrant for auto theft and the other had a misdemeanor warrant. In addition, the vehicle they were in was also reported stolen. Monroe was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Neighbors are applauding the actions of Monroe, saying that he stopped the thieves from stealing from their homes, but the police say he should have never taken matters into his own hands." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia Homeowner Arrested For Shooting Burglary Suspects

Native American Student Denied High School Diploma For Wearing Tribal Feather

"A high school graduate in Alabama is being denied her diploma after being fined $1,000 for wearing a feather reflecting her Native American heritage. 'I don’t think it’s fair at all,' 17-year-old Chelsey Ramer told WPMI-TV. 'I feel like its discrimination.' Ramer, a member of the Poarch Creek Band of Indians, wore the feather while taking part in the graduation ceremony at Escambia Academy High School in defiance of school policy forbidding 'extraneous items' from being worn without school permission." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNative American Student Denied High School Diploma For Wearing Tribal Feather

The NYPD Goes After Another Cop Who Secretly Recorded His Boss

"In the years since New York Police Department Officer Adrian Schoolcraft emerged with secretly recorded evidence of misconduct in a Brooklyn precinct, other cops have been inspired to follow in his footsteps, capturing their commanders pressuring them to hit illegal quotas. The NYPD has long denied that it's compelled officers to reach certain figures for arrests, stop-and-frisks, and summonses. But the recordings proved that officers faced the threat of bad assignments, transfers, or other punishment if they didn't make their numbers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe NYPD Goes After Another Cop Who Secretly Recorded His Boss

Cop Shot Litter of Kittens in Front of Screaming Children

"On Monday in Ohio, animal control Officer Barry Accorti shot and killed a litter of kittens in front of freaked-out children nearby. 'He informed [a witness] that shelters were full and that these cats would be going to kitty heaven,' Ohio SPCA Executive Director Teresa Landon told the Sun News. Landon said the home owner, who had called for help, assumed the officer 'would be trapping them or something and taking them to a shelter and they would be humanely euthanized if they were not adopted.' The stunned observer alerted the Ohio SPCA to the officer's actions, and the animal rights group responded with a Facebook campaign to 'expose' the behavior." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCop Shot Litter of Kittens in Front of Screaming Children

Putin Lectures Obama on the Need for Greater Privacy

"So here is a former KGB official saying that America has gone too far in spying on its people. Worse, he’s correct. He said that Snowden’s revelations have revealed nothing new. He is correct. James Bamford has repeatedly revealed how far the NSA has gone. But the American public did not know. Snowden has gotten media attention for spilling beans that have long been out of the bag. Americans need a good scandal to catch their attention. Snowden is the source of the scandal. Bamford should have been, but he wasn’t. He was ignored. But the cloak-and-dagger story of Snowden in Hong Kong is irresistible. And now we get Vladimir Putin, defender of civil rights." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPutin Lectures Obama on the Need for Greater Privacy

Assange on NSA leak: Snowden will be prosecuted for years

"The ex-CIA man who blew the lid off America's vast NSA public surveillance net - is promising more explosive revelations. Edward Snowden's supporters are mobilizing too - with tens of thousands signing a petition to pardon the whistleblower. With us now, a man who knows what it's like to blow the whistle in a big way, and incur the wrath of Washington - Julian Assange. He joins talks to RT via broadband from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAssange on NSA leak: Snowden will be prosecuted for years

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

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