(By Tom Engelhardt) Intelligence officials have weighed in with an estimate of just how many secret files National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden took with him when he headed for Hong Kong last June. Brace yourself: 1.7 million. At least they claim that as the number he or his web crawler accessed before he left town. Let’s assume […]
Egypt Gov’t, Clueless on Journalism, Charges 20 Aljazeera Reporters with “Terrorism” for … Conducting Interviews
(By Joe Stork) (Beirut) – Egyptian authorities in recent months have demonstrated almost zero tolerance for any form of dissent, arresting and prosecuting journalists, demonstrators, and academics for peacefully expressing their views. Prosecutors on January 29, 2014, referred three Al Jazeera English journalists to trial on politicized charges such as disseminating “false information” and belonging […]
America still has a Torture Problem: 4 Reasons Why
(By Rebecca Gordon) Shortly after his first inauguration in 2009, President Obama issued an executive order forbidding torture and closing the CIA’s so-called “black sites.” But the order didn’t end “extraordinary rendition” – the practice of sending prisoners to other countries to be tortured. (This is actually illegal under the U.N. Convention against Torture, which […]
A Bridge to Nowhere: Up to 75% more Deadly Methane emitted by Natural Gas Drilling than Estimated
(By Andrea Germanos) The amount of methane leaking from natural gas emissions is far higher than previously estimated, a new study shows, more evidence, as one expert says, that urgent action must be taken to reduce these greenhouse gas emissions. The findings, based on a review of over 200 previous studies, was published Friday in […]
Manufactured Wars, Manufactured Military History
(By Nick Turse) It’s 2053 — 20 years since you needed a computer, tablet, or smart phone to go online. At least, that’s true in the developed world: you know, China, India, Brazil, and even some parts of the United States. Cybernetic eye implants allow you to see everything with a digital overlay. And once […]
Is Israel imposing Sanctions on Palestinian Universities? Repeated Incursions at al-Quds U Raise Concerns at Brandeis, Bard
(By Matt Rocheleau) Clashes between Israeli forces, students at Palestinian university sparks concern at Brandeis (via boston.com) (Al-Quds Educational TV / YouTube) By Matt Rocheleau, Boston.com Staff An alleged clash between Israeli soldiers and students at a Palestinian university that involved tear gas bombs, injured students, and damaged buildings last month has prompted concern… […]
The Day the 5th Amendment was Droned to Death
(By Peter van Buren via Tomdispatch) Terrorism (ter-ror-ism; see also terror) n. 1. When a foreign organization kills an American for political reasons. Justice (jus-tice) n. 1. When the United States Government uses a drone to kill an American for political reasons. How’s that morning coffee treating you? Nice and warming? Mmmm. While you’re savoring […]
How Iraq Vets against War & Peace Groups stopped Senate bid to derail Iran Talks
(By Robert Clack) In 2013, an unprecedented diplomatic breakthrough happened when the United States and Iran, along with other world powers, reached an interim agreement to lift sanctions over a long-standing dispute regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Not content with allowing for peace, on December 19th New Jersey Senator Menendez (D) and Senator Kirk (R), supported […]
The Koch Brothers’ Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble got Rich undermining Democracy
(By Kim Barker and Theodoric Meyer via ProPublica) For a brief, giddy moment, Sean Noble—a little-known former aide to an Arizona congressman—became one of the most important people in American politics. Plucked from obscurity by libertarian billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, Noble was tasked with distributing a torrent of political money raised by the […]
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