FBI agents storm out from Senate hearing to avoid testifying on Insider Threat programIt’s been two-and-a-half years since the United States government unveiled an insider threat program to keep classified networks and sensitive intelligence secure, but the officials in charge would literally rather storm away than speak about it.
Oligarchy, not democracy: Americans have ‘near-zero’ input on policy – reportReuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh The first-ever scientific study that analyzes whether the US is a democracy, rather than an oligarchy, found the majority of the American public has a “minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy” compared to the wealthy.
Defense alleges FBI spying in 9/11 hearing at GuantanamoDefense lawyers for the 9/11 trial defendants at Guantanamo Bay have levied new allegations of spying by the US government in the case, claiming the FBI propositioned a defense team security officer to be a confidential informant.
Meditation Has the Power to Influence Your GenesIn a groundbreaking discovery, a collaborative team of researchers from Wisconsin, Spain, and France reported in December 2013 the first evidence of specific molecular changes at a genetic level following a period of mindfulness meditation. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice,” says study author Richard J.
AT&T hacker ‘weev’ to walk free after appeals court agrees to vacate convictionA federal appeals court has vacated the conviction against a controversial computer hacker who has spent the last 13 months in prison after going public with a security flaw that brought embarrassment to companies Apple and AT&T.
Social Security, Treasury target Americans for their parents’ old debtsReuters / Mike Blake Many Americans expecting to see their tax refunds in their bank accounts soon are waking up to a very different scenario: the government actively intercepting their checks in order to pay back debts they’re not responsible for.
Florida ‘arbitrarily and unfairly’ prosecuting children as adults – Human Rights WatchFlorida has been unfairly and arbitrarily trying children as adults, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The research slams Florida for funneling thousands of children into the state’s adult justice system more than any other US state. “Florida’s direct file law is not effectively serving public safety…
NYC court unable to find impartial jury to decide Occupy Wall Street trialAn Occupy Wall Street protester facing seven years in prison for an alleged 2012 assault may wait even longer to hear her fate as New Yorkers have proven to be so divided on the issue that finding impartial jurors has so far been nearly impossible.
Obama administration wins Jefferson Muzzle award for restricting free pressThe United States Department of Justice and the White House Press Office are this year’s top winners of a dubious award extended to those considered to be “responsible for some of the more egregious or ridiculous affronts to First Amendment principles.”
NSA monitors WiFi on US planes ‘in violation’ of privacy lawsAFP Photo / Mehdi Fedouach Companies that provide WiFi on US domestic flights are handing over their data to the NSA, adapting their technology to allow security services new powers to spy on passengers. In doing so, they may be in violation of privacy laws.
Congress considers blocking GMO food labelingAFP Photo / Robyn Beck A new bill introduced in Congress looks to ban states from implementing their own labeling laws when it comes to food containing genetically engineered ingredients. According to Reuters, US Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.)
Judge rips State Dept’s handling of Blackwater shootings in IraqA US federal judge has rebuked the State Department for delaying the prosecution of US security contractors charged with shooting unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2007. The guards, formerly employed by the Blackwater private security company that policed US military zones, are accused of shooting 14 Iraqi civilians without justification and in violation of deadly-force rules that pertained to American security contractors in Iraq at the time.
Allstate, Bank of America Agree to End Lawsuit Over MortgagesAllstate Corp. and Bank of America Corp.’s Countrywide unit have agreed to dismiss a lawsuit stemming from $700 million of toxic mortgage debt, according to a court filing on Tuesday. The parties “have agreed to dismissal of this action in its entirety,” lawyers for Allstate and Countrywide said in a document filed in U.S.
Blowing the Whistle on Banks’ Misbehavior Can Be Worth MillionsAs government agencies continue to pepper banks like Bank of America Corp. ( ) , Citigroup ( ) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( ) with lawsuits tied to fraudulent behavior, they have often been aided by insiders willing to turn over first-hand information for a cut of the action.
The Real Vampires: An Insider’s View of BanksThe Inside Scoop from Bill Clinton’s Mentor By Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Timeby Carroll Quigley* (1966 Macmillan)is an exacting account of how the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve, the European central banks, and the giant investment banks that dominate them (e.g.
Ohio newspaper suing federal government after two journalists were detained by the militaryThe Toledo Blade newspaper in Ohio has filed a lawsuit against the United States government after two journalists employed by the outlet were detained by the military for photographing a tank plant owned by defense contractor General Dynamics.
Defense lawyers: Did FBI pressure push Boston bomber over the edge? (+video)Lawyers for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, say contact with the FBI may have been a ‘precipitating event’ to the bombings last April.