German government plans sweeping social attacks

The new German government held a two-day cabinet conference Tuesday and Wednesday at Schloss Merseburg in Brandenburg. According to Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the meeting was meant to create “a comradely atmosphere in which we can resolve problems in a spirit of mutual [...]

DARPA’s Simulated Cat Brain Project a ‘Scam’: Top Scientist

Last year, the Pentagon’s premiere research arm gave IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) nearly $5 million to make electronics that mimic the “function, size and power consumption” of a cat’s brain. Last week, IBM’s lead researcher on the project, Dharmendra S. Modha, announced that he had made major progress [...]

eBay offers items labeled as Mussolini’s blood, brain

Items that were purportedly the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s blood and parts of his brain were briefly offered for online sale on the Ebay auction site for 22,000 US dollars.
The neo-fascist granddaughter of Il Duce, Alessandra Mussolini, said the remains were stolen from Milan’s Policlinico hospital and she immediately [...]

Lebanon agrees Hezbollah right to arms

Lebanon’s new cabinet has agreed to acknowledge the Islamic Hezbollah movement’s right to use armed resistance against the Israeli acts of hostility.
A cabinet committee commissioned with drafting a policy statement for the country’s new government met for the ninth time on Wednesday, when it reached an agreement on the issue, [...]

German army chief resigns over Afghan civilian deaths

The German army’s chief of staff has stepped down after reports of Afghan civilian deaths in a September air strike involving German troops.
Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg told parliament on Thursday Wolfgang Schneiderhan had submitted his resignation.
Schneiderhan “has released himself from his duties at his own request,” zu Guttenberg [...]

“NET problem”

Russia’s intelligence services got connected to the secret information bases of the Interpol.
Our police have a considerable amount of experience collaborating with their foreign colleagues. Now, it will be expanded by means of electronic communication
Yesterday, the European Union officially gave Russia online access to the special databases of [...]

Feds: Former US Prosecutor Helped Rub Out Witnesses For Gangster Clients, Ran Drugs And Call-Girls

From federal prosecutor to accused violent gangster, pimp, and drug-dealer…That’s the unusual career trajectory taken, say the Feds, by Paul Bergrin, who was indicted earlier this month in a 39-count racketeering indictment.
In a drama that could have been made for HBO, Bergrin — a white-collar defense lawyer who once represented, [...]

The Department of Gomer Pyle

I was an average high school student. I had to attend summer school between my junior and senior years just to graduate with my class and even then, on graduation night, I wasn’t sure there’d be a diploma waiting for me. I was always more interested in playing ball and [...]

Understanding the Punitive White Male

As the chronology of California correctional policies shows, many of the punitive measures in sentencing, corrections, and risk management, emerged from voter initiatives. Whether or not the public is punitive, or is being pushed in that direction by politicians and the media, and what can be done to [...]

DHS Announces “Global Entry” Biometric Identification System for U.S. Airports

Today, the Department of Homeland Security proposed to make permanent Global Entry, a program the agency says will “streamline the international arrivals and admission process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric identification.” Under the proposed system, pre-registered international travelers can bypass conventional security lines by scanning [...]

CIA’s Lost Magic Manual Resurfaces

At the height of the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency paid $3,000 to renowned magician John Mulholland to write a manual on misdirection, concealment, and stagecraft. All known copies of the document — and a related paper, on conveying hidden signals — were believed to be destroyed in [...]

‘Counterinsurgency’ to Fight U.S. Crime? No, Thanks

After the sickening murder of a 9-year-old boy in Washington, our friend Spencer Ackerman made an impassioned plea: U.S. Central Command chief General David Petraeus for D.C. metro police chief. The idea of America’s leading counterinsurgent taking on one of its most crime-ridden towns definitely has a certain [...]

Czech government expresses regret for illegal sterilizations of Roma women

On Nov. 22, at the instigation of Czech Human Rights Minister Michael Kocáb, the government of the Czech Republic expressed regret over the illegal sterilizations of women that have been performed in the country. Speaking after a cabinet session, Kocáb said a set of measures are being designed to [...]

FBI Releases 2008 Hate Crime Statistics

“Statistics released today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that 7,783 criminal incidents involving 9,168 offenses were reported in 2008 as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or disability. Published by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Hate Crime Statistics, 2008, [...]

Bahrain Commanding Officer Relieved

NAPLES, Italy – The commanding officer of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain was relieved of command due to loss of confidence.
Rear Adm. David J. Mercer, commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, relieved the commanding officer of NSA Bahrain, Capt. John Schoeneck, due to a loss of confidence in [...]

Sailor charged in death of pregnant woman

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A military police officer has been charged in the death of a pregnant Florida Panhandle woman whose body washed ashore in a bag earlier this month.
Master-at-Arms 3rd Class (SW) Zachary Littleton, 25, was arrested at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Monday. He is being held without bond [...]

The War on Drugs: FAIL: An Interview With Clifford Thornton Jr.

Climate Scientists’ E-Mail Hacked

This archive presents over 120Mb of emails, documents, computer code and models from the Climatic Research Unit at the , written between 1996 and 2009.
The CRU has told the BBC that the files were obtained by a computer hacker 3-4 days ago.
This archive includes unreleased global temperature analysis [...]

Government taking newborn DNA samples without permission

China air force talks space supremacy

The commander of the Chinese Air Force has described dominating the space as an imperative for the country’s security.
The commander of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), Xu Qiliang, said on Monday superiority in space could give a nation control over war zones both on land and at sea, [...]

Japan finds proof of 1960 secret deals with US

A state-commissioned research panel in Japan finds evidence of Tokyo’s 1960 secret pacts with Washington which allow the US to ship nuclear weaponry via the Japanese territory.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada was notified of the discovery by the 15-member team, which found the files while examining ministry documents.
“The [...]

Japan wants US military base out of Okinawa

Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he will devise a plan to relocate the US military airfield based in Okinawa as soon as possible.
Hatoyama made the remarks after a meeting with his foreign and defense ministers.
His government has called for the US to move its troops off the [...]

Aliens in Alliance? UK military smears US ‘Martian’ generals

Our research has shown that child trafficking increases when you have military bases

Excerpt:
When I reached her by phone, Goodnight said, “Our research has shown that child trafficking increases when you have military bases and a strong agricultural presence in the area.” That’s why, this year, before Shaniya Davis’s disappearance and the discovery of her body made “human trafficking” a hot topic, [...]

Let’s Eliminate Welfare for Terrorists

Of all the factors on the table in the current Afghan strategic review, the War on Drugs and its unintended consequences should be front and center. Our 95-year effort to create a Drug Free America by enforcing world-wide prohibition has twisted our foreign policy out of shape all over the globe and [...]

Google Provides Free Access to Full Text of Court Opinions

Google is taking a swing at the Lexis/Nexis / Westlaw duopoly by offering free searches and free access to the full text of state, district, and appellate court opinions. Law journals, too.
Starting today, we’re enabling people everywhere to find and read full text legal opinions from U.S. federal and state district, [...]

Senator Wants Answers on Drugs from DoD

Senator Benjamin Louis “Ben” Cardin (D-MD) stops by the Editor’s Desk to chat about the letter he just sent to Secretary Robert Michael Gates regarding his concerns over the amount of prescription drugs being given to troops in the war zones and the long-term consequences of that practice.  [...]

Psychiatrist warning of violence danger among returned Marines fired

UPDATED AND EXPANDED: In the wake of the Fort Hood tragedy, there have been media reports that mental health staff had been concerned about Major Nidal Malik “AbduWali” Hasan, but did not report their concerns to higher authorities. Rather, these staff hoped he would disappear, into Fort Hood and then [...]

Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences Eliminated in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – A new law eliminating mandatory minimum drug sentences in Rhode Island has taken effect without the governor’s signature.
Similar measures had been vetoed in past years by Gov. Donald L. “Don” Carcieri, but supporters say they compromised on this year’s legislation by removing a provision that placed [...]

Posts from Anwar al-Awlaki’s Blog

New York times article on Anwar al-Awlaki is here.
Some posts from his blog, retrieved from Google’s cache:
Website coming back online, November 11, 2009
Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing, November 9, 2009
RSS Feed, November 9, 2009
Response to Abdullaah bin Abdur-Rahmaan al-Jarboo, October 11, 2009
Eid Mubarak! Taqabbal Allah minna [...]

Free Legal Help to Online Journalists

The Citizen Media Law Project announced the launch of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University’s Online Media Legal Network (OMLN), a new pro bono initiative that connects lawyers and law school clinics with online journalists who need legal help. OMLN will provide [...]

CCR Files Opening Brief in First Supreme Court Case to Challenge Patriot Act

Obama Administration Defending Law that Makes Speech Advocating Human Rights a Terrorist Crime
November 17, 2009, New York – Yesterday, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed the first brief in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, the first case to challenge a portion of the Patriot Act before the [...]

CIA Lithuanian torture site located

Christian leaders unite to teach youth intolerance

A group of 145 evangelical, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders have signed a declaration saying they will not cooperate with laws that “could be used to compel their institutions to participate in abortions, or to bless or in any way recognize same-sex couples.”
Citing Martin Luther King, Jr. [...]

iePolitics: More on Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

After being off work and without a paycheck for the past four weeks thanks to our FORMER County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer, writing that last article was a bit cathartic.  Mark was a bit upset with me for several reasons, one of which is that I finally got sick of [...]

iePolitics Commentary: Sheriff Hoops, Part 2

Sheriff Rod Hoops let’s continue from my last posting.
I do not want our readers to think that misconduct such as the credentials falsification issue with Sheriff’s Captain Bart Gray is nothing but an aberration.
It is actually the opposite. In other words it happens quite frequently.
Not only are special accommodations made for [...]

US navy crash blamed on ‘catastrophic’ leadership

A collision between a nuclear-powered US Navy submarine and a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz was caused by “catastrophic failure” in management, a US Navy report says.
US Navy investigators found that “ineffective and negligent” management and the failure of navigation practices were to blame for a March 2009 [...]

Los Angeles DA Joins Ranks of Drug Cartel Bitches Against Medical Marijuana

It was a petulant fit of pique, certainly entertaining, and potentially hilarious — if safe access for so many medical marijuana patients weren’t hanging in the balance.

After things didn’t go his way at Monday’s Los Angeles City Council joint committee meeting, District Attorney Stephen Lawrence (“Steve”) Cooley pronounced Tuesday [...]

Russia confirms adherence to death penalty ban obligations

Moscow will stick to its commitments on the abolishment of the capital punishment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said on Thursday.
Constitutional Court of Russian Federation extended a moratorium on capital punishment earlier on Thursday. The court said that the ban, introduced in 1999, had begun an [...]

Privacy concerns as NSA admits “helping” Microsoft

Security experts raised privacy concerns after a US National Security Agency official revealed that the Agency collaborated with Microsoft during the development stage of Windows 7. The revelation was made in a prepared statement by NSA information assurance director Richard Schaeffer, before the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism [...]

The Coming Nuclear Crisis

The world is about to enter a period of unprecedented investment in nuclear power. The combined threats of climate change, energy security and fears over the high prices and dwindling reserves of oil are forcing governments towards the nuclear option. The perception is that nuclear power is a carbon-free technology, [...]

White House nominates a new slate to the Broadcasting Board of Governors

The Broadcasting Board of Governors oversees the United States Government’s non-military broadcasting. Its function is to provide managerial guidance from talented private sector leaders. The combined audience of the broadcasting it oversees is over 171 million, an increase of 71% over 2003, according to the BBG. Programming is in [...]

Judge: Retrial possible for pardoned Virginia sailor

RICHMOND, Va. — A federal judge says prosecutors can retry an ex-sailor who received a conditional pardon from Virginia’s governor after spending more than a decade in prison for rape and murder.
Derek Tice was one of four ex-sailors known as “The Norfolk Four” who claimed their confessions to the rape [...]

Navy chief gets 18 months for lying about fraud

A Navy chief was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Tuesday for lying about his role in a credit card fraud scheme.
Chief Storekeeper Antonio Allen, 36, of Memphis, Tenn., pleaded guilty in April to making false statements about the wrongful use of government-issued credit cards used to steal more than [...]

Ex-recruiter sentenced to prison for sex crimes

HEMET, Calif. — A former Marine Corps recruiter has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Southern California’s Riverside County after pleading guilty to child sex charges.
Prosecutors say former Staff Sgt. Bryan Damone Cunningham pleaded guilty Friday to felony charges of committing lewd acts and sodomy with a child under [...]

2 life sentences for convicted Carson soldier

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Fort Carson soldier convicted of killing two people with an AK-47 was sentenced Thursday to two consecutive life terms in prison.
A judge in Colorado Springs also sentenced 25-year-old Jorma Falu-Vives to another 140 years for wounding a fellow soldier in another drive-by shooting.
A jury convicted the Iraq [...]

Soldier charged with making threat at school

SEDALIA, Mo. — The Pettis County prosecutor has charged a soldier who had been reported missing from Fort Leonard Wood with making a terrorist threat at a Sedalia high school.
Pettis County Sheriff, Kevin Bond, says 19-year-old Michael John Frederick of Kansas City was charged Thursday after being arrested in [...]

FBI kept tabs on Pulitzer-winning author Studs Terkel for 45 years

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which acted as America’s political police during the Cold War, spent several decades watching Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel, who died earlier this year at age 96.  The revelation was made by the City University of New York’s NYCity News Service, which [...]

Uffer Era Ends on a 3-2 Vote

Mark H. Uffer’s five-year tenure as the county’s top administrative officer drew to a close this week with a 3-2 vote of the board of supervisors.
The sacking of Uffer, who was named interim county administrative officer in March 2004 and then given the official title as CAO in September 2004, [...]

When It’s Crunch Time at College, Students Turn to Adderall

Can ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) stimulants like Adderall (amphetamines) be the answer for college students looking to increase academic performance? They think so.
It’s a week before final exams and you haven’t begun studying. These general education classes are, simply, a drag and you’re already tired from fraternity, sorority or [...]