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A secretive memo from the Justice Department, provided to NBC News, provides new information about the legal reasoning behind one of the Obama administration's controversial policies. Now, John Brennan, Obama's nominee for CIA director, is expected to face tough questions about drone strikes on Thursday when he appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports.
Justice Department memo reveals legal case for drone strikes on Americans
The Truth about Aaron Swartz’s “Crime” « Unhandled Exception
I did not know Aaron Swartz , unless you count having copies of a person’s entire digital life on your forensics server as knowing him. I did once meet his father, an intelligent and dedicated man who was clearly pouring his life into defending his son.
Judge says Ohio bomb plot amounted to terrorism, making 3 men subject to harsher sentences
CLEVELAND – Three men who pleaded guilty in a plot to bomb a highway bridge should be sentenced as terrorists, making them subject to harsher prison terms, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S.Advertising, display How to place a display ad on SFGate.
Texas judge rules atmosphere, air is public trust - SFGate
Several recent government raids on computer users suspected of sharing child porn online hit the wrong targets. Instead of getting the perpetrators, some of the raids nabbed a neighbor with an open WiFi network instead. One obvious takeaway: letting total strangers use your Internet connection for any purpose comes with some risk.
After botched child porn raid, judge sees the light on IP addresses
Documents unsealed this week reveal that the year-long delay in returning the seized Dajaz1 domain name occurred in part because the government was waiting for copyright holders, including the Recording Industry Association of America, to provide more information.
Waiting on the RIAA, feds held seized Dajaz1 domain for months
Here was a typical Twitter message: “15% of Cincinnati’s Fire Dept browned out today to help pay for a streetcar boondoggle. If you think it’s a waste of money, VOTE YES on 48.” Mr.
Honest Hyperbole and Free Speech - Adam Liptak
Comment: Stolen Valor and Super PACs
A peculiar law with a mellifluous name will meet its doom before the Supreme Court this week.American citizens can be ordered to decrypt their PGP-scrambled hard drives for police to peruse for incriminating files, a federal judge in Colorado ruled today in what could become a precedent-setting case. Judge Robert Blackburn ordered a Peyton, Colo., woman to decrypt the hard drive of a Toshiba laptop computer no later than February 21--or face the consequences including contempt of court. PGP Desktop: Even the FBI can't crack it!
Judge: Americans can be forced to decrypt their laptops | Privacy Inc.
Chris Hedges: Why I’m Suing Barack Obama - Chris Hedges' Columns
Why I’m Suing Barack ObamaWhat makes our NDAA lawsuit a struggle to save the US constitution | Tangerine Bolen | Comment is free
I am one of the lead plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit against the National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the president the power to hold any US citizen anywhere for as long as he wants, without charge or trial.By now you will have read that self-described 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other alleged plotters will shortly have their day in court.
The degradation of justice
Jurors Can Say No
IF you are ever on a jury in a marijuana case, I recommend that you vote “not guilty” — even if you think the defendant actually smoked pot, or sold it to another consenting adult.With Liberty and Justice for Some : Six Questions for Glenn Greenwald
In the wake of September 11, Glenn Greenwald emerged as the nation’s premier chronicler of the war that U.S. officials waged on the nation’s civil liberties under the pretext of battling terrorists. Persistent and technically skilled, he played a key role in unmasking shameless betrayals by government attorneys of their oath to uphold the law—exposing those who enabled the torture of prisoners, the introduction of a massive warrantless surveillance system, and the merciless war against loyal Americans who attempted to blow the whistle on such abuses. I put six questions to Greenwald about his new book, With Liberty and Justice for Some , which examines the emerging doctrine of impunity for politically powerful elites in the United States:FOIA
CISPA / TPP / ACTA / SOPA / PIPA / COICA
US law enforcement & criminal justice
PATRIOT Act
FISA
Bill of Rights
SCOTUS