Techdirt asks, “Is the FBI lying to Congress about its abuses of the PATRIOT Act? and answers in the affirmative. Actually there is plenty of indication in the public record of abuses in the sense of using the act for criminal rather than purely security-related prosecutions and warrantless wiretapping, something the Bureau initially promised never […]
Should Professors in Public Universities Give up their Email Addresses?
The latest McCarthyite tactics of the American Right Wing is to attempt to intimidate professors at public universities by launching Freedom of Information Requests for their emails, as part of a witch hunt for dreaded Liberal Opinions. First, the proxies for the Koch brothers in the Wisconsin legislature went after the emails of prominent University […]
Reuters: Saudi-US Plan to Nudge Saleh Out as Demonstrators Stage Tsunami of Taiz
Reuters reporters in Dubai are saying that a diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations going on between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told them that the plan was to have Saleh step down in favor of a transitional ruling council that would prepare for elections. Among those mentioned as potential […]
OSC: Yemeni Tribes, Movements, Youth, Organizations Decry Regime’s ‘Bloody Massacres’
The USG Open Source Center translates reactions of major political groupings in Yemen to the massacre of protesters in Taiz [Ta’izz] by security forces on Monday and the wounding of some 50 with live fire at al-Hodeida the same day. Yemeni Tribes, Movements, Youth, Organizations Decry Regime’s ‘Bloody Massacres’… Wednesday, April 6, 2011 … Document […]
Wholesale Solar Energy Costs Rivalling Coal
Bloomberg reports that wholesale solar energy costs are falling 8% a year and may already rival coal in sunny climes like the Middle East and Japan. They’re expected to be halved in the next decade. Bloomberg writes, “Installation of solar PV systems will almost double to 32.6 gigawatts by 2013 from 18.6 gigawatts last year, […]
Green Energy in 20-40 Years?
All the power the world needs could be provided by alternative energy sources within 20-40 years if the political will could be found, according to Stanford researchers. Note that they do not include nuclear energy in their calculations. Part of their technique is to include ‘externalities’ of hydrocarbon fuels in their cost estimates, such as […]
24 Dead in Fresh Yemen Violent Repression
Violent repression of Yemen’s protesters led to 24 deaths on Tuesday in Sanaa and Taizz. Demonstrations were put down near Sanaa university, and dissident Gen. Ali Mohsen Ahmar maintains that an assassination attempt was made on his life by members of the presidential guard. Aljazeera English reports on the renewed protests and violence.
Impatient Rebels Critique NATO Aid
Gen. Abdelfatah Yunis, the commander of rebel military forces in Benghazi expressed dissatisfaction on Tuesday with the pace of the NATO/ UN intervention in his country. He worried that Misrata, the country’s 3rd-largest city, might fall altogether any moment. He could not understand why supplies were not delivered promptly to the harbor by NATO ships. […]
Amnesty Int’l: United Nations Must Reject Israeli Campaign to Avoid Accountability for Gaza War Crimes
This came to me as a news release from Amnesty International: Amnesty International Public Statement Tuesday, April 5, 2011 United Nations Must Reject Israeli Campaign to Avoid Accountability for Gaza War Crimes, Says Amnesty International Statements by Leading Israeli Politicians Are Based on “Deliberate Misinterpretation” of Justice Goldstone’s Comments in Newspaper Opinion Article Contact: Suzanne […]