Bill of Rights

By RFE/RL | — A U.S.-based rights watchdog says Internet freedom around the world has deteriorated for the fourth consecutive year, with the steepest declines in Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. In its “Freedom On The Net 2014” report, released on December 4, Freedom House says that Iran, Syria, and China are the world’s worst abusers […]

African-Americans

Chokehold Victim Eric Garner’s Mother: “Justice System Failed Us”

contributors

AJ+ | — “Dec. 3, 2014, New York City: The widow of Eric Garner, the unarmed black man who died after an NYPD officer killed him by chokehold, says she doesn’t accept the officer’s prayers and condolences. She was speaking at a news conference along with Eric Garner’s mother and Rev. Al Sharpton hours after […]

Bill of Rights

Americans’ Personal Freedom falls to 21 in World

contributors

The Young Turks | — “”Americans’ assessments of their personal freedom have significantly declined under President Obama, according to a new study from the Legatum Institute in London, and the United States now ranks below 20 other countries on this measure. The research shows that citizens of countries including France, Uruguay, and Costa Rica now […]

Bill of Rights

Can the Police Phone-Track you without a Warrant?

contributors

Hanni Fakhoury and Jennifer Lynch (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Once again, a federal court will decide whether police can track your movements over an extended period of time without a search warrant. Federal and state courts have divided over whether the Fourth Amendment requires police seek a search warrant to obtain historical cell site location information […]

Bill of Rights

Congress has a Bill Ready to Curb NSA Snooping; if You care, Tell them to Pass it!

contributors

By Mark Jaycox (EFF) Congress continues its path towards becoming the least productive Congress in modern history while on its second vacation in as many months. During their first vacation, we ranked Congressional lawmakers on their support for NSA reform by reviewing bills like the Surveillance State Repeal Act, the USA Freedom Act, and the […]

Bill of Rights

Only 1/2 of 1% of “Patriot” Act Secret Warrants Used against Terrorism

contributors

By Mark Jaycox via Electronic Frontier Foundation The Patriot Act continues to wreak its havoc on civil liberties. Section 213 was included in the Patriot Act over the protests of privacy advocates and granted law enforcement the power to conduct a search while delaying notice to the suspect of the search. Known as a “sneak […]

Barack Obama

Nobel Peace Laureates to Obama: Bring use of torture into the light of day, Never to return

contributors

By Jon Queally via Commondreams.org Twelve Nobel Peace Prize laureates have written to President Barack Obama asking the US to close the dark chapter on torture once and for all. Twelve fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureates have written an open letter to President Barack Obama, urging the 2009 recipient of the award to finally close […]

Bill of Rights

Edward Snowden and the Golden Age of Spying: Interview with Laura Poitras

contributors

By Tom Engelhardt and Laura Poitras via Tomdispatch.com Here’s a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! stat from our new age of national security. How many Americans have security clearances? The answer: 5.1 million, a figure that reflects the explosive growth of the national security state in the post-9/11 era. Imagine the kind of system needed […]

Bill of Rights

Is the Center for Jewish Life stifling free speech at Princeton University?

contributors

By Max Weiss via The Princetonian I have never met Slav Leibin. Nonetheless, it recently came to my attention that he vetoed, with the approval of the Center for Jewish Life, my right to participate in a proposed panel on the recent hostilities in Gaza. Apparently this preemptive act of exclusion was carried out on […]