Archive for June, 2013
Britain: Police Investigate Fire at Islamic Community Center in Muswell Hill
June 6th, 2013Via: Guardian: Police are treating a fire that badly damaged an Islamic community centre and mosque as suspicious amid continuing fears of reprisals after the Woolwich murder. Specialist officers from the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command are leading the investigations in to the incident at Muswell Hill, north London. Police have also confirmed that graffiti reading […]
Court Documents: NSA Collecting Phone Records of Millions of Americans Daily
June 6th, 2013Via: Guardian: The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America’s largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April. The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an “ongoing, daily basis” to give […]
Soldier Pleads Guilty to Murdering 16 Afghan Civilians
June 6th, 2013In other news: The following provides excerpts from the testimony of individuals who told our research team that they had survived or witnessed drone strikes, or lost family members in strikes. Via: Reuters: A U.S. Army sergeant who killed 16 Afghan civilians in cold blood last year pleaded guilty on Wednesday to premeditated murder and […]
Connecticut Approves Labeling Genetically Modified Foods, Conditions Delay Implementation
June 5th, 2013Via: New York Times: Connecticut on Monday became the first state to pass a bill that would require food manufacturers to label products that contain genetically modified ingredients — but only after other conditions are met. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has said he would sign the bill into law, after reaching an agreement with the […]
High-School Teen Builds One-Man Submarine for $2,000
June 5th, 2013That roll of duct tape on the third gallery image… Thumbs up to that, brother. Via: CNN: The submarine’s body may be constructed from drainage pipes and the hatch from a recycled skylight, but according to its 18-year-old inventor, this single-person U-boat can plunge to a depth of 30 feet and has already completed three […]
France Claims Sarin Gas Used Several Times in Syria
June 4th, 2013Via: CNN: Sarin gas has been used in Syria several times, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday, citing results from test samples in France’s possession. Fabius announced that conclusion after meeting Tuesday with the head of a U.N. mission set up to establish the facts about alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. “I […]
Afghanistan: Pentagon Has No Idea What 108,000 Contractors Are Doing
June 4th, 2013Via: The Fiscal Times: The number of contractors working in Afghanistan now vastly outnumbers American troops stationed there, according to a Congressional Research Service report. CRS, along with the Government Accountability Office, also determined that the Pentagon is unable to properly document the work these contractors are doing. And the information DOD is receiving is […]
Disney’s Electronic Wristband Illustrates Why Big Companies Push Contactless Wallets
June 4th, 2013Via: MIT Technology Review: Disney just announced an electronic wristband for visitors to its theme parks that neatly illustrates why companies like Google and cellphone networks are pushing the idea of using contactless technology in phones for payments, tickets, boarding passes and more. The short answer? They want data. Disney’s MagicBand, an ID tag that […]
Crowdfunded Stenographer Denied Press Pass To Cover Transcriptless Bradley Manning Trial
June 4th, 2013Via: Techdirt: A large group of established news organizations — including the LA Times, NPR, the New Yorker, Fox News, Newsweek, Bloomberg and NY Magazine — have all asked the military to open up two additional press passes for stenographers (two so that they can overlap while switching shifts). The judge in the case, on […]
Japan and South Korea Bar Imports of U.S. Wheat
June 4th, 2013Via: New York Times: Japan and South Korea suspended some imports of American wheat, and the European Union urged its 27 nations to increase testing, after the United States government disclosed this week that a strain of genetically engineered wheat that was never approved for sale was found growing in an Oregon field. Although none […]
