Archive for September, 2013
Kenya: NIS Knew an Attack Would Happen
September 27th, 2013Via: Independent: Kenya’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS), widely accused by politicians of failing to pick up chatter about the attack, has insisted it did warn the police and officials inside the President’s office before the Westgate siege, but its warnings went unheeded, The Star reported. According to the same report, a pregnant policewoman avoided Westgate […]
For the Lulz: LA Officials May Delay School iPad Rollout After Students Effortlessly Bypass Restrictions
September 26th, 2013“Runaway train scenario.” I love it. Via: Engadget: Just a week after it began the first phase of putting iPads in the hands of all 640,000 students in the region, the Los Angeles school district already has a fight on its hands. In a matter of days, 300 children at Theodore Roosevelt High School managed […]
Afghanistan: ‘$37 Million Aviation Facility May Have Been Used to Store Opium’
September 26th, 2013Your what hurts? Via: Reuters: The U.S.-led effort to train the Afghan air force faces big challenges ranging from security threats to possible repercussions from a new review of infrastructure and equipment projects, the U.S. general in charge said. “This is a hard deal. We’re far from 100-percent guaranteed on delivery,” said Air Force Brigadier […]
Say Hello to Rick Ross
September 26th, 2013Via: Esquire: Back in the day, Ross would offer the same deal with crack cocaine — to start you out, he’d give you $100 worth for free and you could sell it for $300. Between 1982 and 1989, federal prosecutors estimated, Ross bought and resold three tons of cocaine. In 1980 dollars, his gross earnings […]
How Does Obamacare Affect Americans Living Abroad?
September 26th, 2013*phew* For now, anyway… However, about 3/4 of Cryptogon readers will be affected by this, so… Via: Yahoo: If you’re living outside the US, you don’t have to purchase health insurance by the end of March, 2014, through what will be the newly established health insurance marketplaces in each state. And unlike other citizens residing […]
15% in U.S. Shun Internet; Most Intend to Stay Offline
September 26th, 2013Via: AFP: Despite a seemingly unstoppable move to digital lifestyles, some 15 percent of Americans don’t use the Internet, and most are quite content to remain offline, a survey shows. The survey released Wednesday found that in addition to the 15 percent of adults who don’t use the Internet on any device, another nine percent […]
Monsanto Protection Act Left to Expire
September 25th, 2013Via: The Hill: The Senate bill to keep the government funded will drop a controversial provision that food safety advocates warn lets agricultural giants avoid judicial oversight. The provision, dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act,” was extended under the House’s continuing resolution passed last week. Under the Senate bill, it will expire at the end of […]
Criminal: How Lockup Quotas and “Low-Crime Taxes” Guarantee Profits for Private Prison Corporations
September 25th, 2013Via: In the Public Interest: This report discusses the use of prison bed occupancy guarantee clauses in prison privatization contracts and explores how bed occupancy guarantees undermine criminal justice policy and democratic, accountable government. The report sheds light on the for-profit private prison industry’s reliance on high prison populations, and how these occupancy guarantee provisions […]
Israeli Soldiers Throw Sound Grenades at EU Diplomats Bringing Aid to Displaced Palestinian Families
September 25th, 2013Via: Tikkun Daily: A Palestinian village home to 120 people had its houses, kindergarten and shepherding stables demolished this week by Israeli authorities. This came after the Supreme Court ruled its inhabitants – some of whom have lived on the land for generations – didn’t have proper building permits. The Palestinian Bedouin village of Khirbet […]
The Senate Is Busy Creating a Privileged 1st Amendment Club for ‘Official’ Journalists
September 25th, 2013Via: Alternet: On September 12, 2013, the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee narrowly defined who the law should consider to be a journalist, by amending the proposed Free Flow of Information Act (“FFIA”). The FFIA is a “shield law” that protects journalists from having to reveal their confidential sources when confronted with court subpoenas. The amendment […]
