Chicago -
By Steve Rhodes
“A 2011 ruling held that the N.S.A. had violated the Constitution for several years by gathering tens of thousands of domestic communications unrelated to terrorism,” the New York Times reports.
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Footnote 14 of today’s FISA court opinion is important: three “substantial misrepresentations” by the NSA in 3 years pic.twitter.com/uAalg7N4v9
— EFF (@EFF) August 21, 2013
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All previous statements by our president are now inoperative.
Posted on August 22, 2013
By Justin Elliott/ProPublica
Last week, the Washington Post published an internal audit finding the NSA had violated privacy rules thousands of times in recent years.
In response, the spy agency held a rare conference call for the press maintaining that the violations are “not willful” and “not malicious.”
It’s difficult to fully evaluate the NSA’s track record, since the agency has been so tight-lipped on the topic. What information about rule violations has the agency itself released?
Posted on August 20, 2013
By Steve Rhodes
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s handpicked school team was so concerned about the structural integrity of a Pilsen school fieldhouse – and in such a rush to tear it down – they didn’t even wait to get a demolition permit, City Hall disclosed Monday,” Fran Spielman and Maudlyne Ihejirika “report” for Sun-Times.
Yes, they were so concerned they waited until a Friday night in August to interrupt a dance class taking place in the fieldhouse to begin its demolition.
Posted on August 20, 2013
By Steve Rhodes
“The National Security Agency has broken privacy rules or overstepped its legal authority thousands of times each year since Congress granted the agency broad new powers in 2008, according to an internal audit and other top-secret documents,” the Washington Post reports.
“Most of the infractions involve unauthorized surveillance of Americans or foreign intelligence targets in the United States, both of which are restricted by statute and executive order. They range from significant violations of law to typographical errors that resulted in unintended interception of U.S. e-mails and telephone calls.”
Oh, but it’s not just that.
Posted on August 16, 2013
By Steve Rhodes
“Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was sentenced to 2 1/2 years behind bars for stealing $750,000 from his campaign fund while former Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th) is to serve one year for filing false tax returns,” the Sun-Times reports.
“Even in a state like Illinois, where governors, aldermen and congressmen have routinely gone to prison, the Wednesday hearing was remarkably rare as it involved a powerful couple who together saw their political demise in the same courtroom.
“‘There’s no exact parallel,’ said Dick Simpson, a longtime political observer and former Chicago alderman. The closest parallel is Illinois having four of the last seven governors in prison, he said.
Let’s take a look.
Posted on August 15, 2013
By Cora Currier/ProPublica
This week U.S. attorney general Eric Holder spoke out against the impacts of “draconian” sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.
“Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason,” said Holder.
But in unveiling the new “smart on crime” initiative, Holder skipped mention of the sweeping power the president has to shorten or forgive a federal prisoner’s sentence.
President Obama has given just one person early release from prison. As ProPublica has documented, Obama has overall granted clemency at a lower rate than any modern president, which includes both commutations – early release – and pardons.
Posted on August 14, 2013
By Cora Currier/ProPublica
There have been nine drone strikes reported in Yemen in the past two weeks – an uptick apparently connected to the al-Qaeda threat that shut down U.S. embassies across the Middle East and Africa. As many as six civilian deaths have also been reported.
President Obama has promised increased transparency around drones, but when asked about the strikes on Friday, Obama wouldn’t even confirm U.S. involvement.
Posted on August 13, 2013
By Steve Rhodes
Amirite?
From: Democratic Party <democraticparty@democrats.org>
Subject: [birthday cake] Sign President Obama’s card [birthday cake]
Date: July 30, 2013 5:41:03 PM CDT
To: Steve Rhodes <dusty@speakeasy.net>
Reply-To: Tim Kaine <democraticparty@democrats.org>
</democraticparty@democrats.org></dusty@speakeasy.net></democraticparty@democrats.org>
Posted on August 8, 2013
By Kara Brandeisky/ProPublica
When the House of Representatives recently considered an amendment that would have dismantled the NSA’s bulk phone records collection program, the White House swiftly condemned the measure.
But only five years ago, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. was part of a group of legislators that supported substantial changes to NSA surveillance programs. Here are some of the proposals the president co-sponsored as a senator.
Posted on August 7, 2013
