Author: Joe from MassPrivateI

Huffington Post – by Paul Blumenthal

WASHINGTON — On June 14, 2012, someone created a corporation in Ohio called American Dream Fund LLC. Six months later, this corporation made a $250,000 contribution to a super PAC called Advancing Freedom Action Network, which supports the re-election of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R).

The actual person behind American Dream Fund LLC remains unknown. The limited liability corporation was created by an incorporation firm called CT Corporation System. The LLC’s listed agents are simply hired incorporators working for CT Corporation System.   Continue reading “Corporations Have Found Yet Another (Secret) Way To Help Get Politicians Elected”

CNN Money – by Blake Ellis

When his 27-year old daughter Lisa died suddenly of liver failure five years ago, Steve Mason was as devastated as any father would be.

He and his wife Darnelle immediately took in Lisa’s three children — ages 4, 7 and 9 at the time — even though they knew it would be a huge struggle to support them. Steve earns less than $75,000 per year as a pastor, while Darnelle earns even less as a director at the same church.   Continue reading “Grieving parents hit with $200,000 in student loans”

Gothamist

Eric Garner died in police custody in part because for several decades the NYPD has doggedly enforced smaller, seemingly innocuous “quality-of-life” crimes. According to Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bratton, the NYPD will continue to strictly enforce laws against loosie peddlers and subway dancers. “I can understand why any New Yorker may say, that’s not such a big offense,” de Blasio said. “But a violation of the law is a violation of the law.”

Commissioner Bratton added, “We need the public’s help also to appreciate that when an officer does approach you to correct your behavior, that you respond. That’s what democracy is all about.”   Continue reading “De Blasio: Broken Windows Policing Is Here To Stay”

New York Daily News – by Tina Moore

Police are investigating whether a cop put a seven-months-pregnant woman in a chokehold while busting her for illegal grilling in Brooklyn — an incident caught on film.

Photos released Monday by an East New York advocacy group show Rosan Miller, 27, struggling with a cop who appears to have his arm around her neck.

The NYPD prohibits the use of chokeholds.

Officers went to the home over the weekend because Miller was grilling on a public sidewalk in violation of local law, cops said. But a melee broke out that ended with her, her brother and husband all in handcuffs.   Continue reading “Pregnant woman apparently put in chokehold by NYPD cop during dispute over illegal grilling”

Simple Justice

One cop on the Enfield Police force stood out, Matthew Worden.  Not because he saved kittens stuck in trees. From the Hartford Courant:

Enfield, a department with nearly 100 sworn officers, has had 26 civilian complaints in the past four years. One-third of those were against Worden, records show. In 2013, Worden had half of the six citizen’s complaints against the department.

Continue reading “Enfield Police Officer Matthew Worden: Beating “Not Significant””

Albuquerque Journal – by Mike Gallagher

Issues to address
The agreement signed Thursday says the final agreement filed with the federal court and overseen by an independent monitor will address the following:

• Use of force policies.
• Interactions with individuals with mental illness and other disabilities.
• Tactical units (like the SWAT and ROP units).
• Training.
• Internal investigations and civilian complaints.
• Management and Supervision.
• Recruitments and selection of officers.
• Community engagement and oversight.

Continue reading “Under DOJ Pressure The Albuquerque Police Department Agrees To Reform Its Use Of Deadly Force”

The Newspaper

When Wisconsin police officers knock on the window of a car and motion to roll down the window, the state Supreme Court said in a 5 to 2 ruling that the motorist is free to ignore the cop and drive away.

“Although we acknowledge that this is a close case, we conclude that a law enforcement officer’s knock on a car window does not by itself constitute a show of authority sufficient to give rise to the belief in a reasonable person that the person is not free to leave,” Justice David T. Prosser wrote for the majority.    Continue reading “Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Driving Away From Cop At Window”

Courthouse News – by KEVIN KOENINGER

     JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CN) – Two drunken Jersey City police detectives and the mayor’s son beat a man so badly he suffers from seizures, developed a brain tumor and lost his job, the man claims in court

     Hector Mejias sued the Jersey City, Healy’s Tavern, Jeremiah Healy Jr., the Jersey City Police Department, several police officers and Dets. Chris Heger and Mark D’Ambrosio, in Hudson County Superior Court.   Continue reading “Mayor’s Son Sued After Beating in Jersey City”

Washington’s Blog

The Untold Story In the NSA Spying Scandal: Blackmail

It is well-documented that governments use information to blackmail and control people.

The Express reported last month:   Continue reading “Exclusive: High-Level NSA Whistleblower Says Blackmail Is a Huge – Unreported – Part of Mass Surveillance”

Yahoo News – by Matthew Barakat

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) — The U.S. government is rapidly expanding the number of names it accepts for inclusion on its terrorist watch list, with more than 1.5 million added in the last five years, according to numbers divulged by the government in a civil lawsuit.

About 99 percent of the names submitted are accepted, leading to criticism that the government is “wildly loose” in its use of the list.   Continue reading “US terrorist database growing at rapid rate”

WAVY 10 News – by Andy Fox

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Imagine you’re up watching our late night news when you hear your back door rattling, then see a red laser pointed on your chest. One Portsmouth man claims that happened to him.

Brandon Watson said he was protecting his family when his wife heard noises in the back yard on January 3, 2013: “She said, ‘oh my gosh, someone is in the backyard.’” The noises got closer and then she heard the clicking of the backdoor handle.”   Continue reading “Man charged for shooting when cops went to wrong house”

Miami Herald – by Carol Rosenburg

In the latest installment of the Guantánamo war court’s most mysterious legal filings — two motions so secret that the public can’t know their titles — an Army judge has issued a classified order to prosecutors that even the defense lawyers can’t see.

The Pentagon disclosed the existence of Army Col. James L. Pohl’s judicial order dated June 4 in a recent website notation in the capital case of the accused USS Cole bomber. Continue reading “Guantánamo judge’s secret order on secret motion is so secret defense lawyers can’t see it”

NBC 10 Philadelphia

A man was shot Thursday morning in Lehigh County when a Pennsylvania State Constable tried to serve him with a warrant over unpaid parking tickets.

The constable told the District Attorney he felt his life was in danger as he tried to serve 38-year-old Kevin McCullers.

McCullers, who had 31 outstanding parking tickets, was shot as he tried to back out of his driveway along the 3400 block of Portland Drive in Whitehall Township around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. His girlfriend says McCullers was on his way to Dunkin’ Donuts and was surprised by the constable.   Continue reading “Man Shot Over 31 Unpaid Parking Tickets”

The Intercept – by Glenn Greenwald

Ayman Mohyeldin, the NBC News correspondent who personally witnessed yesterday’s killing by Israel of four Palestinian boys on a Gazan beach and who has received widespread praise for his brave and innovative coverage of the conflict, has been told by NBC executives to leave Gaza immediately. According to an NBC source upset at his treatment, the executives claimed the decision was motivated by “security concerns” as Israel prepares a ground invasion, a claim repeated to me by an NBC executive. But late yesterday, NBC sent another correspondent, Richard Engel, along with an American producer who has never been to Gaza and speaks no Arabic, into Gaza to cover the ongoing Israeli assault (both Mohyeldin and Engel speak Arabic).   Continue reading “NBC News Pulls Veteran Reporter from Gaza After Witnessing Israeli Attack on Children”