The Bureau of Investigative Journalism – by Crofton Black and Sam Raphael

In spring 2003 an unnamed official at CIA headquarters in Langley sat down to compose a memo. It was 18 months after George W Bush had declared war on terror. “We cannot have enough blacksite hosts,” the official wrote. The reference was to one of the most closely guarded secrets of that war – the countries that had agreed to host the CIA’s covert prison sites.

Between 2002 and 2008, at least 119 people disappeared into a worldwide detention network run by the CIA and facilitated by its foreign partners.   Continue reading “REVEALED: The boom and bust of the CIA’s secret torture sites”

Tech Dirt – by Tim Cushing

You know what group of the public just hasn’t been given enough protections? Law enforcement officers.

To date, all they have is:   Continue reading “NJ Legislator Wants State’s Cops To Be The New Beneficiaries Of Hate Crime/Bias Laws”

Mail.com

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s government and eight smaller ethnic rebel armies signed a cease-fire agreement to end more than six decades of fighting, but other more powerful groups refused to come on board, signaling that peace will remain elusive for some time to come.

The pact was signed at a ceremony in Myanmar’s administrative capital, Naypyitaw, by President Thein Sein and representatives of the groups. The refusal by the larger armies, such as those of the Kachin and Wa ethnic groups, to sign it robs Thein Sein of what he had hoped would be the crowning achievement of his five-year term.   Continue reading “8 ethnic rebel armies sign cease-fire pact with Myanmar govt”

Mail.com

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The fatal beating of a young man and the savage attack on his younger brother by relatives and fellow members of an upstate New York church was intended to get them to confess their sins, investigators said, but they still haven’t determined what those supposed sins were.

Police said spiritual “counseling” at the Word of Life church turned into an hours-long attack Sunday night in which Lucas Leonard, 19, and his 17-year-old brother, Christopher, were pummeled with fists and kicked. They suffered injuries to the abdomen, genitals, back and thighs.   Continue reading “Police unsure what ‘sins’ provoked attack on brothers”

Mail.com

BALTIMORE (AP) — Activists opposed to the permanent appointment of Baltimore’s interim police commissioner occupied City Hall on Wednesday night and told police they wouldn’t leave until the commissioner and mayor agreed to a list of their demands, including changes to police tactics and significant investment in education and social services.

Members of the Baltimore Bloc had begun shouting from the upper gallery of a conference room as a city council subcommittee prepared to vote for Kevin Davis as permanent commissioner. The full council will vote on the appointment Monday.   Continue reading “Activists occupy Baltimore City Hall; oppose commissioner”

Mail.com

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Even as stewards of a historic cruise ship that carried princes and presidents frantically pursue deals to preserve the vessel, they fear rescue efforts will sink without a large infusion of cash by month’s end.

The SS United States has issued many mayday calls over the past few years, but its overseers recently retained a broker to explore selling the defunct luxury liner for scrap. “She’s faced peril before, but this feels different,” said Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SS United States Conservancy. “And what is so excruciating about it is that we have made so much progress during the past year on redevelopment.”   Continue reading “Historic cruise ship sends out mayday call for funding”

The Daily Sheeple – by Joshua Krause

For the past 4 months, Illinois has been embroiled in a budget impasse between the state’s Republican governor, and the Democratic legislature. They’ve gone so long without a budget, that they have to pay their lottery winners in IOUs and may have to shorten the length of their school year.   Continue reading “Illinois to Postpone Pension Payments “We Are out of Money Now””

RT

Tesla’s latest software update may bring us one step closer to having self-driving cars on the road. While cars with the new software are not autonomous, they undoubtedly impress with their ability to change lanes and park themselves.

The software is going to be publicly available for Tesla Model S and Model X owners on Thursday. However, it has been available since mid-August for a select few early-access testers scattered around the US and parts of Europe.   Continue reading “Watch Tesla cars steer and park themselves with new software update”

Natural Gas Intelligence – by Richard Nemec

Following last month’s milestone decision to keep the beleaguered greater sage grouse off the endangered species listing, federal agencies in Utah have temporarily closed more than 233,000 acres of public and national forest lands for up to two years while they determine if the lands’ importance to the ground-based bird habitat is such that they should be made off limits for a longer period.

The temporary closure would not affect existing permitted activities on the lands with the shutdown only applying prospectively, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said. The federal agencies are taking comments on the proposal through Dec. 23.   Continue reading “BLM Puts ‘Off Limits’ Sign on 233,000 Acres in Utah”

Infowars – by Adan Salazar

An Indiana sheriff says he would ignore orders issued by President Obama calling for gun confiscation.

Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers made his stance on the Second Amendment clear during an interview on a local PBS broadcast, in which he supported the right of Americans to possess firearms free of additional infringements.   Continue reading “Indiana Sheriff to Obama: I Will Disregard Executive Order Calling for Gun Confiscation”

Las Vegas Sun – by Barbara Rodriguez

Two top aides to Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign knowingly concealed payments to an Iowa lawmaker who agreed to endorse their boss ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday at the start of a trial in which the former Texas congressman is set to testify.

“This case is about a cover-up,” said Justice Department attorney Jonathan Kravis during opening statements in the Des Moines trial of Jesse Benton and Dimitri Kesari.   Continue reading “Prosecutor: 2 ex-aides to Ron Paul involved in ‘cover-up’”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

As should be abundantly clear by now, The Kremlinis adopting a “slightly” different strategy when it comes to combatting terror in the Mid-East than that adopted by the US and its Western and regional allies.

The strategy of the US and its allies seems to go something like this: 1) covertly arm and train groups who you know might ultimately become terrorists because arming and training these groups may be a way to destabilize unfriendly regimes, 2) wait for blowback, 3) launch serious effort to combat terror if unfriendly regime has been “successfully” replaced by puppet government, or launch half-hearted effort to combat terror if situation still fluid and regime still clings to power.    Continue reading “Russia Sends Its Only Aircraft Carrier To Syria, Signals It Is Just Getting Started”

Gateway Pundit – by Jim Hoft

The Obama administration is spending $75 million a year arming EPA special agents with drones, night vision goggles, guns and assault ships.

The EPA special force was formed to take out US polluters.
The Spectator reported:   Continue reading “EPA Spends $75 Million to Equip 200 Special Agents With Drones, Night Vision Goggles, Guns and Assault Ships”

Lew Rockwell – by Laurence M. Vance

If there is one thing that the smelliest, most down-and-out, most destitute, most forsaken homeless guy who sleeps under a bridge has in common with Donald Trump it is that they both own their own bodies. That may be all the homeless guy owns, but he owns it free and clear and should be able to do what he wants with it.

And so should we—as long as our activities are peaceful, our interactions are consensual, and our associations are voluntary.   Continue reading “Do You Own Your Own Body?”