From the Trenches World Report

The Independent – by TIM WALKER , HEATHER SAUL

Mail.com

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A U.S. Army general accused of sexual assault was set to plead guilty to three lesser charges Thursday in a move that his lawyer says will strengthen his position going into trial.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair plans to enter the plea before opening statements scheduled for the morning in his court martial at Fort Bragg. The primary accuser in the case is a female captain who says Sinclair twice forced her to perform oral sex and threatened to kill her family if she told anyone about their three-year affair.   Continue reading “General to admit guilt on 3 counts; denies assault”

Mail.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and killing a nursing student who was last seen outside her West Tennessee home nearly three years ago, investigators said.

Holly Bobo was 20 when she disappeared on April 13, 2011. Her brother told authorities he saw a man in hunting clothes leading her into the woods around the family home near Parsons, about 100 miles northeast of Memphis.   Continue reading “Indictment in missing Tenn. nursing student case”

Common Dreams – by Jim Hightower

Goldman Sachs churns out enormous profits from its high-rolling, casino investment schemes, while also churning out fat paychecks for its top executives. They literally sack up the gold, even as their speculative gambles have wreaked havoc on our real economy.

But, finally recognizing that their public approval rating has sunk lower than mad-cow disease, Goldman’s banking barons now want you to know that they feel your pain and are eager to “give back” to the people. So — ta-da! — they’ve transformed themselves into philanthropists, having goosed up the bank’s foundation in order to flash their “charitable side.” Goldman’s chief of staff noted that “people said we weren’t doing enough” to address the gross inequities created by Wall Streeters, so they’ve turned their foundation into the fourth largest corporate charity in America. In an orchestrated show that the New York Times dubbed “reputation redemption,” the bank’s charitable arm doled out $241 million last year, including grants to women in developing nations and small business projects here in the U.S.   Continue reading “Can Wall Street Buy Redemption?”

Common Dreams – by Robert Parry

When Secretary of State John Kerry denounces Russia’s intervention in Crimea by declaring “It is not appropriate to invade a country and at the end of a barrel of gun dictate what you are trying to achieve. That is not Twenty-first Century, G-8, major-nation behavior,” you might expect that the next line in a serious newspaper would note.

But not if you were reading the New York Times on Wednesday, or for that matter the Washington Post or virtually any mainstream U.S. newspaper or watching a broadcast outlet.   Continue reading “Putin or Kerry: Who’s Delusional?”

Mami’s Shit – by RJ Livegood 

One area in which Tolstoy excelled was the ability and willingness to change his mind based on new experiences. It was a skill he began nurturing in the 1850s when he was an army officer. Tolstoy fought in the bloody siege of Sebastopol during the Crimean War, a horrific experience that turned him from a regular soldier into a pacifist. A decisive event took place in 1857, when he witnessed a public execution by guillotine in Paris. He never forgot the severed head thumping into the box below. It convinced him of the belief that the state and its laws were not only brutal, but served to protect the interests of the rich and powerful.   Continue reading “Leo Tolstoy life lesson #1 Keep an open mind”

Naval Today

The Russian Navy Ochakov Kara-class cruiser was sunk last night to block the Ukrainian Navy ships deployed in Novoozerne, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said in a press release today.

The information was confirmed by the Ukrainian military of the South Naval Base who were observing the operation.   Continue reading “Russia Sinks Ship to Block Ukrainian Navy Ships”

CenturyLink -by SATISH CHENEY

SINGAPORE (AP) — The American CEO of a virtual currency exchange was found dead near her home in Singapore.

A police spokesman said Thursday that initial investigations indicated there was no suspicion of “foul play” in the Feb. 26 death of 28-year-old Autumn Radtke, meaning officers do not suspect murder.

The spokesman said police found Radtke lying motionless near the apartment tower where she lived.   Continue reading “CEO of bitcoin exchange found dead in Singapore”

Business Insider – by HENRY BLODGET

The U.S. recovery from the Great Recession is still one of the worst recoveries in history (see red line at left).

Why is the recovery so slow and weak?

One of the main reasons is that average American consumers, who account for the vast majority of the spending in the economy, are still strapped.   Continue reading “WHY THE ECONOMY SUCKS: Because American Companies And Their Owners Are Greedier Now Than At Any Time In History”

Privacy SOS

Today I’m testifying in support of the Drone Privacy Act in the Massachusetts state legislature. Here‘s my testimony.

My colleagues will be testifying in support of the License Plate Privacy Act, another critical privacy bill heard today before the Joint Committee on Transportation.    Continue reading “Report: license plate tracking companies purposefully target low-income people”

The Guardian – by Ed Pilkington

The US government has moved to drop key charges against the activist-journalist Barrett Brown, including the most controversial count that he transferred stolen property by posting a hyperlink to a website containing hacked material.

Federal prosecutors had come under widespread criticism for seeking to prosecute Brown for the republishing of a hyperlink. Lawyers, publishers and internet freedom campaigners had warned it could set a precedent that would have put a chill on the culture of linking across the web.   Continue reading “US government moves to drop key charges against Barrett Brown”