New York Times reporter James RisenThe Guardian – by Lindsey Bever

Committing an act of journalism could soon become an imprisonable offence.

New York Times reporter James Risen has been ordered to testify in the criminal trial of former Central Intelligence Agency official Jeffrey Sterling, who has been indicted under the Espionage Act of 1917 – for leaking classified information to Risen for publication in his book, State of War. Last month, the US court of appeals for the fourth circuit in Richmond, Virginia, ruled that Risen could not claim a reporter’s privilege under the first amendment to win exemption from being compelled to testify.   Continue reading “James Risen’s risk of prison means journalism is being criminalised”

benghazi_file_091312.jpgFox News- by Cynthia Farahat

Ahmed Moussa, a prominent Egyptian television personality on the Tahrir TV channel as well as a former officer in Egyptian State Security Intelligence (SSI), went public on July 30 with a remarkable piece of information.

Moussa said, addressing U.S. ambassador Anne Patterson (in absentia) on his show:   Continue reading “Is Muslim Brotherhood working together with Amb. Chris Stevens’ assassin?”

ENENews

Title: Fukushima Failure: Admitting to a leak
Source: CBC Radio’s ‘The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti’
Date: August 12, 2013   Continue reading “Japan Reporter: Engineers only have ‘vague idea’ where Fukushima nuclear fuel is after world’s first triple meltdown — “A vast experiment” — Problems are enormous”

Information Clearinghouse – by Ingenious Press

No other government on the face of this Earth wants to make it’s citizens more ill-at-ease, deathly afraid, or made to feel so guilty for stepping outside of it’s national boundaries as the United States of America. Rather than encouraging Americans to embrace overseas travel as one of the most educational, enjoyable, and emotionally and spiritually satisfying endeavors that people can undertake in the course of our painfully short lives, U.S. government departments and institutions are notorious for wanting to make even just the IDEA of pursuing international travel as unpleasant and unsettling as they can possibly muster.   Continue reading “The U.S. Government Does Not Want Americans To Travel Abroad”

File photo Press TV

An underground fuel pipeline goes off in the US state of Illinois, prompting people to flee the region as the flames went up 300 feet into the sky and could be seen from miles away.

The blast took place at around 11:15 p.m. Monday under a cornfield in Whiteside County near the border with Iowa.

No one was killed or injured in the incident.    Continue reading “Scores evacuated as fuel pipeline goes off in Illinois”

Mail.com

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military shot down a rocket launched toward a Red Sea resort town near the border with Egypt on Tuesday, the army said.

It was the first time Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system successfully intercepted a rocket attack on the resort of Eilat, the military said. The incident came after days of heightened tension along the Egypt-Israel border.   Continue reading “Israel army shoots down rocket near Egypt border”

Mail.com

DETROIT (AP) — Billboards promoting Detroit’s upcoming general election offered up some erroneous information about when to go to the polls.

The Detroit Free Press reports (http://on.freep.com/14J4HEc ) that many of the 14 billboards gave a September date for the election. The vote will actually take place Nov. 5. City Clerk Janice Winfrey says the billboards were updated Saturday with information about the general election, and she calls the September date “a mistake” by the business that handles the billboards.   Continue reading “Billboards give wrong date for Detroit election”

WhiteclayMail.com

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) — Jobs and confidence are in short supply on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where the rugged beauty of South Dakota’s Badlands contrasts sharply with dilapidated houses, rusted-out vehicles on blocks and trash in the streets — symbols of a helplessness fueled largely by an influx of bootlegged alcohol.

Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe are voting all day Tuesday on whether to give up the fight against bootlegging by allowing alcohol to be sold on the reservation — the last place in the state’s American Indian territory where it’s not allowed. Profits would be used for education, detoxification and treatment centers, for which there is currently little to no funding.   Continue reading “Last dry SD reservation voting on alcohol sales”

Inmates at Chino State Prison (AFP Photo)RT News

US prisons are operating at 40 percent above capacity, with half of all inmates locked up for drug-related crimes. Attorney General Eric Holder has proposed changes to the criminal justice system that would reduce sentences for non-violent crimes.

In an announcement scheduled for delivery on Monday, Holder outlined a plan to free up prisons and keep non-violent drug offenders from ending up in jail cells. Under a major policy shift, federal prosecutors will no longer push for “mandatory minimum” sentences for low-level drug offenders, and will instead send more people to drug treatment and community service programs. Additionally, Holder wants prisons to release elderly, non-violent offenders.   Continue reading “Facing overcrowded prisons, US wants to cut drug sentences”

Hyperloop passenger capsule version with doors open at the station. (Image from teslamotors.com/blog/hyperloop)RT News

The billionaire inventor and entrepreneur behind PayPal and SpaceX unveiled details on Monday about a new transportation system that might someday shuttle people around the world quicker than an airplane and at a fraction of the cost.

Elon Musk, the South African-born scientist who also oversees operations of the Tesla electric car, revealed on Monday the most information yet about his Hyperloop project, a transportation system that he previously said could move people from Los Angeles, California to San Francisco in half an hour.   Continue reading “Inventor Elon Musk reveals new super-fast ‘Hyperloop’ transport”

An F-18 Hornet (AFP Photo / Adrian Dennis)RT News

Brazilian officials have expressed reluctance to purchasing dozens of military planes from the US after it was revealed that the NSA not only closely monitored Brazilian energy and military affairs, but also mined for commercial secrets.

The US had planned to sell Brazil – a country in the process of revitalizing its Air Force – 36 fighter jets in a deal worth more than US$4 billion. But when US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday, the leaders will not discuss the deal, a source near to the situation told Reuters.    Continue reading “Brazil may reject US fighter jet deal over NSA spying scandal”

AFP Photo / Johannes EiseleRT News

A controversial, genetically modified super-maize from Monsanto is set to be approved for cultivation across the European Union by late October despite safety concerns, German media reports.

Despite EU regulators last month thwarting the expansion of the world’s largest seed corporation, it appears Germany won’t escape new GMO crops.    Continue reading “Monsanto’s SmartStax maize ‘to be approved for growth in October’ in EU”

Breitbart – by BEN SHAPIRO

On Monday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the American Bar Association annual meeting in San Francisco that she would be launching a series of speeches about American foreign policy in the “next few months.” According to Philip Rucker, White House correspondent for The Washington Post, Hillary planned to emphasize restoring faith in government – an ironic theme, considering that she was a member of the current administration presiding over the rapid decline in faith in government.   Continue reading “Hillary Announces Speaking Tour to Restore Faith in Government”

Common Dreams – by Eugene Robinson

President Obama’s message about the government’s massive electronic surveillance programs came through loud and clear: Get over it.

The president used more soothing words in his pre-vacation news conference Friday, but that was the gist. With perhaps the application of a fig leaf here and a sheen of legalistic mumbo jumbo there, the snooping will continue.   Continue reading “What NSA Reforms? Obama’s Real Message to Americans: ‘Get Over It’”