From the Trenches World Report

ACLU Press Release

The ACLU, a Verizon Customer, Says Government Data Collection Violates Its First and Fourth Amendment Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a constitutional challenge to a surveillance program under which the National Security Agency vacuums up information about every phone call placed within, from, or to the United States. The lawsuit argues that the program violates the First Amendment rights of free speech and association as well as the right of privacy protected by the Fourth Amendment. The complaint also charges that the dragnet program exceeds the authority that Congress provided through the Patriot Act.  Continue reading “ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of NSA Phone Spying Program”

Infowars – by Paul Joseph Watson

Former CIA Director David Petraeus is in attendance at the 2013 Bilderberg Group conference to help construct the “big data” spy grid, which is set to become the new frontier of clandestine statecraft as Internet connectivity becomes ubiquitous.

Bilderberg’s official agenda for 2013 lists one of the areas of discussion as, “How big data is changing almost everything,” a reference to how the “Internet of things” along with the ubiquitous growth of social media is transforming the world of surveillance and the ability to foresee and manipulate future events.   Continue reading “Former CIA director David Petraeus at Bilderberg to create global spy grid”

Common Dreams – by Sarah Lazare

The Obama Administration is quietly firing Commodity Futures Trading Commission head Gary Gensler, who ran afoul of big banks by pushing for greater government oversight.

The ouster comes in the midst of controversy over a proposed CFTF rule, strongly supported by Gensler, that would extend U.S. regulation to swaps–a kind of derivative exhange–involving firms founded or doing business in the United States. This means that foreign banks and hedge funds would face the same regulations as U.S. ones when trading in swaps with U.S. parties.   Continue reading “Obama Cans Regulator Who Crossed Wall Street – Ouster is a gain for big bankers advocating lax oversight”

Information Clearinghouse – by Tom Hussain

ISLAMABAD — In office for less than a week, Pakistan’s new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, vented his anger Monday at two recent U.S. drone strikes, all but accusing his country’s overbearing military of lying to Pakistanis about its cooperation with the CIA to eliminate terrorism suspects in northwest tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

“The policy of protesting against drone strikes for public consumption, while working behind the scenes to make them happen, is not on,” Sharif said, according to an official statement issued after the first meeting of his Cabinet.   Continue reading “Pakistan’s Prime Minister Declares End to Secret Approval of U.S. Drone Strikes”

Breitbart – by JOHN NOLTE

TVNewser obtained an internal PBS memo Tuesdayand reports that, starting July 1, the beginning of their new fiscal year, “PBS NewsHour” is completely closing down its Denver and San Francisco offices, eliminating “several production positions in its Washington DC office, while leaving two open senior-level roles unfilled,” and preparing to turn to more outside freelancers:   Continue reading “PBS NewsHour Closes Offices, Lays Off Staff, Turns to Freelancers”

Anti-War – by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, June 07, 2013

Just because the whole world seems to be talking about closing Guantanamo Bay prison — not to mention the President of the United States — doesn’t mean it’s going to happen any time soon. Not if congressional Republicans have anything to do with it.   Continue reading “While No One Was Looking: House GOP Voted Against GITMO Closure”

The New American – by Raven Clabough

A number of states are exploring new fees for hybrid and electric car owners in order to compensate for the loss of revenue in gas taxes on fuel-efficient vehicles. The proposal is opposed by those who view the new fees as antithetical to one of the touted benefits of owning a hybrid: savings.

Boosting taxes “for people who want to use less gas is at odds with policies that are trying to make it easier for people who want to adopt clean and efficient technologies,” asserted Genevieve Cullen, vice president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, a Washington-based industry group.    Continue reading “States Propose Fees on Hybrids to Cover Gas Tax Losses”

Jon Rappoport

Al used to be a funny guy. Now, he’s not.

Make no mistake about it, if Bush were president at the moment, Little Al would be attacking him mercilessly.

But with Obama in the White House, Al sings a different tune.

The NSA spying is A-OK. No problem.   Continue reading “Senator Al Franken: from SNL spoofer to State surveillance hawk”

How to Survive It – by Jeremy Knauff

Between folklore and television, there is so much false survival information floating around today that most people will probably not make it through a true survival situation. I place a large portion of the blame for this on “couch commandos.” These are the guys (and gals) who own every survival book in existence, but have never applied the techniques in the real world, so their only experience is what “should” work, which they mindlessly repeat to anyone willing to listen. This continues over and over until falsehoods become accepted as gospel, so it’s time to dispel some of these myths.   Continue reading “7 Survival Myths That Will Get You Killed”

Time World – by Simon Shuster

n Thursday evening, the Russian public got the news of President Vladimir Putin’s divorce the same way they have gotten every fact about his private life — spoon-fed to them in tiny, measured and rather tasteless doses.   Continue reading “From Russia, Without Love: Vladimir Putin Divorces Wife Lyudmila”

CNS News – by Elizabeth Harrington

The IRS, currently in the midst of scandals involving the targeting of conservative groups and lavish taxpayer-funded conferences, is ordering surveillance equipment that includes hidden cameras in coffee trays, plants and clock radios.

The IRS wants to secure the surveillance equipment quickly – it posted a solicitation on June 6 and is looking to close the deal by Monday, June 10.  The agency already has a company lined up for the order but is not commenting on the details.   Continue reading “IRS Buying Spying Equipment: Covert Cameras in Coffee Trays, Plants”

Capitalism Institute

Rand Paul has been at the very front lines in the defense of liberty and our constitutional rights for the last couple of years. He’s taken on leadership of both parties, with an emphasis on stopping the president’s constant onslaught of unconstitutional policies.

Now, Rand Paul is saying that he’s going to likely sue the federal government over the Obama-sanctioned theft of our emails, Facebook messages, search histories, credit card information, and more. His goal is to unite internet companies, individuals, and organizations in one massive class-action lawsuit against the feds with millions of Americans standing up.   Continue reading “Rand Paul: Time for Millions of Americans to Sue the Government”

Huffington Post – by MATT APUZZO and ADAM GOLDMAN

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration declassified a handful of details Tuesday that credited its PRISM Internet spying program with intercepting a key email that unraveled a 2009 terrorist plot in New York.

The details, declassified by the director of national intelligence, were circulated on Capitol Hill as part of government efforts to tamp down criticism of two recently revealed National Security Agency surveillance programs.   Continue reading “NYC Bomb Plot Details Settle Little In NSA Debate”

The Independent – by SHAUN WALKER

Russia’s parliament will debate a controversial law on Tuesday that could see people arrested for behaviour that is deemed to promote homosexuality.