PEN America published a report this week summarizing the findings from a recent survey of 772 writers around the world on questions of surveillance and self-censorship. The report, entitled “Global Chilling: The Impact of Mass Surveillance on International Writers,” builds upon a late 2013 survey of more than 500 US-based writers conducted by the organization. […]
PEN America: “The Harm Caused by Surveillance…is Unmistakable”
Posted on January 10, 2015 Written by
EPA’s Wood-Burning Stove Ban Has Chilling Consequences For Many Rural People
Posted on January 9, 2015 Written by
It seems that even wood isn’t green or renewable enough anymore. The EPA has recently banned the production and sale of 80 percent of America’s current wood-burning stoves, the oldest heating method known to mankind and mainstay of rural homes and many of our nation’s poorest residents. The agency’s stringent one-size-fits-all rules apply equally to […]
The Islamization of American Public School Children
Posted on January 8, 2015 Written by
Many historians have compared our current plight to that of the Roman Empire in its fall-apart days. Like the Romans, we are falling because we became complacent and stopped doing the things that build a powerful civilization. We, as Americans, are failing to see where we are at in our own history. Our government has […]
Update on the Lawsuit to Stop the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) from Taking Away Local Control
Posted on December 24, 2014 Written by
Judge Grillo’s tentative ruling is against local autonomy, however, the Judge is in possession of the information he requested at the hearing and has not yet made a final ruling. Anticipation builds as to what the Superior Court will do…
Parental Rights in Public School: Quickly Disappearing.
Posted on December 22, 2014 Written by
Parental Rights in Public School: Quickly Disappearing. Parents are increasingly concerned that public school administrators are superseding the legal authority parents have in their child’s life. Missouri parents were surprised to learn that their directives for their children not to use computers at school or no parental permission allowing student computer use were ignored by […]
Police/DHS can spy on your medical & financial records
Posted on December 21, 2014 Written by
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPPA) is the primary federal law that addresses health records. The HIPAA privacy rules have special exceptions for law enforcement and national security investigations. The law enforcement provision is very broad. It covers all the usual police procedures, including subpoenas. Those don’t require a judge’s advance permission, and […]
Congress authorizes federal government to collect and use all private communications by U.S. citizens
Posted on December 21, 2014 Written by
A House Republican is criticizing a piece of legislation just passed by Congress as grossly unconstitutional because it essentially gives the federal government and local law enforcement “unlimited access to the communications of every American.” As reported by InfoWars.com, Rep. Justin Amash of Wisconsin said he found a passage in the Intelligence Authorization Act for […]
It Doesn’t Matter Who Does the Lobbying: Trade Agreements Aren’t the Place for Internet Regulations
Posted on December 21, 2014 Written by
The Associated Whistleblowing Press released portions of draft text proposed by the United States for the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) this week, revealing some alarming provisions that indicate how tech companies have been involved in influencing a secret international deal. The language of the leaked treaty shows provisions that could impact privacy online, and […]
