World News, Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, UK and Scotland, China, Brazil 2014 and Qatar 2022, MH370; US Politics, Obamanation, Texas, War on Women, Immigrants; Vote Machinations, Campaign Finance Deform, Public-Private Partnerships

World News

• Thai junta pushes 'happiness' project—"Critics say rulers also aim to stifle political dissent." Boston Globe
• Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Icon Of Egypt's 2011 Revolt, Sentenced To 15 Years For Protesting
• Anti-monarchy protests grip Madrid—Spanish lawmakers about to approve abdication.

Ukraine and Russia

• Britain calls up Dad's Army of spies to watch Russia—"Military intelligence chiefs have been re-recruiting Cold War veterans and retired linguists because of a lack of Russian skills to deal with the Ukraine crisis."
• After Ukraine, U.S. trains more special forces in eastern Europe
• Gas row: Ukraine 'won't fall into Russian gas trap'
• Europe Has Finally Found A Way To Make Russia Hurt Economically In Ukraine Crisis
• EU raises 500 mn euros for Ukraine

Israel and Palestine

• Pope says Israelis, Palestinians must seek peace 'undaunted in dialogue'
• Annexation Plan Sparks Threat to Topple Israel Government—"sraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest coalition partner threatened to bring down the government if it tries to annex West Bank settlements following the breakdown of Mideast peace talks."
• Netanyahu Is Facing Heat From All Sides For His Handling Of Palestine Peace Talks

UK and Scotland

• JK Rowling donates £1m to Scotland's anti-independence campaign
• Obama says wants Scotland inside the UK, Britain inside the EU
• Lego asks government to remove Scottish independence images—"Toy manufacturer says it is politically neutral and did not provide photos for press release encouraging Scots to stay in UK."

China

• 2nd China Army Unit Implicated in Online Spying NYT
• Toronto man accused of spying, jailed in China—"A Toronto man living in China says he was wrongfully imprisoned after refusing to spy on Canada."
• Vietnam airs video of Chinese ship sinking fishing boat in South China Sea—In the meantime, Chinese oil rigs are on the move.
• Japan Slams China Over Close Encounter of Jets
• Ancient Chinese maps debunk Beijing's sea claims, says Philippine judge SCMP
• China reaches out to India amid tension with Japan, Vietnam
• Hong Kong must accept Beijing's control, China's Communist Party warns—"Nearly a week after more than 100,000 protesters gathered in Hong Kong to remember the Tiananmen crackdown and call for universal suffrage, Beijing issues controversial white paper reminding the former colony it does not enjoy 'full autonomy.'" Hong Kong protests.

Brazil 2014 and Qatar 2022

• Protests and social unrest threaten World Cup kickoff—Police resort to tear gassing protesters.
• Court rules Sao Paulo subway strike 'illegal'—"Workers must pay increased daily fine if they continue action as strike threatens opening game of Brazil World Cup." The union called it off.
• Fifa sponsor demands 'appropriate investigation'—"One of Fifa's main sponsors, Sony, calls for an investigation into the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar."
• Adidas: Qatar 2022 Claims Damaging Sponsors
• Report: Qatar paid $1.7m per vote
• Sepp Blatter launches broadside against the 'racist' British media
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: FIFA and the World Cup

MH370

• Missing Malaysia jet MH370: 'Whistleblower fund' set up
• Oil rig worker fired after claiming to have seen burning MH370 plane crash
• Australia has spent far more than Malaysia

US Politics

• Eric Cantor succumbs to tea party challenger Tuesday—"The House Republican leader succumbs to David Brat, a little-known conservative activist." What happened? WaPo
• Eric Cantor and the tea party purge WaPo
• Wendy Davis Caught On Camera Saying Republicans Dislike 'People Who Don't Look Like Them'
• The Big Lobotomy—"How Republicans made Congress stupid."
• Does Fox News Cause Ignorance, or Do Ignorant Viewers Prefer Fox News?—"A new study reveals the gap between the channel's fans and the rest of America."
• Why I'm No Longer a Republican

Obamanation

• Sen. Graham fights for Obama's impeachment—"Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will fight for Obama's impeachment. Why--he's up for re-election."
• Is Obama a Tyrant or a Weakling?—"His critics can't seem to decide." Politico
• White House Aides: Bergdahl Criticism Is Proxy for GOP's Obama Hatred

Texas

• Texas GOP splits between social conservatives, libertarians
• Young Republicans Reject Current Texas GOP Platform—"Current and former leadership of the state's Young Republican chapters shared with Breitbart Texas their frustrations with the current Texas Republican platform, and ideas for how it should be fixed."
• Chris Matthews rips Texas Republican platform: 'How wide is this infection of hatred?'

War on Women

• Sarah Palin believes she is the only actual victim of the "war on women"—"Palin thinks President Obama 'fired the first shot' in the 'war on women' that she doesn't believe even exists." Salon
• Republicans think touching Glamour magazine makes them female-friendly Salon
• WaPo Editorial Page Goes Neanderthal For Second Time In A Week

Immigrants

• Arizona Official Says Immigrant Kids in Good Care
• Questions surround surge in migrant kids left at border
• Obama vows urgent action as children make perilous illegal journey into U.S.
• McCain: GOP must pass immigration to compete in 2016—"Without immigration reform, the former presidential candidate says, the Republican Party won't win in 2016."
• Supreme Court rules against immigrants over visa eligibility
• Woman Waits In Line For 21 Years To Immigrate Into US, Then Gets Turned Away For Being Too Old
• Opinion: On Legal Immigration, Supreme Court Gets It Wrong

Vote Machinations

• Texas Seen as "Kind of an Electoral Wasteland"
• Judge Orders 3 Early Voting Days Restored in Ohio
• Why Mississippi's voter ID law hurts the poor—"Mississippi's new voter-identification law suppresses those who cannot afford the cost of a photo ID, writes Robert Reich. How is Mississippi's effort to stop voter fraud is actually a step back?"
• Voter Fraud Is Rare, but Myth Is Widespread—"Many people believe voter impersonation and other kinds of election fraud are much more widespread than they really are." NYT
• Tea Party Candidate Creates Fake Organization, Endorses Herself In Ad
• Sen. Cruz Formally Renounces Canadian Citizenship

Campaign Finance Deform

• NC House lawmakers file resolution calling for constitutional convention to overturn Citizens United
• Republican Congressman Demolishes The Supreme Court's Rationale For Killing Campaign Finance Laws
• Don't fear the Koch brothers. Fear an election that caters only to billionaires—"Forget right or left. Dark money in politics means you'll never know which 'independent' candidate's views were on the market."

Public-Private Partnerships

• Va. lawmaker to resign, paving way for jobs for self, daughter, according to associates—"Sen. Philip Puckett's resignation paves the way for Republicans to pass a budget without Medicaid." Was this straight-up bribery? WaPo
• GOP Rep. Acknowledges That Members Expect Donations For Votes
• Greenhouse—"A free browser extension for Chrome and Safari that exposes the role money plays in Congress. Displays on any web page detailed campaign contribution data for every Senator and Representative, including total amount received and breakdown by industry and by size of donation."

International Day Against Homophobia, Politics, Michael Sam, Marriage Equality, States, LGBT; World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: Broadband for Sustainable Development

International Day Against Homophobia

• How Fox News Shoved Shepard Smith Back Into The Closet
• Newt Gingrich: "Teach people who are gay to be open and understanding" toward the homophobic jerks who hate them Salon
• Fist-waving fired HGTV hosts are ready to 'clean house' on the gay 'agenda of silence'
• Salvation Army Refuses Housing Shelter To Transgender Woman
• Catholic school pulls senior's yearbook photo because she wore a tuxedo—"An LGBT student at the Catholic school won't be in the yearbook because she opted to wear a tux instead of a dress." Salon
• Notorious KKK Leader Frazier Glenn Miller Was Once Caught Doing 'Rather Salacious' Things With a Black Male Prostitute
• Homophobic acts in France up 78 percent, according to watchdog group SOS Homophobie

Politics

• Gay GOP House candidate Carl DeMaio won't support gay rights, upset gays don't like him
• Louie Gohmert Compares Gay Rights Advocates To Nazis In House Floor Speech
• GOP candidate was once a female impersonator
• Top Anti-Gay Lawyer Inadvertently Tells Court That Brown v. Board of Education Was Wrongly Decided
• Obama Judicial Nominee Vowed To Oppose Gay Boy Scout Leaders
• Arkansas Congressman: LGBT Job Protections Would Burden Businesses With 'Frivolous Lawsuits'
• How Conservatives Are Trying To Derail Houston's LGBT Nondiscrimination Ordinance

Michael Sam

• Michael Sam: 'Overwhelmed' by pick
• Michael Sam Proves It: Gay People Need to Kiss in Public Much, Much More—About that kiss.
• TV Host Explains Why She Stormed Off Set Over Michael Sam's Kiss
• Michael Sam calls foul on his late draft pick: "I should've been in the first three rounds"—"And Marshall Henderson says he tweeted homophobic comments about Sam as a noble intellectual pursuit!" Salon
• Brennan: Michael Sam most important football player in U.S.

Marriage Equality

• Same-sex marriage is winning, in two maps
• Federal Judge To Florida Family Association: Mind Your Own Business—"The rabidly anti-gay FFA... sought to insert itself in two lawsuits in which same-sex couples married legally outside Florida now seek recognition from the state."
• Federal Judge Rules Anti-Gay Group Can't Defend Oregon Gay Marriage Ban—"A federal judge has just ruled that NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, does not have standing and therefore cannot defend Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage."
• Anti-Anal Sex Lawmaker To Grab Coffee With Openly Gay Obama Campaign Aide
• Telling the stories behind the Supreme Court 'gamble' on same-sex marriage
• The Bible backs same-sex couples: Point by point, why the haters are wrong—"I was taught the Bible condemned same-sex relationships. So I spent years with the text, and that's simply not true." Salon

States

• Arkansas judge strikes down gay marriage ban—Gay marriage arrives at the Bible Belt at least for a while.
• Federal judge rules Idaho gay marriage ban unconstitutional
• Citing religious freedom, NC clergymen sue state for right to perform same-sex marriages
• How A Single Low-Level Election Could Change Same Sex Marriage In The South
• Kentucky gives the weirdest argument yet against gay marriage—"[P]eople who are physically unable to conceive or bear children shouldn't be allowed to marry...."

LGBT

• Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "open" to reviewing military ban on transgender service members—"Every qualified American who wants to serve our country should have an opportunity." Salon
• What's Revealing About Neil Patrick Harris Naked On The Cover Of Rolling Stone—"Neil Patrick Harris is the first openly gay man to appear naked on the cover of Rolling Stone."
• Austria's Conchita Wurst wins Eurovision amid Russia, Ukraine tensions
• Nintendo says 'No' to gay characters—Here's their official statement.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: Broadband for Sustainable Development

• Obama Backs Away From Net Neutrality Campaign Promises After FCC Vote
• Bankrolled by broadband donors, lawmakers lobby FCC on net neutrality—"Watchdog decries politicians' claims that they 'are acting in the public interest.'"
• Net neutrality protesters removed by armed guards at FCC meeting
• Shocker: Cable TV prices went up four times the rate of inflation—"Even communities with multiple competitors weren't spared."
• These companies spend the most money to kill net neutrality—"They're putting their money where your open Internet is."
• Net Neutrality and the Idea of America—"Net neutrality is standing in for a national conversation about deeper values."
• Why the death of net neutrality would be a disaster for libraries WaPo
• Only you can save the Internet: Here's how to fight the FCC's controversial net neutrality plan

International Day Against DRM; Patents; Net Neutrality; NSA Spying, Surveillance and Privacy; Haxx0red; Digital Life, Tech Death; Tesla; GM; Reviews; Unfriendly Skies

International Day Against DRM

• Watch the trailer for Aaron Swartz documentary 'The Internet's Own Boy'
• Obama Complains That TPP Critics Are 'Conspiracy Theorists' Who 'Lack Knowledge' About Negotiations
• This New York Times Short Dramatizes a Deposition About the Definition of Photocopying—"In 2010, the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office in Ohio changed their policy about copying records. Digital files would no longer be available, and the public would have to make hard copies of documents for $2 per page."
• Hulu attempts to block international viewers who use VPNs

Patents

• In 9-0 vote, Supreme Court makes it easier to get fees in patent cases—"Top patent court almost never makes bad actors pay. Supremes see it differently."
• SCOTUS asked to overturn patent-troll's charter
• The jury is in: Samsung infringes, but damages to Apple are a "mere" $120M—"Apple wins on two patents but loses its damages case, getting just 5 percent."

Net Neutrality

• Level 3 claims six ISPs dropping packets every day over money disputes
• Comcast is destroying the principle that makes a competitive internet possible
• Mozilla's crazy plan to fix net neutrality and turn broadband into a utility – and why it could work—"Mozilla thinks it has found a way to ensure true network neutrality without going back and reclassifying broadband. Will its regulatory sleight of hand find support?"
• Obama must show he supports net neutrality - here's how

NSA Spying

• Everyone is under surveillance now, says whistleblower Edward Snowden—"People's privacy is violated without any suspicion of wrongdoing, former National Security Agency contractor claims."
• Emails reveal close Google relationship with NSA
• White House seeks legal immunity for firms that hand over customer data—"Obama administration asks legislators drafting NSA reforms to protect telecoms firms complying with court orders."
• Chairman of key House committee agrees to proceed with NSA reform bill—"Bob Goodlatte of Virginia breathes new life into USA Freedom Act after bill to overhaul spy agency stalled by months of delay."
• A reporter, a reddit founder, a lawyer, and an ex-NSA chief walk into a debate
• Hannity Then and Now on NSA Surveillance

Surveillance and Privacy

• US Government Begins Rollout Of Its 'Driver's License For The Internet'
• Privacy price gouging, courtesy of phone companies—"Charging customers repeatedly to make their phone numbers unlisted is nothing more than a money grab by companies that already pocket billions of dollars a year in profit." LATimes
• Apple iOS 7 Updates Silently Remove Encryption for Email Attachments

Haxx0red

• Microsoft patches IE zero-day flaw, issues special security update for Windows XP despite end of support
• Serious security flaw in OAuth, OpenID discovered—"Attackers can use the 'Covert Redirect' vulnerability in both open-source log-in systems to steal your data and redirect you to unsafe sites."
• Hacker hijacks baby monitor, screams 'Wake up baby!'
• Hackers Can Mess With Traffic Lights to Jam Roads and Reroute Cars

Digital Life

• We're sharing more photos but getting less in return
• Can an Algorithm Solve Twitter's Credibility Problem?—Is Twitter dying or not?
• The kid who got kicked by a train conductor could earn a whole lot of money
• The NASCAR Dogecoin car is real and it is beautiful
• Why I quit writing internet standards

Tech Death

• The silencing of the Deaf—"How high-tech implants are being blamed for killing an entire subculture."
• The Decline of Newspapers Hits a Stunning Milestone
• Report: Google to end forced G+ integration, drastically cut division resources
• Godaddy Quietly Ends Email Support – Review Of New Live Chat Replacement
• Sony's in a 'bag of hurt' because of Blu-ray

Tesla

• Why do car dealers and Republicans want to eliminate Tesla?—"Instead of adapting to new market demands, car dealerships spend their money to get politicians to help them hurt Tesla."
• FTC: State bans on Tesla's direct sales model are hurting competition
• Blast from the Past: Strangling Innovation: Tesla vs. 'Rent Seekers'

GM

• Job Crushing or Lifesaving?—"Regulations don’t kill jobs, they save lives." NYT
• Documents show GM's early knowledge of switch defect
• GM to ask bankruptcy court for lawsuit protection—"Company's motion says more than 30 cases have been filed against it since February."
• Blast from the Past: GM recalls almost a million vehicles—"[B]ecause of a problem with the windshield wiper fluid system that could lead to a fire."

Reviews

• One Percenters Control Online Reviews—"Contrary to appearances, online reviews reflect the opinions of the few."
• Audiophile bullshit
• Baybrook Remodelers, Still In The Midst Of Suing People For Negative Reviews, Deploys A Disastrous SEO Hitman
• Oh My Dayum!—Songified review.

Unfriendly Skies

• US Airways sends lewdest brand tweet ever
• Air Canada to consider firing workers in baggage toss video—"YouTube video shows baggage dropped from atop staircase, airline investigating."
• 14-Year-Old Allegedly Tweeted Terrorist Threat And Then Freaked Out When American Airlines Responded—As she throws her "friend" under the bus, other idiots join in [WaPo].
• Australian mistook cockpit for toilet, triggering hijack scare

Workers and Wage Slaves, Minimum Wage, Occupational Hazards; Your Government at Work; SEC, Banks and Wall Street; Politics and Economy, Class Warfare; GOP, Corruption, Public-Private Partnerships; Vote Machinations, Campaign Finance Deform; BLM, Right-Wing Extremism

Workers and Wage Slaves

• Apple, Google will pay 64,000 engineers to avoid trial on "no-poach" deal—"Agreement to not 'cold call' drove down wages; settlement said to be $324M."
• Opinion: Treat wage theft as a criminal offense WaPo
• Times are so tough in Italy that Mafiosi are considering getting jobs
• Canadian waitresses lose jobs to foreign workers
• McDonald's Canada CEO calls foreign worker controversy 'bullshit'
• For Many Americans, 'Temp' Work Becomes Permanent Way of Life

Minimum Wage

• Gov. Mary Fallin signs minimum wage hike ban in Oklahoma
• Congressman Tells Low-Income Worker: Higher Minimum Wage Is 'Not Right'
• Alaska GOP pulling a fast one on minimum wage
• Seattle's $15 Minimum Wage Campaign Losing Ground
• Bolivia raises minimum wage by 20%

Occupational Hazards

• US Workers Were Once Massacred Fighting for the Protections Being Rolled Back Today
• Lawsuit: Forced on maternity leave, forced to return before baby is due—&st;San Jose woman claims in a lawsuit that Pier 1 forced her onto unpaid pregnancy leave, even though her doctors said she could work." LATimes
• Thousands of Chinese spent their "best years" making Nike shoes and now have no pensions
• Samsung's War at Home—"A grass-roots effort to make Samsung pay for deaths at a chipmaking plant is changing South Korea's corporate-is-king mentality."
• Judge: Talking dirty not reason enough to lose job

Your Government at Work

• Social Security stops trying to collect on old debts by seizing tax refunds—"The agency's move comes after The Post reports on the seizure of tax refunds issued to debtors' relatives." WaPo
• Lax Oversight Cited as Factor in Deadly Blast at Texas Plant—"Federal investigators have determined that a lack of oversight and regulations at the local, state and federal levels contributed to the deadly fertilizer plant explosion that devastated a rural Texas town last year." NYT
• VA: Man will get warning instead of $525 citation for $.89 drink refill
• Beer prices could go up under FDA rule that angers farmers, brewers

SEC

• The SEC's just been caught colluding with the banks it's supposed to regulate—"The Securities and Exchange Commission let Goldman Sachs and other banks off the hook for illegal marketing of complicated debt products. But the real scandal is a secret deal to pretend the fines were much tougher than they really were."
• SEC Blocking Update to Electronic Privacy Laws—"[T]he SEC—the agency charged with regulating the securities industry—has brought the ECPA update to a screeching halt."
• SEC Insider Indicts Agency as Soft on Wall Street: Four Blunt Points

Banks and Wall Street

• Wall Street deregulation pushed by Clinton advisers, documents reveal—"Previously restricted papers reveal attempts to rush president to support act, later blamed for deepening banking crisis."
• Who Goes to Jail? Matt Taibbi on American Injustice Gap from Wall Street to Main Street
• Op-Ed: Will SWAT teams arrest bankers who owe $3 trillion for bailouts?
• Sallie Mae Cheated Soldiers On Federal Student Loans, Government Investigators Find
• U.S. Said to Ask BofA for More Than $13 Billion Over RMBS
• SAC Capital $1.8 billion penalty approved—"A federal judge on Thursday approved a $1.8 billion settlement resulting from the guilty plea of hedge fund operator SAC Capital on charges related to insider trading by its employees."
• Stop moaning about our bonuses: Barclays boss slaps down investors angry at bank's pay practices

Politics and Economy

• Occupy was right: capitalism has failed the world—"One of the slogans of the 2011 Occupy protests was 'capitalism isn't working'. Now, in an epic, groundbreaking new book, French economist Thomas Piketty explains why they're right."
• Elizabeth Warren Simplifies Thomas Piketty: 'Trickle Down Doesn't Work. Never Did'
• Al Gore Is Not Giving Up Politico
• Eight Headlines the Mainstream Media Doesn't Have the Courage to Print

Class Warfare

• US Is an Oligarchy Not a Democracy, says Scientific Study
• Scholar Behind Viral 'Oligarchy' Study Tells You What It Means
• Tax Havens Leave U.S. Filers $1,259 Tab Each, Report Says
• Raising Taxes on Corporations that Pay Their CEOs Royally and Treat Their Workers Like Serfs
• The Super Rich Are Richer Than We Thought, Hiding Huge Sums, New Reports Find
• Government = Protection Racket for the 1 Percent
• Matt Taibbi: America Has A 'Profound Hatred Of The Weak And The Poor'
• From the War on Poverty to the War on the Poor
• The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World's Richest NYT
• Florida City About To Make It Illegal For Homeless People To Have Possessions In Public

GOP

• Conservative Tribalism—"Mass transit. Common Core. Light bulbs. Conservatives hate these things for no better reason than that liberals like them."
• Six Studies That Show Everything Republicans Believe is Wrong—"It's time for the right wing to stop lying about the minimum wage, taxes, global warming and more."
• John Boehner admits Republicans are the problem WaPo
• Republicans Are Racists? No, It's Just All a Big Coincidence—"The revolting comments. The emails. The jokes. The posters. The T-shirts. The ghostwriters. It's not like it's a pattern or something."
• Sometimes Only the Onion Will Do
• Rasmussen: 59% of GOP Voters Say Republicans in Congress Out of Touch with Party's Base
• Nevada GOP drops platforms against abortions, gay marriage, endorses Sandoval
• Rupert Murdoch: Fox News Has 'Saved' The GOP And American Politics

Corruption

• Texas grand jury being seated in Perry ethics case—"... an investigation into whether Gov. Rick Perry abused his power by vetoing funding for public corruption prosecutors...."
• Chris Christie's $300m pension proposal broke state anti-corruption laws (And now the intended recipient threatens to sue Pando)
• SEC probing New Jersey Governor Christie's transport funding—"Federal securities regulators are probing whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration improperly diverted funds from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for use on transport projects in New Jersey...."
• Feds Preparing To Bring Criminal Charges Against Rep. Grimm
• U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs Florida Gov. Rick Scott on drug testing

Public-Private Partnerships

• TurboTax Maker Linked to 'Grassroots' Campaign Against Free, Simple Tax Filing—"Intuit and its allies are continuing to work against proposals for what's known as return-free filing."
• Legalizing Internet gambling: Sheldon Adelson, casinos, offshore companies, lobbyists, and state governments fight it out
• Bill could slow Florida craft beer industry growth—"The fight between craft brewers and the distributors of Budweiser over the legalization of half-gallon beer containers has gotten so bitter that it is even being likened to extortion." Budweiser lobbyists' attack on craft brewers.
• Tennessee Passes Mind-Boggling Ban on Bus Rapid Transit

Vote Machinations

• Obama: Republicans want to keep people from voting—"If your strategy depends on having fewer people showing up to vote, that's not a sign of strength. That's a sign of weakness. And not only it is ultimately bad politics, ultimately it is bad for the country." WaPo
• After initial hysteria, back-pedaling over NC voter fraud claims
• Arkansas Judge Strikes Down State's Voter ID Law
• 4 Alabama counties have more active, registered voters than adult population
• New York joins campaign to end Electoral College role in presidential elections—"Gov. Cuomo signed off on the National Popular Vote Compact, agreeing to award the state's electoral college votes to the presidential candidate that wins the national popular vote."
• 'Segway Ryan' Hopes To Confuse Voters In Paul Ryan Primary
• Bar Association Angered By Haley Attack Ad: Legal Defense Is 'Constitutional Right'
• Democrats, You Better Get Angry or You'll Lose Congress

Campaign Finance Deform

• Justice Stevens Rips Into John Roberts' Campaign Finance Ruling
• Campaign finance after McCutcheon: If the public doesn't care, the "appearance of corruption" doesn't matter.
• Can't We Just Say the Roberts Court Is Corrupt?
• Weeks After SCOTUS Campaign Finance Blow, Federal Judge Strikes Down NY Spending Limit
• The coming GOP campaign for donor secrecy—"Get ready for a big campaign in favor of eliminating disclosure of contributions." WaPo
• GOP's Mike Ellis caught on recording talking of illegal fundraising
• How do you start a super PAC? Ask these Tennessee teens. WaPo
• Money in Politics Is Taxation Without Representation

BLM

• U.S. seizes cattle in rare fight over federal land use in Nevada—blah blah blah
• U.S. agency ends Nevada cattle roundup after stand-off
• Conservatives begin backing away after Cliven Bundy's remarks disparaging 'the Negro'—How sincere was his apology?
• Jon Stewart Escalates Feud With Hannity: 'This Sh*t Is Out There'
• Stephen Colbert sings "The Ballad of Cliven Bundy": "His land belongs to you and me, that's what he told Sean Hannity" Salon

Right-Wing Extremism

• Kansas Jewish Center Shooting Suspect Identified as Former KKK Leader
• Home-grown right-wing terror bares its fangs in Kansas killings
• U.S. right wing extremists more deadly than jihadists
• Far-Right Texas Terrorist Planned Murder And Robbery Spree in the Name of 'Liberty'
• More than 100 hate-crime murders linked to single website, report finds

Net Neutrality Neutered, Broadband; Fourth Amendment Fouls; Bad Cops, Albuquerque; Police Brutality, K9 Killers, Militarization; Law and Disorder, Trial and Error, Recording, Prison, Innocence; Guns; Uncharitable

Net Neutrality Neutered

• FCC proposal would destroy net neutrality
• The FCC's "fast lane" rule is awful for the Internet—just ask the FCC—"Pay-for-play is fine for Web users? That's not what the FCC said in 2010."
• The FCC is about to axe-murder net neutrality. Don't get mad – get even—"The former cable and wireless industry lobbyist Tom Wheeler is re-writing rules in favor of the telecom giants – not you, me or the internet. Here's what you can do to stop him."
• Why Comcast Will Be Allowed to Buy Time Warner Cable and Kill Net Neutrality—"Five registered lobbyists at Comcast have spent time at the FCC. One of the last FCC Commissioners is one of them. One chart describes it all."
• How Comcast gets whatever it wants despite being one of America's most hated companies
• Sen. Sanders' statement—"Under this terribly misguided proposal, the Internet as we have come to know it would cease to exist and the average American would be the big loser. We must not let private corporations turn bigger and bigger profits by putting a price tag on the free flow of ideas."
• Goodbye, Net Neutrality; Hello, Net Discrimination
• The FCC's New Net Neutrality Proposal Is Even Worse Than You Think
• Netflix: The Case Against ISP Tolls—Should they switch over to P2P?
• Internet For the 1 Percent: New FCC Rules Strike Down Net Neutrality, Opening Fast Lanes for Fees
• Save the Internet campaign
• Blast from the Past: Obama pledges Net neutrality laws if elected president—US citizens should remind him of his promise.

Broadband

• Is Your Internet Connection Slower Than Advertised? WSJ
• AT&T's 'Expansion' of 1 Gbps to 100 Cities is a Big, Fat Bluff
• Comcast says its customer service does a great job 'way more than 99%' of the time
• Verizon Knows You're A Sucker: Takes Taxpayer Subsidies For Broadband, Doesn't Deliver, Lobbies To Drop Requirements

Fourth Amendment Fouls

• Supreme Court Gives Police New Power To Rely On Anonymous Tips
• Feds Beg Supreme Court to Let Them Search Phones Without a Warrant
• Low-level federal judges balking at law enforcement requests for electronic evidence—"Judges at the lowest levels of the federal judiciary are balking at sweeping requests by law enforcement officials for cellphone and other sensitive personal data, declaring the demands overly broad and at odds with basic constitutional rights." WaPo

Bad Cops

• New Orleans cops ignore federal oversight—"Advocates say a federally mandated overhaul of the New Orleans Police Department has yielded few results."
• Reform in Reverse—"How Mayor Ed Murray Unraveled Two Years of Police Reform in Only Two Months."
• D.C. Lieutenant Working During Fire Station Death Bypasses Discipline
• Monterey County deputies mistake Air Force captain for burglar in Carmel—"U.S. Air Force Capt. Nicolas Aquino was tackled and handcuffed at his own house in Carmel because a Monterey County sheriff's deputy thought he was a burglar. Now, Aquino is being charged with resisting arrest and obstructing a peace officer."
• Pakistani judge dismisses charges against 9-month-old accused of attempted murder

Albuquerque

• Albuquerque: 3 Police Oversight Commission members quit—"Letter: 'I cannot continue to pretend or deceive the members of our community.'"
• Police body cameras didn't provide accountability in New Mexico
• Albuquerque police officer fatally shoots woman—"A 19-year-old woman suspected of stealing a truck was shot and killed during a chase with Albuquerque police, making her the third person in five weeks to be killed by officers and the first since the department was put under federal orders to reduce the use of deadly force and reform a culture of abuse and aggression."

Police Brutatlity

• #myNYPD Backfires As Twitter Users Share Photos of Police Brutality
• Bull Shoals police chief arrested in federal excessive-force case
• Federal jury acquits state trooper of stomping

K9 Killers

• Dog dies after police prevent neighbor from giving aid after it was hit by a car—"We asked Denver Police to view the video but they declined."
• Halifax cop shoots dog while conducting surveillance on home
• Owners ask for answers after Austin Police officers shoot and kill dog

Militarization

• The United States of SWAT?—"Military-style units from government agencies are wreaking havoc on non-violent citizens."
• Congratulations! Your tiny town has an MRAP and is ready for war—"Here at The Watch, we're looking for the smallest town in America to acquire an MRAP, or Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected armored personnel vehicle." WaPo
• Militarized police may be in a town near you

Law and Disorder

• Hate crime charge in mob attack on Detroit motorist
• Couple strip searched over $3 earrings at southeast Houston beauty supply
• Ohio man must pay $489,000 for fake distress report: court
• Driver of SUV that hit cyclists suing dead teen's family—'Her enjoyment of life has been and will be lessened,' suit claims." Sociopath?

Trial and Error

• Report: NYC court stenographer who typed 'gibberish' may jeopardize up to 30 convictions
• FBI rescues Wake Forest man; abduction related to daughter's work as prosecutor, investigators say
• Ohio judge orders man to hold 'I AM A BULLY!' sign WaPo
• Families of autistic kids sue Disney parks over policy on lines—"Disney changed the policy after media reports of abuse of guest assistance cards, such as visitors hiring disabled people to help them skip lines." Go sue those assholes first.
• Majority of complaints about Sriracha factory came from 4 households

Recording

• Rare 'Perry Mason' moment in court wins dismissal for defendant, desk duty for 5 police officers—"A seemingly routine suppression hearing in a suburban Chicago courthouse last month took an unexpected dramatic turn when video from a police car was introduced that disproved the testimony of five police officers."
• Detroit police unveil new cameras to be worn by officers and newest batch of scout cars
• Video shows Texas cop kicking, tripping high school soccer fans
• China: Rioting crowd severely beats 5 chengguan for killing civilian

Prison

• Texas prisons violate international human rights standards, report says—"Extreme temperatures in state-run facilities has caused the deaths of at least 14 inmates since 2007, according to human rights group."
• State pays $120,000 to settle prison claims
• Protesters want Gates Foundation to stop investing in prison operator
• Mike Anderson Sues MO Department of Corrections, Asks for Immediate Release—Put in jail after 13 years due to a 'clerical error.'

Innocence

• Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter dead at 76—"Former professional boxer became an advocate for the wrongly convicted."
• DA's fight against innocence claim may have left dangerous gunman on street
• The U.S. Abuses Its Wrongfully Convicted in More Ways Than One
• Life interrupted: Man exonerated in murder struggles to start fresh after 24 years behind bars
• Exonerated Illinois man could seek review of conviction in 1974 Shaker Square-area murder

Guns

• NJ gives driver 5 years on gun charge: targeted because he had Texas plates
• Despite deadline, protesters 'will not comply' with SAFE Act
• Republicans Say No to CDC Gun Violence Research—"Giving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention money for gun violence research is a 'request to fund propaganda,' a Georgia congressman says."

Uncharitable

• Comic Relief money invested in arms and tobacco shares
• NY report: Telemarketers kept most charity donations
• Only 8 percent of NFL pink apparel sales go toward cancer research: report
• Report: Red Sox May Be Sued By Charitable Foundation Over Use Of 'B Strong' Logo

MH370; Net Neutrality, Broadband and Wireless; Amazon Prime; Apps, Gaming; Copyfight; Tesla; Haxx0red; NSA Spying and Surveillance

MH370

• Search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 suspended after confirmation it went down in Indian Ocean
• Maybe Those Cold-Hearted Texts to the MH370 Families Weren't So Cold-Hearted After All
• How 'groundbreaking' number crunching found path of Flight 370
• Jon Stewart Mocks CNN's 'F*ck It, Let's Go Nuts' Missing Jet Coverage

Net Neutrality

• Al Franken: Don't let Comcast "manipulate Internet traffic"—"Time Warner merger review should focus on net neutrality and peering, Al says."
• Netflix says it will pay "tolls" to more ISPs, not just Comcast—"Video service calls for stronger net neutrality law that covers peering."
• AT&T Exec Calls Netflix's Reed Hastings "Arrogant" For Net Neutrality Post—Also claims lower bills will result from having no net neutrality.
• After 2 months on the job, TWC CEO will grab $80 million payout if Comcast buys his company
• Not A Joke: Comcast Says No One Is More Dedicated To Net Neutrality Than It Is

Broadband and Wireless

• UK operator Three will limit data tethering to 2GB for new customers, even if the plan is 'unlimited'
• Level 3 blames Internet slowdowns on ISPs' refusal to upgrade networks—"Cogent and Netflix aren't the only ones haggling with Verizon and AT&T."
• Verizon accused of forcing Internet phones on land-line users—"Ratepayers complain that the telecom is pushing unwitting Southern California customers to give up their traditional land lines."
• CenturyLink: Trust Us, You Don't Need Google Fiber
• Google Fiber to study bringing high-speed Internet to low-income areas in Nashville
• Silicon Valley is fed up with slow Internet speeds

Amazon Prime

• Amazon raises Prime price to $99, in first ever price hike
• Amazon Accused of Cheating Customers Through Shipping Costs
• Amazon faces a surprisingly strong backlash against Prime price hikes

Apps

• Dear App Store game developers, knock it off with the useless push notifications
• The Flight of the Birdman: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out—"How did a chain-smoking geek from Hanoi design the viral hit Flappy Bird - and why did he walk away?" Methinks they spoke too soon.
• How clones, fear, sanitisation and free-to-play soured Apple's iOS gaming revolution
• Apple Highlights Indie Games In "Indie Game Showcase" Section

Gaming

• Xbox VP: It was a mistake to 'sugar-coat' the Xbox One controversy
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Game - 30th Anniversary Edition
• "The Power of Sheng" w. Super Mario—Old meets new.
• This guy went to a Magic tournament and took photos with every exposed butt crack—He got banned for six months.
• Excavation halted of Atari 'E.T.' dump in New Mexico

Copyfight

• Fluke extends a generous hand in $30,000 multimeter trademark issue—"SparkFun ordered 2,000 multimeters from China, but they ran afoul of US Customs." Fluke's statement.
• Copyright Lawsuit Against Medina Bar: 'Unauthorized' Show By Local Classic Rock Cover Band Caused 'Great and Incalculable Damage'—Over-the-topbullshit.
• Musician Claims $5.2 BILLION In Damages In Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Apple, Amazon And CDBaby
• Judge: IP-Address Is Not a Person and Can't Identify a BitTorrent Pirate
• Warner Bros Fights Looming Exposé of Anti-piracy Secrets
• Popcorn Time Is Hollywood's Worst Nightmare, And It Can't Be Stopped—Should the industry adopt the technology?
• Kim Dotcom loses key evidence ruling at NZ Supreme Court—"Dotcom can't look at his own data to prepare an extradition defense."

Tesla

• Auto dealers fire back at Tesla CEO: 'This Musk guy, he wants all the profits for himself'—As Gruber says, it's like it's from The Sopranos.
• Lawmaker answers Christie's call on Tesla electric car sales—"A Bergen County lawmaker has introduced a bill that would let electric car retailers, like Tesla Motors Inc., sell directly to consumers."
• Tesla Sales Model Upsetting Traditional Auto Dealers—"Tesla's Musk is focusing his attention right where it should be focused: on the well-being of his customers. If his behavior is threatening to the status quo, then those defending the status quo ought to be looking at changing their behavior rather than running to government for protection."
• Texas to Tesla: You Can't Sell Your Cars Here… But Can We Have Your Battery Plant?—Perry may be making moves.
• Fake Tesla Ad Is Better Than Most Car Ads We've Seen (Even Elon Musk Loves It)

Haxx0red

• Attackers to Basecamp: If you ever want to get back online, pay us or else—"Site fights back against extortion-motivated denial-of-service assaults."
• Judge Refuses to Dismiss Confession, Evidence in Reuters Employee Hacking Case
• ATM malware, controlled by a text message, spews cash

NSA Spying and Surveillance

• White House to propose law to end NSA bulk collection of phone data—"Phone companies will keep data, provided only with new court's order."
• Greenwald: Obama’s New NSA Proposal and Democratic Partisan Hackery—"As for the substantive reform, the fact that the President is now compelled to pose as an advocate for abolishing this program – the one he and his supporters have spent 10 months hailing – is a potent vindication of Edward Snowden’s acts and the reporting he enabled."
• After Reports on N.S.A., China Urges End to Spying—"The Chinese called on the United States to explain its actions after news reports said that the N.S.A. had hacked into the computer systems of Huawei, a telecommunications company." They probably didn't like Obama's answer. NYT
• Schneier: An Open Letter to IBM's Open Letter—IBM claims it's committed in maintaining trust with their clients (does that include the US government?).

Workers and Wage Slaves, Class Warfare; Mortgage Fraud, Banks and Wall Street; GOP, Koch Suckers, Corporatocracy, Obamacare; Vote Machinations; Politics and Economy; Making Money; World Water Day

Workers and Wage Slaves

• Reich: The 'Paid-What-You're-Worth' Myth
• GOP Lawmaker Says Sick Leave, Equal Pay Bills Make Women 'Look Like Whiners'
• Low-Wage Workers Are Finding Poverty Harder to Escape—"For those at the low end of the hourly wage scale, even meeting basic household needs can be a stretch, and roads out of poverty are scarce." NYT
• Bill Gates: Yes, robots really are about to take your jobs—"As for what governments should do to prevent social unrest in the wake of mass unemployment, the Microsoft cofounder said that they should basically get on their knees and beg businesses to keep employing humans over algorithms."
• This J.C. Penney Worker Was Fired For Telling The Truth About Its 'Fake' Prices
• Revealed: Apple and Google’s wage-fixing cartel involved dozens more companies, over one million employees

Class Warfare

• Krugman: That Old-Time Whistle—"American conservatism is still, after all these years, largely driven by claims that liberals are giving money away to 'those people.'" NYT
• Krugman: High Fallutin' Nazis—"Here comes another billionaire who thinks that anyone who talks about income inequality is a Nazi; this time it's Ken Langone, co-founder of Home Depot." NYT
• Dems hit back after House Speaker Boehner accuses N.Y. and other states of 'cheating' food stamp rules—"House Speaker John Boehner accused New York and four other states of 'cheating' and 'fraud' for sidestepping federal cuts to food stamps through what critics call a 'loophole' in the laws. But Democrats say the states had to step in to keep people from going hungry."
• Paul Ryan's Irish Amnesia—"Talking the familiar, heartless language of hunger economics." NYT
• Tax-Hating States Totally Fine With Taxing The Poor
• The Missing White Poor—"Guess who makes up a plurality of America's poor?"

Mortgage Fraud

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren and others question lack of prosecutions for mortgage fraud
• Despite Promises To Fight Mortgage Fraud, DOJ Basically Ignored It, Then Claimed Success With Faulty Stats
• Wells Fargo foreclosure manual under fire—"A lawsuit claims it is an elaborate guide telling lawyers how to produce key documents that are missing."

Banks and Wall Street

• The Tea Party and Wall Street Are Friends After All
• The 1% have gained back their recession losses and then some
• 'Then They Fight You' -- Why The 1 Percent Is In Full Panic Mode
• Former bank employee pleads guilty to stealing over $2 million from customers
• Appeals court upholds Fed's debit card 'swipe fee' limits
• Oakland to pay Iraq War vet $4.5 million for Occupy shooting
• The FBI Is Hiding Details About An Alleged Occupy Houston Assassination Plot

GOP

• Why the GOP Won't Change—"A year after their "autopsy," the recommendations haven't been—and won't be—followed."
• Groucho Marx's Republican Party—"Why the GOP is in more trouble than you think." Politico
• Tea Party Candidate Gets Turned Away By The GOP For Spreading Racist Views
• Republican House Candidate Who Said Autism Was the Result of God's Anger Over Gay Marriage Just Won Her Primary
• GOP Lawmaker Thinks Businesses Ought To Be Able To Deny Service To Black People
• AL Republican outraged at teaching of 'The Crucible' because 'McCarthy was right'
• Republicans Versus an Informed Public—"Answering the American Community Survey is the civic duty of everyone, yet some House Republicans seem to think it should be voluntary. That would make the survey's data useless." NYT
• John Oliver Teases New HBO Show By Mocking GOP's 'Millennial' Ads

Corporatocracy

• Bill Maher: Most GOP Voters 'Just Corporate America's Useful Idiots'
• Corporate America Is Hiding $2 Trillion In Profit From The IRS
• The great corporate cash-hoarding crisis—"Companies are sitting on mountains of liquidity, thanks to government policies; the losers are the economy and all of us."

Koch Suckers

• Koch Group, Spending Freely, Hones Attack on Government—"Americans for Prosperity, backed by the Koch brothers, is using a data-driven approach as it pursues its overarching goal of changing the way voters think about government." NYT
• David Vitter defends Koch brothers—"Sen. David Vitter stepped up this week to defend the billionaire Koch brothers from Democrats' repeated attacks [NYT], concluding that they are 'two of the most patriotic Americans.'" Politico
• The biggest lease holder in Canada's oil sands isn't Exxon Mobil or Chevron. It's the Koch brothers. WaPo

Obamacare

• The House has voted 54 times in four years on Obamacare. Here’s the full list. WaPo
• This guy knew when Obamacare enrollment would hit 5M before anyone else. Now he's predicting 6.2M. WaPo
• The House GOP's Obamacare Alternative Won't Curb Health Care Costs—But It Will Enrich the Insurance Industry
• Koch Group Yet Again Fails Fact Check On Obamacare Horror Story
• Politifact: Americans for Prosperity claims people are getting less at a higher cost under Obamacare—False.
• The real goal of all those anti-Obamacare ads—"A new report suggests they're all about protecting the Koch brothers' bottom line." WaPo
• South Carolina lawmakers fail in attempt to undo Obamacare
• Paul Ryan Gets An Earful From Constituent Who Will Save Hundreds Under Obamacare
• Fox News's Bret Baier corrects Obamacare mistake WaPo

Vote Machinations

• Kane shut down sting that snared Phila. officials—"The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office ran an undercover sting operation over three years that captured leading Philadelphia Democrats, including four members of the city's state House delegation, on tape accepting money.... Yet no one was charged with a crime." The money was for a "vote against a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls, the sources said."
• Wisconsin Voters Under Attack—"Wisconsin's legislature approved a bill to limit absentee ballots." And early voting.
• Ohio Mistrusts Democracy—"Republicans again pass restrictive new laws making it harder for their opponents to vote." NYT
• Federal Judge Hands Republicans In Kansas, Arizona A Big Win In Voting Rights Fight—All about suppressing the vote [NYT].
• Right-Wing Extremists in Montana File for Legislative Races as Democrats
• Ga. Congressman slams door on Ch. 2 reporter when asked about campaign coach
• Former offender acquitted in Iowa voter fraud case—"A former drug offender who believed her voting rights had been restored when she cast a ballot last year was acquitted of perjury Thursday, a public rebuke of Iowa's two-year investigation into voter fraud."
• Who's Buying our Midterm Elections?—'In the coming weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to issue another big decision on campaign finance, one that could further open the floodgates to unfettered and anonymous contributions, just as the Citizens United case did four years ago."
• Scalia's looming fiasco: Obscure new SCOTUS case may be worse than Citizens United. Salon
• Nate Silver: What the Fox Knows

Politics and Economy

• Paul Gosar Wants To Ban Members Of Congress From Flying First Class On 'Taxpayer Dime'
• Personal FBI flights for Holder and other Justice officials went unreported—"Personal FBI flights for Holder and other Justice officials went unreported." WaPo\
• After Casino Mogul Throws Him Big Money Fundraiser, Graham Seeks Internet Gambling Ban
• Government's Empty Buildings Are Costing Taxpayers Billions
• Are Malls Over?

Making Money

• Obama Proposes the End of Pennies—Nickel for your thoughts?
• Federal Reserve to Unveil a Redesigned $100 Bill—"The new $100 bill will have modern and colorful anti-counterfeiting features, overcoming problems that postponed its debut for more than two and a half years." NYT
• Laundering money — literally — could save billions of dollars
• How the U.S. Mint Made Its First-Ever Domed Coin
• UK's new 12-sided £1 said to be the world's most secure coin

World Water Day

• Facing drought, California farmers rally against regulations limiting water supplies
• Brazil drought raises concerns about World Cup water supply
• Fracking and water pollution: what we can learn from the US experience
• North Carolina to withdraw Duke Energy settlement over coal ash spill—"North Carolina regulators say they have asked a judge to withdraw a proposed settlement that would have allowed Duke Energy to resolve environmental violations by paying a $99,000 fine with no requirement that the $50bn company clean up its pollution."
• Hog Wild: Factory Farms Are Poisoning Iowa's Drinking Water—"Millions of pigs are crammed into overcrowded barns all across the state, being fattened for slaughter while breeding superbugs—all to feed China's growing appetite for Spam."