World News, Ukraine and Russia, China, Australia, Israel and Palestine, Africa; War on Terror, Iraq'd, Islamism, Surveillance and Privacy

World News

• Man sets self afire in Tokyo in apparent protest—Japan slowly turning militant.
• MH370: New evidence of tampering with cockpit systems revealed
• No, North Korea Did NOT Threaten War Over Seth Rogan Movie—"Media reports claiming the DPRK threatened war over a Seth Rogan and James Franco movie are flat out wrong."

Ukraine and Russia

• Putin snarls, but Obama gets the last laugh
• Defying Russia, Ukraine Signs E.U. Trade Pact—"Moscow warned that the signing of the economic agreement, which had set off protests and fighting in Ukraine, would have 'serious consequences.'" NYT
• Ukraine begins military offensive as cease-fire ends

China

• Washington is renaming the street outside China's embassy after jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo — and China is furious National Post
• Chinese president Xi Jinping vows China won't bully other nations
• Hong Kong democracy 'referendum' voting ends
• Hong Kong police arrest democracy protesters at sit-in

Australia

• Australia's right to know is under assault—"Reforms to freedom of information under the last government saw FOI culture flourish. Now the Coalition plans to radically restrict the FOI regime."
• Janet Albrechtsen appointed to ABC and SBS board appointments panel
• Australia's High Court rules PNG immigrant detention camp constitutional—"Australia's highest court has dismissed a challenge to the government's policy of sending asylum-seekers to Papua New Guinea, ruling detention at an island immigration camp legal under the country's constitution."
• Australia buys up, enters Asian arms race

Israel and Palestine

• Israeli PM Calls Killers of Three Israeli Teens 'Human Animals'
• Palestinian teenager found dead in suspected revenge attack
• Israeli troops clash with Palestinians after body of Arab teenager found WaPo

Africa

• African leaders vote to give themselves immunity from war crimes
• Uganda students smuggle pigs into parliament—"Youths and police guards arrested after protest against high unemployment and government corruption."
• Donors slash Mozambique aid over corruption claims

War on Terror

• Obama's crackdown views leaks as aiding enemies of U.S.
• Supreme Court lets victims' 9/11 suit vs. Saudi Arabia proceed
• Before Shooting in Iraq, a Warning on Blackwater—"Not long after the security firm's top manager in Iraq told a State Department investigator 'that he could kill' him, an inquiry was abandoned. Weeks later, the firm's guards killed 17 civilians in Iraq." NYT
• US court revives lawsuit against Abu Ghraib security contractors
• Judge upholds order demanding release of CIA torture accounts—"US government loses attempt to keep accounts of torture of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri secret."
• Army Clears Bergdahl of Any Misconduct During Captivity
• Bill Clinton says GOP is guilty of double standard on Benghazi WaPo
• New TSA fees to make airfare more expensive

Iraq'd

• Obama authorizes 200 more troops for Iraq WaPo
• If You Were An Iraq War Critic, You're Probably Not Being Asked To Go On TV
• Laura Ingraham To Republicans: Stop Talking About Iraq Already!
• Dick Cheney Doesn't Want You To Reflect on the Iraq War, So You Know It's a Good Idea To
• Retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson Rips Dick Cheney: He Isn't Immoral, He's Amoral—Sociopath.
• Nation Editor Tells Bill Kristol To Join Iraqi Army If He Wants War
• alicublog: On Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Blame Game on Iraq—Goldberg: "I supported the war, and I still think the arguments in favor at the time were superior to the arguments against. Alas, the facts on the ground didn't care about the arguments." Facts do have a liberal bias.

Islamism

• Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East
• Just what is a 'caliphate' — and why are some Muslims keen to reestablish one?
  
• Christian Iraqis Live in State of Fear of ISIS Terrorists
• Osama Bin Laden's seven rules for terrorists: ISIS will regret not following the al-Qaida leader's advice.
• Britain bans controversial Saudi cleric al-Arifi—""The UK Government makes no apologies for refusing people access to the UK if we believe they represent a threat to our society. Coming here is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who seek to subvert our shared values."
• European Court upholds French full veil ban
• Nigerian man is locked up after saying he is an atheist—"Campaigners call for release of 29-year-old Mubarak Bala, who lives in Kano in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north."
• At least 30 die in Nigeria village attacks—"Churches set alight in attack by suspected Islamist extremists on village close to town from where schoolgirls were kidnapped."

Surveillance and Privacy

• Facebook's Psychological Experiments Connected to Department of Defense Research on Civil Unrest
• Court gave NSA broad leeway in surveillance, documents show—Now Internet monitoring is supposedly legal. WaPo
• New Snowden docs: NSA spies on pretty much everyone abroad—"All the world's a stage for US spies, according to secret American memos."
• Greenwald delays biggest Snowden story yet after new U.S. government claims
• FBI, CIA Use Backdoor Searches To Warrentlessly Spy On Americans' Communications
• ISPs take legal action against GCHQ
• TOR exit nodes now illegal in Austria
• Paypal Freezes ProtonMail Campaign Funds —A Paypal representative "questioned whether ProtonMail is legal and if we have government approval to encrypt emails."

War on Terror, Iraq'd, Militants, Israel and Palestine; Drones, VA, PTSD, Soldiers; NSA Spying, Surveillance and Privacy, Police State, Wifi

War on Terror

• Media seeks Guantanamo force-feeding videos—"[T]he Defense Department has classified the videos as 'secret' national security information." Politico
• U.S. Court Rules Constitutional Rights Don't Apply for Americans Overseas
• Federal judge rules U.S. no-fly list violates Constitution—Blatantly anti-liberty.
• Al-Jazeera journalists jailed for seven years in Egypt—"Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Al-Jazeera English sentenced on terrorism-related charges."
• Pair wrapped bacon around door handles of Edinburgh mosque
• Hannity Goes After Muslim Student Who Asked Question At Benghazi Panel
• Blackwater trial defence raises possibility of witness coaching—"Lawyers for ex-Blackwater guards accused of killing 14 in Baghdad in 2007 say prosecution witnesses 'orchestrated' stories."
• TSA Agent Arrested For Dealing Cocaine

Iraq'd

• Reporter Who Was Wrong About Iraq: Stop Criticizing Those Who Were Wrong About Iraq—Never forget the cunt-astic coverage of war whoring Judith Miller.
• Megyn Kelly Takes On Another Iraq War Architect
• NYT Journalist Stands Behind Her John Bolton Reporting Amid GOP Outrage
• Thank God For Dick Cheney (Really)—"The more the former vice president talks, the better Obama seems."
• Cheney doesn't want to talk about 'what happened 11 or 12 years ago'
• Iraq dredges up painful memories for GOP—"Amid the renewed chaos in the country, key figures from George W. Bush's administration have reemerged in the public spotlight, bringing fresh attention to past mistakes the GOP would rather forget."
• This Leading GOP Congressional Candidate Insists We Found Saddam's WMD Program—"Former Army officer Steve Russell claims his friend discovered Iraq's nuclear weapons program—but says the war had nothing to do with WMDs anyway."
• US fired depleted uranium at civilian areas in 2003 Iraq war, report finds—"Dutch peace group Pax says findings show US was in breach of official advice meant to prevent suffering in conflicts."

Militants

• Judge Raouf Abdul Rahman who ordered Saddam Hussein's death in 2006 reportedly killed by jihadists
• MI6 Fears 300 Islamist Fighters Back In UK—"An ex-intelligence chief tells Sky News that security services face a "nightmare" tracking militants who return to Britain."
• Jihad in Syria lures Somalis from Minnesota
• Obama Warns Threat From Iraq Militants Could Grow
• Why the Iraqi army can't defeat ISIS
• Hezbollah: Gulf states will regret funding ISIS

Israel and Palestine

• The Christian family refusing to give up its Bethlehem hill farm—And doing it peacefully.
• Presbyterians Vote to Divest Holdings to Pressure Israel—"The church voted at its general convention to divest from three companies that it says supply Israel with equipment used in the occupation of Palestinian territory." NYT
• Palestinian boy, 7, dies of injuries from Israeli air strike: medics
• Israel continues crackdown in Palestine in search for settlers—"Israeli troops arrested 30 more Palestinians in the West Bank Wednesday night as they ramped up a massive search for three young settlers believed to have been kidnapped."
• Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Teenager Protesting Arrests in the West Bank NYT
• Attack from Syria kills Israeli teen; Israeli military kills two Palestinians
• HRW: Israel orders removal of security camera that showed Nakba killings
• Palestinian village wins UNESCO listing against Israel barrier plan—"A Palestinian village joined UNESCO's world heritage sites list on Friday after an emergency nomination meant to try to block Israel from building a barrier across its ancient farmland."

Drones

• Court releases DOJ memo justifying drone strike on US citizen
• "Civilian casualties" authorized under secret US drone-strike memo—"US justifies killings as acts of war despite civilian deaths, global precedent."
• When drones fall from the sky—"More than 400 large U.S. military drones have crashed in major accidents around the world since 2001, showing the potential dangers of throwing open U.S. skies to drone traffic, according to a year-long Washington Post investigation." WaPo
• US officials move to ban drones from national parks
• African firm is selling pepper-spray bullet firing drones

VA

• VA deaths covered up to make statistics look better, whistle-blower says
• Every Senior V.A. Executive Was Rated 'Fully Successful' or Better Over 4 Years NYT
• GOP Sen. Ron Johnson: It costs too much to fund the VA—Support the troops, and then don't.
• VA looks into the fatal shooting by police of KC veteran Issac Sims
• Marine vet says VA classified him as dead

PTSD

• Government's PTSD treatment for veterans lacking, report finds LA Times
• Arizona judge rules pot can be used for PTSD
• British Army turns to Oculus Rift to take the sting out of battlefield trauma

Soldiers

• Airman on his way to report for duty gets stranded in Price, community comes to his rescue
• Marine who took grenade blast for comrade receives Medal of Honor
• Baxter's back! Family agrees to return deployed soldier's beloved dog after girlfriend sold him on Craigslist... even though their children were attached to him—The parents did the right thing.
• Vet says he was asked to leave Walgreens because of service dog
• Baton Rouge Hotel Reprimanded for Refusing Service Dog—"The front desk worker told the family she was aware of laws protecting access for service dogs, but the owner insists."
• Local sailor ordered to be in court, despite being out to sea—"Hindes' Navy commanders point to the 'Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.' [...] But circuit court judge Margaret Noe in Michigan denied that protection for Hindes." Grounds for mistrial?

NSA Spying

• Reps. Goodlatte And Ruppersberger Admit That NSA Is Warrantlessly Spying On Americans' Communications
• The NSA's mass surveillance program for phone call metadata is still going
• New leaks show Germany's collusion with NSA—"Several new Snowden-leaked documents show how closely Germany's intelligence agencies work with the NSA. But did the German government deliberately soften laws protecting privacy to make life easier for them?"
• Looks like someone's profiting from Snowden—European defense firms—"Chill is just beginning for US cloud companies as governments seek local help."
• Microsoft: NSA security fallout 'getting worse' ... 'not blowing over'
• 'That is total bullsh*t!': Glenn Greenwald and Iraq War vet square off on Snowden leaks

Surveillance and Privacy

• Ralph Fiennes hits out at internet surveillance and loss of press freedom—"Actor says lack of web privacy is 'frightening' and Russian media has had its 'spine snapped' over reporting on anti-gay measures."
• Seizing data for 2.5 years amounts to "general warrant," court says—"Decision limits government powers to search seized computer data carte blanche."
• Poorly anonymized logs reveal NYC cab drivers' detailed whereabouts—"Botched attempt to scrub data reveals driver details for 173 million taxi trips."
• Delaware Attorney General Throws Subpoeana At Reddit Over Comment On Photo Of Two People Having Sex Behind A Dumpster—Over consensual sex.
• New sensors will scoop up 'big data' on Chicago

Police State

• The Surveillance/Police State: Assisting the Dismantling of Inalienable Rights
• US police departments are increasingly militarised, finds report
• Illinois buys cell-tracking gear complete with NDAs, no-bid process—"Homeland Security grant funded secret buy of stingrays for state police."
• Google, Microsoft Commit to 'Kill Switch' Phone Tech—Worked well for Apple, but the question remains, will this 'feature' be turned against us?
• Researchers Find and Decode the Spy Tools Governments Use to Hijack Phones—Whoops, too late.

Wifi

• Appeals Court Says Using Open WiFi May Be A Crime
• "Free" Wi-Fi from Xfinity and AT&T also frees you to be hacked
• The EFF wants to improve your privacy by making your Wi-Fi public

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."

Normandy Landings 70th Anniversary; War on Terror, Domestic Threats, Bergdahl, Guantánamo, Iraq, Israel and Palestine; Veterans; Snowden, NSA Spying, Surveillance and Privacy, Civil Liberties, Journalism and Press Freedom, Police State, Civil Forfeiture

Normandy Landings 70th Anniversary

• D-Day 70th anniversary: World leaders gather for ceremony
• Normandy D-Day landing sites: Then & Now
• 93-year-old WWII vet to parachute into Normandy —again
• Pensioner who hid medals and absconded from care home found at D-Day celebrations in France—"The 89-year old was reported missing from his Hove care home but actually sneaked onboard a coach for a final reunion with his D-Day comrades across the Channel."

War on Terror

• Chiquita Is Blocking a 9/11 Victims' Bill—"For years, the conglomerate paid off Colombian militias. So it's no wonder the company is now furiously lobbying to stop a bill that would make it easier to sue terror financiers."
• CIA drone strikes: embarrassment for US as Pakistan court orders murder investigation—"Campaigners say court decision could open floodgates to more criminal cases against controversial strikes and call for international arrest warrant against American spy."
• US confirms Syria suicide bomber was American
• CBS' Lara Logan problem: Why is disgraced reporter returning to "60 Minutes"?—"Months after Logan's discredited Benghazi report shamed the network, CBS gives her another shot." Salon
• Zakaria: What next for Afghanistan?
• Former NSA Director: 'An attack is going to come'

Domestic Threats

• Holder announces task force on 'homegrown' terrorists
• Boston: Man charged with obstructing bombing probe
• Right-wing Extremism in the United States
• America, Worry About Your Own 'Terrorists'

Bergdahl

• Bowe Bergdahl, American Soldier, Freed by Taliban in Prisoner Trade NYT
• What do we know about Bowe Bergdahl's disappearance?
• Republicans Frantically Scrub Their Praise Of Bowe Bergdahl
• Oliver North Of All People Blasts Obama For Financing Terrorist Orgs In Bergdahl Swap
• GOP Congressman Criticizes Own Party Over Bowe Bergdahl Response
• McChrystal on Bergdahl: 'We don't leave Americans behind. That's unequivocal'
• Brooks: President Obama Was Right—"National solidarity is essential to the health of the country. And President Obama’s prisoner swap for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl nurtured that sentiment." NYT

Guantánamo

• What Excuse Remains for Obama's Failure to Close GITMO?
• Official: US Moving Ahead With Guantanamo Closure
• U.S. expects more Guantanamo transfers despite Bergdahl controversy
• Guantánamo inmate makes new force-feeding complaint after judge's ruling

Iraq

• Iraq war costs U.S. more than $2 trillion: study
• Full account of Tony Blair's exchanges with George Bush on Iraq war to be kept secret—"Gists of Tony Blair's conversations with George Bush to be published while former US President's views will remain secret, Chilcot Inquiry told."
• Deadly fighting breaks out in Iraq's Mosul

Israel and Palestine

• Israel 'deeply disappointed' with US—"The Israeli ambassador to the United States late Monday slammed the Obama administration for its willingness to work with the new Palestinian unity government formed earlier that day."
• India, China and Turkey endorse Palestinian unity government—"All three powers call on international community to support Fatah-Hamas unity government, breaking ranks from Israel."
• Angered by Palestinian unity gov't, Israel to build more settler homes
• Israeli doctors refuse to force-feed Palestinian prisoners, despite govt pressure

Veterans

• Republicans refuse to fund the VA
• Veterans Group Targets Mitch McConnell, Richard Burr In New Ad Campaign
• Senators reach bipartisan deal on VA health care —Still up for a vote.

Snowden

• Edward Snowden, a year on: reformers frustrated as NSA preserves its power—"A year ago, Edward Snowden exposed the NSA's widespread surveillance practices. Privacy advocates demanded a change in the law – but today, the agency's powers remain largely intact."
• Four ways Edward Snowden changed the world – and why the fight's not over
• Snowden showed us just how big the panopticon really was. Now it's up to us
• You Can Fight the NSA—"Edward Snowden wants Internet users to make surveillance too expensive for the government."
• Most Americans Think Snowden Did the Right Thing, Poll Says
• NSA chief Michael Rogers: Edward Snowden 'probably not' a foreign spy—"New NSA director plays down speculation that 'our gentleman in Moscow' was working for a foreign intelligence agency."
• 'New York Times' Editor: Losing Snowden Scoop 'Really Painful'—That's what they get for submerging an NSA story before the 2004 elections that literally could have changed history.
• The media genius of Edward Snowden—Greenwald shows the mainstream media's vilification in action.

NSA Spying

• On 6/5, 65 Things We Know About NSA Surveillance That We Didn't Know a Year Ago
• The NSA knew our secrets. One year later, we know theirs.
• Germany investigates alleged NSA Merkel phone tap WaPo
• Another federal judge rules on legality of NSA surveillance WaPo
• No worries: NSA chief says facial recognition program is totally legal—"'We do not do this in some unilateral basis against US citizens,' NSA chief says."
• Mathematicians Urge Colleagues To Refuse To Work For The NSA
• There's A Huge New Snowden Leak -- And No One Knows Where It Came From—"On Tuesday, news site The Register published a story containing explosive 'above top secret' information about Britain's surveillance programs including details of a "clandestine British base tapping undersea cables in the Middle East."
• DOJ Admits It's Still Destroying Evidence In NSA Case; Judge Orders Them (Again) To Stop; DOJ Flips Out

Surveillance and Privacy

• New Whistleblower Organization Launched on Anniversary of Snowden Revelations—"Former whistleblowers Radack, Wiebe, Coleman-Adebayo and Ellsberg speak out at the launch of ExposeFacts.org, a US-based independent media organization that encourages whistleblowers to expose government and corporate malfeasance."
• Guardian launches SecureDrop system for whistleblowers to share files—"SecureDrop platform allows sources to submit documents and data while avoiding most common forms of online tracking."
• NSA-Proof Server Protonet Smashes Crowdfunding Record by Raising $1m in 89 Minutes
• Polish NGO to Obama: Mass Surveillance Is Not Freedom
• Vodafone reveals existence of secret wires that allow state surveillance—"Wires allow agencies to listen to or record live conversations, in what privacy campaigners are calling a 'nightmare scenario.'"
• German intelligence agency confesses to spy stations—"Federal Intelligence Service attaches its logo to sites after amateur investigators post locations online."

Civil Liberties

• Secret terror trial is threat to open justice, human rights campaigners warn—"Trial of two men charged with terrorism offences could be heard entirely behind closed doors for first time in modern UK history."
• Life sentences for serious cyberattacks are proposed in Queen's speech—"Any cyberattackers who cause 'loss of life, serious injury or damage to national security' could face full sentence."
• Federal agency seeks to widen surveillance beyond Idle No More to any demonstrators in Canada
• Deutsche Telekom, Hungarian government collude to silence independent media
• Nine 'terrorists' sentenced to death in China—"The 29 cases were processed according to new rules calling on state prosecutors to complete terror-related investigations within 24 hours, the report said."
• Thai police: We'll 'get you' for junta criticism—"Thai police warned online critics of the military junta Friday that they will "come get you" for posting political views that could incite divisiveness, the latest reminder about surveillance of social media in post-coup Thailand." WaPo

Journalism and Press Freedom

• Supreme Court rejects effort to compel FoxNews.com reporter to reveal sources
• Supreme Court Rejects Appeal From Times Reporter Over Refusal to Identify Source—"The order gave no reasons for the decision but effectively sided with the government in a case involving James Risen of The New York Times, who has said he has no intention of complying with the subpoena." NYT
• The House Passes a Journalism Shield Law and Nobody Notices

Police State

• ACLU: Judge Releases Information about Police Use of Stingray Cell Phone Trackers
• LAPD adds drones to arsenal, says they'll be used sparingly
• Widespread US Police Surveillance Is Happening In Total Secrecy
• U.S. Marshals Seize Local Cops' Cell Phone Tracking Files in Extraordinary Attempt to Keep Information From Public

Civil Forfeiture

• Former Brooklyn DA Accused of Misusing Over One Million Dollars in Asset Forfeiture—"Former Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes may now face felony larceny charges. In 85 percent of cases pursued by the NYPD, the owners are never charged with a crime."
• Cops In Texas Seize Millions By "Policing for Profit"
• Charges dismissed, but $200K still in custody—"The strange journey of the $200 grand in the silver attaché case began when drug investigators raided a Minneapolis tobacco shop."
• The cash smelled like pot, so the feds kept it

World News, Far Right, Ukraine and Russia, Turkey, Israel and Palestine, Middle East, Brazil 2014; US Politics, NJ Pensions, Vote Machinations, Campaign Finance Deform; Racism, Religion; Surveillance and Privacy, Your Rights Online

World News

• South Korea offers $500,000 reward for tips about missing billionaire Sewol ferry owner Yoo Byung-eun
• Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Satellite data released after long wait
• France's UMP 'ordered €10m fake invoices' to hide Sarkozy campaign spending

Far Right

• Far-right National Front stuns French elite with EU 'earthquake'
• Greece's Golden Dawn to enter EU Parliament for first time—"Exit polls give the party, which denies it subscribes to neo-Nazi ideology, around a 10 per cent of the Greek vote."
• Farage: UKIP has 'momentum' and is targeting more victories

Ukraine and Russian

• Putin Demands Apology After Prince Charles Compares Him To Hitler—Here's that apology (satire).
• Vladimir Putin Has Been Outplayed by Barack Obama
• Petro Poroshenko claims Ukraine presidency—And he'll push for EU integration.
• More than 50 rebels killed as new Ukraine leader unleashes assault
• ISS crew hug, take selfie to say 'No' to politics and Ukraine tension in space

Turkey

• In Turkey's Mine Disaster, Erdogan Turns Tragedy Into Farce
• Image of PM's aide kicking protester stokes anger over Turkey mine fire
• Soma mine inspected, approved by executive's brother-in-law
• 'Someday There Will Be a Massacre'
• Thousands protest at Erdogan German rally

Israel and Palestine

• Pope Francis calls Israeli-Palestinian stalemate unacceptable—"Pope also chose to arrive in West Bank from Jordan rather than via Israel in a symbolic nod towards Palestinian statehood."
• Gaza's Hamas government says ready to step aside
• Israeli authorities 'try to evict dead people' from Arab village
• Israel troops raid Palestinian newspaper offices
• Video footage indicates killed Palestinian youths posed no threat—"Evidence from CCTV above office shows alleged fatal shootings of Nadeem Nawara and Mohammad Salameh by Israeli forces."
• Turkey orders arrests over Gaza flotilla raid—"Court asks Interpol to issue arrest warrants for Israeli military chiefs over deadly 2010 raid on Gaza-bound aid ship."

Middle East

• Iran releases Pharrell Williams fans detained for singing hit song Happy
• Visiting Qatar this summer? Don't wear shorts. WaPo
• Egyptian presidential election extended to third day
• U.S. doctor killed in Pakistan in front of family

Brazil 2014

• A Brazilian Street Artist Has Created the World Cup's First Viral Image
• Soccer Great Pelé Expresses Concern, Disappointment At Brazil's World Cup Preparations
• Brazil anti-World Cup protesters clash with police
• Rio official: Water pollution targets won't be met—"Brazil will not make good on its commitment to clean up Rio de Janeiro's sewage-filled Guanabara Bay by the 2016 Olympic Games, state environmental officials acknowledged in a letter obtained Saturday by The Associated Press."
• Flipside: Here's Our Favorite World Cup Spot: Nike's "Winner Stays."

US Politics

• How Republicans became the "stupid" party: Turning right, refusing to recognize facts and change—"We once had two centrist liberal parties. Here's the story of how the GOP fringes took over the mainstream." Salon
• Jeb Bush's humiliating plea: I swear I'm smart Salon
• Republicans Bet That Latinos Are Idiots—"House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently published an orotund statement predicated on a lie, betting that Hispanic Americans are incapable of distinguishing between fact and fiction."
• Cliven Bundy Abandons The Republican Party
• GOP hopes renewed probes into Benghazi, IRS will fire up conservatives and not annoy centrists
• Young Republicans Split With The GOP On Gay Marriage, Marijuana

NJ Pensions

• We name the political donors whose firms got $14bn of pension cash from New Jersey
• Chris Christie can't afford to pay public teacher pensions… but still hands education megacorp $82m in subsidies
• Christie's pension payment reduction plan sparks lawsuit from CWA

Vote Machinations

• GOPer Suggested Voting Should Be Limited To Property Owners
• Arkansas Voters Complain About Quizzing By Poll Workers Checking IDs
• Voting problems across south could spell trouble for November
• PA: Corbett says he will not appeal voter ID law decision
• FBI agent who focused on political corruption in NC to join state elections agency
• Can Georgia Democrats Make the State Turn Blue Ahead of Schedule?
• Flipside: Massachusetts governor signs early voting bill

Campaign Finance Deform

• RNC files lawsuit to raise unlimited cash
• Someone Just Spent $1.5 Million on a GOP Senate Candidate. We'll Probably Never Know Who.
• David Koch, Donald Trump Lead Wealthy Donors Past Now-Dead Campaign Finance Limit
• Judge Who Halted Walker Dark Money Criminal Probe Attended Koch-Backed Junkets

Racism

• Man accused of slur sues Red Lobster, Franklin waitress
• Miss. Judge Allegedly Struck, Yelled Slur At Mentally Disabled Black Man
• Houston man accused of beating daughter who picked black teen for dance
• Racism on the rise in Britain

Religion

• How American Evangelicals Infected Uganda
• Malaysian Muslim groups call for jihad on Cadbury after pork traces found in chocolate
• Sudanese woman sentenced to death for her Christianity gives birth in prison

Surveillance and Privacy

• John Kerry's Latest Snowden Comments Are Moronic, Offensive, and Dangerous—"No one, fugitive whistleblower or otherwise, should heed Kerry's call to 'trust in the American justice system.'"
• Germany drops NSA prosecution due to lack of evidence—"Data protection officials are bewildered by the German federal prosecutor's decision not to start a criminal investigation into the alleged mass surveillance of German citizens by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)."
• How the US institutionalized surveillance—"Washington's global intelligence network began with the humble file card."
• Brokers use 'billions' of data points to profile Americans—"Are you a financially strapped working mother who smokes? A Jewish retiree with a fondness for Caribbean cruises? Or a Spanish-speaking professional with allergies, a dog and a collection of Elvis memorabilia?" WaPo
• Attempts to stay anonymous on the web will only put the NSA on your trail—"The sobering story of Janet Vertesi's attempts to conceal her pregnancy from the forces of online marketers shows just how Kafkaesque the internet has become."
• Do Personal Computers Come With NSA Surveillance Devices Built-In As Standard?
• China demands halt to 'unscrupulous' US cyber-spying—"Chinese report says US has breached international laws, infringed human rights and put global cyber-security at risk."

Your Rights Online

• Snowden, Greenwald, Appelbaum, WikiLeaks 'blacklisted' from Stockholm Internet Forum
• Calls for Turkey to remove Internet restrictions
• Thailand: Facebook 'blocked'

War on Terror, FBI, Drones, Military, Benghazi, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel and Palestine; Nigeria; Russia, Ukraine; World News; NSA Spying, Surveillance and Privacy, Facebook

War on Terror

• 60 words—"This hour we pull apart one sentence, written in the hours after September 11th, 2001, that has led to the longest war in U.S. history. We examine how just 60 words of legal language have blurred the line between war and peace."
• Condoleezza Rice backs out of Rutgers commencement—"Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has backed out of delivering the commencement address at Rutgers University following protests by some faculty and students over her role in the Iraq War."
• Tony Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes – not just judged by history—"Boris Johnson is right, Blair is 'eel-like' – but if the Chilcot inquiry is published soon, he might not wriggle off the hook."
• Senate to Reconsider Iraq, Afghanistan War Authorizations
• Generals Want CIA Torture Report Declassified
• Blackwater guard charged over Baghdad murder—"US court indicts ex-security guard over alleged role in death of one of a number of civilians killed in city in 2007."
• House committee earmarks $69M for new secret prison—"Some members of Congress have added $69 million for a new secret prison at Guantánamo — even though the Pentagon hasn't asked for it. Construction is not certain." Emphasis mine.
• Cops dead from 9/11 illnesses outnumber officers who died in attacks

FBI

• This American Refused to Become an FBI Informant. Then the Government Made His Family's Life Hell.
• Boston Marathon bombing suspect's lawyers say FBI violated his rights
• Man arrested in F.B.I. sting found dead in federal custody
• FBI wants easier process to hack suspects computers—"Proposed rule would allow bureau to obtain warrants to target computers concealed in unknown locations." WaPo

Drones

• Obama court nominee wrote memos authorizing drone attacks on Americans—"ACLU: Nominee formed 'legal foundation' for US drone targeted killing program."
• Japan in Depth / U.S. drone missions to monitor Chinese, N. Korean activities
• Every Country Will Have Armed Drones Within Ten Years
• Our Drone Wars Are Just Beginning—"After 13 years, robot attacks are still escalating."
• Drones banned from Yosemite, other parks
• Deploying Drones for News Gathering in El Salvador
• A Drone Almost Crashed Into An U.S. Airliner In March
• Spy Plane Fries Air Traffic Control Computers, Shuts Down LAX

Military

• The Real Winner of the Afghan War Is This Shady Military Contractor—"The State Department paid out $4 billion to rebuild Afghanistan. Some $2.5 billion of that went to a single firm with a bad, bad past."
• F-35 jets fail to beat Chinese and Russian radars
• US Navy Orders 10 Virginia-class Submarines at a Record Cost of $17.6 Billion—These subs will probably be more useful than those tanks.

Benghazi

• Why There Is No Cure for the GOP's Benghazi Fever—"The latest outbreak of Benghazi-mania on the right shows the virus is only growing more resistant to reason."
• Center Ring at the Republican Circus—"House Republicans don't have time to pass a serious jobs bill or reform immigration, but they are happy to go all-out in whipping up their party's base." NYT
• GOP Hypocrisy: Outraged Over Benghazi, Silent on Iraq
• Forget about Obamacare. Benghazi is the Republican Party's new favorite 2014 buzzword. WaPo
• Warren: Benghazi Committee Chair 'Gives Oversight A Bad Name'
• Laura Ingraham Demonstrates How To Make Anything About Benghazi
• GOP's Benghazi Investigator Has 3 New Questions ... That Have Already Been Answered
• Congressman Warns New Benghazi Committee Could Cost 'Tens Of Millions'
• Former Bush Official Bashes Republicans for Obsessing over Benghazi While Ignoring Cheney's War Crimes
• CBS News Asked Nexis To Delete Transcript Of Discredited Benghazi Report
• Former CBS News Correspondent: 60 Minutes Botched Benghazi Report Demands An Independent Outside Review
• Jon Stewart's brilliant takedown of right-wing's hypocritical Benghazi "outrage"

Afghanistan

• How the US Created the Afghan War—and Then Lost It—"Driven by the idée fixe that the world was rigidly divided into terrorist and non-terrorist camps, Washington allied with Afghan warlords and strongmen."
• U.S. general: Corruption, not Taliban, the worst threat to Afghanistan
• A precarious time for Afghan women—Women in Afghanistan fear the freedoms they've gained since the toppling of the Taliban are in danger as U.S. troops leave."

Pakistan

• Lawyer for Pakistan doctor jailed over bin Laden hunt quits amid threats—"The lawyer defending a Pakistani doctor jailed after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden is quitting the case because of death threats and alleged U.S. interference in the trial, the lawyer said Saturday."
• Lawyers: Man Jailed for Nine Years Is Innocent, Railroaded in Bush's War on Terror—"The case of Hamid Hayat was emblematic of zealous prosecutors building flimsy cases during a time of national panic."
• Pakistan frees FBI agent on bail

Israel and Palestine

• Israeli ministers approve bid to block Palestinian prisoner releases
• Calls to class far-right Jewish settlers as terrorists after Israeli soldiers attacked—"Senior ministers Tzipi Livni and Yitzhak Aharonovitch condemn 'price-tag' attacks as author Amos Oz calls militants neo-Nazis."
• US officials: Even if Israel doesn't like it, Palestinians will get state

Nigeria

• Nigeria refused help to search for kidnapped girls—Now they've accepted an Israeli offer.
• Boko Haram releases new video, says schoolgirls have converted to Islam
• Girl who escaped Boko Haram abduction speaks publicly about ordeal

Russia

• Russian law bans swearing in arts and media
• Russia Declares War On Bloggers With Sweeping New Censorship Law
• Russia hangs adults-only rating on The Sims 4—"The Russian Federation has placed an 18+ rating on the upcoming release of The Sims 4, marking the game as 'prohibited for children' due to a controversial law restricting the promotion of same-sex relationships to minors."

Ukraine

• Polls close in eastern Ukraine amid allegations of fraud and double-voting
• Reports: 100,000 'yes' ballots for referendum intercepted in Sloviansk
• Ukraine crisis: rebels claim sovereignty vote victory—"Ukraine's interim president calls referendum in Donetsk and Luhansk a 'propaganda farce without any legal basis' after organisers say 89 per cent voted in favour."
• Self-rule referendums 'a farce'
• EU says won't recognise result of east Ukraine vote

World News

• How a Single Tweet Could Land a Japanese Nuclear Activist in Jail
• Neo-Nazis spark first church alarm since WWII
• Vietnam tries to stop China oil rig deployment
• South Korea says North Korea must "disappear" soon

NSA Spying

• House Committee axes NSA bulk phone metadata collection—"Measure removes phone metadata records from NSA control, leaves them with telcos."
• Glenn Greenwald: how the NSA tampers with US-made internet routers—"The NSA has been covertly implanting interception tools in US servers heading overseas – even though the US government has warned against using Chinese technology for the same reasons, says Glenn Greenwald, in an extract from his new book about the Snowden affair, No Place to Hide."
• 'We Kill People Based on Metadata'—"A bill to rein in NSA spying on Americans's metadata is an important first step, but it addresses only one part of the NSA's surveillance activities."
• Intelligence employees, current and past, barred from citing news leaks—"Order comes amid steady stream of disclosures from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden."
• EFF: The Way the NSA Uses Section 702 is Deeply Troubling. Here's Why.
• Former NSA Chief Defends Stockpiling Software Flaws for Spying
• German NSA investigative panel to allow Snowden to testify—"NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is to testify before a German panel investigating the activities of the spy agency. However, the panel has not yet determined whether he may travel to Berlin for the hearing."
• The NSA and Snowden: Securing the All-Seeing Eye—"How good security at the NSA could have stopped him."

Surveillance and Privacy

• John McCain: Americans Should Accept Big Brother
• Israeli spying on US at 'alarming level'
• Whisper CEO Crashes and Burns Over Questions About Gwyneth Paltrow
• Snapchat deceived customers, U.S. federal watchdog says—"'Some things didn't get the attention they should have' during app's development, Snapchat admits."
• Anti-surveillance mask lets you pass as someone else
• California Senate approves smartphone 'kill-switch' bill—"After failing in the state Senate two weeks ago, a bill requiring that device makers include antitheft software on phones sold in the state passes muster."

Facebook

• Is the government checking you out on Facebook?
• After Facebook Deal, Moves App Changes Privacy Policy WSJ
• Confused by Facebook privacy settings? So is the Supreme Court. WaPo
• Inside Facebook's brilliant plan to hog your data—"Facebook's 'Anonymous Login' is about neither anonymity nor logging in. It's about creating scarcity in the market for user data."
• Facebook defends new privacy policy on its activity tracker Moves—"According to the social network, 'sharing' data is not the same as 'commingling' it."
• Facebook Must Again Face User Fraud Claims Over Data
• Why There's No Such Thing As A Private Facebook Chat