Perhaps embarrassed by outgoing chief Tom Ridge’s admission that the color coded terror alert was raised for political reasons (USA Today, May 10), the Homeland Security Department appears to be slowing in some of its most egregious (or ambitious) new… Read moreHomeland Security weighs privacy rights
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado released documents May 18 confirming that the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Denver is targeting peaceful political activists for harassment and building files on constitutionally-protected political activities that have nothing to… Read moreJTTF targets protesters
From Connecticut’s Shore Publishing group of community newspapers: New London — Drawing parallels to Cold War-era paranoia and fear mongering, a regional group is organizing protests of next month’s TOPOFF3 drill, which will simulate a chemical attack on New London…. Read morePeaceniks protest TOPOFF 3
From the Bond Buyer, April 1: The Bond Market Association will participate in next week’s U.S. TOPOFF 3 test, an exercise in which municipal market participants, government agencies, and trade groups will explore how a simulated terror scenario might affect… Read moreBond market prepares for terror
A group of ex-national security officials have sent an open letter calling for weaning America off the oil addiction and asking the Bush administration to spend $1 billion on develeoping more fuel-efficient automobiles. Retail gasoline prices now averaging above $2… Read moreEx-national security bigwigs protest profligance
Authorities at Oregon’s Siskiyou National Forest have closed public access to an area where protesters have been blocking loggers from felling trees in an old growth forest reserve partially damaged by fire. Protesters have been trying to prevent a crew… Read moreFeds seal off Siskiyou National Forest protest zone
An apparent lone nut, Bart Ross, left a suicide note claiming responsibility for the murder of two family members of Chicago federal Judge Joan Lefkow before blowing his own brains out, throwing suspicion off the white supremacist World Church of… Read moreLone nut named in Lefkow case
On March 1, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that executing convicts who were under 18 when their crime was committed constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In a commentary for TruthOut, Marjorie Cohn notes that this finally brings the US in… Read moreU.S. finally outlaws execution of children
A new Homeland Security Department pilot program is placing electronic ankle bracelets—similar to those placed on criminal offenders—on immigrants who are waiting for a resolution on their legal status. Homeland Security says the program is an alternative to internment in… Read moreUndocumented immigrants to get ankle bracelets
On Feb. 28, the husband and mother of Chicago federal judge Joan Lefkow were murdered at their home, in a case likely linked to the wacko ultra-racists called the World Church of the Creator. Lefkow had been receiving threats since… Read moreWorld Church of the Creator strikes again?
The Republican Jewish Coalition greeted Howard Dean’s election to chair the Democratic National Committee this week with an ad campaign seeking to depict him as a supporter of terrorism. The group placed full-page ads in the Washington newspaper Roll Call… Read moreJewish Republicans: Dean supports terrorism
Attorneys for former post-9-11 detainees at New York’s federal Metropolitan Detention Center call it "Brooklyn’s Abu Ghraib." The detainees—none of whom were ever charged with anything related to terrorism—say in sworn affidavits and interviews with Justice Department officials that correction… Read moreBrooklyn’s Abu Ghraib
