News Items

  • Media Advisory: Whistleblowers to Speak About Surveillance and Cyber Issues

    “President Barack Obama is set to sign an executive order on Friday aimed at encouraging companies to share more information about cybersecurity threats with the government and each other, a response to attacks like that on Sony Entertainment. … Obama will sign the order at a day-long conference on cybersecurity at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley.”

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  • Delegation of U.S. and UK Whistleblowers in London: News Conference on “Special Surveillance Relationship” — News Advisory

    Whistleblowers from four American and British “national security” agencies will hold a news conference in London on November 21 in a direct challenge to surveillance policies of the U.S. and UK governments. The whistleblowers — from the NSA, FBI, State Department and GCHQ — will speak about the effects of their governments’ policies on freedom of the press and democracy. They are traveling as a delegation co-sponsored by the U.S.-based organizations RootsAction.org and ExposeFacts, a project of the Institute for Public Accuracy. The news conference is being hosted by the Foreign Press Association.

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  • In Response to the Government’s Lynching of James Risen

    It has been a sharp learning curve for Jim Risen, but by having numerous grand juries and two administrations relentlessly hounding him, he has learned how deeply the government’s malevolence descends. But there was always one steadfast assertion he wound not compromise, Jim Risen assured his sources, from the very start of their first encounter, that he would never divulge their identities nor what information they provided him with.

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  • Militarization of U.S. Police: Ferguson, Mo.

    Community policing reforms came about as a corrective to the 1950-60s professional police model which created a large gulf between police and citizens. Few noticed that underlying all the CP rhetoric was a little noticed yet foretelling trend of para-militarism as found in SWAT teams. What we’re witnessing today, though, with the influence of the Dept. of Homeland Security since 9/11 — along with growing emphasis on military hardware and tactics — is the expansion of police militarization throughout entire police departments — and indeed, the entire police institution.

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  • Unconstitutional acts of war in Iraq

    President Obama ignored the wise direction of President George Washington when he casually told the nation — and Congress — that U.S. military forces will engage in acts of war in Iraq for an extended period of weeks and maybe months. Bombing, he said in a brief statement last week, is needed here and there, but he promised there will be no U.S. boots on the ground. … The announcement seemed almost an afterthought as the president headed for vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. He neglected to seek approval of Congress before authorizing bombardment of the military forces of ISIS, the…

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  • News Conference: Edward Snowden’s Passport, Political Asylum and Related Issues

    Ray McGovern, Coleen Rowley and Norman Solomon spoke at this news conference, sponsored by RootsAction.org and hosted by the Institute for Public Accuracy.

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  • NSA Veterans and Whistleblowers Respond to Obama Speech

    Minutes after President Obama’s major address on NSA surveillance on Friday, Jan. 17, the Institute for Public Accuracy held a news conference with noted NSA veterans and whistleblowers.

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  • The War on Poverty at Fifty

    Fifty years after Lyndon B. Johnson made it the centerpiece of his first State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, the War on Poverty remains one of the most embattled—and least understood—of Great Society initiatives.

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  • Edward Snowden: Profile in Courage

    Edward Snowden may go down in history as one of this nation’s most important whistleblowers. He is certainly one of the bravest.

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  • Obama’s Economic Race Legacy

    From the start, President Barack Obama has shown little interest or loyalty in the issues that affect the poor, working class and people of color in the United States. For almost his entire first term he didn’t utter the words poor or poverty. Early on he reminded African Americans: ‘I’m not the president of black America. I’m the president of the United States of America…’

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  • * Election Protection Wiki * Registration Concludes in Many States

    CONOR KENNY Kenny is the managing editor of the Election Protection Wiki. He said today: “Recent presidential elections were marred by controversies and disputes. Scores of organizations and thousands of individuals have been working to investigate and reform U.S. elections, issuing reports and information on topics such as electronic voting machines, voter suppression campaigns and…

  • The Financial Crisis: Now What?

    DAVID KOTZ Kotz is professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He said today: “The $700 billion Paulson bailout bill passed Congress, but as its critics warned, it has not stemmed — or even slowed — the financial crisis. It is great for the bankers, but it does nothing to solve the…

  • Voter Challenges: The Montana Example

    The Great Falls Tribune of Montana reports that “the Montana Republican Party … challenged the eligibility of 6,000 registered voters in six counties that historically are Democratic strongholds.” TERESA JAMES James is an attorney for the voting rights organization Project Vote and author of the 2007 report “Caging Democracy: A 50-Year History of Partisan Challenges…

  • 5,000 Doctors Challenge Private-Insurance System

    Over 5,000 U.S. physicians have signed an open letter calling on the candidates for president and Congress “to stand up for the health of the American people and implement a nonprofit, single-payer national health insurance system.” Noting that the nation’s private-insurance-based model is failing by denying needed medical care to millions, wasting resources and driving…

  • Youth “Apathy” and Access to the Political Process

    JENNIFER ROSENBERG WENDY WEISER Rosenberg is a voting rights fellow and Weiser is the deputy director at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. The Brennan Center has published a student voting rights guide that identifies laws and regulations relevant for student voters in all states. Rosenberg said today:…

  • Fresh PSAs for Voter Registration Available

    Many states end voter registration on Oct. 6. A listing of voter registration deadlines by state is available online. New public service announcements for voter registration are available for stations to air. To register to vote, individuals should call 1-888-VOTE-SMART or go to ProjectVote.org. MICHAEL McDUNNAH Communications director for Project Vote, McDunnah is available for…

  • Voter Registration Deadlines — PSAs Available

    In the next several days, about half the states have their voter registration deadlines. The group ElectionPreparedness.com has produced a public service announcement encouraging people to register. The Institute for Public Accuracy strongly urges media outlets to encourage their audiences to ensure they are properly registered. To register to vote, individuals should call 1-888-VOTE-SMART or…

  • The VP Debate

    MICHELLE GOLDBERG Author of the book Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, Goldberg was recently in Alaska and wrote the pieces “Sarah Palin, 21st Century Theocrat” and “Palin’s preacher problem: Antisemitic remarks are not uncommon in churches that Sarah Palin has attended in Alaska.” RAY McGOVERN McGovern works with Tell the Word, the publishing…

  • The Rights of Students to Register and to Vote

    SUJATHA JAHAGIRDAR Jahagirdar is the program director for the New Voters Project of the Student Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). PIRG was founded 30 years ago, and the New Voters Project currently has a presence in 24 states and on 150 campuses. She said today: “The youth vote is on the rise. … Visiting campuses…

  • Bailout: “No Lasting Positive Effect”

    [NOTE: Correction* appended below.] JAMES THINDWA FRAN TOBIN The group Jobs with Justice is organizing protests around the country today. Thindwa is executive director of Chicago Jobs with Justice; Tobin is the group’s Midwest regional organizer. The protest in Chicago begins at noon Chicago time in front of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. JOHN…

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