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4/17/2013  Boston Marathon bombings fuel conspiracy theories, speculation of false flag operations
Within minutes of the fatal bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon, self-described "truthers" erupted worldwide across the Internet with conspiracy theories about the crime. Their efforts to find sinister machinations in the tragedy seem, well, conspiratorial. Maybe it was that guy supposedly spotted on the roof overlooking the marathoners' route, or disgruntled taxpayers, or the writers of the animated TV series "The Family Guy," or, of course, the federal government running another "false flag" operation to seize people's civil rights. PHOTOS: 15 Boston Marathon bombing conspiracy theories (http://bit.ly/12nn6C8) Front and center is conspiracy entrepreneur Alex Jones. An Austin, Texas-based writer, radio talk-show host and owner of the conspiracy site Infowars.com, he says the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre was a government plot. Within hours of the Boston explosions, Jones used a "falseflag" hashtag on Twitter to say: "Our hearts go out to those that are hurt or killed at the Boston marathon -- but this thing stinks to high heaven." Another conspiracy writer attended Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's Tuesday morning press briefing in Boston to ask: "Is this another false-flag attack staged to take our civil liberties?" He was dismissed with a perfunctory "no." A false flag, which was first a trick by 18th-century naval captains who'd hoist flags of other nations when approaching an enemy vessel, now is used to describe an attempt to hide the identity of the person or group responsible for an operation. (NBC)
posted: 4/22/13                   0       5
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4/16/2013  Defense Department Saves National Guard WMD Unit That Helped in Boston
The U.S. Defense Department was poised as recently as last month to dismantle a National Guard crisis team that assisted in the emergency response to the bombings at Monday's Boston Marathon. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on March 29 informed lawmakers in writing of plans to dismantle the New York-based 24th National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, as well as a similar WMD unit housed in Florida, House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.) said on Tuesday. The units were to cease operations by late June, Hagel said in a letter that did not offer a reason for the decision. Members of the New York team "responded to the Boston Marathon bombings," where twin blasts killed three people and wounded close to 200 near the end of the course, Young said. The Pentagon move, now reversed, would have been at least the second attempt to eliminate the two teams as a cost-saving method. New York and Florida both have two of the full-time units that would provide assistance to civil authorities following a biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear incident. California also has two, while other U.S. states and territories are alloted one team. (Global Security Newswire)
posted: 4/24/13                   0       2
#2 



4/16/2013  Industry: Drones Could Have Helped Boston Marathon Bombing Responders ~ Monday's bombing has left at least three people dead
Unmanned aircraft, or drones, could have been a boon to law enforcement and first responders in the aftermath of Monday's Boston Marathon bombing that has left at least three dead, according to the president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. "UAS could be an important tool in the tool kit for first responders in the event of an emergency," says Michael Toscano, president of the industry's largest organization. "Whether it is in response to a natural disaster or a tragedy like we saw in Boston, UAS can be quickly deployed to provide first responders with critical situational awareness in areas too dangerous or difficult for manned aircraft to reach." Monday's bombing killed three people and injured dozens more. On the police scanner in the aftermath of the attack, first responders discussed grounding a helicopter because it needed to refuel. Multiple drones would theoretically solve that problem. (US News & World Report)
posted: 4/23/13                   0       3
#3 
keywords: Aerial Drones, Association For Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Boston, Boston Marathon, California, Cell Phones, Chechnya, Chris Dorner, Clarence Boice, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Extremists, Hurricane Katrina, Idaho, Information Processing Systems Of California, Massachusetts, Michael Toscano, Non-lethal Weapons, Peter Bale, Police, Privacy, Russia, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Terrorists, US National Guard, United States, Virginia Add New Keyword To Link



4/15/2013  "Innocent" Saudi has ties to several Al-Qaeda Terrorists
A couple of weeks ago we warned America about the very serious problem of Saudi infiltration; many of these Saudi nationals are criminals and terrorists. After the bombings, a Saudi by the name of Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi was hospitalized and became a ‘suspect’, then a ‘person of interest’. His apartment was searched by federal and local authorities. No confirmation has been given so far to his involvement. The Media were quick to claim his innocence, of course. This brings us to the Boston marathon bombings. Foreign Policy is reporting that he’s ‘no longer a person of interest’, which means he’s “innocent”, right? Perhaps a quick look at the Arabic sources should raise the eyebrows of every American relative to the extent of the problem at hand. Many from Al-Harbi’s clan are steeped in terrorism and are members of Al-Qaeda. Out of a list of 85 terrorists listed by the Saudi government shows several of Al-Harbi clan to have been active fighters in Al-Qaeda: #15 Badr Saud Uwaid Al-Awufi Al-Harbi #73 Muhammad Atiq Uwaid Al-Awufi Al-Harbi #26 Khalid Salim Uwaid Al-Lahibi Al-Harbi #29 Raed Abdullah Salem Al-Thahiri Al-Harbi #43 Abdullah Abdul Rahman Muhammad Al-Harbi (leader) #60 Fayez Ghuneim Humeid Al-Hijri Al-Harbi (Walid Shoebat)
posted: 4/23/13                   0       2
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4/13/2013  California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for legalizing pot
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the legalization of marijuana on Saturday. “It’s time to decriminalize, tax and regulate marijuana,” he told delegates at the California Democratic Party convention. “It’s time we own up to the fact that our drug laws have done far more harm than good. The war on drugs is an abject failure.” Newsom, who is known to have an eye on higher office, poked fun at the fact that he is the state’s acting governor because Gov. Jerry Brown is in China on a trade mission. (Los Angeles Times)
posted: 4/14/13                   0       4
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4/10/2013  Feds' Marijuana Fishing Expedition Called Off in Mendocino County
Well, here's some superficially good news. The feds' precedent-setting fishing expedition into Mendocino County's legal medical marijuana growers' program has been significantly narrowed in scope. No personal identifying information from the County's famed 9.31 program will be released to U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag and her office. It sounds like some good news for Emerald Triangle growers who had come out of the cold to be a part of the Sheriff's Office program - which permitted medical marijuana gardens of up to 99 plants with registration, inspection and fees. A Northern California marijuana garden Back in October Haag's office sent out a chilling subpoena to the County demanding pretty much everything on 9.31: names and locations of pot gardeners, county bank records, "any and all" legal correspondence, etc. The grand jury subpoena stepped all over medical record privacy laws, and the attorney client privilege, lawyers in the case noted. Instead of rolling over on its growers, the County stood tall in December, retaining a San Francisco lawyer to fight the subpoena. The county's counsel made a motion to quash the subpoena, but a hearing on that motion never occurred as both parties talked it out in private. Tuesday, Mendocino Supervisor John McCowen wrote to a group of affected parties that the county had reached an agreement with the rogue U.S. Attorney. "An agreement has been reached which voids the need for further court action," he wrote. "No personal identifying information will be reported to the U.S. Attorney." (East Bay Express)
posted: 4/14/13                   0       4
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4/9/2013  California NDAA Nullification Bill Passes Assembly Committee Unanimously
Today, the California Public Safety Committee voted unanimously in favor of Assembly Bill 351 (AB351), the California Liberty Preservation Act. Introduced by Republican Assemblymember Tim Donnelly, AB351 is a strong stand against “indefinite detention” as supposedly authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012. It declares such federal power to be unconstitutional and also requires the entire state to refuse to enforce or assist its implementation. A broad coalition officially supported the legislation and moved the normally partisan, and strongly democratic committee to support the republican-introduced legislation. AB351 was supported by the ACLU, Tenth Amendment Center, San Francisco 99% coalition, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the Libertarian Party of California – and many others. AB351 establishes the proper constitutional role by first citing the 10th Amendment as limiting the power of the federal government as to that which has been delegated to it and nothing more. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution authorizes the United States federal government to exercise only those powers specifically delegated to it in the United States Constitution. It then declares the indefinite detention powers under NDAA to be unconstitutional: Sections 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA) codifies indefinite military detention without charge or trial of civilians captured far from any battlefield, violating the United States Constitution and corroding our nation’s commitment to the rule of law (Tenth Amendment Center)
posted: 4/13/13                   0       4
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4/8/2013  As marijuana goes legit, investors rush in
Pot entrepreneurs have high expectations for a future market in legalized marijuana. - Medicinal marijuana markets: For the first time, a majority of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. Commercial marijuana sales are estimated at $1.5 billion today which could quadruple by 2018. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia currently allow its medical use. - Brendan Kennedy and Michael Blue are nice boys. Really. They're bankers. Yale MBA classmates. Wearers of ties. And, if luck and changing laws cooperate, they'll be drug barons of a certain kind. Kennedy, 40, and Blue, 34, are in the vanguard springing up to seize the market for legal marijuana, which is accelerating with last fall's legalization of most personal pot consumption in Colorado and Washington state. They're running a Seattle private-equity fund, Privateer Holdings, designed to buy up the smaller marijuana-related businesses to create one bigfat one. After Washington and Colorado, the pot business is, if not mainstream, at least ready to push toward it. Advocates hope to legalize personal use in another 14 states by 2017, mostly among the 16 states besides Washington and Colorado where medical pot is legal (it's also legal in Washington, D.C.). Industry estimates say today's $1.5 billion legal market could quadruple by 2018. The public is trending toward legalization. In a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday, a majority of Americans (52%) favored legalization, the first time that threshold has been reached since polling on the issue began in 1969. (USA Today)
posted: 4/9/13                   0       5
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2/27/2013  'Marijuana cannon' used to fire drugs over US border seized in Mexico
Compressed-air gun mounted on truck could throw 13-kilo packets over fence into California • US drugs prosecutors switch sides to defend accused Colombian traffickers - Police in the border city of Mexicali say they have recovered a powerful improvised cannon used to hurl packets of marijuana across a border fence into California. (London Guardian)
posted: 2/28/13                   0       5
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2/12/2013  NASA Satellites Find Freshwater Losses in Middle East
A new study using data from a pair of gravity-measuring NASA satellites finds that large parts of the arid Middle East region lost freshwater reserves rapidly during the past decade. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine; NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., found during a seven-year period beginning in 2003 that parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran along the Tigris and Euphrates river basins lost 117 million acre feet (144 cubic kilometers) of total stored freshwater. That is almost the amount of water in the Dead Sea. The researchers attribute about 60 percent of the loss to pumping of groundwater from underground reservoirs. The findings, to be published Friday, Feb. 15, in the journal Water Resources Research, are the result of one of the first comprehensive hydrological assessments of the entire Tigris-Euphrates-Western Iran region. Because obtaining ground-based data in the area is difficult, satellite data, such as those from NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, are essential. GRACE is providing a global picture of water storage trends and is invaluable when hydrologic observations are not routinely collected or shared beyond political boundaries. "GRACE data show an alarming rate of decrease in total water storage in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, which currently have the second fastest rate of groundwater storage loss on Earth, after India," said Jay Famiglietti, principal investigator of the study and a hydrologist and professor at UC Irvine. "The rate was especially striking after the 2007 drought. Meanwhile, demand for freshwater continues to rise, and the region does not coordinate its water management because of different interpretations of international laws." (National Aeronautics And Space Administration)
posted: 2/19/13                   0       5
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2/7/2013  Christopher Dorner Manhunt: Police Search For Ex-Los Angeles Officer In Alleged Murder, Cop Killing
A fired police officer who threatened to bring "warfare" to the Los Angeles Police Department went on a shooting rampage that left a policeman and two others dead and set off an extraordinary manhunt that had three states and Mexico on alert for much of Thursday. The search for Christopher Dorner led hair-trigger officers to mistakenly shoot at innocent citizens and forced police to guard their own. But the focus of police efforts shifted Thursday afternoon to the snowy mountains around Big Bear Lake, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles, where police found Dorner's burned-out pickup truck and tracks leading away from the vehicle. San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said 125 officers were going door to door and attempting to track the suspect, and that a SWAT team was providing added security to those in the community. Schools were put on lockdown while investigators examined the vehicle and spread out across the area. (Huffington Post)
posted: 2/7/13                   0       5
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1/22/2013  The War on Drugs Is a "Miserable Failure"
A large crowd packed the pews of the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. After a deacon introduced such VIP guests as Representatives Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and John Lewis (D-Georgia), the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and actor Danny Glover, Pastor Wallace Charles Smith set the stage for the afternoon's program. "One of the biggest problems facing this nation and much of the world is the drug epidemic," said Smith. "It doesn't seem like this nation has made it a real priority. As long as there is the demand there will be someone who will supply it." Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight, Freakonomics) told the crowd that he considers the War on Drugs a "primary human rights issue." On hand to screen an abridged version of his 2012 film The House I Live In (which took the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance), Jarecki said the day’s program was "bookended by two momentous occasions, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and Barack Obama's inauguration, which includes a swearing in on Dr. King’s bible." Jarecki added, "I consider [the War on Drugs] the unfinished work of the Civil Rights Movement." "Amens" rang out from the crowd. "The Drug War and its extraordinary injustice to people of color must end," said Jarecki. "I don’t just want it on the radar, I want it flashing defcon red. The War on Drugs as we know it has failed so miserably that who can defend it?" (National Geographic)
posted: 1/23/13                   0       10
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keywords: Baltimore, Barack Obama, Brad Pitt, California, Charles Ogletree, China, Civil Rights, Cocaine, Danny Glover, David Simon, Education, Eugene Jarecki, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Gabor Mate, Harvard University, Health Care, Jeremiah Wright, Jim Crow Laws, John Legend, John Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr, Maxine Waters, Michelle Alexander, Opium, Paul Robeson, Pew Research Center, Police, Prison-industrial Complex, Richard Nixon, Robert Scott, Russell Simmons, US Congress, United Kingdom, United States, Veterans, Vietnam War, Wallace Charles Smith, War On Drugs, Washington DC Add New Keyword To Link



1/18/2013  Sonoma County leads in 'spare the air' complaints
Sonoma County apparently is the biggest wood-burning air polluter in the Bay Area during no-burn days, and this year the regional air quality police is cracking down more than ever. Last year, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District received 409 wood-burning complaints from Sonoma County neighborhoods. Inspection patrols, many stemming from such complaints, resulted in 110 wood-burning violations, the most of any county in the nine-county district, officials said. Patrick Oster of Buck Pools and Spas in Santa Rosa is reflected in the glass front of a gas fireplace, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) Across the Bay Area district, there were 3,777 complaints and 346 violations, with most violators receiving a warning letter. But this winter, the district is no longer issuing warnings. Instead, first-time violators will be given the option of paying a $100 fine or taking a smoke awareness course online or by mail. (Watch Sonoma County)
posted: 1/21/13                   0       10
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keywords: Aaron Richardson, Alternative Media, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, California, Carbon Dioxide, Environmental Protection Agency, Petaluma, Pollution, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Sarah Nave, Sebastopol, United States, Windsor Add New Keyword To Link



1/15/2013  Feds won't stop targeting medpot outlets
Though San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has ordered city officials to stop targeting medical marijuana outlets for prosecution and code compliance, don’t expect federal authorities to take the same position. U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said Tuesday that while she is open to meeting with the new mayor on the subject, selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. “I take my guidance from the attorney general of the U.S., and he from the president,” Duffy said during an interview with the U-T San Diego editorial board. “And thus far, that direction is, we are going to enforce the Controlled Substances Act.” That law classifies marijuana as an illegal drug. Duffy’s comments came five days after Filner ordered city code enforcement officers to halt actions against medical marijuana dispensaries and for police to stop referring such cases to city prosecutors. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       12
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1/11/2013  California school practiced new lockdown drill minutes before shooting
Minutes before a gunman walked into a California high school, students and teachers had been practicing what to do if the school came under an attack. "Just 10 minutes before it happened, our teachers were giving us protocol because of what happened in Connecticut," Oscar Nuno, a student at Taft High School said. A 16-year-old student armed with a shotgun walked into his first period science class Thursday and opened fire, wounding a classmate he claimed had bulled him. Video surveillance shows the suspect entering the building through a side door. He fired two more rounds at students, reportedly missing a second target, as they fled the class, and then faced a well-liked teacher Ryan Heber, MyFoxLA.com reported. "I don't want to shoot you," he told Heber as the teacher tried to convince the student to put down the gun. Police credit Heber with causing enough of a distraction to allow a majority of the students to escape the classroom through a back door unharmed. (Fox)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       15
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keywords: Alexis Singleton, Associated Press, Barack Obama, California, Connecticut, Dave Noerr, David Heber, Donny Youngblood, Drills, Education, Gun Control, Joseph Biden, Kim Lee Fields, Los Angeles, Newtown, Oscar Nuno, Ryan Heber, Sandy Hook, Trish Montes, United States, Wilhelmina Reum Add New Keyword To Link



1/10/2013  Filner halts medpot crackdown -- Federal crackdown not affected by mayor's action
Mayor Bob Filner ordered a halt Thursday to the prosecution of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, using his power as strong mayor to direct police and code compliance officers to stop targeting the pot shops. The decision came two days after Filner spoke before the San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group for medical marijuana. Filner criticized law enforcement’s crackdown on dispensaries and identified City Attorney Jan Goldsmith as an official that “has not been, what shall I say, very helpful.” He promised the group he would talk to the police chief, noting he could hire or fire him, and intimidate Goldsmith into backing off. Goldsmith responded Wednesday with a letter to Filner that “you could have achieved your goal in less than 30 seconds.” The mayor has sole authority over civil actions against dispensaries because they involved code-enforcement violations, which are under his purview, the city attorney explained. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       11
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keywords: Americans For Safe Access, Bob Filner, California, Jan Goldsmith, Kelly Broughton, Laura Duffy, Marijuana, Police, San Diego, United States, War On Drugs, William Lansdowne Add New Keyword To Link



1/8/2013  Judge in San Francisco lets biggest medical pot shop stay open
A federal magistrate judge on Monday ruled that a medical-marijuana dispensary that bills itself as the world's largest can continue to operate, at least for now, in Oakland and San Jose despite a bid by federal prosecutors to shut it down. The ruling marks the latest move in a tug-of-war between local and federal authorities over medical marijuana dispensaries and over Harborside Health Center, which was featured on the Discovery Channel reality TV show "Weed Wars." (Reuters)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       12
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1/4/2013  3-D Printing: Technology May Bring New Industrial Revolution
3-D printing technology, used industrially for the last few decades, is poised to break into the mass market. Its endless and swiftly developing possibilities -- from entrepreneurial manufacturing to the potential sculpting of human organs -- could become the next industrial revolution. - When the TV series Star Trek first brought the starship Enterprise into German living rooms, the concept of a replicator was pure science fiction, a fantastical utopian vision we might experience one day centuries in the future. Replicators, something of a mixture between computer and miniature factory, were capable of creating food and replacement parts from next to nothing. They were highly practical devices, since Captain Kirk couldn't exactly take along a lot of supplies for his journeys through outer space. That futuristic vision, though, has receded far into the past -- overtaken by the present. (Der Spiegel)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       14
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12/28/2012  US Mass Shootings, 1982-2012: Data From Mother Jones' Investigation -- The full data set from our five-month investigation into mass shootings.
Since we began our investigation into mass shootings following the attack in Aurora, Colorado, in July 2012, we've heard from numerous academic researchers, legislative aides, and others wanting access to our full data set. Here it is below, including links to sources where available. You can also download this data in CSV, XLS, or TXT formats, or click here for the Google spreadsheet view. (Unfortunately, the embedded version below does not support expanding the cells to see the full text in some places, but you can access it these other ways.) For more context, analysis, and links to the series of stories from our five-month investigation, see "The NRA Myth of Arming the Good Guys" and our guide to mass shootings in America. (Mother Jones)
posted: 1/15/13                   0       16
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12/27/2012  John Noveske's Last Facebook Post
Eric Harris age 17 (first on Zoloft then Luvox) and Dylan Klebold aged 18 (Columbine school shooting in Littleton, Colorado), killed 12 students and 1 teacher, and wounded 23 others, before killing themselves. Klebold's medical records have never been made available to the public. Jeff Weise, age 16, had been prescribed 60 mg/day of Prozac (three times the average starting dose for adults!) when he shot his grandfather, his grandfather's girlfriend and many fellow students at Red Lake, Minnesota. He then shot himself. 10 dead, 12 wounded. Cory Baadsgaard, age 16, Wahluke (Washington state) High School, was on Paxil (which caused him to have hallucinations) when he took a rifle to his high school and held 23 classmates hostage. He has no memory of the event. Chris Fetters, age 13, killed his favorite aunt while taking Prozac. Christopher Pittman, age 12, murdered both his grandparents while taking Zoloft. Mathew Miller, age 13, hung himself in his bedroom closet after taking Zoloft for 6 days. Kip Kinkel, age 15, (on Prozac and Ritalin) shot his parents while they slept then went to school and opened fire killing 2 classmates and injuring 22 shortly after beginning Prozac treatment. Luke Woodham, age 16 (Prozac) killed his mother and then killed two students, wounding six others. A boy in Pocatello, ID (Zoloft) in 1998 had a Zoloft-induced seizure that caused an armed stand off at his school. Michael Carneal (Ritalin), age 14, opened fire on students at a high school prayer meeting in West Paducah, Kentucky. Three teenagers were killed, five others were wounded.. A young man in Huntsville, Alabama (Ritalin) went psychotic chopping up his parents with an ax and also killing one sibling and almost murdering another. Andrew Golden, age 11, (Ritalin) and Mitchell Johnson, aged 14, (Ritalin) shot 15 people, killing four students, one teacher, and wounding 10 others. TJ Solomon, age 15, (Ritalin) high school student in Conyers, Georgia opened fire on and wounded six of his class mates. Rod Mathews, age 14, (Ritalin) beat a classmate to death with a bat. James Wilson, age 19, (various psychiatric drugs) from Breenwood, South Carolina, took a .22 caliber revolver into an elementary school killing two young girls, and wounding seven other children and two teachers. Elizabeth Bush, age 13, (Paxil) was responsible for a school shooting in Pennsylvania Jason Hoffman (Effexor and Celexa) – school shooting in El Cajon, California Jarred Viktor, age 15, (Paxil), after five days on Paxil he stabbed his grandmother 61 times. Chris Shanahan, age 15 (Paxil) in Rigby, ID who out of the blue killed a woman. Jeff Franklin (Prozac and Ritalin), Huntsville, AL, killed his parents as they came home from work using a sledge hammer, hatchet, butcher knife and mechanic's file, then attacked his younger brothers and sister. Neal Furrow (Prozac) in LA Jewish school shooting reported to have been court-ordered to be on Prozac along with several other medications. Kevin Rider, age 14, was withdrawing from Prozac when he died from a gunshot wound to his head. Initially it was ruled a suicide, but two years later, the investigation into his death was opened as a possible homicide. The prime suspect, also age 14, had been taking Zoloft and other SSRI antidepressants. Alex Kim, age 13, hung himself shortly after his Lexapro prescription had been doubled. Diane Routhier was prescribed Welbutrin for gallstone problems. Six days later, after suffering many adverse effects of the drug, she shot herself. Billy Willkomm, an accomplished wrestler and a University of Florida student, was prescribed Prozac at the age of 17. His family found him dead of suicide – hanging from a tall ladder at the family's Gulf Shore Boulevard home in July 2002. Kara Jaye Anne Fuller-Otter, age 12, was on Paxil when she hung herself from a hook in her closet. Kara's parents said ".... the damn doctor wouldn't take her off it and I asked him to when we went in on the second visit. I told him I thought she was having some sort of reaction to Paxil...") Gareth Christian, Vancouver, age 18, was on Paxil when he committed suicide in 2002, (Gareth's father could not accept his son's death and killed himself.) Julie Woodward, age 17, was on Zoloft when she hung herself in her family's detached garage. Matthew Miller was 13 when he saw a psychiatrist because he was having difficulty at school. The psychiatrist gave him samples of Zoloft. Seven days later his mother found him dead, hanging by a belt from a laundry hook in his closet. Kurt Danysh, age 18, and on Prozac, killed his father with a shotgun. He is now behind prison bars, and writes letters, trying to warn the world that SSRI drugs can kill. Woody ____, age 37, committed suicide while in his 5th week of taking Zoloft. Shortly before his death his physician suggested doubling the dose of the drug. He had seen his physician only for insomnia. He had never been depressed, nor did he have any history of any mental illness symptoms. A boy from Houston, age 10, shot and killed his father after his Prozac dosage was increased. Hammad Memon, age 15, shot and killed a fellow middle school student. He had been diagnosed with ADHD and depression and was taking Zoloft and "other drugs for the conditions." Matti Saari, a 22-year-old culinary student, shot and killed 9 students and a teacher, and wounded another student, before killing himself. Saari was taking an SSRI and a benzodiazapine. Steven Kazmierczak, age 27, shot and killed five people and wounded 21 others before killing himself in a Northern Illinois University auditorium. According to his girlfriend, he had recently been taking Prozac, Xanax and Ambien. Toxicology results showed that he still had trace amounts of Xanax in his system. Finnish gunman Pekka-Eric Auvinen, age 18, had been taking antidepressants before he killed eight people and wounded a dozen more at Jokela High School – then he committed suicide. Asa Coon from Cleveland, age 14, shot and wounded four before taking his own life. Court records show Coon was on Trazodone. Jon Romano, age 16, on medication for depression, fired a shotgun at a teacher in his New York high school. Missing from list... 3 of 4 known to have taken these same meds.... What drugs was Jared Lee Loughner on, age 21...... killed 6 people and injuring 14 others in Tuscon, Az What drugs was James Eagan Holmes on, age 24..... killed 12 people and injuring 59 others in Aurora Colorado What drugs was Jacob Tyler Roberts on, age 22, killed 2 injured 1, Clackamas Or What drugs was Adam Peter Lanza on, age 20, Killed 26 and wounded 2 in Newtown Ct Roberts is the only one that I haven't heard about being on drugs of some kind. (Facebook)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       14
#20 
keywords: Adam Lanza, Adhd, Alabama, Alex Kim, Ambien, Andrew Golden, Arizona, Asa Coon, Aurora, Billy Willkomm, Breenwood, California, Celexa, Chris Fetters, Chris Shanahan, Christopher Pittman, Clackamas, Cleveland, Colorado, Columbine High School, Connecticut, Conyers, Cory Baadsgaard, Depression, Diane Routhier, Dylan Klebold, Education, Effexor, El Cajon, Elizabeth Bush, Eric Harris, Facebook, Finland, Gareth Christian, Georgia, Gun Control, Hammad Memon, Health Care, Houston, Huntsville, Insomnia, Jacob Tyler Roberts, James Eagan Holmes, James Wilson, Jared Lee Loughner, Jarred Viktor, Jason Hoffman, Jeff Franklin, Jeff Weise, John Noveske, Jokela High School, Jon Romano, Julie Woodward, Kara Jaye Anne Fuller-otter, Kentucky, Kevin Rider, Kip Kinkel, Kurt Danysh, Lexapro, Littleton, Luke Woodham, Luvox, Mathew Miller, Matthew Miller, Matti Saari, Michael Carneal, Minnesota, Mitchell Johnson, Neal Furrow, New York, Newtown, Northern Illinois University, Oregon, Paxil, Pekka-eric Auvinen, Pennsylvania, Pocatello, Prozac, Red Lake, Rigby, Ritalin, Rod Mathews, Sandy Hook, South Carolina, Ssri, Steven Kazmierczak, Suicide, T J Solomon, Trazodone, Tuscon, United States, University Of Florida, Wahluke High School, Welbutrin, West Paducah, Xanax, Zoloft Add New Keyword To Link



12/22/2012  FBI Documents Reveal Secret Nationwide Occupy Monitoring (See the released documents here)
FBI documents just obtained by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) pursuant to the PCJF’s Freedom of Information Act demands reveal that from its inception, the FBI treated the Occupy movement as a potential criminal and terrorist threat even though the agency acknowledges in documents that organizers explicitly called for peaceful protest and did “not condone the use of violence” at occupy protests. The PCJF has obtained heavily redacted documents showing that FBI offices and agents around the country were in high gear conducting surveillance against the movement even as early as August 2011, a month prior to the establishment of the OWS encampment in Zuccotti Park and other Occupy actions around the country. “This production, which we believe is just the tip of the iceberg, is a window into the nationwide scope of the FBI’s surveillance, monitoring, and reporting on peaceful protestors organizing with the Occupy movement,” stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Executive Director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF). “These documents show that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are treating protests against the corporate and banking structure of America as potential criminal and terrorist activity. These documents also show these federal agencies functioning as a de facto intelligence arm of Wall Street and Corporate America.” (Partnership for Civil Justice Fund)
posted: 12/25/12                   0       20
#21 



12/21/2012  Ford's Gift to Engineers: MakerBot 3D Printers
Ford Motor (F) has caught the DIY revolution and now puts 3D printers at workstations for its engineers. Furthermore, the car company plans to put the smaller MakerBot replicators at every engineer’s desk in the coming months. Ford pitches this as its commitment to engineering, but I see it as the future of distribution if the desktop replicator technology follows the path taken before it by the minicomputer and then the PC. Here’s the Ford video showing an employee talking about using 3D printers for prototype designs of a gearshift. A Ford spokesman told me that while it’s tough to give an exact count of the number of employees who have the 3D printers, the company has multiple locations at the company’s Dearborn (Mich.) headquarters where hundreds of engineers have access. And at the carmaker’s Silicon Valley Lab in Palo Alto, Calif., all employees have Makerbots. The most popular areas they are in use today at Ford are in the Vehicle Design and Infotronics group. (Business Week)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       10
#22 



12/20/2012  Marijuana, Not Yet Legal for Californians, Might as Well Be -- Stigma Fading Marijuana Common in California
Let Colorado and Washington be the marijuana trailblazers. Let them struggle with the messy details of what it means to actually legalize the drug. Marijuana is, as a practical matter, already legal in much of California. No matter that its recreational use remains technically against the law. Marijuana has, in many parts of this state, become the equivalent of a beer in a paper bag on the streets of Greenwich Village. It is losing whatever stigma it ever had and still has in many parts of the country, including New York City, where the kind of open marijuana use that is common here would attract the attention of any passing law officer. “It’s shocking, from my perspective, the number of people that we all know who are recreational marijuana users,” said Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor. “These are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people. Increasingly, people are willing to share how they use it and not be ashamed of it.” (The New York Times)
posted: 12/22/12                   0       20
#23 



12/20/2012  Medical pot dispensary shuttered by feds reopens in Berkeley
One of the East Bay's largest medical marijuana dispensaries reopened here Wednesday down the street from its former location that was closed in May under pressure from the federal government. Berkeley Patients Group, which at one time boasted 10,000 members but now declines to give numbers, reopened at 2366 San Pablo Avenue. It's former location at 2747 San Pablo Avenue was closed after the federal government threatened to seize the property from the owner if it did not close because it was too close to two nearby schools. Since May, the dispensary has run a delivery service but has not had a storefront. One of three dispensaries licensed by Berkeley to do business in commercial zones, the group this year is celebrating 12 years. (Oakland Tribune)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       9
#24 
keywords: ABC, Barack Obama, Barbara Walters, Berkeley, Berkeley Patients Group, Brad Senesac, California, Colorado, Debby Goldsberry, Elections, Marijuana, Nahla Droubi, United States, War On Drugs, Washington Add New Keyword To Link



12/19/2012  27 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts In 2012
We may never have our flying cars, but the future is here. From creating fully functioning artificial leaves to hacking the human brain, science made a lot of breakthroughs this year. - 1. Quadriplegic Uses Her Mind to Control Her Robotic Arm Quadriplegic Uses Her Mind to Control Her Robotic Arm At the University of Pittsburgh, the neurobiology department worked with 52-year-old Jan Scheuermann over the course of 13 weeks to create a robotic arm controlled only by the power of Scheuermann's mind. The team implanted her with two 96-channel intracortical microelectrodes. Placed in the motor cortex, which controls all limb movement, the integration process was faster than anyone expected. On the second day, Jan could use her new arm with a 3-D workspace. By the end of the 13 weeks, she was capable of performing complex tasks with seven-dimensional movement, just like a biological arm. To date, there have been no negative side effects. (Buzz Feed)
posted: 12/20/12                   0       21
#25 



12/19/2012  Bill Would Study Impact of Violent Video Games on Children -- Rockefeller introduces proposal as a response to Sandy Hook tragedy
The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary has triggered calls for more than just gun regulation, putting violent video games and programming again in the spotlight. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced a bill today that calls for the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of violent video games and violent video programming on children. As chairman of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, Rockefeller has some pull in getting his bill before it. This bill could see immediate action because he is "hot lining" it, meaning that if no one objects it goes up for a vote on the floor. (Ad Week)
posted: 12/25/12                   0       20
#26 



12/14/2012  Obama: I've got 'bigger fish to fry' than pot smokers
In an interview with ABC News, President Obama told Barbara Walters that recreational pot smoking in states that have legalized the drug is not a major concern for his administration. “We’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Obama said of marijuana smokers in Colorado and Washington, the two states where recreational use is now legal. “It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it’s legal,” he said. Going after individual users has never been part of federal policy. But under Obama, the Drug Enforcement Administration has aggressively gone after medical marijuana dispensaries in California, where they are legal. In September, federal officials raided several Los Angeles shops and sent warnings to many more. (The Washington Post)
posted: 12/17/12                   0       21
#27 



12/7/2012  Obama's Pot Problem: Now that states have started legalizing recreational marijuana, will the president continue the government’s war on weed?
When voters in Colorado and Washington state legalized recreational marijuana in November, they thought they were declaring a cease-fire in the War on Drugs. Thanks to ballot initiatives that passed by wide margins on Election Day, adults 21 or older in both states can now legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The new laws also compel Colorado and Washington to license private businesses to cultivate and sell pot, and to levy taxes on the proceeds. Together, the two states expect to reap some $600 million annually in marijuana revenues for schools, roads and other projects. The only losers, in fact, will be the Mexican drug lords, who currently supply as much as two-thirds of America's pot. Drug reformers can scarcely believe their landslide victories at the polls. "People expected this day would come, but most didn't expect it to come this soon," says Norm Stamper, a former Seattle police chief who campaigned for legalization. "This is the beginning of the end of prohibition." But the war over pot may be far from over. Legalization has set Colorado and Washington on a collision course with the Obama administration, which has shown no sign of backing down on its full-scale assault on pot growers and distributors. Although the president pledged to go easy on medical marijuana – now legal in 18 states – he has actually launched more raids on state-sanctioned pot dispensaries than George W. Bush, and has threatened to prosecute state officials who oversee medical marijuana as if they were drug lords. And while the administration has yet to issue a definitive response to the two new laws, the Justice Department was quick to signal that it has no plans to heed the will of voters. "Enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act," the department announced in November, "remains unchanged." (Rolling Stone)
posted: 12/8/12                   0       22
#28 



12/6/2012  High-Speed Passenger Rail, Preliminary Assessment of California's Cost Estimates and Other Challenges, GAO-13-163T
Based on an initial evaluation of the California High Speed Rail Authority's (Authority) cost estimates, GAO found that they exhibit certain strengths and weaknesses when compared to best practices in GAO's Cost Guide. Adherence with the Cost Guide reduces the risk of cost overruns and missed deadlines. GAO's preliminary evaluation indicates that the cost estimates are comprehensive in that they include major components of construction and operating costs. However, they are not based on a complete set of assumptions, such as how the Authority expects to adapt existing high-speed rail technology to the project in California. The cost estimates are accurate in that they are based on the most recent project scope, include an inflation adjustment, and contain few mathematical errors. And while the cost estimates' methodologies are generally documented, in some cases GAO was unable to trace the final cost estimate back to its source documentation and could not verify how certain cost components, such as stations and trains, were calculated. - "...insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions of improved performance under SPP (Screening Partnership Program) when compared to federal screening services." (Government Accountability Office)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       9
#29 
keywords: California, California High Speed Rail Authority, Federal Railroad Administration, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Screening Partnership Program, Susan Fleming, Trains, US Government Accountability Office, United States Add New Keyword To Link



12/5/2012  Grandfather grieves teenage grandson killed by U.S. drone
Two years ago, Nasser al-Awlaki wrote a letter to President Obama. His request was simple: Please do not kill my son. He never got a response. Last September, his son, Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al Qaeda leader, was killed by a U.S. drone in a remote area of Northern Yemen. Two weeks later, his 16-year-old grandson, Anwar’s son, was also killed, in a separate U.S. strike hundreds of miles away. “Anwar, it was expected, because he was … targeted,” Nasser al-Awlaki told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. “But how in the world they will go and kill Abdulrahman, a small boy, a U.S. citizen, from Denver, Colorado?” Nasser’s son, Anwar, was born in New Mexico in 1971 while he was studying for his master’s degree. The family moved back to Yemen, but Anwar returned to the U.S. for college, and became an imam in California. (American Civil Liberties Union)
posted: 12/25/12                   0       17
#30 



12/5/2012  Newly Released Drone Records Reveal Extensive Military Flights in US
Today EFF posted several thousand pages of new drone license records and a new map that tracks the location of drone flights across the United States. These records, received as a result of EFF’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), come from state and local law enforcement agencies, universities and—for the first time—three branches of the U.S. military: the Air Force, Marine Corps, and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Military Drone Flights in the United States A160 Hummingbird DroneWhile the U.S. military doesn’t need an FAA license to fly drones over its own military bases (these are considered “restricted airspace”), it does need a license to fly in the national airspace (which is almost everywhere else in the US). And, as we’ve learned from these records, the Air Force and Marine Corps regularly fly both large and small drones in the national airspace all around the country. This is problematic, given a recent New York Times report that the Air Force’s drone operators sometimes practice surveillance missions by tracking civilian cars along the highway adjacent to the base. (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
posted: 12/20/12                   0       22
#31 



11/26/2012  The 10 Things That Led to Legalized Marijuana in Colorado (by Rob Kampia)
In the wake of our victory in Colorado -- where 54.8 percent of the voters passed Amendment 64, a constitutional amendment to regulate marijuana like alcohol -- good people are understandably clamoring to pass similar measures in their states. Here is a listing of the ingredients of the recipe that led to the historic victory in Colorado on November 6. 1. Presidential Election: Given that no one had ever previously legalized marijuana in the history of the world, we assumed that the election in Colorado would be close -- win or lose. So we intentionally chose to place our initiative on the ballot during a presidential election, which always attracts a larger proportion of young voters, who are more supportive. 2. Inclusive Drafting Process: The team that drafted the initiative went out of its way to solicit feedback from key lawyers, medical-marijuana industry players, other organizational leaders, and unaffiliated activists. As a result, there was almost no infighting, which allowed us to build a strong coalition of support across the state. 3. Years of Groundwork: Officially, the Colorado campaign was two years long; unofficially, it was eight years long. In 2004, MPP's grants program helped launch two non-profit advocacy organizations in Colorado, SAFER and Sensible Colorado. The executive directors of these two organizations eventually became the co-proponents of Amendment 64. SAFER focused on educating the public about the fact that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol; it did so through citywide, marijuana-related ballot initiatives in Denver in 2005 and 2007, which each garnered support from a majority of Denver voters. In 2006, SAFER coordinated a statewide ballot initiative to legalize marijuana and generated substantial debate in Colorado (while garnering 41 percent of the vote). Meanwhile, Sensible Colorado helped expand access to medical marijuana for patients. Most significantly, in 2008, Sensible Colorado spearheaded a court challenge to expand the state's medical marijuana "caregiver" provision to allow for retail sales. All of this took planning and money. (The Huffington Post)
posted: 12/3/12                   0       24
#32 
keywords: Alcohol, Arizona, Betty Aldworth, Brian Vicente, California, Celinda Lake, Colorado, Denver, Elections, Manuel Tarango, Marijuana, Marijuana Policy Project, Mason Tvert, Melissa Etheridge, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Police, Ptsd, Rick Ridder, Rob Kampia, Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, Sean Azzariti, Sensible Colorado, Steve Fox, Susan Sarandon, Tom Tancredo, Tony Ryan, US Marine Corps, United States, Veterans, War On Drugs Add New Keyword To Link



11/21/2012  Sacramento City Council outlaws outdoor cultivation of medicinal pot in Sacramento neighborhoods
Following a statewide trend, the Sacramento City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night outlawing the outdoor cultivation of medicinal marijuana in residential neighborhoods. After nearly an hour of testimony, the council followed through on a vote last month signaling its intent to join Elk Grove and other cities around California that are placing tighter restrictions on marijuana cultivation. The council voted 6-2 to enact the ban. Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, the chief proponent of the ban, said outdoor cultivation had led to crime and fear in her northern Sacramento district. "I think that people have a right to a quality of life," she said. Councilman Kevin McCarty added, "The current situation is not working in our neighborhoods." But Councilmen Steve Cohn and Jay Schenirer – who voted against the ordinance – urged the council to delay adopting the law until it was more thoroughly vetted. (Sacramento Bee)
posted: 1/19/13                   0       8
#33 
keywords: California, Elk Grove, Jay Schenirer, Kevin Mccarty, Lynette Davies, Marijuana, Ryan Landers, Sacramento, Sandy Sheedy, Steve Cohn, United States, War On Drugs Add New Keyword To Link



11/13/2012  California cap and trade: Climate-change bidding begins -- State's initial auction of emission credits is set for Wednesday despite suit
California is soon to launch a bold attempt at climate-change reversal: a cap-and-trade program allowing businesses to buy and sell credits for emission of the most notorious greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The first auction of carbon credits is scheduled for Wednesday – despite a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the California Chamber of Commerce that seeks a court ruling to invalidate such auctions. The program itself is set to begin Jan. 1. Some 360 manufacturers, utilities and other businesses are expected to take part, representing nearly 600 facilities across the state. The cap-and-trade market is part of the state's controversial 2006 climate-change law, AB32, which also includes low-carbon fuel standards and promotion of renewable energy projects. (OC Register)
posted: 11/19/12                   0       23
#34 
keywords: Alternative Energy, CA Air Resources Board, California, California Chamber Of Commerce, California Manufacturers & Technology Association, California Public Utilities Commission, Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, Dave Clegern, Environmental Defense Fund, Gary Stern, Gino Dicaro, Greenhouse Gases, Loren Kaye, Sacramento, Southern California Edison, United States Add New Keyword To Link



11/7/2012  Colorado and Washington State Make History, Become First U.S. States To Regulate, Tax and Control Marijuana Like Alcohol -- Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Measure Also Passes (Press Release)
Colorado and Washington have become not just the first U.S. states – but the first political jurisdictions anywhere in the world – to approve regulating, taxing and controlling marijuana similar to alcohol. The Drug Policy Alliance and its electoral arm, Drug Policy Action, worked closely with local and national allies to draft these initiatives, build coalitions and raise funds. “The victories in Colorado and Washington are of historic significance not just for Americans but for all countries debating the future of marijuana prohibition in their own countries,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “This is now a mainstream issue, with citizens more or less divided on the issue but increasingly inclined to favor responsible regulation of marijuana over costly and ineffective prohibitionist policies.” (Drug Policy Alliance)
posted: 11/7/12                   0       26
#35 



11/7/2012  Obama May Levy Carbon Tax to Cut U.S. Deficit, HSBC Says
Barack Obama may consider introducing a tax on carbon emissions to help cut the U.S. budget deficit after winning a second term as president, according to HSBC Holdings Plc. A tax starting at $20 a metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and rising at about 6 percent a year could raise $154 billion by 2021, Nick Robins, an analyst at the bank in London, said today in an e-mailed research note, citing Congressional Research Service estimates. “Applied to the Congressional Budget Office’s 2012 baseline, this would halve the fiscal deficit by 2022,” Robins said. Hurricane Sandy sparked discussion on climate protection in the election after presidential candidates focused on other debates, HSBC said. A continued Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives means Obama’s scope for action will be limited, Robins said. Cap-and-trade legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate after narrowly passing the house in 2009. (Bloomberg)
posted: 11/7/12                   0       25
#36 



11/7/2012  Prop. 37: Genetic food labels defeated
A measure that would have required most foods made with genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled in California lost early Wednesday. Supporters of Proposition 37 said consumers have a right to know whether food has been genetically altered, particularly when the long-term health impacts are unclear. Opponents argued that the labels would stigmatize foods that are scientifically proven to be safe. With 100 percent the precincts reporting, voters rejected the proposed labeling law by six percentage points. California would have been the first state in the nation to pass such an initiative. "We said from the beginning that the more voters learned about Prop. 37, the less they would like it," said Kathy Fairbanks, a spokeswoman for the opposition. "We didn't think they would like the lawsuits, more bureaucracy, higher costs, loopholes and exemptions. It looks like they don't." But Stacy Melken, a spokeswoman for the Prop, 37 campaign, said supporters believe they will win the labeling debate over the long term. She noted that proponents were outspent by a five to one margin and still managed to capture more than 4.2 million votes. (San Francisco Gate)
posted: 11/7/12                   0       26
#37 
keywords: Alcohol, Beets, California, Chickens, Corn, Cotton, Cows, Dow, Elections, Genetically Modified Organisms, Kathy Fairbanks, Monsanto, Organic, Pepsico, Pesticides, Soy, Stacy Melken, United States Add New Keyword To Link



11/7/2012  Senator Dianne Feinstein Moves To Ban ALL Assault Rifles, High Capacity Magazines, and Pistol Grips
The agenda no longer needs to be hidden from public view. With President Obama winning another term and democrats taking control of the Senate, the move to fundamentally change America from within has begun – with a vengeance. We're all aware of the restrictive gun laws in the State of California which require low capacity magazines for handguns, fixed magazines for "assault" rifles, and a whole lot of running around just to be granted the right to carry a concealed firearm. Now, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who has championed gun control in her state for decades and co-wrote the original assault weapons ban enacted by the federal government in the 1990's, wishes to bring even more stringent federal mandates to the land of the free. (Market Daily News)
posted: 1/17/13                   0       10
#38 



11/7/2012  What Tuesday's Marijuana Victories Mean For The War On Drugs -- Voters in three states helped overturn marijuana prohibition this past Tuesday, but the War on Drugs is far from over.
Election day was a big win for the president, Democrats in the Senate and Republicans in the House, and for advocates of gay marriage in Maine and Maryland. It was also a big win for an issue that’s been gaining support at a surprising clip over the past decade or so: the end to marijuana prohibition. In three states—Washington, Colorado, and Massachusetts—efforts to liberalize marijuana laws succeeded last night. In Washington and Colorado, the new laws enacted go even further than past efforts. In these two states, fully regulated recreational pot use has now been approved by voters. (Forbes)
posted: 11/7/12                   0       25
#39 



10/25/2012  Police Arrest 60-Year-Old Woman Speaking At City Council Meeting
A Riverside woman is facing misdemeanor charges following her arrest for speaking too long at a Riverside City Council meeting, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported Thursday. Karen Wright, whose arrest was videotaped and obtained by the paper, was cited for disrupting a public meeting Tuesday night. “The incident unfolded after Wright exceeded her allotted three minutes to speak at the lectern while commenting on a sludge hauling contract,” the paper reported. Wright, 60, was initially handcuffed by two officers while she was on her knees. In video of the incident, Wright can be heard yelling in pain as officers tried to bring her to her feet. (CBS)
posted: 11/7/12                   0       22
#40 
keywords: California, Free Speech, Karen Wright, Police, Riverside CA, Ron Loveridge, United States Add New Keyword To Link



9/17/2012  FBI: Monitoring Occupy was within rules
The FBI says its newly disclosed surveillance of the Occupy movement in Northern California stayed within federal rules and did not result in "unnecessary intrusions into the lives of law-abiding people." The American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained FBI surveillance documents on the movement in a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act, wants to know why the agency is withholding nearly two-thirds of the records it says it has, and why it is citing national security as one reason for the nondisclosure. (San Francisco Chronicle)
posted: 12/25/12                   0       14
#41 



9/4/2012  California Assembly passes resolution defining criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism
Last month, the California State Assembly passed a resolution urging state educational institutions to more aggressively crack down on criticism of the state of Israel on campuses, which the resolution defines as “anti-Semitism.” The anti-democratic resolution is the latest step in the broader campaign to stifle and suppress dissent on California's increasingly volatile campuses. The California State Assembly is the lower house of the state legislature, consisting of 80 members. The resolution—H.R. 35, "Relative to anti-Semitism"—was passed by a voice vote, after 66 members co-sponsored it, including a majority of both Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly. The resolution was drafted by Republican Linda Halderman and passed without public discussion. The vote on the resolution came when most students were between semesters and away from their campuses. The resolution (available here) uses the classic trick employed by defenders of Israel’s Zionist regime: lumping together any criticism of the Israeli state’s policies or the US government’s support for them with racist attacks on Jews. - Moreover, it must be said that the State of Israel is, as a matter of fact, guilty of crimes against humanity. To cite only a more recent example, the 574-page UN Goldstone Report published in 2010 found that the State of Israel had deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza during the 2008-2009 “Operation Cast Lead.” The invasion of Gaza saw 1,400 Palestinians killed, compared with 13 Israelis killed. More than 21,000 buildings, factories, and apartments were damaged or destroyed. Under California H.R. 35, it appears that the Goldstone report is now to be considered “anti-Semitic.” (World Socialist Web Site)
posted: 9/16/12                   0       23
#42 



8/9/2012  High-Ranking Mexican Drug Cartel Member Makes Explosive Allegation: 'Fast and Furious' Is Not What You Think It Is
A high-ranking Mexican drug cartel operative currently in U.S. custody is making startling allegations that the failed federal gun-walking operation known as “Fast and Furious” isn’t what you think it is. It wasn’t about tracking guns, it was about supplying them — all part of an elaborate agreement between the U.S. government and Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel to take down rival cartels. The explosive allegations are being made by Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla, known as the Sinaloa Cartel’s “logistics coordinator.” He was extradited to the Chicago last year to face federal drug charges. (The Blaze)
posted: 8/18/12                   0       23
#43 



8/1/2012  'Pepper Spray Cop' loses his job
The infamous "Pepper Spray Cop" who attracted widespread criticism toward a California college last year is off the beat permanently, The Sacramento Bee reports. A spokesperson for the University of California-Davis, where John Pike was captured pepper-spraying a group of seated protesters last November, said Pike was no longer employed with the school as of Tuesday, but did not specify whether Pike was fired or if he resigned, citing campus privacy rules. Pike and his supervisor, campus police chief Annette Spicuzza, had been on paid administrative leave since the Nov. 18 incident. Spicuzza resigned in April, saying she did not want it to become a "defining moment" in her career. According to The Bee, Pike’s 2010 salary was reportedly just over $110,000. (The Raw Story)
posted: 8/3/12                   0       23
#44 



7/23/2012  Jill Tarter: A Scientist Searching For Alien Life
As a child, astronomer Jill Tarter would walk along the beaches of western Florida with her father and look up at the stars. "I assumed, at that time, that along some beach on some planet, there would be a small creature walking with its dad and they would see our sun in their sky, and they might wonder whether anyone was there," she tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies. "But I never thought about it professionally until graduate school." In graduate school, Tarter worked on a project designed to search radio frequencies for clues about extraterrestrial life forms. The project, known as SERENDIP, was part of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program based at the University of California, Berkeley. Tarter got hooked — and has devoted her life to the search for extraterrestrial life. Over the course of her career at SETI, she's searched nearby star systems for signs of alien life and headed up efforts to create new telescopes to scan the skies for signals. (National Public Radio)
posted: 8/3/12                   0       20
#45 



7/20/2012  Gunman who massacred 12 at movie premiere used same drugs that killed Batman star Heath Ledger and messaged web lovers to ask... Will you visit me in prison?
Until a year ago James Eagan Holmes was regarded as an almost model citizen, a clean-cut all-American boy. Sporty, family-minded, a brilliant scholar, the boy from the beach city of San Diego, California, appeared destined for a life of fulfilment. ‘He washed the car for his parents, he cut the grass, he played soccer,’ said Tom Mai, who has lived next to the Holmes family for 15 years. (UK Daily Mail)
posted: 7/27/12                   0       18
#46 



3/1/2012  UC DAVIS NOVEMBER 18, 2011 "PEPPER SPRAY INCIDENT" TASK FORCE REPORT "THE REYNOSO TASK FORCE REPORT"
Our overriding conclusion can be stated briefly and explicitly. The pepper spraying incident that took place on November 18, 2011 should and could have been prevented. On November 18, 2011, University of California, Davis, police officers used pepper spray on students sitting in a line in the midst of a protest and “occupation” on the campus quad. Viral images of the incident triggered immediate and widespread condemnation of the police action. To assist the Task Force with fact finding and the identification of best practices in policing, the University engaged Kroll, Inc., an internationally known risk management firm. Kroll completed the final draft of its report on Feb. 22, 2012 (the “Kroll Report”). The Kroll Report describes at length the events leading up to this incident. In brief, at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2011, tents were erected on the Quad at the Davis campus. The Administration decided to remove the tents, instructing police to do so at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18, 2011. While attempting to remove tents, the police arrested several individuals. Subsequently, in the midst of a growing group of people, the police officers employed pepper spray to remove several students linking arms in a line across a walkway in the Quad. The UC Davis protest focused on and drew strength from widespread discontent among students about the increase in tuition and fees at the University of California. The incident also took place against the backdrop of worldwide student protests, including demonstrations by the Occupy Wall Street movement, which triggered similar events across the nation. These protests presented challenges for all affected universities and municipalities in attempting to balance the goals of respecting freedom of speech, maintaining the safety of both protesters and non-protesters, and protecting the legitimate interests of government and the non-protesting public. In the immediate aftermath of the UC Davis incident, University of California President Mark G. Yudof announced the appointment of former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso to chair a Task Force to address the pepper spraying of UC Davis students. This was a result of a request from Chancellor Katehi for an independent investigation to review the incident and report findings and recommendations to enable peaceful and nonviolent protests. All Task Force members are either currently or were once affiliated with UC Davis and most were nominated by relevant campus organizations. (University of California)
posted: 7/9/12                   0       22
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2/22/2012  Davis votes to support repeal of Citizens United ruling
Yesterday, the city of Davis voted unanimously to support Assembly Joint Resolution 22. The text of the resolution passed by the Davis city council can be found here. AJR 22 is working its way through California's state legislature; the bill would urge Congress to begin the process of a Constitutional Amendment in order to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling. The Citizens United Supreme Court decision is what allows Corporations and "Super PACS" to spend unlimited funds on any individual candidate or party they choose. Davis joins New York City and Portland in calling on Congress to begin the process of a Constitutional Amendment for campaign finance reform. The effort in Davis, like in these other cities, was spearheaded by the Occupy Davis group. Occupy is developed growing momentum for repealing the Citizens United ruling that many see as swinging the door of corruption completely open. (Examiner)
posted: 2/28/12                   0       24
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2/8/2012  49-State Foreclosure Fraud Settlement Will Be Finalized Thursday
Forty-nine states, every one but Oklahoma, as well as federal regulators will participate in a foreclosure fraud settlement that will release the five biggest banks (Wells Fargo, Citi, Ally/GMAC, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America) and their mortgage servicing units from liability for robo-signing and other forms of servicer abuse, in exchange for $25 billion in funding for legal aid, refinancing, short sales, restitution for wrongful foreclosures and principal reduction for underwater borrowers. The announcement will be made on Thursday. This settlement arises from multiple abuses found in the servicing of loans and the foreclosure process over the past several years. At the height of the housing bubble, banks sliced and diced mortgages and traded them with little regard for the rules following land recording or securitization to such a sloppy extent that they lost track of the true owner on potentially millions of homes. To cover up for this massive failure, banks and their servicing units have been found to have routinely forged, back-dated and fabricated documents at county recorder offices and state courts across the country. Furthermore, they employed “robo-signers,” who signed hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of documents and affidavits without any knowledge of the underlying mortgages. In addition, investigations uncovered massive servicing abuses, including illegal fees charged to borrowers, putting borrowers into foreclosure at the same time as they were working out loan modifications, failing to honor previous settlements where promises were made on modifications, and countless other errors that maximized servicer profits and gouged homeowners. There are also cases of wrongful foreclosures where homeowners have been turned out of their homes without just cause, and servicer-driven foreclosures, where servicers illegally added late fees and applied payments inaccurately, pushing the homeowner into foreclosure. This is but a smattering of the examples of foreclosure fraud and servicer abuse found in a series of interlocking investigations, court depositions, reviews of documents in registers of deeds offices, and homeowner testimonials. (Fire Dog Lake)
posted: 2/13/12                   0       23
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2/7/2012  Sacramento's Utilities Rates Advisory Commission approves water rate hikes
Sacramento's Utilities Rates Advisory Commission voted 5-2 to raise water rates in the city by $19 a month over the next three years. The reason for the rate hike? It is to gain a loan from Goldman Sachs to renovate an aging water system. But that loan is going to raise water and sewer bills from $57 monthly to $350 a month in just 15 years. The city council still must give its approval before the rate cuts are final. But officials seem more and more in support of this measure. City Council members must hear from their constituents that these rate hikes are unsustainable. In a city with near 11 percent unemployment, raising water and sewer bills will only put more financial strain upon the city's residents. Also residents should be aware that this loan comes with a $10.8 million underwriting fee for Goldman Sachs. The loan itself would total $1.8 billion, and Goldman Sachs would also be making profit off that through interest. Sacramento is a city that is already struggling with painful budget cuts. Sacramento has had to lay off police and firefighters, as well as hundreds of teachers and other city employees. The city has closed libraries, and discontinued other public services. Can the city afford this loan? (Examiner)
posted: 2/13/12                   0       23
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