Activism

In a Rebuke to Putin, Obama Names Gay Athletes to Olympic Delegation

BLANK Dec 18, 2013 At the same time, the White House announced that no top-tier government officials will join the official group, a clear slap at Russian anti-homosexual policies and a strong sign of support for gay athletes. Let the games begin. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Stephen Colbert: NSA Is Distracting Us From FBI’s ‘Great Snooping’

Staff / Truthdig Dec 18, 2013 The National Security Agency has been plastered all over the news since Edward Snowden leaked documents showing how widespread American surveillance is. But, as the late night pundit points out, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is also doing a pretty darn good job playing Big Brother. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Elizabeth Warren’s New Bill Aims to Stop Employers Discriminating Against the Poor

Staff / Truthdig Dec 18, 2013 Citing "basic fairness" as motivation for introducing a bill that would prevent employers from using credit reports as criteria when hiring a new employee, Warren, along with six other senators, is once again fighting battles for the disadvantaged. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is busy assuaging Wall Street's fears about populism. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Of Course the NSA Phone Program Is Likely Unconstitutional, but Now a Judge Thinks So Too

Staff / Truthdig Dec 17, 2013 If you listen carefully, you can probably hear a chorus of "Duhs" breaking out worldwide as the news spreads about a federal judge ruling Monday that the National Security Agency's phone data collection program constitutes unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

America Still Has Sodomy Laws Too

Staff / Truthdig Dec 17, 2013 India reinstated a "gay sex" ban, but before you throw stones, remember we have plenty of similar laws in the U.S. today; designers have put forth their best revisionist ideas to address the umbrella's many deficiencies; meanwhile, Israel is increasingly isolated due to boycotts and sanctions. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Why Olympic Profiteers Are Happy to Ignore Russia’s Gaybashing

Staff / Truthdig Dec 13, 2013 This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Why the Sochi Olympics remind us of Berlin in 1936, The People's Pope is Time's man of the year, turning beauty advertising on its head, college football is big business, and immigration abuses. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mandela: The Man and the Movement

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Dec 12, 2013 Nelson Mandela's passing last week at the age of 95 has been met with a global outpouring of remembrance and reflection. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Slate’s Person of the Year: Edward Snowden

Staff / Truthdig Dec 11, 2013 Though Pope Francis beat the whistle-blower for the title in Time magazine, Snowden's story remains one of the most influential of 2013; the Russian government will set up protest zones at the Sochi Winter Olympics; and Instagramming every moment may be altering your memory. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Top Authors Lend Their Names to Anti-Surveillance Campaign

Staff / Truthdig Dec 10, 2013 At least they'll put it really well: A coalition of more than 500 major writers from some 81 countries has composed and signed a petition condemning the increasing violation of civilians' privacy by state-sponsored surveillance programs. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Another Casualty of L.A.’s Cultural Indifference?

Paul Von Blum / Truthdig Dec 10, 2013 The artistic record in a region that aspires to world-class status has been problematic when it comes to censorship and preservation. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Truthdigger of the Week: Nelson Mandela

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig Dec 10, 2013 It speaks volumes about Nelson Mandela's political transcendence that this former militant socialist was just praised by a conservative like Newt Gingrich as "one of the greatest leaders of our lifetime." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Ukrainians Topple Lenin Statue in Protest

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Dec 9, 2013 Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, where Sunday they pulled down a statue of Vladimir Lenin to seek the resignation of the government for refusing a deal that would integrate the country more closely with the European Union. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )