Aaron Swartz’s Idealism

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Mar 20, 2013 A sensitive, personal and varied account of Aaron Swartz's life, filled with excerpts from his blog and statements made by friends and family, offers more insight into the personality of the 26-year-old programmer and political activist who killed himself under pressure from federal prosecutors earlier this year. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Birth Control Is the New Poison

Staff / Truthdig Feb 25, 2013 Laws proposed this year include a bill whose proponent is an Oklahoma cardiologist who sees venomous effects in hormonal contraception for women; the Obama administration has created a policy that will allow more public access to federally financed research; meanwhile, an Italian newspaper claims Pope Benedict resigned thanks to pressure from a secret gay lobby. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The News That Wasn’t Fit to Print

Staff / Truthdig Feb 22, 2013 The New York Times ignores a historic environmental demonstration in D.C.; accused hacker Jeremy Hammond speaks out against the government’s faulty “cybersecurity strategy” regarding Aaron Swartz's prosecution; meanwhile, nudists in Vienna attend an art exhibit on "Nude Men From 1800 to Today" to show off their goods. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Drama Over Including Gays in Immigration Reform

Staff / Truthdig Feb 1, 2013 Though President Obama is trying to find a place for gay binational couples in his immigration reform plan, Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham just won't have it; as a tribute to the late Aaron Swartz, MIT should make academic articles free to the public; meanwhile, new studies show that urbanites have developed neural responses that keep them constantly on the lookout for danger. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Anonymous Retaliates for Swartz’s Suicide

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jan 27, 2013 Members of Anonymous, a collection of digital pranksters working for democracy in the dark places of the Web, said Saturday that they had hijacked the site of the U.S. Sentencing Commission as well as a trove of sensitive documents to take revenge for the death of Internet freedom advocate Aaron Swartz. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Prosecuting Prosecutorial Abuse

Staff / Truthdig Jan 18, 2013 Massachusetts' US Attorney Carmen Ortiz and Assistant U Attorney Stephen Heymann must be held accountable for their actions during their prosecution of the late Internet activist Aaron Swartz; in China, a father hired online "assassins" to kill his son's avatar in an attempt to save his real life; meanwhile, the U is giving the Afghan government a fleet of drones These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Aaron Swartz and the Freedom to Connect

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Jan 18, 2013 Aaron Swartz wanted nothing more than to change the world. He was doing just that until he ended his own life, at the age of 26, on Jan. 11. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

MIT Refused to Accept Swartz Plea Bargain, Lawyer Says

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jan 17, 2013 A lawyer for Aaron Swartz -- the 26-year-old programmer and open-Internet activist who reportedly committed suicide Friday under pressure from threat of prosecution -- says MIT refused to endorse a deal that would have granted Swartz probation or deferred prosecution. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Newest Phenomenon in Israeli Politics

Staff / Truthdig Jan 16, 2013 Naftali Bennett, a "forty-year-old settlement leader, software entrepreneur, and ex-Army commando," is the face of Israel's new religious right, and he's ready to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a run for his money; a woman stole a train in Sweden and crashed it into an apartment building; meanwhile, although Jodie Foster's coming out speech certainly made a statement, some LGBT activists argue she should have done so sooner. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Anonymous Honors Aaron Swartz by Hacking MIT

Tracy Bloom / Truthdig Jan 15, 2013 In its tribute to Internet activist Aaron Swartz posted on MIT's website, the hacktivist collective said it wanted to use "this tragedy to be a basis for reform of computer crime laws, and the overzealous prosecutors who use them." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Robo-Worm Might Give You the Creeps

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Aug 11, 2012 Scientists funded by the Pentagon have created a robot for the purpose of looking into hard-to-reach places, from spaces trapped beneath earthquake rubble to the private quarters of state enemies. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Truthdigger of the Week: P.J. Crowley

Staff / Truthdig Mar 19, 2011 This week we give a nod to former Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley, who had the audacity to publicly criticize the Defense Department's treatment of alleged WikiLeaks accomplice Pfc. Bradley Manning and was obliged to step down Sunday as a result. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )