Feingold Correctly Predicted Patriot Act Abuse in 2001 (Video)

Tracy Bloom / Truthdig Jun 11, 2013 When the Senate passed the Patriot Act after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, only one senator voted against it: Russ Feingold, a Democrat from Wisconsin. At the time, he expressed concern over where it could lead. And in the wake of revelations about the scope of NSA surveillance, it turns out the former senator's fears were completely justified. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Prosecutors Use Patriot Act to Shut Down Virtual Currency Operator

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig May 29, 2013 Liberty Reserve, which, until Tuesday, operated a virtual currency that could be exchanged for cash, stands accused by the United States of laundering $6 billion in criminal funds. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Call to Action

By James Cromwell May 23, 2013 The Obama administration has passed or made use of a host of laws to infringe our civil liberties, obliterate the balance of power, legitimize a military dictatorship, and control the dissemination of truth in the name of protecting its "secrets." Soon we will have lost our freedom, not to some foreign nation that hates it, but to our own devices.The Obama administration has passed or made use of a host of laws to infringe our civil liberties, legitimize a military dictatorship and control the dissemination of the truth. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Judge Rules National Security Letters Unconstitutional

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Mar 16, 2013 A federal judge Friday ordered the U.S. government to stop issuing "national security letters" -- secret demands made of telecommunications companies for their customers' private data that forbid recipients from discussing the orders with most anyone. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Do Americans Deserve to See These Secret Documents?

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Dec 12, 2012 From the memo detailing the right to assassinate US citizens worldwide to the paper negotiating the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, the U government has kept many documents classified for dubious reasons David Wallechinsky of AllGov looks at 11 of them. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Privacy by Design

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jul 24, 2012 Nicholas Merrill is tired of waiting for Congress to protect Americans' privacy online So he plans to force the matter by changing the way telecommunication companies do business So he plans to change the way telecommunication companies do business. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Political Scientist: Patriot Act Blocked Aid to Somalis

Staff / Truthdig Apr 21, 2012 Humanitarian groups withheld aid from Somalis suffering the effects of a severe drought that killed tens of thousands and displaced more than a million people last year out of fear that their assistance would amount to material support for regional terrorists under the U.S. Patriot Act, a Davidson College professor says. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Former Sen. Feingold on the Loss of Liberties

Staff / Truthdig Feb 25, 2012 After the release of former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold’s new book, “While America Sleeps: A Wake-up Call for the Post-9/11 Era,” Salon columnist Glenn Greenwald spoke with him about the deliberate curtailment of American civil liberties over the last 10 years. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Why Are Police Treating Protesters Like Terrorists?

Staff / Truthdig Nov 9, 2011 From Zuccotti Park to Nashville, counterterrorism cops and homeland security officials are spying on and intimidating Occupy protesters. It may have something to do with the way the Patriot Act can be read to classify civil disobedience as domestic terrorism. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The CIA Takes to Twitter and Facebook

Staff / Truthdig Nov 4, 2011 Is the CIA following your tweets? Or perhaps it "Likes" your latest thoughts while showering that you have posted on Facebook. These startling considerations may apply only if you're overseas -- or so the agency says. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Patriot Act Renewal

Mike Keefe, The Denver Post May 30, 2011 Dig deeper

Four More Years of Wiretapping Fun

Staff / Truthdig May 27, 2011 On Thursday, the Senate voted in favor of extending the part of the Patriot Act that allows U.S. law enforcement officials to legally eavesdrop on certain phone calls for the sake of -- you guessed it -- homeland security. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )