Secrets

Pavel Constantin, Cagle Cartoons, Romania Dec 1, 2013 Dig deeper

Company Stifles Consumer Complaint Via Secret Court Filings

BLANK Nov 1, 2013 A company disagreeing with a consumer complaint posted on a federal website has gone to court to have the information removed. And it persuaded a federal judge to cloak the company, and the effort, in secrecy. The case is heading to the appeals court. So much for a transparent legal system. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Lavabit Owner’s Farewell Warning: Don’t Trust Your Data to American Companies

Peter Z. Scheer / Truthdig Aug 10, 2013 The owner and CEO of the secure email service reportedly used by Edward Snowden decided to shut down Thursday rather than help the U.S. spy on his customers. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama Defends Summers, Franken Plans NSA Transparency Bill, and More

Tracy Bloom / Truthdig Aug 1, 2013 A look at the day's political happenings, including Anthony Weiner's wife is reportedly taking a break from her job as Hillary Clinton's top aide and North Carolina's governor makes an insulting offer to protesters demonstrating against the state's recently signed-into-law abortion bill. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Who Are We at War With? That’s Classified

By Cora Currier, ProPublica Jul 30, 2013 In a major national security speech this spring, President Obama said again and again that the U.S. is at war with “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.” So who exactly are those associated forces? It’s a secret. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

U.S. Policy Is to Keep the Veil of Secrecy in Place

William Pfaff / Truthdig Jul 24, 2013 For some 20 years, in another and more youthful phase of my life, I was one of the (apparently) several hundred thousand Americans who possessed a "top secret" security classification. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

We Still Need This Debate

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Jun 11, 2013 The important thing right now isn't whether Edward Snowden should be labeled hero or villain. First, let's have the debate he sparked over surveillance and privacy. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Let the People Know—Put Full Texts of Government Contracts Online

By Ralph Nader Jun 9, 2013 Each year hundreds of billions of dollars in federal government contracts, grants, leaseholds and licenses are awarded to corporations. Taxpayers should be able to easily access clear and concise information on how their tax dollars are being spent by the government at all levels. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Military Secrets

Nate Beeler, Cagle Cartoons, The Columbus Dispatch Jun 3, 2013 Dig deeper

A ‘Sea Change’ in the Media’s View of Obama?

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig May 15, 2013 Upon finding itself a target of the administration's spying program, the establishment press suddenly disapproves of the president's record on "civil liberties, transparency, press freedoms, and a whole variety of other issues on which he based his first campaign," Glenn Greenwald writes in The Guardian. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Homeland Insecurity

By Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch May 9, 2013 With a recent semi-victory, whistle-blower Robert MacLean may not only have given himself a shot at getting his old job back, but he may have also created a precedent for future federal whistle-blowers. In the post-9/11 world, people like him show us how deep the Washington rabbit hole really goes. Dig deeper ( 10 Min. Read )

Google’s Spymasters Are Now Worried About Your Secrets

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Apr 30, 2013 There is a growing acceptance and indeed a demand for additional surveillance cameras, cellphone eavesdropping, location checks and biometric identifiers. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )