In light of the recently released torture report summary, we’re reminded that no government official ever went to jail for the years of systematic abuse – except for John Kiriakou, the CIA whistleblower who exposed the use of waterboarding. During his 23 months behind bars, Kiriakou was constantly threatened with diesel therapy (disorienting prisoners by frequently moving them to different locations) for writing letters describing … Read More
The final episode of Breaking the Set discusses the power of grassroots organizing in getting the FCC to uphold Net Neutrality, speaks with DC Ferguson organizer Eugene Puryear about how to sustain effective activism and reminisces with BTS producer Anya Parampil about the show’s most memorable moments – from Piers Morgan denying censorship to Nestle’s personalized video response to BTS. Abby … Read More
Six years ago, Congress passed a bailout to the tune of 80 billions dollars funded by American taxpayers to rescue the bankrupt auto industry, mostly based in Detroit. But when the Motor City itself needed help and retirees were on the brink of losing everything, the money was nowhere to be found, apparently to avoid “meddling” in the bankruptcy process. Fast forward to today, where … Read More
Forget Stephen King. If you want scary, read U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier’s 150-page Findings of Fact released recently in the Deepwater Horizon case. Although the judge found BP liable for “gross negligence,” some U.S. media failed to mention that Barbier let BP off the hook on punitive damages. And that stuns me, given that the record seems to identify enough smoking … Read More
Few realize how expensive it is to keep Guantanamo Bay prison operational. The Joint Task Force (JTF) detention center, which opened in 2002, costs US taxpayers $140 million a year, breaking down to about $800,000 per detainee. The JTF was never meant to be permanent, yet twelve long years after the first round of prisoners arrived, 149 prisoners remain detained … Read More
