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Further...

06.19.13 - 12:08 PM

Despite questions that continue to swirl around the FBI's shooting of an apparently unarmed Ibragim Todashev, possible cohort of the Boston bombing suspects, all FBI shootings since 1993 - including 70 "subjects" killed - were entirely justified according to internal reviews done by the FBI itself, which is faultless and has no conflict of interest and should know, right? The bureau's finding they never, ever mess up, released by the NY Times through a FOIA lawsuit, was deemed suspicious by some skeptics, but not us, nope.

"The F.B.I. takes very seriously any shooting incidents involving our agents, and as such we have an effective, time-tested process for addressing them internally.”  - the FBI

-Abby Zimet
06.19.13 - 10:26 AM

When Dick Cheney slithered out of his cave to call Edward Snowden a traitor - a claim, given its slimy source, Snowden called "the highest honor you can give an American" - it was the latest in an ongoing, vengeful, bizarre and irrelevant campaign of vitriol against a guy who, regardless of his personal flaws, strengths or story, has indisputably "done something brave and worthwhile." And the best commentary pushes past the distracting, mud-slinging, name-calling debris to capture that kernel of truth.

"The everyday fact that the police have the right to monitor the communications of all its citizens – in secret – is a classic hallmark of a state that fears freedom as well as championing it." - Guardian editorial

-Abby Zimet
06.18.13 - 4:17 PM

The latest award for Breathtaking Tastelessness In the Iffy Name of Selling Stuff goes to Vice Magazine, which ran a "fashion spread" reenacting the suicides of female authors, complete with blood and fashion notes. After a howl of outrage they pulled it with an equally tasteless non-apology saying their spreads are arty and cool and take "an art editorial point-of-view (not) typical fashion photo-editorial one" so what's our problem? Suicide rates are sharply up in this country, exceeding traffic accidents as a cause of death and bringing untold anguish to many, many people. That's our problem.

-Abby Zimet
06.18.13 - 4:03 PM

Seeking to bypass an almost-total corporate media blackout of the rising movement against GMOs, a coalition of anti-Monsanto groups is launching a campaign calling on people to make and share online videos highlighting the issue. Much more to help reclaim our food.

06.18.13 - 2:17 PM

Testimony to the power of one: Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz - soon known, God love the internet, as Standing Man - stood silently for eight hours in Taksim Square, facing a portrait of Turkey's founder Kemal Ataturk, to protest violent repression by police. He was soon joined by hundreds of others, some of whom police arrested. By then, Gunduz was gone. He had explained, "I'm nothing...The idea is important: why people resist the government."

“Standing does not constitute a crime...Humanity cannot find a more democratic type of protest.” - Turkish Bar Association's Metin Feyzioğlu

-Abby Zimet
06.18.13 - 12:10 PM

Yes, these people are still here. They were just at the Faith and Freedom conference bearing the evidently straight-faced title, Road to the Majority, wherein speakers said immigrants are more fertile, we need to protect the unborn, if America doesn't step up to fight radical Islam who will and the GOP needs to lean even further to the right without actually falling off the planet. Sarah Palin! Herman Cain! Phyllis Schlafly! Muslim jokes! They are still here, and despite the polls and elections and lay of the land, they want to be your future.

-Abby Zimet
06.17.13 - 11:42 PM

The Obama administration has for the first time identified 46 prisoners held at Guantánamo as "indefinite detainees," men allegedly too dangerous to release but who cannot be prosecuted due to lack of evidence - a seemingly untenable category nonetheless valid under current law. The list was released to The Miami Herald, which had sued the Defense Department. Held in limbo are 26 Yemenis, 12 Afghans, 3 Saudis, 2 Kuwaitis, 2 Libyans, a Kenyan, a Moroccan, a Somali. Shame.

-Abby Zimet

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Wednesday June 19, 2013

Jim Hightower:

Tuesday June 18, 2013

Nick Turse:
Paul Towers:
Dr. Hakim and the Afghan Peace Volunteers:
Robert Scheer:
David Macaray:

Monday June 17, 2013

Lina Newhouser