District Sentinel Radio Episode 11: U.S. Isn’t Leaving, But Afghans Are
Sanjar Jahid, an Afghan living in Sweden who works with refugees, tells his story as we discuss American’s longest running war. Keep Reading
Edward Droneden–Intercept Publishes Stories on Targeted Killing Program
Top secret documents published on Thursday provide fresh insight into US security forces’ long-running drone assassination program. The information, which came in the form of PowerPoint slides, was provided to The Intercept by an anonymous source. It details details the CIA and Pentagon’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles for targeted strikes that occurred between 2011 and 2013, and sheds light on the inner-working of the program. “Taken together, the secret documents lead to the conclusion that Washington’s 14-year high-value targeting campaign suffers from an overreliance on signals intelligence,… Keep Reading
War In Afghanistan To Rage On Beyond Obama
President Obama has scrapped plans to end the War in Afghanistan before he leaves office. White House officials told the Associated Press Thursday that the US will keep its current force size of nearly 10,000 soldiers in tact through 2016, and that it will plan to indefinitely keep roughly 5,000 troops there. The AP said the scaling back of that force will occur “at a pace still to be determined by commanders.” The administration had previously been hoping to pare down the US contingency in Afghanistan to an embassy… Keep Reading
New Pentagon Weapons Shipments In Syria Don’t Include Restrictions On Targets; Could Be Used Against Assad Or Russian Forces
In the latest iteration of its Syrian train and equip program, the Pentagon is no longer requiring recipients to pledge that they will only fight the Islamic State (ISIL). The change in policy, which was revealed by Col. Steve Warren during a Tuesday press briefing, gives rebels tied to Washington mostly free rein to use US-backed weapons against both Syrian government forces and their Russian military allies. “We do ask them, we want them to fight ISIL”, Warren told reporters, referring to rebels forces that received 50… Keep Reading
Whistleblowers Left In The Lurch By O.S.H.A.
A federal agency charged with protecting whistleblowers in the workplace has been remarkably dismissive of retaliation complaints, according to an analysis of government data. NBC Bay Area News reported Monday that over the last decade the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) found merit in fewer than two percent of retribution charges. The agency dismissed 59 percent of cases, and facilitated a settlement in another 22 percent of complaints, the records showed. The allegations surrounded illegal workplace practices and safety procedures. The NBC affiliate also found… Keep Reading
Prosecution Of Corporate Crime Down By Nearly A Third Over Last Ten Years
The Department of Justice has steadily reduced the number of corporate criminals it prosecutes every year, despite there being no signs of improved behavior by the business community. Syracuse University released a report Tuesday showing that the DOJ took legal action against only 237 corporate defendants in 2014—a 29% drop from 2004. The number of referrals sent to US Attorneys to prosecute businesses, meanwhile, actually increased slightly over the decade. The university found 2,171 referrals in 2014–up from 2,116 in 2004–and more than nine times the number of… Keep Reading
Life Sentences For Convicted Youths Challenged At Supreme Court
The highest court in the land heard opening arguments Tuesday in a case that could lead to the early release of thousands of inmates dealt mandatory life sentences as minors. While the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that sentencing minors to life without parole is a violation of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment, the ruling didn’t apply retroactively. In Montgomery v. Louisiana, the court will determine whether or not it should. The case was brought by Henry Montgomery, a 69-year-old who… Keep Reading
Senate Torture Report Prompts Lawsuit Against CIA Psychologists
Two psychologists contracted by the Central Intelligence Agency to help construct its post-9/11 torture program are being sued by former detainees. The suit was filed in a Washington state federal court on Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the three men–two living and one dead. Suleiman Abdullah Salim, Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud, and the estate of Gul Rahman are all claiming that the three men were harmed at CIA “black sites” by methods developed by Drs. James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen.… Keep Reading
Second Congressional Progressive Leader Endorses Bernie
For the second time in a week, a progressive leader on Capitol Hill threw his support behind Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) presidential campaign. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) announced in a statement released on Monday that he would be endorsing the democratic socialist candidate. Ellison’s backing means that Sanders has now earned the endorsement from both co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton still leads Sanders by a wide margin, in terms of political endorsements. According to FiveThirtyEight, Clinton has garnered… Keep Reading
House of Shards: McCarthy Resignation Throws GOP Into Disarray
House Republicans went into a caucus meeting Thursday hoping to nominate their next Speaker. They emerged more fractured than ever, after their presumed leader-to-be, in rather dramatic fashion, stepped down under pressure. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told fellow Republicans behind closed doors that he is no longer seeking the top post in the House after far right party members pledged to support other candidates. “If we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to help do that,” Rep. McCarthy… Keep Reading
Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Endorses Bernie Sanders For President
One of the leaders of the progressive flank of the Democratic Party is set this week to give Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) his first Capitol Hill endorsement for president. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) will formally make his endorsement during an appearance with the independent senator and presidential candidate at a rally in Tucson Friday, the Los Angles Times reported. “I couldn’t sit on the sidelines and wait for the tea leaves to be read better,” Mr. Grijalva said… Keep Reading