civil liberties

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House Passes Patriot Act Extensions

Move to extend surveillance powers passes 275-144

(Newser) - The House of Representatives has voted 275-144 to extend three key provisions of the Patriot Act until the end of the year. The measures—which would keep in place surveillance powers including counterterrorism officials' ability to conduct roving wiretap surveillance of targets—were slammed as "intrusive" and "unconstitutional"...

Judge Bans Man From Sex Over Low IQ

He's too challenged to give legal consent, says UK court

(Newser) - A UK judge has barred a man from continuing a sexual relationship with another man because of his extremely low IQ, the Telegraph reports. The 41-year-old lives in an assisted living facility, has an IQ of 48, and is "seriously challenged in all aspects of his mental functionality,”...

House Rejects Extension of Patriot Act Provisions

Twenty-six Republicans buck party line

(Newser) - The House today failed to extend the life of three surveillance tools that are key to the Patriot Act. Republicans brought up the bill under a special expedited procedure requiring a two-thirds majority, and they fell seven votes short. Twenty-six Republicans voted against the measure, along with 122 Democrats. Supporters...

Democrats' ID Card Plan: Get Your Fingerprints

'Biometrics' a big part of immigration reform proposal

(Newser) - Now it's the Democrats' turn to be accused of trying to violate civil liberties in the name of immigration reform. A crucial part of their plan calls for what amounts to a high-tech national ID card. It would have a "biometrics" component—namely fingerprints—and every worker would need...

FBI Illegally Searched Phone Records for Years
 FBI Illegally Searched 
 Phone Records for Years 
investigation
Jan 19, 2010 8:55 AM CST

FBI Illegally Searched Phone Records for Years

Thousands targeted, including Times and Post reporters

(Newser) - From 2002 to 2006, the FBI repeatedly violated its own rules, collecting more than 2,000 telephone records by declaring terror emergencies that didn't exist, and then never following up with the letters required to justify such searches. As the bureau strained to gather intelligence more quickly in the wake...

More Surveillance = More Terrorism
 More Surveillance 
 = More Terrorism 
opinion
Jan 6, 2010 12:24 PM CST

More Surveillance = More Terrorism

We had info on Ft. Hood, Abdulmutallab, but it got lost in the mix

(Newser) - The expansion of government surveillance powers, often enabled by public unease following a terror attack or scare, actually makes those events more likely, Glenn Greenwald writes. The main problem is that intelligence agencies get clogged with useless information. In the cases of Ft. Hood and the Christmas attempt, our intelligence...

Loose FBI Rules Raise Privacy Fears

People are unfairly targeted, complain Muslim groups

(Newser) - The FBI has been given far too much leeway to gather information on individuals and groups, charge Muslim and civil liberties organizations. Guidelines in a newly disclosed FBI manual allow the bureau to probe people or organizations without any factual evidence against them. Agents are given broad powers to proactively...

School Censors Tween's Report on Harvey Milk

(Newser) - The ACLU is threatening to sue a California school district that restricted access to a 12-year-old’s report on gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. When the school learned of the subject, it delayed the presentation and sent letters to parents requiring permission slips for their children...

Obama Meets With Human- Rights Leaders

Under fire for recent moves, holds 'probing' pre-speech discussion

(Newser) - Dogged by criticism over recent decisions, President Obama invited a crew of human-rights and civil-liberties leaders and academics to discuss Guantanamo, tribunals, and transparency ahead of today’s speech on similar themes, the Huffington Post reports. Obama said he was unhappy with Congress’ denial of funds to close Gitmo and...

US Judge Busts Muslim Woman for Wearing Hijab

She's held in contempt for refusing to remove head covering

(Newser) - A Muslim woman was briefly jailed by a Georgia judge for refusing to take off her head-covering hijab in court, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The woman was arrested for contempt, and ordered held for 10 days—but was released after several hours. She had been in court with her nephew,...

The Bush Era: An 'American Fiasco'
 The Bush Era: 
 An 'American Fiasco' 

OPINION
Nov 3, 2008 11:38 AM CST

The Bush Era: An 'American Fiasco'

Columnist rips into the White House's 'all-time loser' on election eve

(Newser) - In the waning days of the Bush administration, Simon Schama wonders how the president is handling his role as the “all-time loser in presidential history.” “If the Statue of Liberty were alive,” Schama writes in the Guardian, “she would be weeping tears of blood” over...

Police May Take Bigger Role in Intelligence

Critics fear Justice Dept. plan would infringe on civil liberties

(Newser) - The Justice Department has proposed expanding the ability of state and local police to gather intelligence on Americans, share it with federal officials, and hold onto it for a decade, the Washington Post reports. Supporters of the move say authorities would keep a close eye on the new practices to...

Big Apple Is Big Brother, Privacy Advocates Warn

(Newser) - Anti-terrorism measures planned for New York City have civil liberties groups worried, the Guardian of London reports. Operation Sentinel calls for cameras to be placed at every bridge and tunnel into Manhattan to photograph every vehicle entering and leaving. Details would then be kept on a huge city database.

Hard-Core Supply-Sider: I'm Voting for the Democrat

Former Chamber of Commerce honcho has had enough foreign policy disaster

(Newser) - Being a Reagan, Gingrich and Dole soldier won’t stop former Chamber of Commerce honcho Larry Hunter from voting for Barack Obama this fall, he writes in the New York Daily News. It doesn’t matter that he wholly disagrees with the Dem on every point of domestic policy; the...

Surveillance Law Gives Sweden Broad Powers

No warrant needed for cross-border phone, e-traffic; foes outraged

(Newser) - Sweden's intelligence service will have broad new powers to intercept cross-border calls and emails, without a warrant, under a law passed yesterday, the BBC reports. Critics, meanwhile, say it is impossible to fully distinguish domestic from international traffic without compromising the transmissions. Protesters handed out copies of George Orwell's 1984...

Judge Orders CIA to Release 'Torture' Memo

Key document said to outline waterboarding techniques

(Newser) - A federal judge has ordered the CIA to release a 2002 memo believed to outline interrogation methods that may amount to torture. The ACLU, which brought the suit sparking the order, claims that the memo details harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, and calls it "one of the most important...

Obama Donor List Is 'Gigantic'

Database could make him power broker for decades

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s massive donor and networking list—stuffed with data on 2 million people—will make him a major power broker even if his campaign falters, Bloomberg reports. Unlike past hopefuls, Obama has inspired donors to reveal addresses, phone numbers, and even views on specific issues. "It's gigantic,...

US Plans to Widen DNA Database
US Plans to Widen DNA Database
Apr 16, 2008 9:27 PM CDT

US Plans to Widen DNA Database

Will take samples from illegal immigrants, felony arrestees

(Newser) - The US plans to significantly widen its law-enforcement database by taking DNA samples from illegal immigrants picked up by federal authorities and from all people arrested for federal offenses, the Washington Post reports. The feds currently collect genetic information only from those convicted of federal crimes. The expanded policy follows...

Schools Squeeze Out Hugs
Schools Squeeze Out Hugs
Nov 15, 2007 9:06 AM CST

Schools Squeeze Out Hugs

Double detention for Illinois girl a sign of the times

(Newser) - An eighth-grade student’s double detention for hugging friends at school has sparked a national debate. Rules concerning public displays of affection in school have surged over the last two decades, reports Time magazine, but there is little consensus about how far they should go in governing student behavior. Some...

Dodd Fights to Redeem Dad
Dodd Fights to Redeem Dad
Sep 24, 2007 11:50 AM CDT

Dodd Fights to Redeem Dad

Father's letters illuminate Nuremberg prosecutor turned disgraced US senator

(Newser) - Chris Dodd is not only running for president, he's on a mission to fix his father's reputation. Dodd's late father, Thomas, also a US senator, was censured in 1967 for making personal use of campaign funds. Years earlier, he made his name at the Nuremberg trials, and his son's new...

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