Archives for noviembre 2013

China Scrubs Internet Clean

A study by an Internet opinion monitoring service under the party-owned People’s Daily newspaper showed the number of posts by a sample of 100 opinion leaders declined by nearly 25 percent and were overtaken by posts from government microblog accounts.

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government has declared victory in cleaning up what it considers rumors, negativity and unruliness from online discourse, while critics say the moves have suppressed criticism of the government and ruling Communist Party. Beijing launched the campaign this summer, arresting dozens of people for spreading rumors,

President Obama Visits Immigration Advocates Fasting For Reform

Over 4,000 people nationwide have fasted in solidarity with Fast for Families pushing for immigration reform.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Fast For Families on the national mall on Friday, a group of faith, civil rights leaders, and immigrants gathered to pressure the House of Representatives to take up immigration reform. “Since Nov. 12, immigration activists comprising Fast For Families have abstained from all food

US Offers To Destroy Syrian Chemical Weapons

U.S. will contribute «a destruction technology, full operational support and financing to neutralize» weapons by Dec. 31.

  DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The U.S. has offered to help destroy some of the most lethal parts of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile at an offshore facility, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons said Saturday. The international organization's director-general, Ahmet Uzumcu, said in The Hague, Netherlands that the

Efforts To Relax US Marijuana Laws Lose Benefactor

Since the 1980s, Peter B. Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, donated an estimated $40 million to $60 million to marijuana law reform, but has now passed away at age 80.

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With the death of Cleveland billionaire and philanthropist Peter B. Lewis, the push for relaxed U.S. marijuana laws lost its most generous supporter. That's left supporters wondering what comes next. Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, died Saturday at age 80. Since the 1980s, he had donated an estimated

Big Retail Is Watching You: Exposing Walmart’s Massive Data Collection Schemes

Retail giant’s mass data collection is disproportionately affecting people of color, say authors.

Outside of its growing reputation for poverty wages, worker intimidation and an overall culture of employee repression, a new report released Wednesday reveals that retail giant Walmart is also throwing its weight behind a massive consumer tracking effort with particular implications for people of color. Authored by a coalition of consumer

With Help From Canada, NSA Spied On G20

Documents leaked by Edward Snowden show ‘US turned its Ottawa embassy into a security command post during a six-day spying operation.’

The U.S. National Security Agency carried out widespread surveillance during the 2010 G8 and G20 summits in Toronto, spying that was "closely co-ordinated" with Canada, CBC Newsreported Wednesday. It is the latest in a series of revelations on NSA activities made possible by leaks from whistleblower Edward Snowden. CBC reports: The briefing