kpete
kpete's JournalSnowden Docs: U.S. Spied on Negotiators At 2009 Climate Summit
Source: Huffington Post
WASHINGTON -- The National Security Agency monitored the communications of other governments ahead of and during the 2009 United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, according to the latest document from whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The document, with portions marked "top secret," indicates that the NSA was monitoring the communications of other countries ahead of the conference, and intended to continue doing so throughout the meeting. Posted on an internal NSA website on Dec. 7, 2009, the first day of the Copenhagen summit, it states that "analysts here at NSA, as well as our Second Party partners, will continue to provide policymakers with unique, timely, and valuable insights into key countries' preparations and goals for the conference, as well as the deliberations within countries on climate change policies and negotiation strategies."
"Second Party partners" refers to the intelligence agencies of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with which the U.S. has an intelligence-sharing relationship. "While the outcome of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference remains uncertain, signals intelligence will undoubtedly play a significant role in keeping our negotiators as well informed as possible throughout the 2-week event," the document says.
The Huffington Post published the documents Wednesday night in coordination with the Danish daily newspaper Information, which worked with American journalist Laura Poitras.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/29/snowden-nsa-surveillance-_n_4681362.html
http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/unclimatechangeconference.pdf
Ok, I Liked It, But, I did not realize that It Was THAT Good
Looks like the GOP took it pretty hard...
and is that guy praying behind Cruz?
peace, and more of this please,
kp
Retaliation Being Engineered By Christie Allies: They're going to try and smear Mayor Zimmer.
They're going to try and smear Zimmer.
New story up at NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/...
HOBOKEN — Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer threatened to fire Carmelo Garcia, director of the local housing authority, unless he agreed to hire politically connected contractors, a recently filed lawsuit claims.
Zimmer’s lawyer says the claims are baseless and suggested they are retaliation engineered by Christie allies.
THE REST:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/zimmer_attorney_suggests_new_allegations_are_orchestrated_by_christie_allies.html#incart_river_default
BP Deepwater Supervisors Must Face Manslaughter Rap
Source: Law 360
BP Deepwater Supervisors Must Face Manslaughter Rap
Law360, New York (January 28, 2014, 6:30 PM ET) -- A Louisiana federal judge on Monday refused to toss manslaughter charges against two BP PLC supervisors for their roles in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, rejecting claims that the charges are unconstitutionally vague because they lack a clear standard of care that the supervisors allegedly violated.
The U.S. Department of Justice claims Robert Kaluza's and Donald Vidrine's negligence caused the 11 rig worker deaths in the Deepwater Horizon explosion, which sent nearly 5 million barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. In denying Kaluza's...
Read more: http://www.law360.com/environmental/articles/504811/bp-deepwater-supervisors-must-face-manslaughter-rap
OPINION HERE:
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/BP-criminal.pdf
MORE HERE:
Judge Duval, however, disagreed with the supervisor’s attorneys, saying external rules by BP were not necessary in order for the supervisors to be held accountable under criminal law.
“The statutes at issue in this matter have been interpreted to require ordinary negligence and gross negligence, which have well-settled legal meanings,” Judge Duval wrote, noting that the attorneys had provided no case law stating otherwise. “To find otherwise would mean that, absent an external standard of care, no ‘professional’ could be held accountable for such conduct.”
Judge Duval also noted that if the facts alleged in the case are true, it would be “difficult” to prove that the supervisors did not expect to be punished for their negligence. And even if they didn’t expect criminal charges, he wrote, it would not necessarily matter.
“Though a criminal may not foresee certain consequences, the law may still hold him or her accountable for negligent actions,” he wrote.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/29/1273503/-BP-Deepwater-Supervisors-Must-Face-Manslaughter-Rap
Neil Cavuto surprises Rick Santorum when he labels Republican SOTU response ‘horrible’
Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum seemed to be caught by surprise when Fox News host Neil Cavuto tried to get him to agree with his negative assessment of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ (R-WA) response to Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
“I’m a fan of Cathy McMorris Rodgers, she’s a great congresswoman,” Santorum said, before Cavuto cut him off.
“She did a horrible job,” Cavuto said bluntly. “She did a horrible job, you know it. And she’s a wonderful person, but it was horrible.”
...................
“It was not a good night for Republicans to respond,” Cavuto said, before alluding to the multiple conservative responses to President Barack Obama’s speech. “They looked like they were coming from all over the place. You’re quite right — anyone responding to the President of the United States, and the unique position he has, speaking around all that pageantry, you’re right. But, come on.”
MORE:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/29/neil-cavuto-surprises-rick-santorum-when-he-labels-republican-sotu-response-horrible/
Eugene Robinson: Obama’s Best State Of The Union Speech
Eugene Robinson: Obama’s Best State Of The Union Speech
With a strong, optimistic beginning and an unforgettable ending, that may have been President Obama’s best State of the Union speech. Apparently none of the commentators who have been saying his presidency is on its last legs bothered to let him know. He opened with a portrait of the country – not an America gripped by crisis or mired in despondency, but a sunny place where unemployment is falling, school test scores are rising, housing prices are recovering, deficits are shrinking and manufacturing jobs are coming home.
the president’s tone throughout the speech was buoyant, not sour. His defense of the Affordable Care Act was an observation that House Republicans’ first 40 useless votes to repeal the law really should suffice. Even when he bludgeoned the GOP over long-term unemployment benefits or the minimum wage, he did it with a smile. His argument for equal pay and family leave? “It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a ‘Mad Men’ episode.” His call for raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10? “Join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise.”
The end of the speech, a tribute to wounded Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg, was an indelible moment. To end with such a powerful story of bravery and resilience gave emotional depth to the overall theme of the speech: America is back. I don’t know how much of his agenda Obama will achieve. But I’m pretty sure the last three years of his presidency won’t be boring.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/01/29/obamas-best-state-of-the-union-speech/?hpid=z4
personally, I think he's eyeing the cookie...
President Barack Obama greets an employee in the bakery at a Costco store in Lanham, Md.
http://theobamadiary.com/
Pete Seeger, aged 2, with family (1921)
little pete
May 23, 1921. Washington, D.C. "Professor Charles Louis Seeger and family." Charles Seeger, wife Constance de Clyver Edson and their 2-year-old son Pete, of future folkie fame. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative.
http://boingboing.net/2014/01/29/pete-seeger-aged-2-with-fami.html
Profile Information
Member since: Fri Sep 17, 2004, 03:59 PMNumber of posts: 72,016
