Pierce Stanley

Does Sen. Jeff Sessions Think Obama is Secretly a "Radical Machiavelli"?

motherjones.com — Is Barack Obama a "radical Machiavelli" bent on destroying American society so he can shape it into a totalitarian state? In February, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) endorsed a book that makes such a case.

Can Silicon Valley Embrace Politics? : The New Yorker

newyorker.com — Throughout most of Silicon Valley's history, its executives have displayed a libertarian instinct to stay as far from politics and government as possible. But the imperative to change the world has recently led some Silicon Valley leaders to imagine that the values and concepts behind their success can be uploaded to the public sphere.

Former C.I.A. Worker Says He Leaked Surveillance Data

nytimes.com — WASHINGTON - The British newspaper, The Guardian, on Sunday revealed the identity of the source of its information for a series of articles on surveillance practices by the National Security Agency. In an article on its Web site, the newspaper identified the source as Edward Snowden, 29, former technical assistant for the Central Intelligence Agency who has worked at the N.S.A.

Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance

guardian.co.uk — The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.

Boundless Informant: the NSA's secret tool to track global surveillance data

guardian.co.uk — The National Security Agency has developed a powerful tool for recording and analysing where its intelligence comes from, raising questions about its repeated assurances to Congress that it cannot keep track of all the surveillance it performs on American communications.

NSA 'Boundless Informant' software leak shows just how much data the government has

theverge.com — Leaked information about a piece of NSA software called Boundless Informant could shed light on how organized the agency's surveillance program really is. Glenn Greenwald - who recently exposed both widespread phone metadata collection and an internet spying program called PRISM - has revealed details about the ominously named program, which aggregates and organizes the NSA's data.

Wishing You (and Your Start-Up) Were Here

nytimes.com — SAN FRANCISCO - A bold new billboard looms over U.S. 101, the highway that runs through the heart of the global technology industry. "H-1b problem?" it reads. "Pivot to Canada." That sassy invitation is directed at the thousands of foreigners having trouble getting temporary visas, known as H-1b's, to work in the United States.

Anti-Surveillance Activist Is at Center of New Leak

nytimes.com — After writing intensely, even obsessively, for years about government surveillance and the prosecution of journalists, Glenn Greenwald has suddenly put himself directly at the intersection of those two issues, and perhaps in the cross hairs of federal prosecutors.

Obama's Civil-Liberties Record Questioned

online.wsj.com — The disclosure of a broad government effort to collect phone records of millions of U.S. consumers has rekindled a debate about President Barack Obama's commitment to civil liberties, with some lawmakers and advocacy groups saying he has broken a campaign pledge to combat terrorism in ways that protect basic freedoms. Mr. Obama's record on civil liberties was already drawing renewed scrutiny over reports that his administration has investigated journalists as part of criminal leak cases, his increased use of drones and other matters.

Couple who hosted self-help radio show found dead in joint suicide at Brooklyn home

nypost.com — A Brooklyn couple famous for hosting a self-help radio show committed suicide by suffocating themselves with plastic bags in Park Slope, police sources and witnesses said. Psychotherapist Lynne Rosen, 46, and her partner John Littig, 48 -- who appeared on WBAI-FM's "The Pursuit of Happiness" -- were found dead in a home on President Street.