Burbia's Blog – June 2013 Archive (13)

Marijuana's march toward mainstream confounds feds

Published: June 29, 2013

By NANCY BENAC and ALICIA A. CALDWELL — Associated Press

WASHINGTON — It took 50 years for American attitudes about marijuana to zigzag from the paranoia of "Reefer Madness" to the excesses of Woodstock back to the hard line of "Just Say No."

The next 25 years took the nation from Bill Clinton, who famously "didn't inhale," to Barack Obama, who most emphatically did.

And now, in just a few short years, public opinion has moved so… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 29, 2013 at 11:33am — 2 Comments

Workers ‘wait and see’ after furlough notices start to go out

Governor, Republicans claim talks going well, but no deal yet

MIKE BAKER | The Associated Press • Published June 25, 2013

Thousands of state workers received notifications Monday that they could be temporarily laid off starting next week, even as Gov. Jay Inslee expressed an upbeat tone about budget talks that could avert a government shutdown.

Inslee’s financial managers directed agencies to start sending notices because lawmakers have not been able to finalize… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 26, 2013 at 11:14am — No Comments

Spy admits he accessed Olympia anti-war group's emails

BY JEREMY PAWLOSKI | Staff writer • Published June 26, 2013

A former Joint Base Lewis-McChord employee accused of infiltrating an Olympia anti-war group has admitted he accessed an email listserv maintained by the group in 2007 for attorney-client communications, then forwarded the information to police, according to documents filed in federal court in Tacoma.

Attorneys state in a recent court filing that John Towery accessed the activists’ listserv because he was… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 26, 2013 at 11:08am — No Comments

Lewis-McChord to lose one Stryker Brigade, thousands of soldiers

The loss of one of its Stryker brigades and other cuts will bring Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s force level to 26,500 soldiers, according to U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia

By Hal Bernton

Seattle Times staff reporter

The Army will cut a Stryker Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord as part of an upcoming change in its force structure, according to U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia, who was informed of the action Tuesday.

“With the Iraq war over and the war in Afghanistan… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 26, 2013 at 10:59am — No Comments

Did the CIA give the NSA documents to Ed Snowden?

http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/did-the-cia-give-the-nsa-documents-to-ed-snowden/bhttp://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/did-the-cia-give-the-nsa-documents-to-ed-snowden/y Jon Rappoport

June 13, 2013

Current press reports focus on PRISM, the NSA’s… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 25, 2013 at 8:00pm — 1 Comment

Wonkbook: Does Edward Snowden even exist?

By Ezra Klein and Evan Soltas, Published: JUNE 24, 8:44 AM ET

Aeroflot flight 150, from Moscow to Havana, was packed with dozens of journalists who’d bought tickets to get a glimpse of, and maybe even an interview with, fleeing leaker Edward Snowden. But when the doors closed and the plane readied for takeoff, they made an unpleasant discovery: Snowden wasn’t on the plane.

There is, of course, only one explanation for Snowden’s absence: He never existed in the first… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 25, 2013 at 5:02pm — 5 Comments

US issues threats to China, Russia over Snowden

By Peter Symonds

25 June 2013

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, appears to be still in Russia after reports that he failed to board a flight to Cuba on which he was booked on Monday.

The WSWS needs your support!

Your donations go directly to financing, improving, and expanding the web site.

DONATE

Ecuadorian foreign minister Richard Patiño confirmed at a press conference in Vietnam on Monday that his government… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 25, 2013 at 12:46pm — 1 Comment

My Creeping Concern that the NSA Leaker Edward Snowden is not who he Purports to be…

By Naomi Wolf

Global Research, June 15, 2013

I hate to do this but I feel obligated to share, as the story unfolds, my creeping concern that the NSA leaker is not who he purports to be, and that the motivations involved in the story may be more complex than they appear to be.

This is in no way to detract from the great courage of Glenn Greenwald in reporting the story, and the gutsiness of the Guardian in showcasing this kind of reporting, which is a service to America that US… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 25, 2013 at 12:08pm — 3 Comments

DOJ urged to avoid pot showdown with state

Seven members of Washington’s congressional delegation are urging U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to assure that the federal government won’t penalize pot users and sellers “for activities legal under state law.”

By Kyung M. Song

Seattle Times Washington bureau

WASHINGTON — Seven…

Continue

Added by Burbia on June 19, 2013 at 2:19pm — 1 Comment

Wheat scare leaves farmers in limbo

The discovery of rogue genetically modified wheat on an Oregon farm led two countries to halt their wheat orders, and a USDA announcement hasn’t calmed worries. Northwest farmers will soon face a decision on whether to keep planting wheat.

By Melissa Allison…

Continue

Added by Burbia on June 19, 2013 at 2:16pm — No Comments

Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits 49th state

Published: June 19, 2013 Updated 13 minutes ago

By RACHEL D'ORO — Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A heat wave hitting Alaska may not rival the blazing heat of Phoenix or Las Vegas, but to residents of the 49th state, the days of hot weather feel…

Continue

Added by Burbia on June 19, 2013 at 2:07pm — No Comments

Bellingham group asks feds to stop using border agents as police interpreters

By JOHN STARK — THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

LYNDEN - Many Hispanic residents are afraid to call local police to report crimes, because Lynden, Blaine and Sumas police often call federal immigration officers to act as interpreters, according to a civil rights complaint that has been filed with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Attorney Daniel Ford of Columbia Legal Services filed the complaint Thursday, June 13, on behalf of Bellingham-based Community to Community Development, a… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 15, 2013 at 1:12pm — No Comments

AP EXCLUSIVE: RISE OF AL-QAIDA SAHARA TERRORIST

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — After years of trying to discipline him, the leaders of al-Qaida's North African branch sent one final letter to their most difficult employee. In page after scathing page, they described how he didn't answer his phone when they called, failed to turn in his expense reports, ignored meetings and refused time and again to carry out orders.

Most of all, they claimed he had failed to carry out a single spectacular operation, despite the resources at his… Continue

Added by Burbia on June 6, 2013 at 11:30am — No Comments