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Jimmy John's Workers Fight Year-Long Battle To Win Back Jobs

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:06:06 GMT

Last March, Erik Forman was fired, along with five of his friends, from his job at a Jimmy John's sandwich shop in Minneapolis. A delivery man, Forman says he loved the work almost as much as he hated the company. More than a year later, he and his friends are still fighting to get back on the payroll and pick up their next shifts. "For us, it's bigger than Jimmy John's, and it's bigger than our minimum wage jobs," Forman, 27, says. "We want go back there to do what we started to do."

Whorearchy

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:05:25 GMT

Among the few facts about sex work that everyone agrees upon is that there is a “whorearchy”, a sort of class system among sex workers. Now, nobody agrees on anything about that system, only that it exists. Many strippers, dominatrices, porn actresses, etc insist not only that they aren’t whores, but that they’re better than we are; those whose professions have separated enough from ours that they aren’t even considered sex workers any more (such as actresses and especially masseuses) can be very pompous about it. Prostitutes, on the other hand, sometimes see themselves as better, smarter, more discreet, etc than strippers or porn starlets; sugar babies and other halfway whores deny that they’re sex workers at all; and some unusually self-deluded escorts will even try to draw imaginary lines separating themselves from other hookers. “Authorities” in criminalization and legalization regimes devote great effort to erecting arbitrary barriers between “tolerable” and “intolerable” varieties of harlotry, and sometimes to cementing the strata in place; cops and prosecutors delight in tricking “legal” sex workers into breaking their ridiculous rules (or falsely claiming that they did) in order to have an excuse for victimizing them; and sex worker advocates expend considerable efforts in hand-wringing and lamentation over “classism”.

BPI plant closures over ‘pink slime’ become permanent

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:04:50 GMT

US meat manufacturer Beef Products Inc (BPI) is closing down three of its plants permanently after a month of suspended production caused by the ‘pink slime’ scandal.

NY Twitter Decision Fails to Recognize Content and Location Data Require a Warrant

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:03:49 GMT

A New York judge's broad opinion, ordering Twitter to comply with a subpoena (PDF) and turn over account information about one of its users arrested for disorderly conduct in connection with an Occupy Wall Street protest, is worse the deeper you dig into it.

UNAIDS calls on Greece to protect sex workers and their clients through comprehensive and voluntary HIV programmes

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:02:30 GMT

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) expresses its concern over recent actions by Greek authorities involving the arrest, detention, mandatory HIV testing, publication of photographs and personal details, and pressing of criminal charges against at least 12 sex workers. There is no evidence that punitive approaches to regulating sex work are effective in reducing HIV transmission among sex workers and their clients.

Recorded Video: Roseanne Barr and Jill Stein: Green Party Presidential Forum

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:01:46 GMT

Barr & Stein at GPUSA Presidential Forum

Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde Requests Pardon

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:00:09 GMT

After being found guilty of copyright offenses in connection with the operations of The Pirate Bay, site co-founder Peter Sunde should now be beginning an 8 month jail sentence in a Swedish prison. However, in a last-ditch attempt to maintain his freedom, Sunde has asked the Swedish government for clemency citing health and business concerns.

Richard Branson says Spain can solve its economic problems by legalizing marijuana

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:59:20 GMT

Sir Richard Branson believes that the ideal way for Spain to get out of its current morass of national debt, savage austerity cuts, and social turmoil would be to legalize and tax marijuana.

After the German Pirate Party's String Of Successes, Here Comes The Backlash

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:58:13 GMT

Over the last few months, Techdirt has been reporting on the amazing rise of the German Pirate Party, with win after win after win. Politicians in the other parties have looked on aghast, powerless to halt the rise of something they clearly can't fathom. Inevitably, the fightback has finally begun, but packaged as an artists' revolt, not simply that of the copyright industries worried about their profit margins.

A Spectre Is Haunting Europe: The People Won't Listen!

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:57:26 GMT

Presidential elections in France and the general elections in Greece are seismic events, which have significance way beyond the characters involved. After three years of austerity programmes throughout Europe characterised by billions of Euros worth of public money redirected towards protecting bankers and speculators who indulged in an orgy of reckless bond buying, people are simply defying an elite consensus.

ALEC Singled Out for Exemption from Lobbying Law in South Carolina

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:56:00 GMT

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), composed of conservative politicians and corporations that promote pro-business legislative agendas, has been allowed to lobby in South Carolina and other states without being required to register like other lobbying organizations.

Trumka: America’s economic lead is not a given

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:56:34 GMT

Below are excerpts of a May 9 speech by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka to the Center for National Policy, a Washington think tank that in the past has concentrated on national security issues. The center decided this year that the economy itself is a national security issue. Trumka's remarks follow:

Robots, Men, and Sex Toruism: How Robot Prostitutes Can Change Sex Tourism.

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:17:15 GMT

the latest issue of Futures journal (V 44, I 4, May 2012) has an article that describes a fictional club in Amsterdam that caters to robo-fetishists in 2050.

Ian Yeoman and Michelle Mars of the University of Wellington’s Victoria Management School create a hypothetical robo-brothel not only to show how it can be possible, but to show how it can alter how the sex trade operates in Amsterdam, and potentially world-wide. The Futures journal is available for download from Science Direct, but it’s behind a paywall. I was hoping it would be shared by now, but fortunately io9 quotes a few paragraphs about the club, its services, and the advantages to meat-based bordellos.

A Tale of Two World Views

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:15:30 GMT

The scope of the article extends far beyond 2011, it seeks to defend nearly all aspects of the US state-directed bailout of the private sector in the post-2008 period. To do so, the areas of consideration are restricted to the three favorites of capitalist-inspired economists – the official unemployment rate, manufacturing production and stock prices.

The grim reality for most of us – the group the Occupy movement refers to as the 99% – is that we don’t live our lives inside these numbers. The official unemployment hides the number of people who have given up looking for work. The increase in manufacturing has mostly been a jobless one. And the rise in stock prices is a primary concern only for 1%’ers and those being chained to them by retirement funds.

In reality, the reality most of us live in, conditions have gotten substantially worse since 2008. Food insecurity has reached all-time highs.

Workers’ rights and the internet

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:12:04 GMT

Communication, solidarity and the internet: How the internet, information technology and new media are shaping the world working class

In Search of Stripper Solidarity

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:11:12 GMT

Can professional dancers find workplace justice?

Radio Is About to Get Better

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:10:10 GMT

The FCC is finally ready to re-open its application process for low-powered FM stations. Who’s ready to rock the mic?

UPDATE: With May First/Riseup Server Seizure, FBI Overreaches Yet Again

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:09:13 GMT

UPDATE: Late last week, the FBI returned the seized server to the colocation facility that May First/People Link and Riseup shared. Yesterday, May First released video footage of the server's return. As we learn more details about the situation, we'll keep you posted.

The FBI is at it again -- executing broad search warrants, disrupting legitimate Internet traffic, and getting nothing in return.

Guantánamo Defendants Stage "Peaceful Resistance" to Military Commissions

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:08:27 GMT

At Guantánamo, lawyers for five prisoners being tried by a military commission for their role in the Sept. 11 attacks said the judicial process was rigged to lead to the execution of their clients. During Saturday’s arraignment, the prisoners refused to talk or listen to the judge. One prisoner was brought to the court in restraints. A lawyer for one of the prisoners said the actions of the men were a “peaceful resistance to an unjust system.” Attorney James Harrington criticized the military commission’s rules that bar discussion of the time his client, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, spent in a secret CIA prison.

Judge: An IP-Address Doesn’t Identify a Person (or BitTorrent Pirate)

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:06:58 GMT

A landmark ruling in one of the many mass-BitTorrent lawsuits in the US has delivered a severe blow to a thus far lucrative business. Among other things, New York Judge Gary Brown explains in great detail why an IP-address is not sufficient evidence to identify copyright infringers. According to the Judge this lack of specific evidence means that many alleged BitTorrent pirates have been wrongfully accused by copyright holders.

Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom Gets $750,000 Back

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:06:09 GMT

Kim Dotcom booked a valuable victory this week when a court ruled that $750,000 in funds and cars should be returned to the Megaupload founder. Among other things, Dotcom regained possession of a $301,000 bank account and his Mercedes-Benz G55AMG. Other property that was seized based on an order from the US District Court remains in the hands of the New Zealand authorities for the time being.

B&N Removes Magazine From Nook Store Due To Feature Article On 'Hacking'

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:05:03 GMT

Barnes & Noble removed Linux Format magazine from the Nook store because the magazine dared to publish an article entitled Learn to Hack.

Latin America Delivers a Good, Swift Kick to the U.S.

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:03:40 GMT

On one level, April’s hemispheric summit meeting was an old-fashioned butt kicking for Washington’s policies in the region. The White House found itself virtually alone—Dudley Do-Right Canada its sole ally—on everything from Cuba to the war on drugs. But the differences go deeper than the exclusion of Havana and the growing body count in Washington’s failed anti-narcotics strategy. They reflect profound disagreements on how to build economies, confront inequity, and reflect a new balance of power in world affairs.

Apple’s $2 Billion a Year Tax Avoidance Strategy

Tue, 08 May 2012 01:03:00 GMT

Apple is a leader not only in technology but also tax dodging.

The world’s most profitable tech company has developed over the years creative legal ways (that other companies have followed) to minimize its tax hit with the U.S. government.

Iceland Revolution Project - Interview with Birgitta Jónsdóttir - Part 1

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:06:35 GMT

Iceland Revolution Project - Interview with Birgitta Jónsdóttir

Transgender Breakthrough

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:05:32 GMT

EEOC ruling that gender-identity discrimination is covered by Title VII is a ''sea change'' that opens the doors to employment protection for transgender Americans

The Absurd Myths Porn Teaches Us About Sex

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:04:56 GMT

Young people who have learned about sex from watching porn have a treasure trove of sadly mistaken beliefs and misconceptions about sexuality.
When Lynette, a college student, first hooked up with an ex-boyfriend, she came face to face with the unrealistic ideals mainstream porn can create about sexuality.

“I had a boyfriend who didn’t realize that women had pubic hair,”

The Strange Relationship Between Feminism and Sex Work

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:03:33 GMT

The prostitutes' rights movement of the early 1970s evolved directly from the women's movement. As feminists developed an understanding of the mechanics of our oppression, so prostitutes among them recognized the dynamics of our oppression and saw the criminalization of prostitution as another manifestation of sexism and misogyny.

A Necessary Evil

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:02:52 GMT

They won’t declare that slavery was right and good through most of human history, or that it’s moral to slaughter those who won’t agree to follow a conqueror’s religion, or that heretics and homosexuals should be burned at the stake and deformed babies set out to die…even though all of those ideas (and many others equally abominable) were accepted by majorities, often overwhelming majorities, in the cultures which practiced them.

Even with Rogers’ Amendments, CISPA is Still a Surveillance Bill

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:01:22 GMT

This week, a flurry of amendments were introduced to try to salvage the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a “cybersecurity” bill moving through the house that’s been criticized as giving companies free rein to spy on personal communications and pass unredacted content (like emails) to the government. Though numerous amendments were suggested, a package of five amendments were put together by the bill’s primary author Mike Rogers (R-MI) and are likely to get accepted without much debate. Below is an overview of what’s in the Rogers package and how it fails to address the grave civil liberties concerns inherent in CISPA.

Don’t talk to us about sewing machines: Talk to us about worker’s rights

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:00:29 GMT

Sex workers ran a number of exciting and challenging sessions during the AWID Forum in Istanbul. In their interactions with delegates they have been stressing the importance of listening to sex workers and acknowledging sex work as work. There has also been a plea for the silent majority of feminists who support sex workers rights to raise their voices to condemn interventions like anti-trafficking raid and rescues which are often carried out in the name of feminism.

Anonymous: Message to United States Citizens [CISPA]

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:59:41 GMT

Anonymous:Call to Action on CISPA

List of possible NSA interception point locations and VIDEO of Whitney Surveillance teach-in

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:59:06 GMT

Woven through the museum were interactive installations by Stimulate, and two mysterious portraits of of Julian Assange, the editor of WikiLeaks, who has been under house-arrest in Great Britian for 501 days without charge.

The teach-in at the Whitney was lead by computer security researcher and privacy advocate Jacob Appelbaum, and featured NSA Whistleblower, William Binney.

Cuba’s Left Must Roll Up its Sleeves

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:58:03 GMT

Cuba is going through critical moments in its history that are marked by the physical decline of Fidel Castro, the open recognition of the general failure of the “state socialist” model (which is really nothing more than concealed state monopoly capitalism), and the struggle for either the restoration of private capitalism or the advance toward to a new truly democratic socialist society.

Kim Dotcom Lashes Out Against “Corrupt” US Government

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:57:10 GMT

The US judge handling the Megaupload case noted today that it may never be tried due to a procedural error, a comment that has sparked the anger of Megaupload’s founder. Kim Dotcom is furious with the US Government for destroying his businesses and rendering hundreds of people unemployed. According to Dotcom the case is the result of “corruption on the highest political level, serving the interests of the copyright extremists in Hollywood.”

Jimmy John's Workers Hit the Bricks to Bring Bosses into Compliance with Court Order : Over a Year After Mass Firing, Search for Justice takes Workers from Courtroom to the Streets

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:56:18 GMT

Picket lines will popped up around Jimmy John's at noon today as sandwich workers and supporters from Occupy Minneapolis and local labor unions sought to persuade franchise owners Mike and Rob Mulligan to comply with a judge's order to reinstate six workers illegally fired for blowing the whistle on company policies which expose customers to sandwiches made by sick workers. Although an NLRB judge ruled on Friday that the workers must be offered reinstatement within 14 days, federal labor law allows employers to illegally fire workers and then drag out appeals for years with minimal penalties.

How tiny Estonia stepped out of USSR's shadow to become an internet titan

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:14:42 GMT

The European country where Skype was born made a conscious decision to embrace the web after shaking off Soviet shackles

Citizens United and the 19th Amendment

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:14:05 GMT

If working to reverse Citizens United has been one of Obama’s priorities, though, it’s been a well-kept secret. He rarely mentions it, and in February he reversed himself and decided accept funding from a Super PAC that’s raising money for his election campaign. (Citizens United allows Super PACs – or “political action committees” – to raise unlimited cash contributions from individuals, almost always on behalf of a particular candidate or cause.)

Why I'm suing the US government to protect internet freedom

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:13:14 GMT

Birgitta Jónsdóttir explains her joining the Hodges vs Obama Adminstration NDAA lawsuit.

New study recommends cutting meat consumption for climate

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:11:35 GMT

The developed world would have to cut its red meat consumption in half to meet the nitrous oxide (N2O) reduction targets set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a new report has claimed.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Including Your Location

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:10:53 GMT

At first blush, it seems obvious that a picture could reveal your location. A picture of you standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge sensibly leads to the conclusion you're in the San Francisco Bay Area when the photo was taken. But now that smartphones are quickly supplanting traditional digital cameras, and even traditional cameras now have wifi built in, many more pictures are finding their way onto the web, in places like Twitter, Flickr, Google+ and Tumblr. In a span of 10 days, popular photo social network Instagram added 10 million new users as a result of the release of its Android app and its acquisition by Facebook. And the location data hidden in these quick and candid pictures -- even when your location isn't as obvious as "standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge" -- is becoming another easy way for anyone, including law enforcement, to figure out where you are.

Japan’s Last Nuclear Plant to Shut Down Next Month

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:10:13 GMT

Japan will go without nuclear power for the first time in decades after the last plant currently operating in the country is shut down early next month. Japan’s trade minister said two reactors that have been idling since the massive earthquake and nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi facility would not be brought back online before the country’s last plant is shut down. Before the Fukushima crisis last year, nuclear power made up about 30 percent of Japan’s electricity demand, but all but one of the country’s 54 reactors are currently offline following safety concerns.

US: Megaupload’s Hosting Company Might be Sued Next

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:09:30 GMT

At a federal court hearing where several parties hoped to get a clear answer on the fate of Megaupload’s user data, the US Government’s attorney slammed hosting company Carpathia. The US says the hosting provider may be partly responsible for the copyright infringements that occurred through Megaupload and said Carpathia may even become the target of a civil lawsuit.

Interview: Fighting to Take Back Media Sovereignty in Venezuela

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:08:55 GMT

An interview with Victor Rodriguez of the Pluri-National Alternative Media Collective – The People’s Correspondents, based in Táchira state. The People’s Correspondents is an alternative media network which spans across Latin America and also has links in North America and Europe. The Venezuelan division was set up in 2008, when Rodriguez moved to Venezuela from his native Uruguay.

EU Commissioner Kroes Speaks Out On Internet Openness; Says We Cannot Allow ISP Disconnects

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:08:23 GMT

Another thing she's clear on: openness can't mean kicking people offline, something she insists should not be allowed:

We cannot allow democratic voices to be silenced in that way. And I am committed to ensuring "No Disconnect" in countries that struggle for democracy. We must help such activists get around arbitrary disruptions to their basic freedoms.

Of course, that's talking about countries "struggling for democracy" such as those in the Arab Spring. But what about established democracies that are already putting in place laws to kick people offline -- like France with Hadopi? Hopefully she'll fight against such attacks on connectivity as well.

Iceland’s Special Prosecutor Conducts Raids in Lux

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:07:02 GMT

Raids were conducted in three locations in Luxembourg yesterday on behalf of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in Iceland in connection with the office’s investigation on alleged market abuse and breach of trust in Landsbanki before its collapse in 2008.

LA-Long Beach port truck drivers win important victory

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:06:27 GMT

With a 46-15 vote in favor of joining the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, employee drivers at Toll Group logistics company in southern California last week became one of the few groups of port truck drivers to become unionized.

Voter ID Laws Could Take Vote away from 25,000 Transgender Americans

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:05:44 GMT

Almost a third of all election-eligible transgender Americans living in states with strict voter-ID laws could be denied the right to cast ballots this November.

US Policy Increasingly Out of Touch with Latin America’s New Political Reality

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:24:49 GMT

As both countries head toward important presidential elections this year, the United States has been intensifying its interventionist policy in Venezuela. However, US attempts to influence Venezuela’s domestic politics while casting it a “rogue state” on an international level, is leaving the Obama administration increasingly out-of-sync with Latin America’s new political reality.

Banks Fight Credit Unions over 5% of Small Business Loan Market

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:24:21 GMT

Banks currently control 95% of the small business lending market. Now they are lobbying Congress to stop credit unions from cutting into the market.

At issue is S. 2231, the Credit Union Small Business Jobs Act, which would raise the cap on the amount that credit unions can loan small businesses from 12.25% of assets to 27.5%. Many credit unions are coming up against the current cap, which limits the opportunities of small businesses to receive necessary loans. This would probably reduce the banks’ share of small business loans to a mere 90%.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Privately Signs Anti-Abortion, Sex Ed Laws

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:23:38 GMT

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker has privately signed a series of controversial bills aimed at curbing access to abortion and sex education. The first bill bans most abortion coverage under policies obtained through a health insurance exchange set to be created under the Obama administration’s healthcare reform law, allowing coverage only for rape, incest or medical necessity. A second bill requires every woman seeking an abortion to meet privately with a doctor and undergo an exam before the procedure so the doctor can ensure she is not being pressured. Doctors who violate the law could be charged with a felony. A third bill requires teachers in schools that offer sex education to stress abstinence and says they no longer need to address contraception. Wisconsin’s current law requires some instruction on birth control options. Walker signed the bills Thursday, but did not announce the move until the next day on Good Friday, when his office released a list of about 50 bills he had recently signed. Democrats slammed Walker for signing the laws in private and for attacking the rights of women. Among the other bills Walker signed was a repeal of the state’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which gave women and other marginalized groups more power to fight wage discrimination. According to the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, women in Wisconsin make 75 cents for every dollar men earn.

Vermont Yankee: A Nuclear Battle Over States’ Rights

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:22:49 GMT

In a controversial decision that raises issues of states' rights to address nuclear issues within their borders, a judge ruled that Vermont's laws were pre-empted by federal law.

Federal Court Orders FBI To Turn Over Evidence for Independent Forensic Analysis in 1990 Judi Bari Car Bombing Case

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:21:42 GMT

In an order dated March 31, 2012 and released today, Honorable Claudia Wilken, United States District Judge of the Northern District of California, affirmed a March 21, 2011 Order by Magistrate Judge James Larson, directing the United States, through the FBI, to turn over evidence in the 1990 car bomb assassination attempt of Judi Bari in Oakland, CA to a third party forensic laboratory for independent testing.

"This is a historic and momentous development", said Ben Rosenfeld, attorney for plaintiff Darryl Cherney, Judi Bari's co-organizer in the sustained campaign to preserve California's ancient redwoods, who was also injured when the bomb went off. Cherney went to Court in 2010 to prevent the FBI from destroying the evidence. That evidence includes a mostly intact explosive device built by the same hands as the car bomb, a cardboard sign, and latent fingerprints.

Megaupload Host Refuses to Delete User Data and Evidence, For Now

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:20:45 GMT

Months after the Megaupload raids and arrests, the fate of the 1,103 servers hosted at Carpathia is still undecided. While the feds won’t mind if the servers are wiped clean, Megaupload, the EFF and the MPAA want the data to be preserved because it contains critical evidence and irreplaceable user data. Carpathia is sympathetic to these concerns and has put the fate of Megaupload’s data in the hands of Judge O’Grady.

Homeland Security and Navy Award Contract to Hack into Gaming Systems

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:20:16 GMT

Obscure Technologies, a small San Francisco-based company that performs computer forensics, has received a $177,000 contract from the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Navy to create software that can penetrate the Microsoft Xbox 360, the Sony PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii and other game systems.

Breaking: U.S. Sues Apple, Publishers Over eBook Price-Fixing

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:19:21 GMT

Ever since the Justice Department announced that they were investigating Apple and several publishers over allegations that Apple's agency model for ebook pricing violates antitrust law, we've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Last night, Reuters reported that a lawsuit was imminent, and now Bloomberg has the news that the government has filed a lawsuit against Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster in New York district court.

No, Violating Your Employer's Computer Use Policy Is Not Criminal Hacking

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:18:40 GMT

As noted at the time, if breaking any arbitrary rule a company places on its IT system is "hacking", then most office workers could be in big trouble. Did you check Facebook using a company computer? You could be charged with criminal hacking if the rules say you shouldn't. To make matters worse, as Orin Kerr argued then, prosecutions like this aren't necessarily limited to desktop computers, since the line for what constitutes a computer is so blurry these days. Did you use your company smartphone to call home and tell your wife that you'll be late for dinner? That's could be good for ten years in prison, if company policy prohibits making personal calls from it.

Facebook consumes Instagram, grows more massive

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:17:55 GMT

Facebook recently bought Instagram, a tiny mobile photo-sharing company that employed 13 workers, in what appears to be a continuous effort by Facebook to maximize its grip on the Internet, as well as its public influence.

Inter-Parliamentary Union Calls for Freedom for PLC Members

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:17:21 GMT

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is today calling on Israel to end the practice of administrative detention and to either immediately release members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) held under such terms or prosecute them using normal criminal procedure if there is any criminal involvement on their part.

US anti-terrorism law curbs free speech and activist work, court told

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:16:36 GMT

Controversy over NDAA centres on loose definition of key words, such as who are 'associated forces' of named terrorist groups

Coping with Clopening: Retail Worker’s Most Dreaded Shift

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:16:03 GMT

Our friend Liberté Locke writes about what it’s like to work a ‘clopen’ in retail, to close the store late at night and get up early the next morning to open the store. Liberte’s story is the first in a series of stories we’re going to be running about work, sleep, and dreams. In their own way each of these stories gets at an important part of life under capitalism. Capitalists make their money by making us make products and perform services that the capitalists own. They don’t pay us the full value of what we add to those products and services. That’s key to capitalists’ profits. This is a kind of robbery. But there’s another kind of robbery...

Russia accuses Georgia of swine fever sabotage

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:15:13 GMT

Russian officials have accused Georgia of bringing African swine fever (ASF) into Russia as a form of economic sabotage.

How the West Used Libya to Hijack the Arab Revolts

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:14:27 GMT

Instead, argues Vijay Prashad in his new book Arab Spring, Libyan Winter, Western powers, helped along by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, used the turmoil in Libya to promote their own agenda--an agenda that included transforming Libya’s economy into a neoliberal haven. As for the Arab states that aligned with the West, Prashad argues that the “Atlantic powers” struck a deal with the “Saudis and the Gulf Arab states that allowed the latter to silence dissent on the Arabian peninsula (Bahrain and Yemen).” In turn, the Gulf states delivered “the Arab League and so the United Nations for a NATO-led intervention in Libya."