New York Times: Spy Agency Data After Sept. 11 Led F.B.I. to Dead Ends: “President Bush has characterized the eavesdropping program, which focused on the international communications of some Americans and others in the United States, as a “vital tool” against terrorism; Vice President Dick Cheney has said it has saved “thousands of lives.” But… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2006
Gore Speech Targets Executive Powers and Domestic Surveillance
The New York Times reports on a speech given today in Washington D.C. at DAR Constitutional Hall by former Vice President Al Gore, the focus of which was presidential authority, government secrecy, domestic surveillance, and the decline of congressional power. An audience of several thousand attended Gore’s speech, which was simulcast by C-SPAN, and co-sponsored… Continue Reading
Shaping the Course of the High Court
WSJ free feature today: The High-Court Battle That Never Was – Senators’ Pact on Judicial Filibusters Drained Drama From Roberts, Alito Nominations: “If Judge Alito is confirmed in coming days, the president’s legacy will include at least two high-court appointments, both of whom could steer the court in the conservative direction sought by the Republican… Continue Reading
IRS Issues Guidance on Tax Credit for Hybrid Vehicles
Treasury and IRS Issues Guidance Regarding Hybrid and Lean Burn Vehicles: “During a visit to the Detroit…Treasury Secretary John Snow announced the issuance of IRS guidance regarding the tax credit for hybrid vehicles. The credit, which was enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, may be as much as $3,400 for those who purchase… Continue Reading
Martin Luther King in His Own Words
From Time.com, Photo Essay – Martin Luther King, In His Own words. Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream” – link includes access to his speech in text format, PDF, Real Video Long Excerpt of Address, Audio mp3 of Address, and Audio mp3 Stream of Address. Continue Reading
Controversy Heightens As Focus on Domestic Surveillance Continues
AP reports Sen. Arlen Specter, Chief of Judiciary Panel, Says He’s Skeptical of Domestic Spying Program. Related news: U.S. Attorney General Gonzales to Testify at Spying Hearings, January 13, 2006 Postings on domestic surveillance Continue Reading
Ubiquity of the Internet Poses Significant Security Issues
Zittrain, Jonathan, The Generative Internet. Harvard Law Review, 2006. Abstract: “The power and flexibility of the Internet has ignited growth and innovation in information technology and in associated creative endeavors, its generativity soliciting contribution from varied audiences. This very power and flexibility projected across millions of mainstream users has also become a vehicle for security… Continue Reading
Cost ot Date of Iraq War May Top $500 Billion
The Economic Costs of the Iraq War: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of the Conflict, By Linda Bilmes and Joseph E. Stiglitz Working Paper Number: RWP06-002 (37 pages, PDF). Submitted: 01/11/2006. “”We have not attempted in this paper an overall assessment of whether the war was conducted in the most cost efficient manner,… Continue Reading
ALA Announces Intention to File Patriot Act FOIA Request
American Libraries Online, January 13, 2006: “The American Library Association’s Executive Board intends to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if the FBI has been collecting information on the Association and its leaders as a result of their opposition to certain provisions of the USA Patriot… Continue Reading
Names of Supreme Court Justices Not Common Knowledge
Related to this January 12, 2005 posting, Pew Research Report Gauges Public Response to Recent High Profile Washington News, Most Americans Can’t Name Any Supreme Court Justices, Says FindLaw.com Survey. Continue Reading
Outsourcing Legal Research?
This January 13, 2006 New York Times article, Even Law Firms Join the Trend to Outsourcing, raises questions about outsourcing expert legal services. Continue Reading
Test of E-Passports Begins at SFO
DHS press release: “A live test of e-Passports, that contain contactless chips with biographic and biometric information and the readers that are capable of reading these e-Passports, begins January 15, 2006 at Terminal G at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This test is a collaborative effort between the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore… Continue Reading
