Project Censored » Top 25 of 2013

1. Signs of an Emerging Police State

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:32:39 +0000

Since the passage of the 2001 PATRIOT Act, the United States has become increasingly monitored and militarized at the expense of civil liberties. The 2012 passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has allowed the military to detain indefinitely without trial any US citizen that the government labels a terrorist or an accessory to terrorism, while President Barack Obama’s signing of the National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order has authorized widespread federal and military control of the national economy and resources during “emergency and non-emergency conditions.” Since 2010, the Department of Homeland Security’s If You See Something, Say Something™ campaign has encouraged the public to report all suspicious activity to local authorities, even though actions that the DHS identifies as “suspicious” include the constitutionally protected right to criticize the government or engage in nonviolent protest.

Censored News Cluster: The Police State and Civil Liberties

Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman, “Read the FBI Memo: Agents Can ‘Suspend the Law,’” Wired, March 28, 2012 http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/fbi-memo-bend-suspend-law/

James Bamford, “The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say),” Wired, March 15, 2012, http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter.

Chris Hedges, “Why I’m Suing Barack Obama,” Truthdig, January 16, 2012, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_im_suing_barack_obama_20120116.

White House, Executive Order: National Defense Resources Preparedness, Office of the Press Secretary, March 16, 2012, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparedness.

White House, “Statement by the President on H.R. 1540,” Office of the Press Secretary, December 31, 2011, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/31/statement-president-hr-1540.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/12/signs-of-an-emerging-police-state/

Student Researcher: Robert Usher (San Francisco State University)

Faculty Evaluator: Kenn Burrows (San Francisco State University)

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2. Oceans in Peril

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:30:51 +0000

We thought the sea was infinite and inexhaustible. It is not. The overall rise in ocean temperature has led to the largest movement of marine species in two to three million years, according to scientists from the Climate Change and European Marine Ecosystems Research project. A February 2012 study of fourteen protected and eighteen unprotected ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea demonstrated that this previously healthy sea is now quickly being depleted of resources. An international team of scientists conducted the study over a period of three years and found that in well-enforced marine reserve areas the fish populations were five to ten times greater than the fish populations in unprotected areas. The work of these scientists encourages the establishment and maintenance of marine reserves.

Censored News Cluster: Environment and Health

Julia Whitty, “The End of a Myth,” OnEarth, February 27, 2012, http://www.onearth.org/article/the-end-of-a-myth.

Richard Gray, “Warming Oceans Cause Largest Movement of Marine Species in Two Million Years,” Telegraph (UK), June 26, 2011, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8598597/Warming-oceans-cause-largest-movement-of-marine-species-in-two-million-years.html.

David A. Gabel, “Overfishing the Mediterranean,” Environmental News Network, March 8, 2012, http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/44102.

Enric Sala et al., “The Structure of Mediterranean Rocky Reef Ecosystems across Environmental and Human Gradients, and Conservation Implications,” PLoS ONE 7, no. 2 (February 29, 2012), http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032742.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/08/28/warming-oceanic-temperatures-cause-largest-movement-of-marine-species-in-two-million-years/

Student Researchers: Taylor Falbisaner (Sonoma State University); Temple Chemotti (Santa Rosa Junior College)

Faculty Evaluators: Peter Phillips (Sonoma State University); Susan Rahman (Santa Rosa Junior College)

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3. Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Worse than Anticipated

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:28:07 +0000

Developing evidence from a number of independent sources suggests that the negative consequences of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster are far greater than first acknowledged or understood. An estimated 14,000 excess deaths in the United States are linked to the radioactive fallout in Japan, according to a December 2011 report published in the International Journal of Health Services. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency’s radiation-detection network (RadNet) has serious drawbacks, including a lack of maintenance and equipment that is often improperly calibrated.

Censored News Cluster: Environment and Health

Joseph Mangano and Janette Sherman, “14,000 U.S. Deaths Tied to Fukushima Reactor Disaster Fallout,” International Journal of Health Services, December 19, 2011, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medical-journal-article–14000-us-deaths-tied-to-fukushima-reactor-disaster-fallout-135859288.html

Alex Roslin, “What Are Officials Hiding about Fukushima?” Straight.com (Vancouver), October 20, 2011, http://straight.com/article-491941/vancouver/what-are-officials-hiding-about-fukushima?page=0,1.

Danny Schechter, “Beyond Fukishima: A World in Denial about Nuclear Risks,” Common Dreams, March 21, 2011, http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/03/21-0.

“RadNet or SadNet? The EPA’s Failed Radiation Detection System,” PSTUPH (blog), April 4, 2011, http://pstuph.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/radnet-or-sadnet-the-epas-failed-radiation-detection-system.

Lucas W. Hixson, “The EPA Took RadNet Down Because They Were Getting Data From ‘Other’ Sources,” March 23, 2011, Enformable Nuclear News, http://enformable.com/2011/11/march-23rd-2011-the-epa-took-radnet-down-because-they-were-getting-data-from-more-reliable-sources.

James Corbett, “US Radiation Monitoring May Have Been Handed Off to Nuclear Industry Lobbyists,” Fukushima Update, November 4, 2011 http://houseoffoust.com/group/?p=3920

Michael Kane, “Fallout,” Collapse Network, March 24, 2011, http://www.collapsenet.com/free-resources/collapsenet-public-access/item/723-fallout.

Alexander Higgins, “Confirmed: EPA Rigged RADNET Japan Nuclear Radiation Monitoring Equipment To Report Lower Levels of Fukushima Fallout,” Alexander Higgins Blog, May 19, 2011, http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/05/19/confirmed-epa-rigged-radnet-japan-nuclear-radiation-monitoring-equipment-report-levels-nuclear-fallout-22823.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/03/26/14000-u-s-deaths-tied-to-fukushima-reactor-disaster-fallout/

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/10/what-are-officials-hiding-about-fukushima/

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/02/27/epa-and-nrc-turn-to-nuclear-industry-lobbyists-for-radiation-monitoring/

http://www.radiation.org/reading/pubs/HS42_1F.pdf

Student Researchers: Lyndsey Casey, Morgan Womack, and Josh Crockett (Sonoma State University); Alyssa Barbieri (Florida Atlantic University)

Faculty Evaluators: Sheila Katz, Peter Phillips, and Heather Flynn (Sonoma State)

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4. FBI Agents Responsible for Majority of Terrorist Plots in the United States

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:05:39 +0000

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has embarked on an unusual approach to ensure that the United States is secure from future terrorist attacks. The agency has developed a network of nearly 15,000 spies to infiltrate various communities in an attempt to uncover terrorist plots. However, these moles are actually assisting and encouraging people to commit crimes. Many informants receive cash rewards of up to $100,000 per case.

Censored News Cluster: The Police State and Civil Liberties

Trevor Aronson, “The Informants,” Mother Jones, September/October 2011, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/08/fbi-terrorist-informants.

“FBI Organizes Almost All Terror Plots in the US,” RT.com, August 23, 2011, http://rt.com/usa/news/fbi-terror-report-plot-365-899/print.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/12/05/fbi-agents-responsible-for-majority-of-terrorist-plots-in-the-united-states/

Student Researcher: Taylor Falbisaner (Sonoma State University)

Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips (Sonoma State University)

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5. First Federal Reserve Audit Reveals Trillions Loaned to Major Banks

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:02:05 +0000

An audit of the First Federal Reserve reveals sixteen trillion dollars in secret bailouts to major American and European banks during the height of the global financial crisis, from 2007 to 2010. Morgan Stanley received up to $107.3 billion, Citigroup took $99.5 billion, and Bank of America $91.4 billion, according to data obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, months of litigation, and an act of Congress.

Censored News Cluster: From “Bankster Bailout” to “Blessed Unrest”: News We Can Use to Create a US Economy for the 99 Percent

Matthew Cardinale, “First Federal Reserve Audit Reveals Trillions in Secret Bailout,” Inter Press Service, Common Dreams, August 28, 2011, http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/28-3.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/10/24/first-federal-reserve-audit-revels-trillions-loaned-to-major-banks/

Student Researcher: Nicole Trupiano (Sonoma State University)

Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips (Sonoma State University)

The post 5. First Federal Reserve Audit Reveals Trillions Loaned to Major Banks appeared first on Project Censored.

6. Small Network of Corporations Run the Global Economy

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:57:02 +0000

A University of Zurich study reported that a small group of companies—mainly banks—wields huge power over the global economy. The study is the first to look at all 43,060 transnational corporations and the web of ownership among them. The researchers’ network analysis identified 147 companies that form a “super entity,” controlling 40 percent of the global economy’s total wealth. The close connections mean that the network could be prone to “systemic risk” and vulnerable to collapse.

Censored News Cluster: From “Bankster Bailout” to “Blessed Unrest”: News We Can Use to Create a US Economy for the 99 Percent

Rob Waugh, “Does One ‘Super Corporation’ Run the Global Economy? Study Claims it Could be Terrifyingly Unstable,” Daily Mail, October 20, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2051008/Does-super-corporation-run-global-economy.html.

Stefania Vitali, James B. Glattfelder, and Stefano Battiston, “The Network of Global Corporate Control,” Public Library of Science, October 26, 2011, http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025995.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/04/small-network-of-corporations-run-the-global-economy/

Student Researchers: Sean Lawrence (Sonoma State University) and Ivan Sidorenko (San Francisco State University)

FacultyEvaluator: Peter Phillips (Sonoma State University) and Kenn Burrows (San Francisco State University)

The post 6. Small Network of Corporations Run the Global Economy appeared first on Project Censored.

7. 2012: The International Year of Cooperatives

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:55:06 +0000

The United Nations named 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. According to the UN, nearly one billion people worldwide are co-op member-owners, and the co-op is expected to be the world’s fastest growing business model by 2025. Worker-owned cooperatives provide for equitable distribution of wealth and genuine connection to the workplace, two key components of a sustainable economy.

Censored News Cluster: From “Bankster Bailout” to “Blessed Unrest”: News We Can Use to Create a US Economy for the 99 Percent

Jessica Reeder, “The Year of the Cooperative,” Yes! Magazine, February 1, 2012, http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/2012-the-year-of-the-cooperative.

Monique Hairston, “American Dream 2.0: Can Worker-Owned Coops End Poverty?” Rebuild the Dream, March 9, 2012, http://www.rebuildthedream.com/blog/2012/03/09/american-dream-2-0-can-worker-owned-coops-end-poverty.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/11/2012-the-international-year-of-cooperatives/

Student Researcher: Shahin Karimbeik (San Francisco State University)

Faculty Evaluator: Kenn Burrows (San Francisco State University)

The post 7. 2012: The International Year of Cooperatives appeared first on Project Censored.

8. NATO War Crimes in Libya

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:54:16 +0000

Although the rationale of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for entry into Libyan conflict invoked humanitarian principles, the results have proven far from humane. In July 2011, NATO aircraft bombed Libya’s main water supply facility, which provided water to approximately 70 percent of the nation’s population. And, in a failed attempt to appear unbiased and objective, the BBC has revealed, almost a year after the information was relayed by independent media, that British Special Forces played a key role in steering and supervising Libya’s “freedom fighters” to victory.

Censored News Cluster: Human Costs of War and Violence

Michael Collins, “NATO War Crimes: The Wanton Destruction of Sirte,” Global Research, October 15, 2011, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27092.

Michael Collins, “Smoking Guns: War Crimes in Libya,” TheDaily Censored (blog), November 2, 2011, http://dailycensored.com/2011/11/02/smoking-guns-war-crimes-in-libya.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey, “NATO’s Ultimate War Crime: Destroying Libya’s Water Supply,” Global Research, August 1, 2011, http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=25861.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey, “NATO War Crime: Libya Water Supply,” Pravda, July 23, 2011, http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/23-07-2011/118577-nato_war_crimes-0.

Franklin Lamb, “Where Have Libya’s Children Gone?” Counterpunch, August 8, 2011, http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/08/08/where-have-libyas-children-gone.

Gerald A. Perreira, “British Intelligence Worked with Al Qaeda to Kill Qaddafi,” Global Research, March 25, 2011, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23957.

Patrick Martin, “A CIA Commander for the Libyan Rebels,” World Socialist Web Site, March 28, 2011, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/mar2011/pers-m28.shtml.

Global Research, “BBC ‘Reveals’ After the Facts how British Special Forces Supervised and Spearheaded Libya Rebels to Victory,” Global Research, February 1, 2012, http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29001.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/03/26/nato-war-crimes-in-libya/

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/10/nato-war-crimes-against-libya/

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/02/what-happened-to-the-missing-children-of-libya/

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/04/07/bbc-reveals-after-the-facts-how-british-special-forces-supervised-and-spearheaded-libya-rebels-to-victory/

Student Researchers: Beatriz Alcazar, Andrea Perez, Robert Block, and Harmen Sidhu (Sonoma State University); Paloma Tur (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Faculty and Community Evaluators: Alfredo V. Moran, Bryan Polkey, Luis Luján, and Miguel Álvarez-Peralta (Universidad Complutense de Madrid); Peter Phillips and Gregg Adams (Sonoma State University)

The post 8. NATO War Crimes in Libya appeared first on Project Censored.

9. Prison Slavery in Today’s USA

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:53:02 +0000

The US comprises less than 5 percent of the world’s population, yet US prisons hold more than 25 percent of all people imprisoned globally. Many of these prisoners labor at twenty-three cents per hour, or similar wages, in federal prisons contracted by the Bureau of Prisons’ UNICOR, a quasi-public, for-profit corporation, which is the US government’s thirty-ninth largest contractor. As incarceration rates explode in the US, thousands are placed in solitary confinement, often for having committed minor disciplinary infractions within prison.

Censored News Cluster: The Police State and Civil Liberties

Sara Flounders, “The Pentagon and Slave Labor in U.S. Prisons,” Workers World, June 6, 2011, http://www.workers.org/2011/us/pentagon_0609.

James Ridgeway and Jean Casella, “Cruel and Usual: US Solitary Confinement,” Al Jazeera English, March 19, 2011, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/03/201137125936219469.html.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/11/07/prison-slavery-in-today’s-u-s-a/

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/04/04/solitary-confinement-in-the-us-cruel-and-usual-punishment/

Student Researchers: Leta Frolli and Taylor Wright (Sonoma State University)

Faculty Evaluators: Sheila Katz and Patrick Jackson (Sonoma State University)

The post 9. Prison Slavery in Today’s USA appeared first on Project Censored.

10. HR 347 Would Make Many Forms of Nonviolent Protest Illegal

The Man — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:51:40 +0000

In March 2012, President Obama signed into law HR 347, the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011. The law specifies as criminal offenses the acts of entering or remaining in areas defined as “restricted.” Although pundits have debated to what extent the new law restricts First Amendment rights or criminalizes Occupy protests, it does make it easier for the Secret Service to overuse or misuse existing laws to arrest lawful protesters by lowering the requirement of intent in the prosecution of criminal activity.

Censored News Cluster: The Police State and Civil Liberties

Danny Weil, “Many Forms of Occupy Protests Subjected to New Bill Making Protests Illegal,” TheDaily Censored (blog), March 5, 2012, http://dailycensored.com/2012/03/05/many-forms-of-occupy-protests-subjected-to-new-bill-making-protests-illegal.

Oskar Mosquito, “Enacting the NDAA: Limiting Protesters’ Rights,” Media Roots, March 5, 2012, http://mediaroots.org/enacting-the-ndaa-limiting-protesters-rights.

Brian Doherty, “Bill Passes House: Protests Near Secret Service Protected Folk Effectively Outlawed,” Reason (blog), March 1, 2012, http://reason.com/blog/2012/03/01/bill-passes-house-protests-near-secret-s.

http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2012/03/08/h-r-347-would-make-many-forms-of-nonviolent-protest-illegal/

Student Researcher: Eric Humphrey (College of Marin)

Faculty Evaluator:Susan Rahman (College of Marin)

The post 10. HR 347 Would Make Many Forms of Nonviolent Protest Illegal appeared first on Project Censored.