Conor Friedersdorf – The NYPD Is Using Mobile X-Ray Vans to Spy on Unknown Targets

Dystopian truth is stranger than dystopian fiction. In New York City, the police now maintain an unknown number of military-grade vans outfitted with X-ray radiation, enabling cops to look through the walls of buildings or the sides of trucks. The technology was used in Afghanistan before being loosed on U.S. streets. Each X-ray van costs an estimated $729,000 to $825,000. …

The Mark Riley Show – 10.21.15

– New York officer killed after gunfight in East Harlem led to police chase. In addition to condolences to officer Holder, who was doing his job keeping this city safe, we need to know the origins of all the guns used in this incident. The Wisconsin case may have long arms.

– Police leaders join call to cut prison rosters. This is interesting, and includes NYPD Commissioner Bratton and Manhattan DA Cy Vance. More on this later….

– Assad makes unannounced trip to Moscow to discuss Syria with Putin. These two are united against US position that the terror war can be won without Assad. Problem is, anyone who opposes Assad is a terrorist, according to, guess, who?

– Republican voters, in focus group, express rage at career politicians. This is interesting only in that they somehow don’t think the people they support won’t end up being career politicians.

– Potential Speaker Paul Ryan just issued a list of demands to Republicans. The right wing isn’t happy. First question: Is the right wing happy about ANYTHING? Second question. This Freedom Caucus, the spear carrier for the right wing, numbers about 40. So does the Congressional Black Caucus. Has the CBC ever flexed its muscles the way the Freedom Caucus has?

– A big lesson American should learn from Canada’s new Prime Minister. The article says ranked voting is the lesson. Maybe the lesson is that properly focused, organized politics can really win.

– Pay up or go to jail: How a Mississippi town resurrected the debtors prison. While police and Das mentioned in earlier piece are looking at ways to decrease incarceration, maybe they need to get the State of Mississippi to start following the law.

– From Benghazi to Capitol Hill: Three years of accusations and investigations. Hillary’s getting ready to testify, and congressional committee Republicans are trying to figure out what and how they can something on her. Wanna bet they fail?

– House Democrats plot 2016 takeover. Great idea, and here’s hoping there’s some out of the box thinking from all involved.

John McMurtry – The Moral Decoding of 9-11: Beyond the U.S. Criminal State, The Grand Plan for a New World Order

I was sceptical of the 9-11 event from the first time I saw it on television. It was on every major network within minutes. All the guilty partieswere declared before any evidence was shown.The first questions of any criminal investigation were erased.  Who had the most compelling motives for the event? Who had the means to turn two central iconic …

Nadia Prupis – Mass Shootings Dubbed the ‘Dark Side of American Exceptionalism’

Mass shootings are a perennial crisis in the U.S., unmatched in numbers anywhere else in the world—and it’s a problem that may grow worse over time without addressing underlying issues, according to a new study unveiled on Sunday. In “Mass Shooters, Firearms, and Social Strains: A Global Analysis of an Exceptionally American Problem,” presented at the annual meeting of the …

Jill Suttie – Study Shows Mindful Meditation Helps Reduce Racial Bias

The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the choking death of Eric Garner in New York City have shaken American society to its core, triggering waves of protests. Most Americans seem to feel that racism played a role in these deaths—that they never would have happened if the victims had been white. While we struggle to make …

NUCLEAR RADIATION IN NEW YORK: LAST SECRET OF THE ATOM BOMB – Paul Derienzo

In August 2005, the New York Police Department, with the Department of Energy, conducted an anti-terrorism radiation flyover survey. The survey was intended to provide a baseline of radiological activity, in order to catch a suspicious construction of a dirty bomb. They didn’t find a dirty bomb—but there was plenty of radiological activity. Surveyors found 80 radioactive locations in the …

Why The Privatization Of America’s Police Is Such A Dangerous Trend By Claire Bernish

Though a potent effort to silence dissent is underway in the US, directly doing so would be a flagrant breach of constitutional rights. And so the ostensible explanations for tactically-geared police at peaceful protests and insidious surveillance programs fall under nebulous terms like protecting public safety, keeping the peace or national security. But when Kinder Morgan wanted to push through …

Want to Rebuild the Left? Take Socialism Seriously

As the sun set on the Occupy Seattle encampment in December 2011, the question “What next?” hung in the air, as it did over Zuccotti Park in New York City. The tents were gone, our spirits were dampened, but an awakened sense of empowerment prevailed. The movement had given voice to a widespread fury at big business and a recognition …

This NY Bill Could Effectively Make You a Felon If You’re Arrested During a Protest

On Sunday, The New York Post [3]and NY1 [4] reported that the NYPD’s push to make resisting arrest a felony had officially been introduced as a bill before the New York State senate. After both Commissioner Bratton [5]and NYPDpolice union [6] simultaneously trial-ballooned a similar law change a few weeks ago, the plan to make “aggravated” resisting arrest a felony is officially moving forward after State Senator Tony Avella proposed …

There’s a Very Good Reason Why Black People Despise the Mainstream Media

There is a reason why black people hate the media: they hyper-criminalize us. According to a new study [3] by Media Matters for America, four New York City television stations consistently reported crimes by black people at a higher rate than their arrest rates. Here it is in a chart: Between August 18 and December 31 of last year, WCBS, WNBC, WABC, and …