Former CIA director Michael Hayden defends ‘rectal rehydration’

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Watch former CIA (and NSA) director Michael Hayden defend pureeing food and forcing it up a detainee's rectum, known as 'rectal rehydration.'

Cops are doing NSA-style dragnet spying on you

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Watch my former colleague and surveillance expert Catherine Crump explain how police are using license plate readers to track your (almost) every move as you drive around minding your own business.

Undercover cop, discovered by activists at Oakland protest, pulls gun on crowd

Here is an image of one of last nights undercovers pointing his gun directly at a person with a camera. #oakland pic.twitter.com/lVEsNEhFpu

Has the California Highway Patrol been using dirtbox spy equipment to eavesdrop on proteseters?

Here is an image of one of last nights undercovers pointing his gun directly at a person with a camera. #oakland pic.twitter.com/lVEsNEhFpu

Senators demand information from feds on cell phone spying

How do the feds use controversial cell site simulators, also known as 'stingrays'? We are about to find out.

Marines conduct training exercises in Los Angeles

The US military's Marines are conducting training exercises in downtown Los Angeles, the local CBS affiliate reports.

Residents in and around downtown Los Angeles could hear helicopters or other military aircraft over the coming days as Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton train in preparation for a deployment.

NYPD is running your social media posts through face recognition

Nightmares realized.

Legislation on reporting killings by police moves to Obama’s desk

Hard to call this good news given its subject, but via the Wall Street Journal, evidence that the nationwide struggle for justice is heard loud and clear in the chambers of power:

On university administrations and the surveillance state

University presidents are in unique and powerful positions, overseeing institutions that are supposed to protect and foster free critical inquiry, and serve as safe-zones for the pursuit of intellectual investigation, open debate, and dissent. That's why it's particularly disturbing to witness the transformation of Janet Napolitano from DHS director to university system president.

Executive Summary of SSCI torture report released

Today the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released the 525 page Executive Summary of its 6,700 page report on the CIA's torture and rendition program. The executive summary, which contains lots of redactions, is here, in searchable format.