Cashing in on Internet censorship

The Article: Cashing in on Internet censorship

A growing number of software firms are cashing in on the internet censorship debacle by providing tools and means to circumvent firewalls and other monitoring techniques of censoring countries, for a price. One of the interesting concepts from this article is a matter of jurisdiction, so long as the people providing the tools do not physically enter China for instance, there is no risk of prosecution or detainment. 

White House Calls for Free Access to Articles That Are Based on Publicly-Funded Research

The Article: White House Calls for Free Access to Articles That Are Based on Publicly-Funded Research

White house proposes that free access be granted to the public for tax-funded research articles. One of the stipulations is that the information being made available must be non-classified. This could be a monumental step towards a better model and level of transparency within the US government. Also by requiring agencies to publish their results, better allocation of funding and other decisions of that nature can be answered more effectively. 

Contractor for U.S.-Based Company Sentenced for Murder of Colombian Labor Leaders

The Article: Contractor for U.S.-Based Company Sentenced for Murder of Colombian Labor Leaders

Drummond corporation implicated in murder and corruption charges in Colombia, after former Drummond contractor was convicted of ordering a paramilitary unit to murder two union employees, as a subsequent result of their protests and complaints about his food service operation in Columbia. Blanco the former contractor attests that the orders to eliminate the union employees came from senior upper management in Drummond, and that a conviction on his account would most likely drop the US lawsuit, he suggested that an investigation be mounted against Drummond's executives and president to determine the extent of their involvement. 

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal From Somali Pirates

The Article: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal From Somali Pirates

Somali pirates are rejected an appeal from the US Supreme Court on piracy charges that have not been tried in nearly 200 years. It's interesting to see how the piracy rates have declined in recent years, due to changes in security procedures and international shipping tracking methods.

Federal Judge Rules Costa Concordia Lawsuit Should Be Filed in Italy

The Article: Federal Judge Rules Costa Concordia Lawsuit Should Be Filed in Italy

A federal judge in Florida ruled that the capsized cruise-liner incident's case would be tried in Italy and not in the US. This decision was based on jurisdictional and infrastructural reasons, due to the fact that the incident occurred in Italy and not in the US, and key witnesses are Italian, and the spoken language in the courts would also be in Italian. 

More Than 50 Countries Helped the CIA Outsource Torture

The Article: More Than 50 Countries Helped the CIA Outsource Torture

Since the terrorist attacks that occurred on 9/11, torture, in all of its definitions and methods has been on the rise, especially with the intelligence and espionage communities within the USA. According to a new report from the Open Society Foundation. The report details the CIA’s effort to outsource torture since 9/11, known as “extraordinary rendition,” which consists of exporting prisoners without due process to a supporting country that complies and practices torture. 

The "KNOWN" 54 countries complicit with these outsourcing practices are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

This is beyond sickening. To condone, manipulate and legally maneuver around cruel and unusual punishment laws, the USA outsourced the victims to host countries to continue to perform the torture and to avoid punishment, and public scrutiny. The Open Society Foundation suspects that more countries are suspect to have complied with these practices; however, that information will not become available unless it becomes fully declassified.