Laura Poitras on being Edward Snowden’s first contact over leaked NSA documents – Video

Posted on by


Laura Poitras on being Edward Snowden #39;s first contact over leaked NSA documents
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Laura Poitras talks about what it was like to be Edward Snowden #39;s first contact over leaked NSA documents. Subscribe to The National to watch more videos here:...

By: The National

More:

Laura Poitras on being Edward Snowden's first contact over leaked NSA documents - Video

Posted in NSA

Man convicted of misdemeanor 25 years ago has Second …

Posted on by

Published February 19, 2015

A man convicted 25 years ago in Maryland on a misdemeanor charge for carrying a firearm without a license will see his Second Amendment rights restored, under a new federal court ruling issued Wednesday.

Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive director of the Washington-based The Second Amendment Foundation, which represented Julio Suarez, called the ruling significant.

Under existing federal law many people convicted of non-violent state-level misdemeanors have lost their Second Amendment rights because theyve been lumped together with convicted felons due to indeterminate sentencing laws, Gottlieb said.

Thats not right, and cases like this help restore some perspective and narrow some broad legislative brush strokes.

The case provides a building block on which similar cases can be challenged, Gottlieb said.

Suarez, originally pulled over by police in 1990 on a suspected DUI charge, was convicted instead of possessing a firearm without a permit and sentenced to 180 days in prison, 1 year probation and a $500 fine. Court records show the terms of imprisonment and fine were both suspended.

The father of three, who has been married for 20 years and is an active member of his local church, has since led an exemplary life, Gottlieb said, but he noted the conviction was enough to cost Suarez his ability to buy and keep a firearm for defense of his home and family.

In a 26-page decision, Middle District Court Judge William W. Caldwell said Suarez is no more dangerous than a typical law-abiding citizen and poses no continuing threat to society.

A person should not lose his or her constitutional rights for non-violent indiscretions that occur once in a lifetime, said Second Amendment Foundation Attorney Alan Gura, who represented Suarez.

View original post here:

Man convicted of misdemeanor 25 years ago has Second ...

First Amendment Foundation seeks special prosecutor in FDLE case

Posted on by

TALLAHASSEE -- An open-government advocacy group has requested that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ouster of former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey.

Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, wrote an open letter to Gov. Rick Scott and Cabinet members that cited Leon County State Attorney Willie Meggs' decision not to investigate the matter.

Earlier this month, the foundation also asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a prosecutor from outside Leon County to conduct an investigation, something Bondi said she didn't have the authority to do.

The requests stem, at least in part, from questions about whether open-meetings laws were violated in discussions about Bailey's removal in December.

Media organizations, including the Orlando Sentinel and News Service of Florida, as well as open-government advocates also have filed a lawsuit alleging violations of the Sunshine Law.

"There is intense public interest regarding this matter and we think it imperative that an independent investigation be conducted to address the serious constitutional issues related to Mr. Bailey's departure,'' Petersen wrote in the open letter dated Thursday. "The continuing controversy erodes public trust and confidence in the highest levels of our government. Additionally, the controversy and ensuing media coverage calls into question Florida's well-deserved reputation as having the most progressive open government laws in the nation."

After Bailey was ousted by Scott, the former FDLE commissioner claimed that the governor and his staff had urged influence his department to take unethical actions, including accusing a former Orange County Clerk of the Court of illegal activity. The Governor's Office has denied his allegations.

Read the original here:

First Amendment Foundation seeks special prosecutor in FDLE case

Bitcoin Comes to Influential Payments Startup Stripe

Posted on by

Stripe, the intriguing startup that helps drive payments on everything from Facebook to Lyft, is now handling bitcoin.

The company made the long-awaited announcement with the launch of a microsite this week. Basically, any business using Stripe can immediately sign up to accept the bitcoin digital currency, and Stripe will charge 0.5 percent on each successful bitcoin transaction.

The digital payment startup begantesting its bitcoin tools back in Marchwith a beta program, and it conducted transactions in up to 60 different countries during this period. Now, the company is rolling things out to everyone.

The move is another shot in the arm for bitcoin, which promises to reinvent how money is moved and stored online but has lost some mindshare in recent months after, well, a bit too much hype.

Stripe helps drive payments on Facebook and Twitter. It dovetails with Apple Pay, the new mobile payments tool on the iPhone. And it underpins online ride-hailing startup Lyft and the instant grocery-delivery service Instacart. More recently, Kickstarter announced it was dropping Amazon Payments in favor of Stripes digital payment services.

The rest is here:

Bitcoin Comes to Influential Payments Startup Stripe