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Meet John Brennan, new CIA director

Medea Benjamin
Huffington Post
Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:23 UTC
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In October 2011, 16-year-old Tariq Aziz attended a gathering in Islamabad where he was taught how to use a video camera so he could document the drones that were constantly circling over his Pakistani village, terrorizing and killing his family and neighbors. Two days later, when Aziz was driving with his 12-year-old cousin to a village near his home in Waziristan to pick up his aunt, his car was struck by a Hellfire missile. With the push of a button by a pilot at a US base thousands of miles away, both boys were instantly vaporized -- only a few chunks of flesh remained.

Afterwards, the US government refused to acknowledge the boys' deaths or explain why they were targeted. Why should they? This is a covert program where no one is held accountable for their actions.

The main architect of this drone policy that has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of innocents, including 176 children in Pakistan alone, is President Obama's counterterrorism chief and his pick for the next director of the CIA: John Brennan.
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Why progressives should oppose Hagel

Allen Ruff
The Progressive
Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:13 UTC
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Following weeks of trial-balloon conjecture, President Obama nominated Chuck Hagel, the former Senator from Nebraska and oft-described "moderate Republican," to succeed Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense.

Conservative critics had raised objections as soon as Hagel's name surfaced as a probable nominee in mid-November. The usual pack of neocon watchdogs charged him with being inadequately hawkish on Iran and out of lockstep on Israel.

Towing its increasingly neocon editorial line, the Washington Post on November 18th editorialized that Hagel was "not the right choice for defense secretary." Citing the ex-Senator-cum-Washington insider's public record, the Post asserted: "Mr. Hagel's stated positions on critical issues, ranging from defense spending to Iran, fall well to the left of those pursued by Mr. Obama during his first term." (Hagel once had the temerity to suggest that Pentagon spending should be "pared down." Imagine!)
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Pistol

New York Governor Cuomo proposes gun, ammo magazine limits

Michael Gormley
seattlepi.com
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:52 UTC
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© Photo: Mike Groll / AP
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his third State of the State address at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for tougher state bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines of ammunition as part of a progressive agenda in a sometimes fiery State of the State speech Wednesday.

"No one hunts with an assault rifle. No one needs 10 bullets to kill a deer," Cuomo said. "End the madness now!

"The tragic events of just the last few weeks in Newtown, Conn., and West Webster, N.Y., have indelibly taught us guns can cut down small children, firefighters and policemen in a moment," Cuomo said.

The state already has among the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation, and the governor noted that New York passed the nation's first handgun permit law, in 1911.
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Eye 2

Four Polish soldiers re-tried in Afghan war crimes case


Raw Story
Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:45 UTC
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Four Polish soldiers, accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan, on Wednesday faced the first day of a re-trial after Poland's Supreme Court last year overturned their acquittal, a military court spokesman said.

The case marks the first instance in which Polish troops have faced a court martial for war crimes while fighting abroad.

The men are suspected in connection with the August 2007 deaths of six civilians in the Afghan village of Nangar Khel, in the mountainous southeastern province of Paktika.

The victims included a man, two women and three children who were killed by machinegun fire and shrapnel.
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Pumpkin 2

Monsanto richer than ever before as food prices climb sky-high

Agustino Fontevecchia
Forbes
Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:00 UTC
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Monsanto: What economic crisis?
With global food prices near all-time highs, Monsanto, global seed and agricultural product powerhouse, delivered blockbuster fiscal first quarter earnings before the bell on Tuesday. The stock continued its upward trajectory, hitting fresh 52-week highs early in the trading session.

Monsanto saw net income surge 169% to $339 million, which translates into an EPS from operations of 62 cents, well above the 37 cent consensus estimate.

On the back of solid demand for corn products from the likes of Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, Monsanto managed to churn out net revenue of $2.94 billion, up 20.5% and managing to beat the $2.66 billion estimate. The corn seed and traits unit was the company's best performer, with sales up 25.3% to $1.14 billion. Soybean seeds and traits results were slightly disappointing, sliding 4.5% to $231 million.
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6 Reasons GMO labeling will pass in Washington state

Ronnie Cummins
Alternet
Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:41 UTC
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© naturallysavvy.com
Initial polling shows that Washington voters will likely pass a ballot initiative, no matter how much money the biotech industry and large food corporations put into an anti-labeling campaign.

On Jan. 4, activists in Washington State will deliver approximately 300,000 signatures to the state legislature to guarantee that a mandatory GMO labeling Initiative, I-522, will be on the ballot in November. Initial polling shows that Washington state voters will likely pass this ballot initiative, no matter how much money the biotech industry and large food corporations put into an anti-labeling campaign.

Giant biotech and junk food corporations, joined by major food processors and supermarket chains, poured more than $46 million dollars into a vicious dirty tricks campaign to defeat California's Prop 37, a citizens ballot initiative that would have required mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food ingredients. Their tactics included a relentless barrage of TV and radio ads falsely claiming GE food labels would raise grocery prices, hurt family farmers, and enrich trial lawyers. They unleashed "scientific" testimonials manufactured by phony front groups, and they mailed counterfeit voter guides.
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Arrow Down

Disney will gather private information on theme park visitors with new "Magic" bracelets

Noel Brinkerhoff, Danny Biederman
AllGov
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:43 UTC
Magic Bracelets
© Kent Phillips, Disney
Visitors to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, will be revealing virtually everything they do at the park to company officials, if they participate in its new magic bracelet program.

This spring, Disney plans to offer MyMagic+, a special rubber bracelet encoded with customers' credit card information. By using the bracelets, visitors will be able to enter the park and purchase food or souvenirs without pulling out their wallets.

But this also means that visitors' actions, behavior and whereabouts will be carefully tracked within the park. Disney will collect this information, from what rides people go on and all purchases they make, to which costumed characters they choose to interact with. It will all be stored in a Disney data base, conceivably for marketing purposes.

Indeed, Disney's decision to move forward with the wrist band technology was contingent on determining that it would increase its corporate profits, according to its Parks and Resorts chairman, Thomas O. Staggs.

"If we can enhance the experience, more people will spend more of their leisure time with us," he told The New York Times.
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Gold Seal

Jon Stewart brings some sense to gun control issue

Eric W. Dolan
Raw Story
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:19 UTC
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On his show Tuesday night, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart expressed his bafflement over conservatives who refused to even consider any new restrictions on gun ownership in the wake of multiple mass shootings.

He noted that conservatives had blamed gun violence on movies, video games, mental health, and even sin.

"Is this about me masturbating?" Stewart joked. "Look, I didn't know that that was considered a national issue."

The late-night comedian mocked politicians and others who claimed that numerous gun laws already existed, saying that McDonald's hot coffee was more regulated than firearms.

Part One:

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Cowboy Hat

Biden: Obama could make executive order on gun control

Jillian Rayfield
Salon
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:49 UTC
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© Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
The Vice President met with gun control advocates and victims groups today.

Joe Biden said today that the President is prepared to take unilateral action in order to implement stricter gun control measures. "The president is going go act," he said. "There are executive orders, executive action that can be taken. We haven't decided what that is yet, but we're compiling it all."

"The president and I are determined to take action. This is not an exercise in photo opportunities," Biden added.

Biden's comments came shortly before a meeting with victims groups and gun control advocates at the White House today, as part of the gun violence task force set up by Obama in the wake of the Newtown school shootings.
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Brick Wall

German politicians threaten to block Cyprus bailout

Graeme Wearden
Guardian
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:16 UTC
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© Photograph: Gon Alo Silva/Gonalo Silva/Demotix/Corbis
Angela Merkel said Cyrpus must agree to wideranging economic reforms and privatisations before she would support a bailout.
German politicians including Angela Merkel take hard line on Cyprus, which needs estimated €17bn to recapitalise its banks.

Cyprus's hopes of agreeing a eurozone bailout were thrown into fresh confusion on Wednesday as German politicians from across the spectrum warned that the aid package could be vetoed by the Bundestag.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is taking a hard line on Cyprus, saying the country must agree to wideranging economic reforms and privatisations before she would support a bailout.

Negotiations between the Cyprus government and international lenders have stalled, with the Communist president, Dimitris Christofias, refusing to accept asset sales. Speaking in Berlin, Merkel also refused to concede ground over the issue.

"We agree it is important that the troika should talk with Cyprus and that there can be no special conditions for Cyprus because we have common rules in Europe," Merkel said. "We are far from the end of the talks."
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