Shades of Orwell’s 1984: Samsung reveals its SmartTV is always listening The Daily Beast’s Shane Harris reports, “You may be loving your new Internet-connected television
LaunchDan Stubbs explains the folly of the Parental Advisory Explicit Content sticker
It’s become a real badge of honour to have that sticker on your CD now… It came out of this puritanical drive in America against
LaunchJohn McCain to protesters: “Get out of here, you low-life scum”
Senator John McCain has a short fuse, as a group of protestors discovered when he snarled at them to “get out of here, you low-life
LaunchActivist pulls off clever Wi-Fi honeypot to protest surveillance state
That we can identify government officials, journalists and politicians with the help of a wireless network and their less thoughtful use of online services demonstrates
LaunchAuthor J.K. Rowling: “I was born Christian. If that makes Rupert Murdoch my responsibility, I’ll auto-excommunicate.”
I was born Christian. If that makes Rupert Murdoch my responsibility, I’ll auto-excommunicate. — Author J.K. Rowling, responding to another offensive, bigoted tweet by media
LaunchIt is sadly unclear whether this article will put lives at risk
It is sadly unclear whether this article will put lives at risk The Onion, one of America’s best known satirical publications, responded to the attack
LaunchFormer editor of The Onion: Freedom of speech cannot be killed
Satire must always accompany any free society. It is an absolute necessity. Even in the most repressive medieval kingdoms, they understood the need for the
LaunchU.K.’s Cameron, Germany’s Merkel: We stand with France against terrorism
We stand absolutely united with the French people against terrorism and against this threat to our values – free speech, the rule of law, democracy.
LaunchJe suis Charlie! The people of France take a stand against terrorism
A man in Strasbourg shows solidarity with the staff of Charlie Hebdo, who were targeted by Islamic terrorists in a brutal attack earlier today. “Je suis” is French for “I am”. (Photo: Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons)
LaunchStill more evidence that guns don’t make us safer: Toddler shoots, kills mom at Idaho Wal-Mart
Still more evidence that guns don’t make us safer: Toddler shoots, kills mom at Idaho Wal-Mart A woman shopping at a Wal-Mart in Hayden, Idaho
LaunchFamilies of shooting victims in North Portland lament America’s epidemic of gun violence
I’m just confused. All of these kids getting shot and killed. It doesn’t make any sense… It’s not like it was when we were kids.
LaunchHakeem Jeffries decries “stunning miscarriage of justice” in wake of grand jury finding
The failure to indict is a stunning miscarriage of justice, and makes clear that equal protection under the law does not exist for all Americans…
LaunchDemonstrators protest Missouri grand jury’s failure to indict Darren Wilson for Michael Brown shooting
Demonstrators are pictured in Seattle protesting a Missouri grand jury’s failure to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown (Photo: Tiffany Von Arnim/Reproduced under a Creative Commons license)
LaunchThoughts on tonight’s shameful press conference by St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch
Earlier this evening, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch held a long, self-serving press conference to disclose that the grand jury he decided to make
LaunchTim Cook: “I’m proud to be gay”
I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me. — Tim Cook, writing in a personal
LaunchMicrosoft’s Nadella sorry for women’s pay comments
I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap. I believe men and
LaunchEric Holder announces new civil rights probe in Ferguson
As a result of this history of mistrust of law enforcement — and following an extensive review of documented allegations and other available data —
LaunchGun sales are significantly down after record year
Gun sales are significantly down after record year Businessweek reports that sales of long guns, modern sporting rifles, and handguns all fell during the last
LaunchHoyer, Hispanic Democrats assail Republicans as House approves draconian immigration bills
It is simply a message they want to send, not a solution that they want to affect… Republicans are racing to the right, putting forward
LaunchDelBene condemns House Republicans’ divisive, flawed immigration bills in floor speech
Above is the video of the speech delivered today by U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene in opposition to a pair of divisive, fatally-flawed Republican-backed bills on
LaunchPeter King: “I wish Ted Cruz would stay in the Senate”
I do wish that Ted Cruz would stay in the Senate… Nobody elected him speaker. Nobody elected him majority leader in the House, and it’s
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