We’re back! Twenty-one hours ago, we took down this blog, The Advocate, along with Pacific NW Portal and our home page to protest two destructive bills that threaten Internet freedom, stability, and security: the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) and the “Protect IP Act” (PIPA). In their place, we activated an action center explaining our […]
Category: Civil Liberties
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
Tomorrow’s anti-SOPA/PIPA blackout will be an unprecedented event
We are less than a few hours away from the beginning of the biggest virtual grassroots protest the Internet has ever seen. As you may have heard, the Web — or at least a sizable fraction of it — is going on strike to protest two destructive bills pending before Congress that would allow giant media […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
NPI to participate in Internet strike against SOPA and PIPA on January 18th
Readers who are regulars at Reddit or who closely follow technology news may have heard that the social news site is leading the way in fermenting what’s being called an Internet strike against two destructive, anti-Internet bills being pushed by Hollywood on Capitol Hill (the so-called “Stop Online Piracy Act” and the “Protect IP Act”). […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
White House signals that administration opposes SOPA and PIPA as currently written
Responding to a pair of petitions calling on President Obama to take a stand against two bills that threaten Internet freedom (the so-called “Stop Online Piracy Act” and “Protect IP”), three administration officials have published a position paper on the White House website which suggests that the administration does not find SOPA or PIPA acceptable […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Economic Security, Policy Topics
Governor Chris Gregoire announces support for full marriage equality in 2012
In a major boost to Washington United for Marriage’s efforts to make Washington the seventh state where marriage equality is the law of the land, Governor Chris Gregoire this morning declared her full support for legislation to overturn the state’s discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and permit gay and lesbian couples to legally wed […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics
Oregon governor John Kitzhaber announces moratorium on executions
The execution of a Oregon man convicted of two murders — who has been on death row for some time — will not go forward as planned on December 6th, Governor John Kitzhaber announced this afternoon, invoking his authority under the Beaver State’s Constitution to block prison officials from putting Gary Haugen to death. But Kitzhaber […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics
Georgia executes Troy Davis after U.S. Supreme Court refuses to halt his killing
Troy Davis, the Georgia man convicted of murder on questionable evidence two decades ago, has just been executed by state prison officials, we’re hearing. Attorneys for Davis, who abolitionists have been fiercely rallying to save, had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and grant an eleventh-hour stay only hours ago. Sadly, the court refused, […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics
Marriage equality comes to Washington
Alas, the state of Washington has not yet followed in the footsteps of New York by legalizing same-sex marriage. However, marriage equality has come to our state. Yesterday, the Suquamish Tribal Council voted to extend marriage equality to same-sex couples, becoming only the second tribe in the nation to do so. The Suquamish Tribal Council voted […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Elections, Policy Topics
Tim Eyman turns in signatures for I‑1125 in Olympia; NPI and Doug MacDonald respond
This morning, Tim Eyman and his cohorts from Spokane, the Fagans, showed up in Olympia at the Secretary of State’s Elections Annex to deliver boxes of petitions for Eyman’s latest scheme to wreck government — Initiative 1125, which would interfere with WSDOT’s ability to successfully complete the new Evergreen Point Floating Bridge over Lake Washington […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
Google+: Step right up if you want to help Google complete its profile of you
Earlier this week, Google finally took the wrappings off of the Facebook clone it has been developing, sparking a prolonged media frenzy about its efforts to catch up with Twitter and Facebook in the social networking arena. By all accounts, Google+ represents the company’s most sophisticated attempt to build a social network. It is a top […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics
Marriage equality finally becomes a reality in New York with historic vote
Moments ago, in an incredibly close vote, the New York State Senate joined the New York State Assembly in voting to make marriage equality the law of the land in the Empire State. The roll call was thirty-three to twenty-nine. The final approval of the Marriage Equality Act of 2011 concludes an intense effort by […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Elections, Policy Topics, Public Planning
Mercenary petitioners hawking Tim Eyman’s l‑1125 target Bellevue College students
Though it’s not apparent from looking at Voters Want More Choices’ most recent reports to the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), NPI can today confirm what we have suspected since the beginning of the month: Tim Eyman has found a new wealthy benefactor to put up the money for his latest scheme, Initiative 1125, which he […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
Researchers’ discovery demonstrates that Apple users don’t really own their devices
Two security researchers investigating visual uses for geolocation data revealed today that gadget giant Apple has been secretly shipping spyware inside of its mobile operating system (iOS) that constantly records its customers’ whereabouts. The discovery, which has ignited a firestorm of criticism, was first made public at O’Reilly Radar by the researchers (Alasdair Allan and […]