Secrecy

Adios, Online Privacy

by Sheldon Rampton — March 15, 2008 - 11:49pm

The National Security Agency, once known for its skill in eavesdropping on the world's telephone calls, is adapting to the times by "focusing on widespread monitoring of e-mail messages and text messages, recording of Web browsing, and other forms of electronic data-mining, all done without court supervision," reports Declan McCullagh.

Main Source: 
The Iconoclast, March 11, 2008

Despite Congressional Direction and Funding, EPA Libraries Remain Closed

by Judith Siers-Poisson — March 14, 2008 - 2:26pm

The Environmental Protection Agency began closing several of its libraries in 2006 due to a shrinking budget. But the agency did not take into account how access to important environmental data would be blocked for legislators, researchers and citizens.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, March 14, 2008

Anti-Taxation with Tobacco Representation

by Anne Landman — March 5, 2008 - 11:56am

R.J. Reynolds (RJR) may be funding a South Carolina anti-tax group to oppose a cigarette tax for health care. The Cover Carolina Collaborative, a group of health care organizations, is proposing that the state's tax be raised to $1.00 a pack, to help cover uninsured employees. South Carolina currently has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation, at seven cents a pack.

Main Source: 
The State (South Carolina), March 3, 2008

Update on the Wikleaks Case

by Judith Siers-Poisson — February 28, 2008 - 2:49pm

As CMD recently reported, a federal judge ordered the Wikleaks website shut down. The site allows whistleblowers to post documents anonymously.

Main Source: 
Wired, February 27, 2008

The Invisible Hands Guiding Doctors' Continuing Education

by Bob Burton — February 26, 2008 - 10:18pm

Ray Moynihan reveals that while educational events have been advertised to Australian medical practitioners as being independent, behind the scenes sponsoring drug companies were being offered the chance to nominate speakers and topics relating to their drugs.

Main Source: 
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, February 24, 2008

Great Lakes Study Suppressed

by Sheldon Rampton — February 22, 2008 - 9:57pm

"For more than seven months, the nation's top public health agency has blocked the publication of an exhaustive federal study of environmental hazards in the eight Great Lakes states, reportedly because it contains such potentially 'alarming information' as evidence of elevated infant mortality and cancer rates," reports Sheila Kaplan.

Main Source: 
Center for Public Integrity, February 7, 2008

Bank Case Proves Information Wants to Be Free

by Diane Farsetta — February 20, 2008 - 4:40pm

"In a move that legal experts said could present a major test of First Amendment rights in the Internet area, a federal judge in San Francisco ... ordered the disabling of a Web site devoted to disclosing confidential information." The site, Wikileaks, allows people to anonymously post documents and other information. The judge's order disabled the site's U.S.

Main Source: 
New York Times, February 20, 2008

When "Social Values" Means Smoking

by Anne Landman — February 18, 2008 - 12:56pm

When the dangers of smoking first became widely known, cigarette companies secretly hired biomedical scientists to create confusion.

Main Source: 
New Scientist (sub req'd), February 16, 2008
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