Trump said, “We need people to be afraid. Right now many Americans are surprised when protestors are killed, but they’ll get used to it.” Trump did add one suggestion: “Try not to kill white people. That gets too much attention. Stick to protestors of other colors.”   read more

An analysis by The Intercept showed that between 2011 and 2013, the U.S. military made 957 condolence payments totaling $2.7 million, $1.8 million of them for deaths with the maximum amount generally capped at $5,000. The largest single payment for a death—$15,000—came in 2011. Other payments are as low as $100.   read more

After serving six months in 2004 and 2005 in Iraq repairing Apache helicopters, Shepherd and his unit were relocated to Germany, where he was stationed for two years. In 2007, he received word that his unit would be redeployed to Iraq. By then, Shepherd had decided he could no longer support the war and objected to going back to Iraq on conscientious grounds. Shepherd left his post and appealed to the German government for asylum.   read more

The former inhabitants of Diego Garcia who were kicked off their island home by the British so the U.S. could develop a key military base may soon get to return home after nearly 50 years in exile. Diego Garcia was created as strategic U.S. military base during the Cold War. It also may have been involved in the CIA’s secret rendition program, serving as a refueling site for clandestine flights carrying detainees and possible “black site” where suspected terrorists were interrogated.   read more

Avijit Roy was traveling with his wife, Rafida Ahmed Bonya, through Dhaka in a rickshaw when two assailants removed them and began attacking them with machetes. Roy, 42, was pronounced dead at a hospital. Bonya survived the attack but lost a finger and suffered numerous lacerations. Muslim zealots had threatened Roy, a bioengineer and a naturalized American citizen, “for his active campaign against Islamist radicals.”   read more

The IG’s office received information that the Coast Guard was authorizing unnecessary healthcare travel. An audit found 94% of the records it reviewed for the Travel to Obtain Health Care program lacked documentation, such as doctors’ referrals and cost estimates, to justify trips. The Coast Guard in Alaska, for example, sent personnel or their relatives to such destinations as Vail, Colorado; Orlando, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Scottsdale, Arizona.   read more

In an interview with The New York Times, Lack spoke of the difficulty of his job and said: “We are facing a number of challenges from entities like Russia Today which is out there pushing a point of view, the Islamic State in the Middle East and groups like Boko Haram. But I firmly believe that this agency has a role to play in facing those challenges.” Russia Today, a website and television channel run by the Russian government, blasted the comparison of their organization to terror groups.   read more

Lorance started with tough rhetoric the day he took over. “He looks like the all-American sweetheart when you meet him,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Williams. “But he was just so aggressive. One of the first things he said to us was, we are going to go in Gestapo-style with night raids, pull people out of houses, make them afraid of us.” Lorance ordered sharpshooters to fire rounds into a village, striking near civilians. In one case, he told a sharpshooter to torment a man by firing near his head.   read more

In 2010, Algeria, which has been accused human rights violations, gave the foundation $500,000, which went to earthquake relief in Haiti. Clinton foundation officials now concede that they should have first gotten the approval of the State Department ethics office before accepting the funds. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia donated to the foundation only after Clinton resigned as secretary of state.   read more

If the Supreme Court sides with a conservative attack aimed at crippling Obamacare, the insurance industry could find itself drowning in red ink, while millions of Americans could lose their health coverage. "More healthy people are likely to drop out of the market. Which will cause premiums to go up again. Which will cause more people to drop their insurance. Which will cause premiums to go up. Such a death spiral could potentially collapse the individual insurance market in many states."   read more

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners had tried to stop non-dentists from offering teeth-whitening in salons and at mall kiosks. But the high court agreed with the FTC, which challenged the board’s authority to restrict the service to dental offices. The court said the board rule was “anti-competitive and unfair." The state board is mostly made up of dentists, and it is funded by the dental industry. “They have an evident self-interest,” argued Deputy Solicitor General Stewart.   read more

The COO of the Orthodox Union’s kosher certification agency, Rabbi Elefant, has reportedly talked to several companies seeking a kosher seal of approval for medical marijuana. “Just as the OU gives out kosher certificates for vitamins or for any other medical product, after an examination of the ingredients, it is possible in principle to issue kosher certificates for cannabis, as long it is solely for medical uses and in countries where it is permitted by law,” said the Union’s CEO in Israel.   read more

A warehouse on Chicago’s west side known as Homan Square has been in use for years by special police units as the equivalent of a “black site” interrogation center, reminiscent of those used by the CIA. Those questioned there, even children as young as 15, are denied their constitutional protections and are reportedly beaten and shackled. People brought there aren't even logged in. "When you go in, no one knows what’s happened to you," said Brian Church.   read more

An Ohio Supreme Court decision last week compelled a justice to do something few public officials do when it comes to addressing the connection between campaign contributions and political favors. After the court sided with drillers in a fracking regulation case, Justice O’Neill in his dissent wrote that “the oil and gas industry has gotten its way.” Catherine Turcer said: “What I liked about Justice O’Neill’s opinion was his willingness to point out the elephant in the room."   read more

Resolution will be removing an estimated $130 billion worth of copper that’s now owned by the American people. The proposal has been around since 2005, but never got through Congress until senators McCain and Flake put it into the “must-pass” defense bill, which President Barack Obama signed in December. Members of the Apache and Yavapai tribes consider the land sacred and have started a sit-in protest on the site to stop the project.   read more

The Oakland, California, regional office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stuffed 13,184 benefit requests, some dating back to the 1990s, into a file cabinet where they were discovered in 2012, partially processed and then promptly lost. Two records selected during a random sampling of unprocessed informal claims found they missed out on $3,904 in benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder and hearing loss, respectively.   read more

According to the Social Security Administration, in 1983, about 11% of all income escaped being taxed by Social Security. By 2012, that number rose to about 17% of all income. The liberal Center for American Progress argues that policymakers should consider changing Social Security taxation to apply to 90% of earnings in order to put more money into the dwindling trust fund. Such a change, had it been implemented in 1983, would have added $1.1 trillion more into the trust fund by 2013   read more