Press Release — ACLU.org

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — In a long-awaited ruling in United States v. Hasbajrami, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York last night held that warrantless queries — or searches — conducted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act violated the Fourth Amendment. The ruling is the first of its kind, and it follows years of public revelations about how Section 702 has been used by the government to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans, including protesters, members of Congress, and journalists.

By Maya Schenwar, Negin Owliaei, Ziggy West Jeffery — Truthout

Trump’s attacks on press freedom aren’t separate from his attacks on oppressed communities. We must resist them all.

Defending Rights and Dissent Newsletter

In November, CIA employee Asif Rahman was charged with violating the Espionage Act. The US government alleged that he disclosed two documents revealing American military assessments of Israel’s plan to strike Iran. Rahman has pleaded not guilty.

Institute for Public Accuracy

The U.S. government claims that CIA analyst Asif Rahman’s alleged disclosure of Israel’s reported plans to attack Iran caused it to delay the attack.

By Chip Gibbons: thedissenter.org

A U.S. magistrate judge rejected the government’s request to hold CIA employee Asif Rahman in jail

Video: Jeffrey Sterling was a CIA whistleblower. He is an attorney and an advocate for other whistleblowers. We discussed his experience, the problem of excessive secrecy, and the importance of whistleblowers to civil society.

By Norman Solomon: TomDispatch

While he can no longer speak to the world about the latest developments, Ellsberg will continue to speak directly to hearts and minds about the extreme evils of our time—and the potential for overcoming them with love in action.

The Committee to Protect Journalists

Dear Attorney General Garland,

We, the undersigned coalition of press freedom, civil liberties, and
international human rights organizations, write to express acute concern about
the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal and extradition proceedings
relating to Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, under the Espionage
Act and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

By Jeffrey Sterling: Progressive Hub

This was to be my first trip abroad in a very long time, certainly the first time since being released from prison.

By Patrick G. Eddington — CATO Institute

Get ready for another one of those “Congress is trying to pull a fast one” stories … and if you work for or financially support one or more nonprofits, you’ll want to read on. Congressional sources have informed Cato that an extremely controversial tax code bill that could be used to target politically disfavored nonprofits that has already passed the House may get a Senate vote this week. First, some important background information.