More than 500 of the world's leading authors, including five Nobel prize winners, have condemned the scale of state surveillance revealed by the whistleblower Edward Snowden and warned that spy agencies are undermining democracy and must be curbed by a new international charter.
The signatories, who come from 81 different countries and include Margaret Atwood, Don DeLillo, Orham Pamuk, Günter Grass and Arundhati Roy, say the capacity of intelligence agencies to spy on millions of people's digital communications is turning everyone into potential suspects, with worrying implications for the way societies work.
State surveillance of personal data is theft, say world's leading authors
Senate Republicans block attempt to update firearms rules for 3D guns
An attempt to update firearms rules to cover weapons made using 3D printers was blocked on Monday night as a fresh row over gun control erupted in the Senate.
Existing legislation requires all plastic weapons made or carried in the US contain some metal parts so they can be picked up by security detectors.
The law, dating back to the 1980s, was due to expire on December 9 but was extended by both the House and Senate with only hours to spare.
Obama Faces Backlash Over New Corporate Powers In Secret Trade Deal
- The Obama administration appears to have almost no international support for controversial new trade standards that would grant radical new political powers to corporations, increase the cost of prescription medications and restrict bank regulation, according to two internal memos obtained by The Huffington Post.
The memos, which come from a government involved in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations, detail continued disputes in the talks over the deal. The documents reveal broad disagreement over a host of key positions, and general skepticism that an agreement can be reached by year-end. The Obama administration has urged countries to reach a deal by New Year's Day, though there is no technical deadline.
Fire Triggers Shutdown of Arkansas Nuclear Reactor
A nuclear reactor at Entergy Corp.'s ETR -0.97% Arkansas One power plant shut itself off on Monday morning after a fire broke out at a nearby electrical switchyard.
The incident involved the plant's Unit 2 reactor. The Unit 1 reactor remained in service, furnishing electricity to the power grid, Entergy said.
There was no radiation release, according to Victor Dricks, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mr. Dricks said an NRC inspector assigned to the site was in the control room, monitoring Entergy's actions.
5 legends: Kennedy Center honorees
The “Piano Man” who became one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time with such hits as “Just the Way You Are,” “Uptown Girl” and “Allentown” is being awarded the nation’s highest honor Sunday for influencing American culture through the arts.
Billy Joel joins Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, opera star Martina Arroyo and actress Shirley MacLaine in receiving the Kennedy Center Honors. All of them have been playing music, dancing or singing since they were children — and have never stopped.
Joel said the honor stands apart from his six Grammys.
Cellphone data spying: It's not just the NSA
The National Security Agency isn't the only government entity secretly collecting data from people's cellphones. Local police are increasingly scooping it up, too.
Armed with new technologies, including mobile devices that tap into cellphone data in real time, dozens of local and state police agencies are capturing information about thousands of cellphone users at a time, whether they are targets of an investigation or not, according to public records obtained by USA TODAY and Gannett newspapers and TV stations.
An effective eye drug is available for $50. But many doctors choose a $2,000 alternative.
The two drugs have been declared equivalently miraculous. Tested side by side in six major trials, both prevent blindness in a common old-age affliction. Biologically, they are cousins. They’re even made by the same company.
But one holds a clear price advantage.
Avastin costs about $50 per injection. Lucentis costs about $2,000 per injection.
Doctors choose the more expensive drug more than half a million times every year, a choice that costs the Medicare program, the largest single customer, an extra $1 billion or more annually.
First Gulf oil spill natural resource study reveals extensive damage in shoreline, deepwater habitats
The extensive damage caused by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the ensuing cleanup efforts to natural resources along the shoreline and in deepwater habitats of the Gulf of Mexico were outlined for the first time Friday (Dec. 6) in a comprehensive environmental assessment.
The assessment, released by federal and state oil spill trustees, accompanies a plan for spending $627 million on 44 projects aimed at restoring some of the damage outlined in the report, or compensating the public for lost resources. That plan is the third batch of projects to be paid for with $1 billion set aside in 2011 by BP to build "early restoration" projects under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process required by the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
Judge: Colorado Cakeshop Must Serve Gay Couples Despite Owner's Religious Beliefs
A Colorado judge says a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony must serve gay couples despite his religious beliefs.
Friday's order from administrative law judge Robert N. Spencer says Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Denver will face fines if it continues to turn away gay couples who want to buy cakes for their wedding celebrations.
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