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Thom's blog
House Committee Hearing on the NSA leaves additional questions unanswered...
This morning, NSA director Keith Alexander and other intelligence officials testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The Committee chairman, Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, convened the hearing to defend the NSA's internet and phone surveillance programs. Today's hearing, called “How Disclosed NSA Programs Protect Americans, and Why Disclosure Aids Our Adversaries,” was meant to provide a public forum for Director Alexander to make the case that government spying has kept Americans safe.
Alexander began the hearing with an opening statement, saying, “I would much rather be here today debating this point than trying to explain how we failed to prevent another 9/11.” He refused to provide details, but said that the surveillance program has prevented 50 potential terrorist attacks since 2001. NSA deputy director, John Chris Inglis, also testified, and described how the agency handles phone communications in the U.S. He said the standard for looking into U.S. based phone calls requires a “reasonable, articulable suspicion” of terrorist activity, and that only 20 analysts within the NSA have the power to target US-based phone calls. According to Inglis, analysts must get supervisor approval on any domestic targeting. However, throughout the hearing, intelligence officials stated numerous times that U.S. citizens are not being targeted.
Director Alexander repeated this assurance, saying, “the NSA may not target the phone calls or emails of any US person, anywhere in the world,” without a court order. It appears today's hearing was meant to defend government surveillance programs, and assure Americans that our phone and email privacy remains intact. It's not clear yet whether today's hearing achieved the intended result. The debate about government surveillance continues. Stay tuned.
-Thom
(What do you think? Tell us here.) |
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 9pm... Join Ben Cohen's "Stamp Stampede" (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT, and catch past shows on Youtube)
Daily Take: Checks, lies and bankster red tape
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Monday's Daily Stack 
Hour One: NSA surveillance...is privacy a thing of the past?- James Bamford, The Shadow Factory 
Edward Snowden and the legacy of Watergate- John Dean, Author, Columnist (Justia.com) and former Nixon White House Counsel
Speech: " Farewell Address" by George Washington (1796) (avoid foreign entanglements).
Hour Two: NSA...nothing to hide, nothing to fear?- Jamie Weinstein, The Daily Caller
Hour Three: SCOTUS by the numbers...what you need to know about today's decisions- Shane Farnan, Talk Radio News Service
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Tuesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 3-6pm ET
Hour One: as "Big Business" become "Big Brother?"
Hour Two: How is government interfering with entrepreneurs?- Brian Tracy, Brian Tracy International
Hour Three: Checks, Lies and Bankster Red Tape...
And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...
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Thom's Poll
Will Bank of America be held responsible for lying to homeowners?
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Watch & Listen to Thom
If people don't do their own damn revolution, it won't work
The Good - The Bad and the Very Very Totipalmately Ugly
Crazy Alert! Dog Butt Looks Like Jesus?
Is There a "Franken-Pet" in Your Future?
Did SCOTUS Rule to End Voter Suppression Nationwide?
What?! Florida just Outlawed Sick Leave
Imagine paying to get your paycheck...
Big "Business" of Spying - Can We Recover Control?
Or watch the Full "Big Picture" Show...
Full Show 6/17/13: Time to Nationalize Our Intelligence Industry
Thom talks with Free Press's Tim Karr on the private-intelligence boom and with Independent Journalist Sarah Jaffe on how McDonald's is paying some of their employees with debit cards. We get an explanation of the Supreme Court rulings handed down today from Reporter Shane Farnan and talk biotechnology with Emily Anthes, author of the new book "Frankenstein's Cat." In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom warns the people of Syria that they need to do their own revolution (without U.S. involvement) or it won't work.
Thom Hartmann on the News: June 17, 2013
Caller: Syria is to Russia as Israel is to the U.S.
The Syrian Civil War is Not the American Revolution
NSA...Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear?
SCOTUS: What you Need to Know about Today's Decisions
Watergate...the Last Major Wiretapping Scandal
Big Brother and the G20 Summit
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 Would you like to help give a child with a very troubled background this feeling of peace? Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV) in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow. Can you help? Now on Facebook. |
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