Twitter wants to tell you that you're being spied on. This week, the social media company sued the U.S. Justice Department for the right to reveal the number and nature of requests for private user information. According to their lawsuit, the tech company said that under current rules, they're not even allowed to say whether or not they've received any requests for information, and they believe the rules are unconstitutional.

Other internet companies like Google and Microsoft have made similar complaints about surveillance, and formed an agreement with the government that allowed them to release some unspecific information. However, Twitter has taken a more aggressive stance against sharing user information, and has described themselves as “the free-speech wing of the free-speech party.”

After months of negotiation with government officials, Twitter is taking the issue to the courts, hoping to provide users with complete transparency. Although we'll have to wait and see how this lawsuit turns out, we should stand with any tech company willing to go to such great lengths to ensure that our privacy rights are protected – even from our own government.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Koch blocked - Meet the Koch...Sisters! (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Be sure to check out our new videos: CARBON & LAST HOURS - both narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio

Need to Know: Koch blocked - Meet the Koch...Sisters!
- Joyce Koch, Retired Social Worker & mother of two
- Karen Koch, College Professor & mother of two

Screwed: Do Republicans even HAVE a jobs plan?
- David Laska, New York State Republican Party

Your Take / My Take Live: If you want to get in on the conversation and ask me a question or make a comment send us your videos to YourTakeMyTake@gmail.com - you can tweet them at Thom_Hartmann using the hashtag #Talk2Thom or send us a Facebook message.

All fracked up...deadly oil bomb trains
- Phillip Musegaas, Riverkeeper.
- Cole Stangler, In These Times

Green report: Last Hours

Free excerpt, read book for free at Truthout, buy the book!

The Daily Stack

In for Thom today, Leslie Marshall, The Leslie Marshall Show

Hour One: Ebola...bio weapon?
- Professor Francis Boyle, University of Illinois Law School / Biowarfare and Terrorism

Article: "F.B.I., Laying Out Evidence, Closes Anthrax Case" by Scott Shane, February 19, 2010.

Law: "Patriot Act", 2001.

Site: Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth.

Article: "Obama to ask for $88m for Ebola effort" by AFP, 2014-09-15.

Article: "Republicans, Obama Administration Haggle Over Ebola Funding Shift" by David Lawder.

Article: "Liberian Rubber Farm Becomes Sanctuary Against Ebola" by Drew Hinshaw.

Article: "Tokyo subway sarin attack" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Aum Shinrikyo" by Wikipedia.

Hour Two: Are chicken nuggets ruining antibiotics?
- Tom Philpott, Mother Jones Magazine

Article: "Are Your Chicken Nuggets Ruining Your Antibiotic Ointment?" by Tom Philpott.

Article: "Ebola outbreak: Why has 'Big Pharma' failed deadly virus' victims? " by Charlie Cooper.

Article: "Ebola & ISIS/ Weird American History", 10-02-14 (guest Craig Hulet).

Article: "Time for Action, Not Blame" by Leslie Marshall.

Book: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande.

Book: The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Victoria Jones

Article: "Congress approves $700 million in Ebola funding for troop deployment" by Leslie Larson.

Article: "Pentagon Briefs Obama On Military Action Against ISIS, Ebola" by William McDonald.

Article: "CDC Director on Ebola: 'The Only Thing Like This Has Been AIDS'" by Elizabeth Chuck.

Article: "Airport Screening for Ebola: What the CDC Wants You to Know" by Paayal Zaveri.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 10/9" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 10/8" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Why the GOP can't keep their hands off your healthcare
- Igor Volsky, Think Progress

Book: Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform: How We Can Achieve Affordable Medical Care for Every American and Make Our Jobs Safer by Dr. Howard Dean M.D. with Igor Volsky, Faiz Shakir.

Article: "Republicans Threaten Another Shutdown Over Obamacare" by Igor Volsky.

Article: "Wal-Mart to stop healthcare benefits for some part-time workers" by Reuters.

Article: "Don’t Worry About The News That Walmart Is Dropping Health Coverage For 30,000 Workers" by Tara Culp-Ressler.

Article: "As Walmart's Sales Increase, It Decides to Cut Healthcare for 30,000 Employees" by Zaid Jilani.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

Case: "Burwell v. Hobby Lobby", 2014.

Article: "What is the religion of George Clooney’s fiancé, Ms. Amal Alamduddin? Druze? Muslim?" by Omid Safi.

Article: "Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet" by Elaine Gloria Gottschall.

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET

Desi Doyen, Host & Producer of The Green News Report, drops by with the latest green news

Plus, Save the Senate! That's the call from David Bender, Political Director of Progressive Voices

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

Listen Live

Thank you for being part of our ever growing community for News, Debate and Opinion on the Thom Hartmann Program.

Click here to subscribe to the Thom Hartmann Newsletter.

Sincerely,

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.

Buy Thom's newest book now!
Also on Kindle

"Crash of 2016" website

Watch Thom on: - MSNBC's The Cycle
- CNN's Crossfire
- Democracy Now!

Should trains carrying toxic oil be better regulated?

Vote here!

Thom's newest book!

CIA vs.Media…How One Reporter Ended Up Dead

What's WI Gov. Walker spending all that $ on?

Lone Liberal Rumble - Kevin Steals Thom’s Bell!

Full Show 10/8/14: Bill O'Reilly Lies & Says VA AG Doesn’t Care About Child Rape

Thom talks Gov. Scott Walker’s (R-WI) distracting White House ambitions with Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and the legacy of Journalist Gary Webb who uncovered the connection between the Nicaraguan Contras and the crack cocaine epidemic. Tonight’s “Lone Liberal Rumble” discusses the Supreme Court’s beneficial inaction on gay marriage, twitter’s suing of the Justice Department and Speaker Boehner’s blank jobs plan.