Tag Archives: truth in media

Featured, Reality Check, Videos

Ben Swann Is Back!

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Hey guys, Ben Swann here. Or should I say, Ben Swann is back?

You know, just a few days from now we’re actually going to hit the one-year mark of when my Truth in Media project and all of my social media went dark. A year ago — can you believe it?

That was when I announced to you that those pages, and my website, were going to be taken down. At least for a while, they were going to disappear. And I asked you at that time to trust me.

For the past year, I have been in the position of being unable to talk about Truth in Media. I have also been refrained, if you will, from having social media and having a social media presence at all.

We’re going to get into that later. I’m going to tell you why all of that happened.

But I have not been in a position, so far, to do anything about it.

Sun Tzu said this in the Art of War: he said, “Let your plans be as dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

Well, I have been patient. And I have been quiet. But that time has now come to an end.

And that’s all thanks to Dash Digital Cash.

Which is now, by the way, the exclusive sponsor of TruthInMedia.com and also Reality Check with Ben Swann. So excited to tell you about this.

So what exactly is Dash? Let’s start there.

No doubt you’ve heard of bitcoin, right? A digital currency, also known as a cryptocurrency. Back in 2013 I actually went and spoke at the Texas Bitcoin Conference. And that was at a time when hardly anybody even knew what bitcoin was.

I talked about it at that time and said, back then — which, by the way, I absolutely still believe — that cryptocurrency and the decentralization of our financial systems was absolutely and is absolutely the future of finance.

Now, I have been a believer in and a supporter of cryptocurrency ever since then. I have funded projects with it. I have paid contractors in it. I absolutely believe in the crypto space.

Dash Digital Cash is a cryptocurrency. But frankly, kids, it’s not just any crypto.

Dash is actually, in my opinion, the most technologically superior of all crypto thanks to features like instant send and private send. And the incredibly low fees for trading. It’s pretty incredible stuff.

And while those features alone make Dash, again, I believe, superior to other crypto, it is what Dash is heading toward — an innovation called Evolution that will absolutely change the crypto game for everyone.

Now, back in November I was approached by some users and supporters of Dash and its DAO.

Oh, by the way, for all you media bloggers out there who want to write about this stuff but don’t understand it, let me explain to you what that is.

It is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization. They [Dash DAO] talked to me about bringing back Truth in Media and Reality Check with Ben Swann.

So, I created a proposal. I put that proposal forward and it was accepted by the organization.

Again, a note to all you folks who are going to try to explain this but don’t understand it: Dash is not a company.

It has no board of directors. It is a decentralized, peer-to-peer currency. Quite candidly, that is what gives it its power. A large community able to fund projects like Truth in Media and Reality Check with Ben Swann — without some corporation crushing the voices with which it does not agree.

That is the power of decentralization. And that is what is so exciting about this announcement.

You see, Dash Digital Cash isn’t just helping to create the financial decentralization revolution.

It is also helping to create a revolution in industries like in media, where for too long — for far too long — too few voices, especially the voices that dissent with repeated narrative, are not allowed to be heard.

You know who I’m talking to.

If you followed my work, then you know this: you know that I absolutely believe that the left-right paradigm in media is fake.

I believe that corporations, and politicians, and special interest groups, they have gamed so many systems. They have gamed the financial industry, the healthcare industry, political systems in America, and yes, they have also corrupted our media.

I believe that humanity is greater than politics. And I am so grateful to Dash Digital Cash that I now, once again, have the platform to be able to tell your stories, and to uncover corruption, and to question those who are in authority wherever they are, whichever party the belong to, whatever ideology. And to hold them accountable, to do my part to restore truth in media.

Thanks for watching. By the way, next week Reality Check with Ben Swann returns for a new season with brand-new episodes beginning every Tuesday and Thursday. I cannot wait to get those episodes out to you.

In the meantime though, if you would like to learn more about Dash Digital Cash — I know I’ve talked about it a lot here, you can go to DiscoverDash.com. You can also check out the Dash 101 section there.

So glad to be back. I’ll see you next week.

Featured

Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

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Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism will be released Jan 26. 2016.

1. Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

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2. Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

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3. Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

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Join the Truth In Media Newsletter for Updates

4. Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

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5. Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

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6. Behind The Scenes of Truth In Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism

Ben Swann Behind The Scenes

Featured, Foreign Policy, International, Interviews, Opinion, US

Exclusive: Brad Hoff Discusses DIA Report, Mainstream Media Coverage of Syria

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Military veteran and journalist Brad Hoff has a unique perspective of Syria after living there off and on for years.

“I ended up settling down in Syria, and loved the culture, loved the people,” he said to Joshua Cook in an exclusive interview.

Hoff said that of course he saw problems there, but the typical stereotypes that he had of the region shattered.

“Got really interested in how the media was covering Syria, and that’s what really got me involved in writing about the place,” he explained. “The mainstream media writing about the conflict in Syria just completely failed on so many fronts.”

The Daily Beast’s coverage of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report, Hoff said, was a hit piece.

As reported previously by Truth In Media, the DIA report basically points at the United States for helping to create ISIS, or the Islamic State.

“DIA analysts make predictions based on their best knowledge based on their best research,” explained Hoff.

“What it does establish beyond a doubt is that in 2012 when this document was written the U.S. definitely saw the likelihood that an Islamic State or some kind of Salafist principality would arise based on as you said fueling the insurgency in Syria,” he said.

“So what this document proves is that there were members in the intelligence community that were fully aware that the insurgency in Syria was mainly driven by Islamic groups, but of course the document seems to predict that the U.S. would use these radical Islamist as a kind of strategic asset in order to put pressure on the Syrian regime.”

And that is what the Daily Beast failed to point out in its story.

Hoff pointed out that this was the Daily Beast’s first mention of the DIA document.

“He really missed the opportunity to shine light on this document, to at least talk about it in some objective way. But instead he focused most of the article on basically saying ‘Oh, this is all a conspiracy.’”

Despite the Daily Beast’s questionable coverage, the DIA document and its findings are gaining traction and interest within the general public.

Hoff said that there have been reports that Kentucky Senator Rand Paul even alluded to the DIA document at a campaign event in Colorado.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) recently sponsored bi-partisan legislation, S.1471, that asks President Obama to declassify the 28-pages in the 9/11 report and is a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in Syria.

Truth In Media has reported on key issues regarding the truth about Syria and the Origin of ISIS, which now has over 1 million views. The mainstream media can no longer ignore these stories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

Featured, Jason Stapleton Program

Ben Swann: Truth In Media Is ‘Unashamedly Questioning The Status Quo’

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In an interview with The Jason Stapleton Program, Ben Swann shared details about his upbringing and education, discussed professional journalism career and explained how the Truth In Media is going to explode in the coming years.

When BenSwann.com relaunched as TruthInMedia.com on May 4, the change was emblematic of Swann’s desire for his independent new media project to be bigger than just his work. His site had writers from the start, and the number of writers has grown over time. Today, readers will find content from people with passions across a broad spectrum, from Ron Paul through his Liberty Report to Peter Schiff through his podcast and many other talented and liberty-minded individuals.

“We’re trying to bringing on people who have voices in specific areas who really want to focus on liberty and individual freedom,” Swann told Stapleton during the interview. “One thing that is important for people to understand is that what’s very different about our site and our news brand compared to others is that we really exert no editorial control over what writers or contributors put up. We don’t ask to see what you are going to put up in advance.

“. . . We are looking for people who have integrity and who believe in questioning things. So what we’re trying to do is to continue to partner with people who can continue to present questions. And I think one thing that will start to set us apart from other brands in new media is that we’re not about click bait and we’re not about conspiracies. We are about legitimate questions because there’s so much out there right in front of our faces that needs to be questioned.”

Swann described Truth In Media as “unashamedly questioning the status quo” and a “site that is honest and will correct itself when it’s wrong.” Stapleton shared his own perspective on the project, which he has been involved with since its launch last month.

“It’s really a credit to what you guys at Truth In Media that not only is the content so good, but that the focus is on creating an alternative news media source that can be trusted,” Stapleton said. “I’ve just been really impressed with everything that I’ve seen come out of Truth In Media and everything you produced. Your piece on ISIS, I have such a close tie with that because I spent so much time working with the State Department and other private companies and other three-letter acronym government agencies in those parts of the world. I know what’s going on over there. And to see someone so clearly articulate what every major news media outlet should be talking about was incredible. That’s what got my attention and got me to perk up and start paying attention to what you were doing. And I love it.

“I suggest every single person go and become a subscriber and visit the site daily. It’s something that I go to every single day when I’m running through my news items and checking what we’re going to be talking about on the show.”

Watch the full interview above and check out more of The Jason Stapleton Program on Truth In Media.

In case you missed Ben Swann’s Truth In Media episode on ISIS watch it below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY

Truth In Media Updates, Videos

Truth In Media Project: Major Announcement

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Ben Swann’s Truth In Media Project is set to unveil several exciting changes and additions. On May 4th, BenSwann.com will become TruthInMedia.com, offering new interactive features. In addition to the new website, we are excited to announce the arrival of several contributors to the Truth In Media Project.

The Truth In Media Project will be providing columns, commentary and videos from Julie Borowski. Borowski is a political commentator who has gained a large following for adding humor to libertarian viewpoints.

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity will be offering analysis and insight to the Truth In Media Project through columns and videos.

Writer and podcast host Kurt Wallace will be providing in-depth interviews and discussion of issues regarding politics, business, economics and more. Wallace has been involved in new media since 2007.

Jason Stapleton’s syndicated radio show, The Jason Stapleton Program, will be broadcast on TruthInMedia.com. Stapleton is a former Marine and an entrepreneur, investor, and professional trader, offering unique insights on a plethora of topics including economics, politics and military strategy.

Carlos Morales, author of Legally Kidnapped: The Case against Child Protective Services, will be a contributor to TruthInMedia.com. Morales is a former CPS investigator who exposed corruption that he witnessed within the agency.

TruthInMedia.com will also be providing an interactive community, with member forums and groups, all free of charge. This new community will allow readers and supporters to create their own profiles and interact on message boards and in groups.

The Truth In Media Project will continue to examine issues including medical kidnapping, human trafficking, the drug war, police militarization, and political activism around the world.

Truth In Media Addition

 

As you may know, The Truth In Media Project is not controlled by corporate interests. This project speaks truth to power, and is proudly funded in part by our readers and supporters. The most recent Truth In Media episode, “The Origin of ISIS”, has reached over 1 million views and was 100% crowdfunded. To make a one-time donation, click here. To make a monthly donation, click here.

Thank you all for your support!

Civil Liberties, Government Corruption, Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

Truth in Media Gets It Right, DOJ Says Policing for Profit Part of Ferguson Discrimination

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A report from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the police department in Ferguson, Missouri, exercised discrimination against the black community by using excessive force, issuing minor citations and making unnecessary traffic stops.

While the full report has not yet been released, anonymous federal law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that it “chronicles discriminatory practices across the city’s criminal justice system, detailing problems from initial encounters with patrol officers to treatment in the municipal court and jail.”

The investigation began weeks after an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, in the city of Ferguson in August.

The officials told the Associated Press the investigation found that in a city that is 67 percent African American, “black were 68 percent less likely than others to have their cases dismissed by a municipal court judge.”

The officials also found that 88 percent of the time use of excessive force was documented by police, it was being used against a black individual, and that out of the city’s 53 police officers, only three were black.

Investigative Journalist Ben Swann documented the clashes between the residents and local police when he visited the city of Ferguson in November.

Swann pointed out that while a lot of people would describe the moment Brown was shot by Wilson as the moment conflict began, some of the city’s residents would say the shooting was the highlight of something that has been building under the surface for decades.

Mark and Earl Banks, brothers who grew up in Ferguson, and now live in Detroit, told Swann that they aren’t surprised by this incident, and that the issues in Detroit are no different than the issues in Ferguson.

Joe Stevenson, who also grew up in Ferguson, told Swann that 30 years ago, just like today, the relationship between citizens and police was tense. He attributed this to the fact that police would look for anyone to write tickets for in order to obtain money from fines.

“You could make the argument that this all comes back to social media and new media: the ability for people to rally together, to protest, to communicate, for information to rise to the surface,” Swann said. “Maybe this incident was a long time coming, but for many they’re glad that the moment is finally here.”

International, US

North Korea fires missiles into the sea as drills begin

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As South Korea and the United States were about to begin their annual military exercises in the area, North Korea protested the drills, once again, by firing two missiles into the sea on Monday.

According to Reuters, the two missiles were fired from a military base on the western coast of North Korea near Nampo City. The missiles reportedly traveled about 305 miles to the east, landing in the Sea of Japan.

The missiles were fired hours before the joint U.S. and South Korean military drills, known as Foal Eagle and Key Reserve according to CNN, were set to begin. North Korea has always been angered by the drills, saying they are nothing but a “smokescreen” used by the U.S. and South Korea so the two countries can invade their country.

North Korea’s state-run news outlet, KCNA, said, “The situation on the Korean peninsula is again inching close to the brink of a war.” They also noted how the North Korean military will not remain “passive” forever.

However, as many people know, this is not the first time North Korea has fired missiles in protest to the U.S. and South Korean military exercises.

The 2013 drills, in particular, led to the North Korean government threatening nuclear strikes over the drills, according to the BBC. The drills went on as planned and no retaliatory strikes were ever carried out by North Korea.

Kim Min-seok, the South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson, said at a briefing Monday, “North Korea in the past did fire (projectiles) in a very similar manner… On several occasions, they fired (projectiles) from the west coast to sea off east of the Korean Peninsula.” Kim also said the drills were simply a warning against any “reckless” or “provocative” act the North Korean military may carry out.

KCNA however, said these drills are acts of “aggression” and they will be met with “merciless strikes.”

The South Korean Defense Ministry believes the missiles were either Scud-C or Scud-D missiles.

Featured, Politics, Technology, US

FCC reclassifies the internet, approves net neutrality rules

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The Federal Communications Commission has just approved their plan for net neutrality, which also reclassifies broadband Internet as a public utility.

Under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act, the reclassification of the internet as a public utility allows the FCC to place regulations on Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Comcast and Verizon. These regulations would mandate these service providers to transmit all Internet content at the same speed, regardless of what interests are involved, according to Newsweek.

According to engadget, the FCC chairman, Tom Wheeler, said, “It [the internet] is our printing press; it is our town square; it is our individual soap box and our shared platform for opportunity… That is why open internet policies matter. That is why I support network neutrality.”

Net neutrality, also known as open Internet, is an idea which says all Internet networks and content are equally available to all legal content generators, according to USA Today. Therefore, a practice called “paid prioritization” which results in ISPs showing preference towards companies who pay more for higher transmission speed of content, would be illegal.

The new reclassification also affects wireless data providers. The new plan places similar regulations on phone companies as those placed on other ISPs.

However, some people have spoken out against the new net neutrality plan.

Jim Cicconi, AT&T’s senior executive vice president-external and legislative affairs, said, “What doesn’t make sense, and has never made sense, is to take a regulatory framework developed for Ma Bell in the 1930s and make her great grandchildren, with technologies and options undreamed of eighty years ago, live under it.”

Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai said, according to FOX News, the plan represents a shift of power to allow the government to control the internet. Pai also warned the new plan would result in intended and unintended consequences, such as rate regulations. “The order explicitly opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes… Read my lips: More new taxes are coming. It’s just a matter of when.”

The FCC has said the new regulations will be posted online soon and will be published in the Federal Register. The new regulations will also go into affect 60 days after their publication.

Civil Liberties, Health, States Rights, US

‘Right to Try’ bill in Oklahoma moves forward

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Legislation has been approved by the Oklahoma House committee which would allow terminally ill patients to have access to experimental medications which are not yet available to the public.

Rep. Richard Morrissette (D) is the author of the Oklahoma version of the Right to Try bill. Morrissette has said, according to the AP, this bill can give new hope to terminally ill patients “that one of these experimental drugs will hit the mark.”

The House Public Health Committee voted 10-0 on Tuesday in favor of pushing the bill forward for consideration by the full House. A number of other states, such as Arizona, Colorado, and Louisiana already have similar bills in place.

The Daily Journal reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already allows terminally ill patients to seek to undergo experimental medications. However, it usually takes hundreds of hours to complete the paperwork and for the paperwork to make its way through the proper government channels before it is approved. Many terminally ill patients die while waiting to receive government approval to undergo these new medical treatments.

Christina Sandefur is an attorney for the Goldwater Institute, a conservative public policy group, and she said, “These are people whose days, hours, even minutes may be numbered.”

There would be some requirements when it comes to receiving the experimental medications even if the bill were to pass.

One requirement is a terminally ill patients doctor must approve of the usage of the medication before moving forward. The patient in question would also have to acknowledge the medication they would be receiving poses potential risks o their health and well-being. The company who develops the drug must also be willing to make the medication available to the patient.

The bill would also allow pharmaceutical companies to deploy experimental treatment devices in the same manner as the experimental medications.

The full bill can be read here.

International, US

ISIS burns and destroys over 8,000 books in Mosul

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Militant members of ISIS have reportedly broken their way into the Mosul public library, where they burned an estimated 8,000 books, some of which were rare and historical manuscripts.

A bearded militant, according to CBS DC, told residents living near the library, “These books promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah. So they will be burned.”

Ghanim al-Ta’an, the director of the public library, said the militants used an improvised explosive devices against the library with the hopes of destroying it, but when these efforts failed, the militants looted the books instead.

According to the Fiscal Times, the library housed many historical items and texts such as manuscripts written in the eighteenth century, books from the Ottoman era, and books printed in the nineteenth century in the first Iraqi printing house.

Militants are known to regularly burn books and manuscripts and destroy tombs and shrines of the cities and areas they have claimed as part of their caliphate. The militants also destroyed the church of Mary the Virgin and the Mosul University Theater on the same day, according to Breitbart.

A history professor at the University of Mosul spoke with the Lebanon Daily Star and said militants had started to destroy other public libraries in the area last month. Archives in a Sunni Muslim library, a library belonging to a 265-year-old Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers, and works in the Mosul Museum Library were destroyed. Some of the works which were destroyed dated back to 5,000 B.C.

Rayan al-Hadidi, an activist and blogger in Mosul said, after the burning of the books from the library in Mosul, “900 years ago, the books of the Arab philosopher Averroes were collected before his eyes…and burned. One of his students started crying while witnessing the burning. Averroes told him… the ideas have wings…but I cry today over our situation.”

International, Politics, US

News agency reports they have obtained ‘Spy Cables’

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Al Jazeera, a news broadcasting agency owned by the government of Qatar, has reported they have obtained hundreds of confidential and hidden documents, which the agency are calling the “Spy Cables.”

The report from Al Jazeera announcing the cables says the documents offer “an unprecedented insight into operational dealings of the shadowy and highly politicised realm of global espionage.” Al Jazeera also says they will release the documents over the next couple of days alongside the newspaper the Guardian.

The leaked documents, according to the Business Insider, come from many government agencies around the world, including Russia’s FSB, South Africa’s SSA, Britain’s MI6, and others. Documents from any American intelligence agencies though seem to be absent from the Spy Cables.

Even though documents from American intelligence agencies are not included, some of the documents point to the CIA working in correspondence with South Africa’s SSA agency. The documents also allegedly say the CIA had attempted to contact the group HAMAS, even though the U.S. government has labeled the group a terrorist organization.

Other documents say MI6 had attempted to recruit a spy in North Korea with the help of the South African government. MI6 reportedly met with a North Korean man and offered him an “undisclosed amount of money” for the man’s cooperation in a “long term clandestine operation.”

Another document claims Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu had exaggerated Iran’s nuclear production levels in a 2012 declaration made in front of the UN. A secret Mossad document released in the leak, however, says Iran was not at the time “performing the activity necessary to produce weapons.”

Al Jazeera writes they will only publish documents which they believe serve the public interest. They also write, “We believe it is important to achieve greater transparency in the field of intelligence…. Publishing these documents, including operational and tradecraft details, is a necessary contribution to a greater public scrutiny of their activities.”

More leaked documents will be released in the next few days on Al Jazeera and the Guardian.

Police Accountability, Politics, US

Missouri bill proposes banning availability of police captured footage

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A bill has been proposed by Missouri lawmakers which would exempt any footage recorded on a police operated camera from being viewed by the public.

Senate Bill No. 331 reads, “Any recording captured by a camera, which is capable of recording video or audio…shall not be a public record… [and] shall not be disclosed by a law enforcement agency except upon order of a court in the course of a criminal  investigation or prosecution or civil litigation.” Footage captured on any police camera attached to a piece of police equipment, car, aircraft, or police person, would therefore be protected by this bill.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Doug Libla (R), and Missouri’s attorney general, Chris Koster (D), has voiced his support of barring the public from access to these videos.

Koster said, according to St. Louis Today, the footage would be considered closed records and therefore unavailable under Missouri’s Sunshine Law. The footage would be available, however, to people investigating an incident resulting in a civil lawsuit, or by a court order to others.

Missouri Rep. Galen Higdon has called for similar legislature, saying, according to the River Front Times, “Capturing a crime on video, whether it was perpetrated by an officer or perpetrated by a perp, the chain of evidence needs to be protected.” Higdon also said if the footage is available to the public before a trial, the jury pool could potentially be tainted and this may slow the trial down.

Sarah Rossi, the director of advocacy and policy for the Missouri’s American Civil Liberties Union, has said the proposed legislature is just an “end run around Missouri’s Sunshine Law.” Current Sunshine Laws, said Rossi, already allow law enforcement officers to restrict the public from viewing evidence which is involved in active police investigations.

Libla’s bill also proposes police departments shall not be required by the state to provide their officers with body cameras, and no department shall require an officer to wear a body camera.

Health, US

To fight obesity, scientists suggest a tax on sugary foods

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While obesity continues to threaten the lives of many Americans, a government advisory committee has suggested placing a tax on sugary food items to drive people away from the foods in order to fight the heath threat.

The Dietary Guideline Advisory, which consists of fourteen health experts according to CBS Boston, released a report saying the health and well-being of Americans would benefit from a tax on sugary foods and drinks. The committee recognizes though, they do not make any policies concerning the public, rather they simply make suggestions.

The report reads, “Taxation on higher sugar-and sodium-containing foods may encourage consumers to reduce consumption and revenues generated could support health promotion efforts… Alternatively, price incentives on vegetables and fruits could be used to promote consumption and public health benefits.”

Economic and social costs were also considered in the report, with the committee saying, as time goes on and people continue to neglect their physical wellness, the costs would be irreversible as people would require more healthcare in order to live.

“What we’re calling for in the report in terms of innovation and bold new action in health care, in public health, at the community level, is what it’s going to take to try and make a dent on the epidemic of obesity,” said committee chairwoman Barbara Millen according to Bloomberg Business. 

CNBC also reports the committee suggested nutrition programs should be made available at the federal, state, and local levels in order to promote a healthier lifestyle for all citizens.

The report made other suggestions for living a healthier lifestyle as well. Namely, the report suggests eating less red and processed meats, and eating more farm-raised fish instead.

US

Judge orders man to pay $30K in child support for someone else’s child

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A Detroit judge has ruled a man, who was unaware he was a “father,” must pay approximately $30,000 in child support after the man neglected to do so for close to twenty-five years.

In the early 1990’s, Carnell Alexander was pulled over by a police officer and this officer informed Alexander he was under arrest for being a deadbeat father. Alexander, however, was taken aback when he heard he was a deadbeat father, according to WXYZ.

What had happened was an ex-girlfriend of Alexander gave birth to a child in the late eighties, and in order to qualify for welfare assistance to raise the child, she needed to name a father on the appropriate paperwork. Even though the woman was aware Alexander was not the father, according to KFOR, she decided to put his name down anyways.

Usually, when a man is named the father of a child on such paperwork, the state sends a notice to the person via mail. However, Alexander was incarcerated, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections, so he would not have received the notice.

On Tuesday, Alexander went in front of the Third Judicial Circuit Court where Judge Kathleen McCarthy said she was outraged Alexander had failed to take this matter seriously. According to FOX 2 Now, McCarthy said Alexander should have filed a motion long ago to dispute his parentage of the child.

“That motion must be filed within 3 years after the child’s birth, or within one year after the order of filiation is entered,” said McCarthy. “The defendant has failed to to timely file this motion setting aside the acknowledgment of parentage.” It is here the court ruled Alexander must pay the $30,000 in child support for the child, who is now an adult.

According to CBS Detroit, Alexander took a paternity test in 2013 after he had tried to find the mother of the child for many years. The test proved he was not father of the child, but even though this evidence was provided to the courts in the past, they held to their decision to make Alexander pay for the child support. The court also said it would not help his case if he presented the mother of the child for the case.

Alexander acknowledges he may owe the money according to the fine print of the law, but he will not believe the fine print of the law is right. “The law is not going to fit into everybody’s situation,” said Alexander. “Why don’t they use common sense?”

Politics, US

CORRECTION: Ammunition ban would be on 5.56mm green tip bullets

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A previous report stated .223 ammunition rounds were to be considered armor piercing by the ATF, however, this was not totally true. Rather, .223 rounds would not be considered armor piercing rounds, but the 5.56mm green tip bullets used in both SS109 and M855 cartridges could be placed in the category of armor piercing rounds.

Upon further reading on the subject, these 5.56mm rounds were exempt from classification in the amendment to the GCA made in 1986, because handguns which could handle this type of ammunition were not commercially available. These rounds are commonly used in AR-style rifles as well as AR-style handguns, of which the handguns have become more widely available in recent years.

The ATF recognizes this ammo type can be used for “sporting purposes” such as for target shooting or hunting, as it is generally more accurate. The main concern lies with handguns which can consecutively fire more than one round without reloading, such as revolvers and semi-automatic handguns. The ATF concludes the types of handguns which use this type of ammunition are not primarily used for sporting purposes, and the ban would be on ammunition which would be able to be fired from these types of handguns.

However, any cartridges, 5.56mm or not, which are meant to be fired from a single-shot handgun, a handgun which can “break-open” or is a “bolt action handgun,” will continue to be exempt from armor piercing status as they are recognized as being used for sporting purposes. Handguns which do not accept a single cartridge manually and accept in its place a magazine or other ammunition feeding device will not be recognized as for use in sporting purposes either.

Finally, the ATF writes, “ammunition that was previously exempted as ‘primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes,’ specifically 5.56mm constituent projectiles of SS109 and M855 cartridges, will again be regulated as “‘armor piercing ammunition.'”

As a writer for Truth in Media, I apologize for the previous article on this subject where I stated AR-style rifles would be “rendered obsolete.” This in incorrect and I take full responsibility for my mistake. I will continue to strive for the truth behind stories from around the world. Again, I apologize for my mistake.

Gun Rights, US

ATF could ban .223 ammunition by reclassification

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This article has a correction. Please click HERE to read.

 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has released a plan which would reclassify the popular .223 (M855) round as an armor piercing round.

This particular ammo type is most commonly used in all AR-15 style rifles, and if the ammo were to be reclassified, these firearms would be rendered obsolete without the proper ammo.

Reclassification of the .223 round as an armor piercing round would effectively ban sales of the round to all civilians under the Gun Control Act of 1968. The GCA says any ammo “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes,” is the only ammo allowed to be sold to the general public. The ATF defines armor piercing rounds, though, as any ammo which is meant to penetrate body armor and was manufactured for military or police use.

However, the GCA was amended in 1986 to allow exceptions in the original Act. The amended Act, therefore, allows armor piercing rounds to be sold to”government agencies,” as well as “for testing or experimentation authorized by the Attorney General.” 

The NRA Institute for Legislative Action though, is calling the new ban a “continuation of Obama’s use of his executive authority to impose gun control restrictions and bypass Congress.”

The NRA-ILA also said by definition, the .223 (M855) round cannot be classified as armor piercing because the law lists a number of metals, such as tungsten alloy, steel, or even depleted uranium, which are used in the cores of armor piercing rounds. The .223 (M855) round however has a traditional lead core with a steel tip, and “therefore should never be considered ‘armor piercing,'” according to the NRA-ILA.

The ATF has said they will accept comments on the new framework for 30 days, and the comments will be taken into consideration for the final draft of the framework.

 

This article has a correction. Please click HERE to read.

Featured, Technology, US

President Obama signs cyber-security executive order

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While visiting Stanford University on Friday, President Obama announced he was signing an executive order meant to encourage the sharing of information, regarding cyberthreats, between private sector companies and the government.

The order was signed at the first summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, which focused on consumer protection and private-public partnerships against cyberthreats.

While at the summit, the president likened the internet to the “Wild West,” and said the public are looking to the government for protection against cyber attacks. President Obama also called these cyber attacks one of the greatest threats to national security, safety, and economic issues.

“Everybody is online, and everybody is vulnerable,” said President Obama, according to NBC News. “The business leaders here want their privacy and their children protected, just like the consumer and privacy advocates here want America to keep leading the world in technology and be safe from attacks.”

However, groups in Silicon Valley are not jumping on board with the president’s push for new digital securities.

Ben Desjardins, the director of security solutions with the cyber-security firm Radware, said, “The new proposals face significant headwinds, both legislatively from Congress and cooperatively from heavyweights in the tech sector.”  Desjardins also said many companies in Silicon Valley already feel “burned” by the government after the companies learned of the various government surveillance programs through the Snowden leaks.

Scott Algeier, the executive director of the nonprofit organization Information Sharing and Analysis Center, also said this new executive order sounds like a federal takeover of information sharing among people and companies in the private-sector.

The White House has said the executive order is only a framework, and with it the White House aims to allow private companies access to otherwise classified cyber-threat information and ensure information sharing is strongly secure, all while protecting the civil liberties of citizens.

The text of the executive order can be found here for more details.

Education, International

South Korea to teach anti-ISIS classes in schools

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The government of South Korea is in the works to present a curriculum to elementary, middle, and high school students which is meant to inform and prevent students from joining the terrorist organization ISIS.

This new curriculum comes as a Korean teenager, whose surname is Kim, crossed the border from Turkey to Syria in order to join ISIS last month. Kim reportedly learned about ISIS through their various ISIS propaganda campaigns online and through people he contacted about the group.

According to the Korea Times, Kim, 18, was on a trip to Turkey when he met an unidentified man in the town of Besiriye near the Syrian border. The man in question is believed to be a member of ISIS.

“We are introducing the lessons because ISIS uses social networking services (SNS) to conduct propaganda activities and attract people to join it,” said a Ministry of Education official. “Kim’s case showed that Koreans are no longer safe from the ISIS activities… Elementary, middle and high school students will learn the truth about ISIS.”

This official also said material about ISIS has been in development by the ministry and would be completed and distributed to schools soon.

Government officials are worried however that presenting their students with too much information on ISIS would only pique some student’s interest. Because of this, the lessons would not only inform the students about the terrorist group, but also discuss in detail the dangers of joining such groups.

The government has also said they will strengthen monitoring programs of internet activity with the hopes of deterring discussions online about ISIS.

Featured, Politics, Technology, US

Judge rules you cannot sue the NSA for secretly spying on you unless you can prove they are secretly spying on you

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A California district judge ruled on Tuesday U.S. citizens cannot sue the National Security Agency for invading their privacy covertly unless the citizen can prove, without a doubt, the NSA was spying secretly on the citizen.

District Judge Jeffrey White ruled in Jewel v. NSA, the plaintiff could not sue the NSA because they did not obtain and provide for the courts any evidence showing their personal information was collected by the agency. Because of Jewel’s failure to provide such information, White wrote, according to Mother Jones, “even if Plaintiffs could establish standing, a potential Fourth Amendment Claim would have to be dismissed on the basis that any possible defenses would require impermissible disclosure of state secret information.”

What this means is even though the NSA has said in the past they are responsible for spying on American citizens, the NSA has not disclosed exactly how they spy on citizens. Because they have not disclosed the extent to which, or even how, they spy on citizens, it is therefore illegal to sue them for an invasion of privacy. However, once the methods are known, which the NSA has kept secret under the premise of national security, then citizens will be able to sue the NSA for an invasion of privacy.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, who represented the plaintiff in court, released a statement after the ruling, which reads the “ruling in Jewel v. NSA was not a declaration that NSA spying is legal. The judge decided instead that ‘state secrets’ prevented him from ruling whether the program is constitutional.”

The full court ruling can be found here.

The EFF has also said they will continue to fight to bring an end to the mass surveillance or citizen’s data despite this ruling.