The Plug Nickel Times is proud to bring you website links to news information that you may not find through your local media. All links are offsite unless otherwise noted - followed links should open in another browser window. Links can become dated or otherwise fail to function, for this reason we quote the actual headline of an article. This may allow you to find an alternate copy of the article through a news index or search engine. Some sites we link to may require a registration process to view an article - this website may be useful to you in those instances. Comments, corrections and submissions are welcome - an email link is at the bottom of the page.
October 16-31, 2005
October 30, 2005
U.S. Operatives Killed Detainees During Interrogations in Afghanistan and Iraq
FBI surveillance violations
Brazilians Reject Proposed Gun Ban
Gun owners to have storage facilities inspected (AU)
"Weapons licencing branch Inspector Mike Crowley says the move is all about positive re-inforcement."
FEMA reverses 'No Guns' policy following SAF whistleblowing
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today reversed a policy of prohibiting firearm possession in emergency evacuee trailer parks - so-called 'FEMA villages' - and other temporary housing provided by the agency. The reversal followed complaints by the Second Amendment Foundation that the original policy violated the Second Amendment civil rights of evacuees and that it was discriminatory as well."
Traffic violators face ID theft check (AZ)
"Motorists cited for criminal traffic violations will have to give their thumbprint to Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies or go to jail."
October 21, 2005
Hussein Trial Put Off Amid Doubts About Fairness
No charges for gun death officers (UK)
"Two policemen who shot a man in London carrying a table leg they mistook for a sawn-off shotgun will not be charged over his death.
...
Mr Stanley was carrying a blue plastic bag containing a coffee table leg which had just been repaired when the officers opened fire as he walked home from the Alexandra pub.
Insp Sharman shot the father-of-three in the head, killing him instantly, while Pc Fagan also opened fire."
Brevard Sheriff Agrees Not To Keep Files On Anti-Bush Protesters
October 18, 2005
Money for Nothing
"The only certified public-accounting firm used by the CPA to monitor its spending was a company called North Star Consultants, located in San Diego, which was so small that it operated out of a private home. It was subsequently determined that North Star did not, in fact, perform any review of the CPA’s internal spending controls. Today, no one can account for billions of those dollars or even suggest how the money was spent. And as the CPA no longer exists, there is also little interest in re-examining its transparency or accountability."
Israel redraws the roadmap, building quietly and quickly
"At the core of the strategy is the 420-mile West Bank barrier which many Israeli politicians regard as marking out a future border. Its route carves out large areas for expansion of the main Jewish settlements of Ariel, Maale Adumim and Gush Etzion, and expropriates swaths of Palestinian land by separating it from its owners.
In parallel, new building on Jewish settlements during the first quarter of this year rose by 83% on the same period in 2004. About 4,000 homes are under construction in Israel's West Bank colonies, with thousands more homes approved in the Ariel and Maale Adumim blocks that penetrate deep into the occupied territories. The total number of settlers has risen again this year with an estimated 14,000 moving to the West Bank, compared with 8,500 forced to leave Gaza."
US setting up new spying agency
"The US has announced the creation of a new intelligence agency led by the CIA to co-ordinate all American overseas spying activities.
The National Clandestine Service (NCS) will oversee all human espionage operations - meaning spying by people rather than by technical means.
...
The director of the new agency, whose identity will remain secret and is simply known as 'Jose', will report directly to the head of the CIA, Porter Goss."
$11 Million a Day Spent on Hotels for Storm Relief
For current information about the Fitzgerald investigation into the Plame/Wilson affair, the White House Iraq Group (WHIG), Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff, and a familiar cast of neo-cons - visit the War and Piece Blog by Laura Rozen.
Marijuana Arrests Set New Record
"According to figures released today by the FBI, marijuana arrests set a new record in 2004, totaling 771,605. Eighty-nine percent of these arrests were for marijuana possession, not sale or manufacture."
Secret Code in Color Printers Lets Government Track You
"A research team led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently broke the code behind tiny tracking dots that some color laser printers secretly hide in every document.
The U.S. Secret Service admitted that the tracking information is part of a deal struck with selected color laser printer manufacturers, ostensibly to identify counterfeiters. However, the nature of the private information encoded in each document was not previously known."
Lazy British Police Dog Relieved of Duties
"Buster the German Shepherd could have had a great career as a British police dog had it not been for one flaw: his complete lack of interest in fighting crime.The canine cop took early retirement after bosses at South Yorkshire Police noted his poor motivation - and a fondness for making friends with rowdy drunkards, his former handler said Monday."
