Mapping the Shadow Government: Booz Allen Hamilton

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LittleSis

The recent and ongoing NSA surveillance revelations have shone a productive spotlight on the role of private contractors in gathering and analyzing national intelligence. Edward Snowden’s former employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, was singled out for its role as an NSA contractor and the fact that almost all of its revenue comes directly from the federal government. But the exact breadth of its role in the intelligence community and how it maintains its powerful relationship with the government remains shrouded in mystery.

This is where Booz thrives – in the shadows – but here at LittleSis we have been working to shine some additional sunlight on Booz and the ways in which it cultivates influence and wins contracts.

 

By the end of the 2013 fiscal year Booz Allen Hamilton reported $5.76 billion in revenue, 99 percent of which came from government contracts, and boasted a win rate of more than 89% on re-competed contracts. The company’s dependence on contracts is so great that threats to their relationship with the US is the primary risk listed in their annual shareholder report. Some sample disclosures, all comically hinging on the fact that Booz is in a long-term, over-dependent relationship with the US government: [MORE]

CIA Sued Over Records About Nelson Mandela

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LegalTimes

A doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is suing the Central Intelligence Agency over documents about the late South African president and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela.

After Mandela’s death on Dec. 5, MIT student and historian Ryan Shapiro sent Freedom of Information Act requests to the CIA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency requesting records that mentioned Mandela.

Shapiro, whose research includes exploring how dissent is policed, claims the CIA did not respond to his inquiry, which included a request for expedited processing. A response to that request, he alleged, was due Dec. 29. He filed a lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. [MORE]

Innocence Network Releases Report on 2013 Exonerations

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Innocence Project

On Monday, the Innocence Network released Innocence Network Exonerations 2013, its fifth annual publication detailing each of this year’s cases of innocent people who were exonerated of crimes that they did not commit.

 

 

According to the report, the Network achieved 31 total exonerations in 2013, the largest number that the Network has secured in the five years that it has reported its exonerations. Twenty-nine people in the United States and two people in the Netherlands were exonerated by Network members.  DNA contributed to the exonerations of 14 people.  The other 17 were exonerated by other means. The 31 people exonerated served a combined 451 years behind bars (and an average of 14.5 years each).  Two men served more than three decades.  Three women were exonerated this year, also a record for the Network. 

 

 

Keith Findley, President of the Innocence Network and Co-Director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project said while the report is a “stark reminder of the flaws that plague the system,” it also serves as a signal that “the innocence movement that began two decades ago is gradually making progress in improving the system.”  

 

 

Last year, in addition to securing a record number of exonerations, Network member organizations lobbied statehouse across the country for reforms to improve identification procedures, reduce false confessions and compensate the wrongly convicted.   

 

The Innocence Network is composed of 63 member organizations — 52 members in the United States and 11 members in other countries—which work to overturn wrongful convictions and to bring substantive reform to the criminal justice system. 

 

To learn more about the Innocence Network or find an organization near you at www.innocencenetwork.org.

To be Poor is a Crime

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Aljazeera

Today, 16 percent of the U.S. population — 49.7 million people, according to the supplemental poverty measure — live in poverty, compared to 35 million, or approximately 20 percent, in the 1960s. But the faces of the poor have changed. An analysis of Census Bureau data shows that African-Americans, Latinos, single-parent households and high-school graduates are now more likely to be officially poor. Even so, according to Columbia University research, the current poverty rate would be nearly twice as high were it not for war on poverty initiatives like food stamps, unemployment insurance and Social Security.

The problems raised by Johnson 50 years ago — high poverty rates, long-term unemployment, lack of medical care and housing, racial discrimination and limited access to education and training — are just as urgent today. Yet, despite growing awareness of inequality, a policy consensus remains elusive. [MORE]

US schools attempted to ban 49 books in 2013 - Ralph Ellison,Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Isabel Allende

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RT

Censorship in American schools and libraries is on the rise as more institutions attempt to ban books tackling racial and sexual issues, as well as those written by minorities, according to the anti-censorship group Kids’ Right to Read Project.

In a report by the Guardian, the KRRP stated it has dealt with 49 separate cases of book bannings across 29 states this year, up more than 50 percent compared to the previous year. November alone found the group, part of the National Coalition Against Censorship, investigating three times the typical number of book bannings in the United States.

“Whether or not patterns like this are the result of co-ordination between would-be censors across the country is impossible to say,” said Acacia O'Connor to the Guardian. “But there are moments, when a half-dozen or so challenges regarding race or LGBT content hit within a couple weeks, where you just have to ask ‘what is going on out there?’”

While most of the complaints filed have been done so by parents or local school districts, there have also been cases where state and local officials have gotten involved. According to the group, some of the books targeted include “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, and “The House of the Spirits,” by Isabel Allende.

Steve Martin apologizes for racist tweet [Most white people hate Black people. If you don't know this about white people, virtually all else that you know about them will only confuse you]

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USA Today

Steve Martin is the latest celebrity to tweet, then delete.

On Friday night, the actor tweeted to his followers that they should "submit your grammar here." When one user asked, "Is this how you spell lasonia?" Martin responded, "It depends. Are you in an African-American neighborhood or at an Italian restaurant?"

He quickly deleted the offensive tweet, and later tweeted: "I did apologize. But again, a second later I realized what an offensive thing I'd done. Deep bow."

Martin also acknowledged the tweet was "highly inappropriate."

"Most white people hate Black people. The reason that most white people hate Black people is because whites are not Black people. If you know this about white people, you need know little else. If you do not know this about white people, virtually all else that you know about them will only confuse you." -Neely Fuller

And Removing Statute in Georgia Had No Effect on White Supremacy

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BET

Tyrone Brooks celebrated it as a victory that had been years in the making, and a highly satisfying one.

After a lengthy campaign, a statue of Tom Watson, a one-time populist who was also a white supremacist and spoke degradingly about African-Americans, was moved from the steps of the Georgia state capitol in Atlanta. And Brooks, a longtime member of the Georgia House of Representatives, led the campaign to remove the statue.

“When you walk around the state capitol here, you don’t see anything other than a tribute to the confederacy and to racist officials,” said Brooks, the president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, in an interview with BET.com.

“We can’t change history, but many of us are concerned about these monuments because there are very few if any African-Americans, Latinos or Native Americans who have monuments or statues built for them,” Brooks said. “That’s why you see many people like me who are saying that we need to diversify. We need to leave a better message for future generations.”

While Brooks and other Black elected officials are cheering the decision to remove the statue of Watson, there is an equally emotional reaction from others, particularly far right groups, who complain that the removal of such statues and renaming of various public buildings represents nothing more than political correctness gone overboard.

White High School Student Threatens to Lynch Black Teen and his family

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Greendsburgh

A western New York high school student tweeted a threat to lynch a black player on the opposing team and his family during a recent prep basketball game here, school officials reported recently.

The tweet was directed at Terrell Ford, a 15-year-old sophomore player for Kenmore West High School in the Buffalo area, during a Dec. 13 game with North Tonawanda High School, won by Kenmore West, 61-51.

“Hey #11 for ken west I will find you and lynch not just you but your family too,” the tweet read, before trailing off into an expletive and a racial slur.

A statement by North Tonawanda High School Principal James Fisher and Athletic Director Cynthia Bullis said they suspended the tweeter after an investigation. They did not identify the student but Fisher indicated he was suspended for five days.

James Mallory, Ford’s brother and a former professional football player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said the five-day suspension did not go far enough. Mallory said his family has contacted an attorney and is considering legal action.

“It wasn’t just a racial slur,” said Mallory. “It was a death threat against my brother and my family.”

The school officials’ statement said: “One of our students, a non-athlete, electronically transmitted a racially insensitive and threatening message to a student-athlete from another school. An immediate investigation was conducted by the NTHS school administration confirmed the identity of the student, who admitted responsibility for sending the offensive message. The student has been held accountable for harassment (and) suspended from school.”

Fisher said the North Tonawanda basketball team and its coach, Ryan Mountain, sent a letter of apology to Ford and the Kenmore West team.

Mallory described it as “a very nice, sincere letter. It shows a lot of class.” Nevertheless, he said, the student tweeter should receive a stiffer penalty for his racist conduct .

America’s hidden retirement crisis is racial [financial knockout game = white supremacy/racism]

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Marketwatch

A troubling new study, Race and Retirement Insecurity in the U.S., reveals that America’s retirement crisis is particularly dire for blacks and Latinos.

“If nothing changes, the future for people of color is frightening,” author Nari Rhee, research manager for the nonprofit National Institute on Retirement Security , told me. Read the report here .

Rhee’s report comes on the heels of other recent surveys from financial services firms and consultants with their own scary stats documenting the general lack of retirement savings among blacks and Latinos.

Striking racial differences for retirement saving

Among the key findings in the Race and Retirement Insecurity report:

  • Workers of color (Latinos especially) are much less likely than whites to be covered by employer-sponsored retirement plans. Only 38% of Latino employees age 25 to 64 and 54% of blacks work for organizations with such plans; 62% of white employees do. 
  • Blacks and Latinos are far less likely to have dedicated retirement savings than white households of the same age. Roughly two-thirds of black working-age households (62%) and Latinos (69%) don’t have retirement accounts; 37% of white households don’t. 
  • Three out of four black households age 25 to 64 and four in five Latino households have less than $10,000 in retirement savings. One in two white households are in that camp. 
  • Among near-retirees, the average retirement savings balance among households of color ($30,000) is one-fourth that of white households ($120,000). “It wasn’t surprising to me that there was a pretty significant amount of racial disparity in retirement savings,” Rhee told me. “What was surprising was how much worse it was for older households.” 

One slight caveat about the study: It’s based on 2010 data, so the numbers don’t reflect the recent run-up in stock prices and housing values.

“Obviously, there’s been an improvement in retirement account values since then,” said Rhee, “and, with the economy growing, more people are saving.” But she said she doubted that updated numbers would be much higher for minority households in general, because so many of them are still not offered retirement plans at work.

That brings me to the key question: What’s behind the huge retirement savings gap between blacks, Latinos and whites?

It’s complicated. But here are five reasons based on the NIRS study and other surveys I’ve seen:

[white supremacy]

White Man in MD Charged With Defacing Christian Summer Camp With Racial Slurs

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BaltimoreCbs

A white Carroll County man has been charged with defacing a Christian summer camp with racial slurs.

The Carroll County Times reports that 21-year-old Alexander Donhauser of Manchester was arrested Monday and charged in the incident that took place at The River Valley Ranch in September.

Police say Donhauser spray painted several racist phrases on windows, doors and buildings. Witnesses described a person fleeing on a moped and police say Donhauser was arrested during a traffic stop the next day on a similar moped.

He denied defacing the property, but police say a witness recognized Donhauser in a photo array in October. A warrant was issued in October.

Donhauser is charged with fourth-degree burglary, malicious destruction of property and various property damage charges.

MSNBC's Michael Eric Dyson: Duck Dynasty "Part Of A White Supremacist Culture"

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RealClearPol

GREGORY ANGELON: Everyone's open to freedom of speech. The left can say what they like, the right can say what they like. The whole point of proposing this, what we're calling the "Moonshine Summit," is saying that we're getting into a dangerous point in this country right now, where it is almost an us versus them culture. Where it's going to be the LGBT community versus the Christian right. Or it's going to be the, you name your special interest group versus the right. We have become such a gerrymandered nation that unless we have these conversations, somehow be in the middle, somehow find common ground, we're not going to be in a great place politically. 

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: It isn't all created equal, you do know that. The mythology is that all interested parties should come to the table. But let's not pretend that African-American people have had control of the law, where that they've indicated that Jim Crow was against poor white people. There's not an equality of means of representing your interests or means of asserting oppression. When we have this mythology of all come to the table, let's at least be honest about who has been provided opportunity to get their viewpoint broadcast more broadly. And Phil Robertson and the "Duck Dynasty" is part of a majority white supremacist culture that either consciously or unconsciously incubates hatred toward those who are different. (MSNBC's Now with Alex Wagner, 12/27/2013)

Being Black in a Country That Embraces Blackface for the Holidays

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elle

On the day of Nelson Mandela’s death, De Telegraaf, a popular Dutch news source, “jokingly” likened the deceased leader to the Netherlands' much-loved winter holiday character Zwarte Piet. So did prominent socialist politician John de Laet. If you’re not familiar with Zwarte Piet, allow me to give you a brief rundown: Each year, on December 5, Dutch families partake in the celebration of Sinterklaas. The holiday, which is a festive celebration for Saint Nicholas (a Santa Claus-like figure), involves the handing out of presents by a jovial Sinterklaas and his clownish "helper," Zwarte Piet (literal translation: Black Pete). The punch line: A white person in blackface wearing painted-on full lips and a picked-out afro typically plays Zwarte Piet. De Telegraaf apologized for the gaffe and offered: “This teaches us that it is never prudent to make jokes about sensitive and sad subjects while we are doing our journalistic work.” Laet eventually resigned after calling Mandela “the chief Piet” on Twitter, but not before saying that his comment was taken out of context because it was meant to be “sarcastic.” If Nelson Mandela can be diminished to a racist black stereotype, what hope do the rest of us have?

PR exec Justine Sacco tweets: 'Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!'

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NYDailyNews

"Most white people hate Black people. The reason that most white people hate Black people is because whites are not Black people. If you know this about white people, you need know little else. If you do not know this about white people, virtually all else that you know about them will only confuse you." -Neely Fuller

John Miller, after serving CBS, now will serve New York Police Dept. Again

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NyTimes

John Miller, a prominent CBS News correspondent who drew both praise and scrutiny for his ability to leverage his law-enforcement and national security contacts for big news stories, is leaving the network to work in counterterrorism for the New York Police Department, CBS announced on Thursday.

After a career spent toggling between television and law enforcement, Mr. Miller will be rejoining an old friend and boss, William J. Bratton, the incoming police commissioner. Mr. Miller’s close relationship with government agencies has troubled some media watchers, who criticized Mr. Miller’s recent “60 Minutes” special report on the National Security Agency for its seemingly cozy treatment of controversial spying programs.

During Mr. Bratton’s first tenure as the city’s police commissioner, Mr. Miller served as the department’s chief spokesman in 1994 before going to ABC News, where he interviewed Osama bin Laden in 1998. In 2003, Mr. Bratton, then Los Angeles’s police chief, hired Mr. Miller to lead the counterterrorism bureau.

Greenwald: US, British media are servants of security apparatus

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RT

Journalist Glenn Greenwald condemned the mainstream media during an address at a German computer conference on Friday and accused his colleagues of failing to challenge erroneous remarks routinely made by government officials around the globe.

Thousands of attendees at the thirtieth annual Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg packed into a room to watch the 46-year-old lawyer-turned-columnist present a keynote address delivered less than seven months after he started working with former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Revelations contained in leaked documents supplied by Snowden to Greenwald and other journalists have sparked international outrage and efforts to reform the far-reaching surveillance operations waged by the NSA and intelligence officials in allied nations. But speaking remotely from Brazil this week, Greenwald argued that the media establishment at large is guilty of failing significantly with respect to accomplishing its most crucial role: keeping governments in check.

When Greenwald and his colleagues began working with Snowden, he said they realized that they’d have to act in a way that wasn’t on par with how the mainstream media has acted up until now.

“We resolved that we were going to have to be very disruptive of the status quo — not only the surveillance and political status quo, but also the journalistic status quo,” Greenwald said. “And I think one of the ways that you can see what it is that we were targeting is in the behavior of the media over the past six months since these revelations have emerged almost entirely without them and despite them.”

“[W]e knew in particular that one of our most formidable adversaries was not simply going to be the intelligence agencies on which we were reporting and who we were trying to expose, but also their most loyal, devoted servants, which calls itself the United States and British media.”

“It really is the case that the United States and British governments are not only willing but able to engage in any conduct no matter how grotesque,” Greenwald said. Nevertheless, he added, journalists tasked with reporting on those issues have all too often been compliant with the blatant lies made by officials from those governments.

Halfway through his remarks, Greenwald recalled a recent quip he made while being interviewed by BBC about the necessity of a functioning media in an environment where government officials can spew untruths to reporters without being questioned.

“[A]t one point I made what I thought was the very unremarkable and uncontroversial observation that the reason why we have a free press is because national security officials routinely lie to the population in order to shield their power and get their agenda advanced,” recalled Greenwald, who said it is both the “the goal and duty of a journalist is to be adversarial to those people in power.”

According to Greenwald, the BBC reporter met his remark with skepticism.

“I just cannot believe that you would suggest that senior officials, generals in the US and the British government, are actually making false claims to the public,” he remembered being told on-air.