Andrea Germanos

After 13 Years Imprisoned Without Charge, Man Released From Guantanamo

Groups say human rights violations at the prison continue and Guantanamo must be closed.

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos

A man held at the Guantánamo Bay prison for nearly 13 years without charge has been transferred to his home country of Kuwait. The Department of Defense made the announcement of his release Wednesday. Thirty-seven-year-old Fawzi al Odah is the first man to be released based on the assessment of the Periodic Review Board, a body established in

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Journalist Risen: ‘Mercenary Class’ Now Permanent Fixture In National Security State

James Risen says American public must question machine that ‘feeds off’ never-ending war.

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist James Risen said Sunday that the secretive and multi-billion dollar war on terror has sparked an entire "mercenary class that feeds off unending war." Risen, who could face prison time for refusing to reveal a source, made the remarks on MSNBC's Up With Steve Kornacki. "Basically, the entire

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Sanders: New Report Shows Voter ID Laws Are ‘Intended To Discourage Voting’

GAO study reveals two states with such laws had lower turnout, and more greatly impacted African-Americans.

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos

Laws that require voters to present identification at the polls reduced voter turnout in the 2008 and 2012 general elections, according to a report released Wednesday from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Further, voter ID laws decreased turnout to a greater degree among new, young, and African-American voters. The GAO's

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Edward Snowden Awarded ‘Alternative Nobel’ For Revealing Vast Surveillance

This year’s Right Livelihood Laureates demonstrate that “we can turn the tide.”.

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos
Demonstrators holds up banners with the photo of Edward Snowden during a protest outside of the U.S. Capitol in Washington

Whistleblower Edward Snowden is among a group of tireless and courageous people being honored with this year's Right Livelihood Award for their efforts "stemming the tide of the most dangerous global trends." The winners of this year's award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize, were announced Wednesday. The Right Livelihood Award

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Banned Books Week: A ‘Celebration Of The Freedom To Read’

“Censorship is about more than a single book. It is about the intellectual, cultural and political life of the community and the people in it.”

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos

Want to celebrate freedom from censorship and open access to information this week? You might want to pick up a copy of Captain Underpants, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, or The Hunger Games. That's because they're on the list of 2013's most challenged books, and this is Banned Books Week, an annual "celebration of the freedom

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USDA’s Greenlighting Of ‘Agent Orange’ Crops Sparks Condemnation

Following widespread outcry, Dow’s new genetically engineered corn and soybeans get approval.

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision this week to approve two new genetically engineered crops is being denounced by watchdog groups as a false solution to herbicide-resistant weeds and a move that threatens human and environment safety alike. The crops are Dow AgroSciences' Enlist corn and soybeans, engineered to be resistant to its

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Israeli Spy Unit Refuses To Be Tools Of Occupation, Sparking Ire From Officials

Landmark letter of refusal to serve denounces unchecked surveillance, ‘intelligence [that] is an inseparable part of military control’.

Andrea Germanos
By Andrea Germanos

Israeli officials are lashing out following a letter of conscientious objection penned by a group of reservists in an elite spy unit stating that they refuse to be tools of Israel's military occupation. The 43 veteran reservists of intelligence Unit 8200 sent the letter last week to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the armed forces chief and

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