TRAIN WRECK UPDATE

• In a potentially precedent-setting decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that a National Lawyers Guild (NLG) lawyer's challenge to military spying on peace activists can proceed. The ruling marks the first time a court has affirmed people's ability to sue the military for violating their First and Fourth Amendment rights. 'This has never been done before,' said NLG member attorney Larry Hildes, who is handling the case. 'The U.S. government has spied on political dissidents throughout history and this particular plot lasted through two presidencies, but never before has a court said that we can challenge it the way we have.' The ruling is the latest development in the lawsuit, Panagacos v. Towery, first brought by Hildes in 2009 on behalf of a group of Washington state antiwar activists who found themselves infiltrated by John Towery, an employee at a fusion center.
•  Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein criticized Obama’s latest proposals as, “throwing ordinary Americans under the bus while continuing to reward the economic elite. These proposals cut the cost of living adjustments for Social Security, seek $400 billion in unspecified cuts to Medicare and other health care programs, extend the Bush tax cuts for households making as much as $400,000, and fast track changes to the corporate tax code. The bipartisan policies of recent decades made the rich a lot richer, pushed millions into poverty and insecurity, and created a 16 trillion dollar national debt. Now both establishment parties are using the national debt as a concocted excuse to cut critical services including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and food stamps.  While their proposals differ around the margins, both Democrats and Republicans are promoting austerity budgets that are highly likely to deepen and extend the Great Recession. We need a prosperity budget not an austerity budget. By redirecting trillions of dollars being wasted on the bloated military, Wall Street bail outs, health insurance profiteering, and tax breaks for the wealthy, we have more than enough money to fund our real urgent needs – job creation, infrastructure investments, reducing mortgage and student debt, health care as a human right, and aggressive action against climate change," said Dr. Stein. 
• You may call your "representatives" in Congress and rattle your chains by dialing 202-224-3121.  I did my duty today and called Sen. Collins and Rep. Pingree's office.  At Pingree's office the staffer who took my call acknowledged that Congress is talking about cutting very little of the massive Pentagon budget.  I urged our congresswoman to be more vocal and show leadership on this topic.  I'll keep you posted on the results.