Momentum builds against civil asset forfeiture abuse

How Saudi Arabia captured Washington

Trump questions U.S. financial backing for NATO

Obama to outline “next chapter” for Obamacare

How politicians duck the blame for terrorism

Engadget.  Relevant chunks: ““We will not shrink from this responsibility.”

That’s how Apple CEO Tim Cook started today’s live “Loop You In” event, with a message about privacy, security and encryption. Cook said that Apple has a responsibility to protect its customers’ data, noting that many people view their mobile devices as extensions of themselves…

…Cook said that Apple owes it to the United States itself to protect citizens’ data. This builds on previous arguments Cook has made against the FBI’s demands: He’s previously called the order to unlock the iPhone 5c “unconstitutional” and “bad for America.””

The battle over encryption should command the attention we’re currently wasting on electoral politics.

Not denounced as “appeasement“.  Free trade and friendship are the only effective ways to destroy oppressive regimes.  A 60-year blockade of Cuba has only solidified Castro’s totalitarian regime.

Not socialism.  Indeed, markets are the epitome of cooperation, and a prerequisite of cooperation is good manners.

A lawsuit brought by Nebraska and Oklahoma over Colorado’s marijuana laws won’t be heard by SCOTUS, fortunately.  The two states complain that Colorado weed is flooding into their states, “forcing” them to ramp up police work, etc.  How about they just legalize it already instead of fighting it?  NBC News

There’s a 100-mile wide “Constitution-free zone” that begins at the U.S. border and reaches into the U.S. where Border Patrol agents have almost free reign to stop, search, and harass anyone they want.  This 100-mile wide ribbon around the U.S. includes two-thirds of America’s population.  SCOTUS recently had an opportunity to limit the power of BP agents to run wild in this zone, but ignored it.  Reason

In the UK, a four-year old boy has been reported to the anti-terrorism Stasi because he drew a picture of himself cutting a cucumber.  Moronic teachers freaked out and ran to the terrorism cops, and now the parents are afraid they’ll lose custody of their kid.  Techdirt

As much as 30% of the Pentagon’s property is no longer viable, yet Congress continually rejects the Pentagon’s requests to shut down the useless, expensive bases.  Time

Several hundred are expected to walk out during his speech before 18,000 AIPACers.  Daily Beast

They’ve got nothing to worry about, Trump is both morally and philosophically unmoored.  He’ll be led around quite easily by both the Israel lobby and the rest of the organizations that control the U.S. government.

Reuters.  The East-West war over the Ukraine is ratcheting up the risk of a nuclear exchange, says Igor Ivanov, former Russian foreign minister.  Ivanov blames the “missile defense shield” the U.S. is installing around Russia for escalating tensions.  “Missile defense shield” being a euphemism for lining Russia’s borders with NATO nukes.