As Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shooting Approaches, Cerberus Capital Management Makes Tepid Offer Allowing Investors to Unload Toxic Firearm Investments
NEW YORK, NY — A late-Sunday news report has indicated the Cerberus Capital Management LP will allow individual investors the option of divesting from Cerberus’ stake in Freedom Group, the manufacturer of the military-style assault rifle used in the Sandy Hook shooting. Cerberus Capital Management owns a 94% stake in Freedom Group and has had difficulty structuring a deal to […]
Hurricane Sandy Survivors Will Greet Senator Rand Paul at NYC Fundraiser
New York, NY — In the wake of a series of disparaging remarks aimed at recipients of Hurricane Sandy Aid from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), survivors of the hurricane and allied organizations will be greeting the Senator at a fundraiser at the Women’s National Republican Club (7 W 51st St, NY, NY 10019) at 11:30am today, Tuesday, August 13, […]
Meet the Hedge Fund Managers Turning a Profit on the Sandy Hook Massacre
New York, NY — It has been argued that capitalism, if given the opportunity, would devour its own legs and collapse upon itself. Putting all hyperbole aside, what would you do if you learned that a US company was actively monitoring national tragedies like the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, only to develop reflexive investment […]
Amidst the List of Hurricane Sandy Benefits, Tuesday’s Hip-Hop Show at Brooklyn Bowl Supporting Occupy Sandy Stands Out for Its Unique Solidarity & Fervor
[Brooklyn, NY] Amidst the laundry list of Hurricane Sandy benefit concerts this December, a unique hip-hop performance benefiting Occupy Sandy scheduled for 7pm this Tuesday 12/18/2012 at Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn) stands out for the way its lineup of artists reflects the mutual aid, integrity, and do-it-yourself fervor that made Occupy Sandy […]
Occupy Wall Street Organizers & 350.org Team Up To Coordinate Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts
[Brooklyn, NY] In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the worst climate change disaster in New York City history, organizers from Occupy Wall Street and 350.org have teamed up to coordinate a people-powered relief effort for New York’s hardest hit neighborhoods. The group has already launched a relief hub in Red Hook, in partnership with the Red […]
New York Magazine Interviews Andy Stepanian About The CMU
Q. You were a “balancer.” What exactly did that mean, and when did you come to this realization? A. I was actually doing my laundry, and a guard comes up to me and says, “You’re not like all the other Muslim guys, you’re going to go home soon. Keep your head up, you’re only […]
Democracy Now! Invites Will Potter, Marshall Curry & Andy Stepanian to Discuss ‘If a Tree Falls’
Today Andy Stepanian of the Sparrow Project, Will Potter, author of Green is the New Red, and Marshal Curry were invited on Democracy Now to discuss ‘If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front‘ Curry’s new documentary about the life of Daniel McGowan and the Earth Liberation Front. ‘If a Tree Falls’ […]
Being Close to Suffering Changes Us: Wayne Hsiung’s Letter from Sonoma County Jail
Jailed rescuer’s deeply personal letter highlights how proximity to suffering shapes our views
A Personal Appeal from The Sparrow Project
Dear Friend, By now you’ve probably received a dozen or more emails about #GivingTuesday. I would be remiss to say that this note is something uniquely different, but I’d like to take a second to describe how the scope of work being serviced through The Sparrow Project has changed and can benefit from sustaining donations […]
Paradise Papers: Global Witness Statement on Wilbur Ross’ Offshore Secrecy
Washington, DC — Leaked documents published today by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists expose how offshore tax havens, white-collar professionals, and anonymous company owners hide their finances behind a veil of secrecy. The documents from Bermuda-based law firm Appleby include evidence of dubious deals and holdings involving the Queen of England, Canadian Prime Minister […]
A New Vision for Youth Justice: Imagining a World Without Youth Prisons
On any given day 50,000 youth are incarcerated in America’s juvenile justice system. Seemingly harmless names like “training schools” and “academies” are used to obfuscate an archipelago of youth prison environments sprawled across the US where minors are subjected to restraints, brutal violence, and the use of solitary confinement. A group called the Youth First […]
8 Federal Agencies Sued for Records on Trump Attorney General Pick, Jeff Sessions
WASHINGTON, DC — Multiple federal agencies are in violation of the Freedom of Information Act. Investigative journalist Jason Leopold and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD candidate/Harvard Klein Center for Internet & Society research affiliate, Ryan Shapiro, filed a lawsuit this morning against the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of State (DOS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department […]
Trump uses First Days to Roll Back Oil Sector Regulations, Green Light Keystone XL & Dakota Access Pipelines
Washington, DC — The past 24 hours have seen an unprecedented number of gifts to Exxon and the oil industry, said Global Witness today. Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved former CEO of Exxon, Rex Tillerson, to lead the State Department. Today, it is expected that Republicans in the House of Representatives will introduce […]
Global Witness Responds to U.S. Senate Committee Vote on Rex Tillerson
Washington, DC — Today, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted in favor of making Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil, the most powerful diplomat in the U.S. Global Witness raised serious concerns that this appointment would pose a grave threat to both US and global security. On Mr. Tillerson’s watch, ExxonMobil was at the forefront of […]
CIA, FBI, DHS and ODNI Sued for Records on Russian Interference in 2016 Election
WASHINGTON, DC — The CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) are in violation of the Freedom of Information Act. Investigative journalist Jason Leopold and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD candidate/Harvard Klein Center for Internet & Society research affiliate, Ryan Shapiro, filed a lawsuit yesterday against […]
FBI Sued for Records on Agency’s Role in Trump Victory
WASHINGTON, DC — The FBI is in violation of the Freedom of Information Act. Investigative journalist Jason Leopold and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD candidate/Harvard Klein Center for Internet & Society research affiliate, Ryan Shapiro, filed a lawsuit this morning against the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The suit is over the FBI’s failure to comply with Shapiro and […]
Judge Rules FBI May Not Unilaterally Invent New FOIA Exemptions
Washington, DC — As reported in an exclusive report by Sam Thielman for The Guardian, a team of expert FOIA requestors and their attorneys has scored a major Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) victory against the FBI.
While a St. Louis Grand Jury Returns Decision in Mike Brown Case, Ferguson Speaks About Systemic Change
FERGUSON, MO — A St. Louis County Grand Jury returned Thursday and with them a decision as to whether or not to levy charges against Darren Wilson for the August 9th shooting of Michael Brown Jr. Despite having the Grand Jury’s decision, St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch, for logistical purposes, has opted to announce the […]
Sister of Slain Kent State Protestor Responds to Urban Outfitters’ Blood Spattered Sweatshirt Stunt
MENDOCINO, CA — On Monday, September 15, 2014, in a crass marketing exercise, —shoddily enveloped in deniability— Urban Outfitters made available on their website, a sweatshirt, with a Kent State University insignia, appearing to be tattered and blood spattered. The launch of this item cut deep with many, triggering painful thoughts of contemporary school shootings, ugly […]
Human Rights Watch Report Reveals Investigations & Trials of American Muslims Rife with Abuse
WASHINGTON, DC — The US Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have targeted American Muslims in abusive counterterrorism “sting operations” based on religious and ethnic identity, Human Rights Watch and Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute said in a report released today. Many of the more than 500 terrorism-related cases prosecuted in US […]
FBI Releases New Documents Detailing Extensive Spying on Nelson Mandela in Response to MIT Student’s FOIA Lawsuit
CAMBRIDGE, MA — As revealed in an exclusive report by Jason Leopold for Al Jazeera America, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD candidate Ryan Shapiro has received a second batch of documents from the FBI as part of Shapiro’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for records on Nelson Mandela. In the wake of recent NSA […]
Investigative Journalist and MIT PhD Candidate Sue CIA for Records on Illegal Surveillance of Senate Investigation into Torture
WASHINGTON, DC — Investigative journalist Jason Leopold and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD candidate Ryan Shapiro filed a lawsuit this morning against the Central Intelligence Agency. The suit is over the CIA’s failure to comply with Leopold and Shapiro’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records on the CIA’s alleged spying on the Senate Select […]
FBI Releases Nelson Mandela Documents in Response to MIT Student’s FOIA Lawsuit: 3 Takeaways From the Redacted Documents
[CAMBRIDGE , MA] As revealed in an exclusive report by Jason Leopold for Al Jazeera America, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD candidate Ryan Shapiro has received the first batch of documents from the FBI as part of Shapiro’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for records on Nelson Mandela. The released records largely […]
Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova & Masha Alyokhina Visit Rikers Island in Support of Cecily McMillan
NEW YORK, NY — At 11:00am EST Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina of Pussy Riot / Zona Prava visited New York’s Rikers Island to meet with jailed Occupy protestor Cecily McMillan. Cecily, who was groped and beaten by the NYPD on March 17, 2012, was convicted of assaulting a police officer on May 5, 2014, and […]