Justice demands 1.3M IP addresses related to Trump resistance site — This is 2017, Not 1984

David Posnett — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 23:32:12 +0000

The Department of Justice has requested information on visitors to a website used to organize protests against President Trump, the Los Angeles-based Dreamhost said in a blog post published on Monday.

Dreamhost, a web hosting provider, said that it has been working with the Department of Justice for several months on the request, which believes goes too far under the Constitution.

DreamHost claimed that the complying with the request from the Justice Department would amount to handing over roughly 1.3 million visitor IP addresses to the government, in addition to contact information, email content and photos of thousands of visitors to the website, which was involved in organizing protests against Trump on Inauguration Day.“That information could be used to identify any individuals who used this site to exercise and express political speech protected under the Constitution’s First Amendment,” DreamHost wrote in the blog post on Monday. “That should be enough to set alarm bells off in anyone’s mind.”

When contacted, the Justice Department directed The Hill to the U.S. attorney’s office in D.C. The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment but provided the filings related to the case.

The company is currently challenging the request. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Friday in Washington.

“In essence, the Search Warrant not only aims to identify the political dissidents of the current administration, but attempts to identify and understand what content each of these dissidents viewed on the website,” the company’s general counsel, Chris Ghazarian, said in a legal argument opposing the request.

The web provider published a search warrant issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia that asks for records and information related to the website and its owner, along with information that could be used to identify subscribers of the website.

This includes “names, addresses, telephone numbers and other identifiers, e-mail addresses, business information, the length of service (including start date), means and source of payment for services (including any credit card or bank account number), and information about any domain name registration.”

The warrant, dated July 12, says that authorities will seize any information constituting violations of D.C. code governing riots that involve individuals connected to the protests on Inauguration Day.

More than 200 people were indicted on felony rioting charges in connection with the protests in Washington on Jan. 20.

Block a disastrous health care vote in the U.S Senate

David Posnett — Sat, 24 Jun 2017 03:52:39 +0000

From: Mike Anthony

The Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate is about to unveil a bill that, with a few tweaks and camouflage, is pretty much just like the House-passed bill eviscerating Obamacare. The Senate bill is so bad that they’ve had 13 white guys drafting it secretly behind closed doors. The Leadership plans to pressure Republicans into voting for the bill in the Senate next week.

We can stop this train wreck if three or more Republican senators vote “no” on the bill or oppose having the Senate vote at all on such a major bill affecting every American family and one sixth of the U.S. economy – a bill that has been contrived in secret without the usual open and deliberative process of committee hearings, public input, and transparent consideration.

It appears there are four undecided Senators who are the most promising prospects to oppose if persuaded by public pressure from constituents and other concerned citizens and four more Senators who for various reasons might oppose. But the reality is that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is making all kinds of backroom deals to get undecided Republicans on board. Unless public opposition from our side is overwhelming there’s a good chance McConnell will succeed in getting an up-or-down vote and winning that vote.

I urge you to call the offices of the following eight Senators asking that they oppose voting on this or any other major health bill unless there first are a transparent process, real committee hearings, public input, and careful deliberation and refinement – or whatever message and words feel most natural to you.

Shelley Moore Capito (WV) 202-224-6472

Susan Collins (ME) 202-244-2523

Lisa Murkowski (AK) 202-224-6665

Bill Cassidy (LA) 202-224-5824

Tom Cotton (AR) 202-224-2353

Jeff Flake (AZ) 202-224-4521

Dean Heller (NV) 202-224-6244

Marco Rubio (FL) 202-224-3041

Resist!

Resist – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

Justice demands 1.3M IP addresses related to Trump resistance site — This is 2017, Not 1984

Block a disastrous health care vote in the U.S Senate