First Look: Glenn Greenwald Debates Former NSA Director Michael Hayden
As part of a “Munk Debate” held on Friday in Toronto, journalist Glenn Greenwald and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian debated government surveillance with former NSA chief Michael Hayden and noted law professor Alan Dershowitz. Specifically, the four debated whether “state surveillance is a legitimate defense of our freedoms,” or if the growing national security state has gone too far.
According to Munk’s website, Greenwald and Ohanian (arguing against surveillance) “won” the debate, as audience support for their viewpoint went from 46% (pre-debate) to 59% (post-debate). You can watch a video of the debate here (starting around 27:10).
GAP client and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden delivered a message via video to the debate, in which he relayed (according to the Associated Press) “that entire populations, rather than just individuals, now live under constant surveillance.”
KPHO (Phoenix): 2nd VA Whistleblower – I’ve Seen Evidence of Cover-Up
A second whistleblower has come forward from the Phoenix Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Katherine Mitchell, the supervising ER physician at the center, has stated patient care is inadequate and that she has repeatedly brought up concerns with the center director, to no avail. Instead, management informed Mitchell that she was the problem.
Federal investigators are looking into whether records were destroyed related to veterans’ treatment at the center. An Arizona Republic columnist praises Mitchell and urges that no retaliation against her take place.
Marine Corps Times: Congressman Presses Marine Commandant to Account for Whistleblower Fallout
Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) is becoming “frustrated” that Marine Corps General James Amos has not provided answers to questions regarding reprisal against a whistleblower. The questions, posed over six weeks ago, relate to retaliation against a whistleblower who claimed that Amos wrongfully influenced the punishment for Marines charged with wrongdoing involving a video of snipers urinating on Taliban corpses in July 2011.
CNN: Beef Recall Probe Turns Up Litany of Deceptions, Federal Officials Say
Federal officials investigating the California slaughterhouse tied to a recall of nine million pounds of beef believe the company “was buying diseased dairy cows and processing them when government inspectors weren’t there” and hiding the warning signs of cancer after the cows were killed. Investigators began surveillance at the facility after receiving a tip from a former plant employee.
Dylan Blaylock is Communications Director for the Government Accountability Project, the nation’s leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.