The Obama Administration appears to have issued its “new” state secrets policy in an effort to pre-empt both legislation and court rulings implementing a CIPA-like process in state secrets.

By now, you’ve probably heard the horrible story about the census worker and teacher found hanged in Clay County, KY with the word “fed” written on his chest.

Before we assume that this apparent homicide was a response solely to the attacks Michelle Bachmann and others have made on the census, it’s worth recalling how Clay County made news earlier this year, when a bunch of local officials were indicted for vote

Some comments on Holder’s new state secrets policy.

A quick look at Holder’s “new” policy on state secrets.

Back in mid June, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Obama Administration’s long promised new policy on state secrets use would be revealed “within days”. Over three months later, and on the eve of oral argument in the most critical case, and most dangerous to the government unfettered use of state secrets, the Administration has conveniently leaked word that its new policy will be released.

One of the key documents showing the appropriation of DOD’s SERE techniques at CIA appears to have gone missing.

The CIA has released some new Vaughn Declaration documents in the ACLU’s torture FOIA. These documents relate to its communication with the OLC;David Barron declarationWendy Hilton declarationVaughn Index

I’m keeping half an ear on HJC’s PATRIOT Act hearing at the moment, then will need to head to the CGI event. So I won’t be able to look at them until later.

Bill Clinton says we need to take the private profit out of student loans. But he doesn’t see the importance of doing so with health care.

As Fatster noted, there is a new report out from Pamela Hess of the AP relating the conclusions of a paper, published in the scientific journal Trends in Cognitive Science: Science and Society, by Irish professor and researcher Shane O’Mara, on the deleterious effects of the procedures employed by the Bush Administration torture program:The CIA’s harsh interrogation program likely damaged the brain and memory functions of terrorist suspects, diminishing their physical

I’m off to the big city this week. As I previously noted, on Wednesday I will do a Nation event with Dan Rather and Jane Mayer.

The Nation presents a conversation on the future of news, featuring legendary newscaster Dan Rather, investigative reporter and best-selling author Jane Mayer, pioneering blogger Marcy Wheeler, and longtime editor and publisher–now publisher emeritus–of The Nation, Victor Navasky.