INTERESTING READS FOR THE WEEK (Aug. 4, 2013)

Drunk Goldman Sachs employee knocked out after screaming racial slurs, black patron arrested for punching the idiot (Zero Hedge).

FBI was aware of plan to use snipers on Occupy Houston movement (Chron).

No more free sun ... Arizona's biggest utility wants to tax solar energy that's sent back into the grid (Tree Hugger).

Scientist discover cause of bee deaths, and it's really bad news (Tree Hugger).


OUR EVOLVING NATIONAL SECURITY STATE

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) on NSA spying: It's as bad as Edward Snowden says (Alternet).

NSA XKeyscore surveillance tool collects "nearly everything a user does on the internet" (The Guardian).

The White House is unable to confirm whether they briefed Congress on XKeyscore (The Guardian).

The worldwide surveillance and privacy war, which you already lost (Testosteronepit).

There goes our privacy ... SWAT team raids home because of two separate Google browser searches (Alternet).

Google engineer wins NSA award, then says NSA should be abolished (Alternet).

NSA spying absurdity ... fake PR Skype account created to help NSA, then taken down after outcry, and then put back up with "parody" disclosure (Zero Hedge).


BY THE NUMBERS

Six ways Rabid Republicans are declaring war on America (Alternet).

Eight shocking ways the United States lead the world (Alternet).

The 10 hungriest places in America ... and Bakersfield is #1 (Take Part).

- Mark