la liberté avant tout
Photo by captaincinema. A protester holds up a sign at a health care town hall in Illinois in 2009. By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org It’s that time again. The heat of looming deadline turns the nation’s focus to Washington, D.C. as elected representatives squabble over the next bill to fund the federal government. The key to this specific debate…
By Yaël Ossowski | Special to Watchdog.org LYNSIE LEE: Cory Booker’s DM Twitter friend. After Twitter-savvy Newark Mayor Cory Booker‘s TMZ moment with a Portland stripper, the campaign for New Jersey’s special U.S. Senate election has focused in on the micro-blogging service. While Booker’s Twitter influence can’t be denied, it turns out it can be somewhat overblown. Out of Booker’s 1.4…
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left to right, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and talk show host Oprah Winfrey discuss Zuckerberg’s $100 million investment into Newark Public Schools. By Yaël Ossowski | Special to Watchdog.org If a celebrity is looking to drop a couple of million bucks into a charity for some…
MAN ABOUT THE COUNTRY: Newark Mayor Cory Booker is making the rounds in his campaign as the Democrat’s nominee for U.S. Senate in New Jersey’s special election. By Yaël Ossowski | Special to Watchdog.org It was a busy day Monday for the slick big-city mayor aiming for one of New Jersey‘s seats in the U.S. Senate….
RUMORS OF CYBER WAR: President Obama’s State of the Union Address included this hidden stock tip: invest in cyber-security companies with government contracts. By Yaël Ossowski | Special to Watchdog.org WASHINGTON, D.C— Speaking to the nation during his 2013 State of the Union address in February, President Barack Obama used the spotlight to warn of the growing…
Never shy to top the charts, the state of Florida has ganered a unique reputation for its diverse culture and eccentric ways. And according to the American Civil Liberties Union, it deserves praise once more: for being the first to consider banning surveillance drones in the sky. LEADER: Florida is the first state to address regulating surveillance…
By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – If one is to believe the mainstream press accounts from the nation’s capital, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel took a beating from his GOP colleagues during his confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration. HAGEL ON HILL: Republican Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s choice for defense secretary, testifies…
By Yael Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG – Red-light cameras are nothing more than a money-making scheme aimed at the poor, state Sen. Daphne Campbell says. The cameras have nothing to do with actual safety at intersections, the Miami Democrat said. FREEZE: Campbell is challenging red-light cameras because she says they are illegal and…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog MIAMI — When private security guards working for the Metrorail system in Miami stopped photographer Carlos Miller last Sunday night for taking pictures, they had no idea they’d be brewing a storm. HEY CITIZEN: Miller was forcibly detained by private Metrorail security guards for filming on the public transit system. After Miller was forcibly tackled…
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog LESS FREE: More laws, regulations and taxes are set to leave life tougher for Floridians this year. ST. PETERSBURG — If there was ever anything that needed a New Year’s resolution in 2013, it’s the stake of freedom in the Sunshine State. Things aren’t looking too good for Florida with officials…