In case you missed it..Matt Taibbi leaves Rolling Stone for new digs.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Today is my last day at Rolling Stone.
As of this week, I’m leaving to work for First Look Media, the new organization that’s already home to reporters like Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill and Laura Poitras.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/thank-you-rolling-stone-20140220

He is now working for .....https://firstlook.org/theintercept/about/
Their new news blog page is:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/

Which is now my 2nd home page.

can we keep this visible for awhile, so lots of folks can find hiim at his new home?
Man deserves a Pulitzer for his writing on the law breaking banksters.

[KoKo]

1. Recommend!

[Wounded Bear]

2. K & R..nt

[Lucinda]

3. thankie

[Vincardog]

4. kick it up

[jsr]

5. +1

[truedelphi]

6. Thanks Dixegrrrrl.

And he is apparently being replaced at Rollig Stone by such items as interviews with Bill Gates! Who spent some eight pages during his interview espousing "information" he doesn't really know much about, except his opinion. (But of course, in our culture, being fabulously rich means your opinion is fact.)

[Skittles]

7. wishing Mr. Taibbi the best of luck

go Matt!

[grasswire]

8. kickety kick nt

[flying rabbit]

9. K&R

[pnwmom]

10. So he's a Libertarian, too? Or just decided to work for them? n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. ask him. n/t

[pnwmom]

15. It turns out he has already identified himself as a Libertarian, "not a lefty."

http://reason.com/archives/2007/11/09/an-interview-with-matt-taibbi

"I’m never comfortable when people call me a lefty. If anyone were to ever ask, I’d say I'm probably more of a libertarian than anything else. I believe in capitalism, small government, etc.”

[Cha]

23. Yeah, he a libertarian going to work for a

libertarian rag.

President Obama believes in a smart government.

[arcane1]

31. Doesn't everyone believe in a smart government?

I can't imagine anyone saying they believe in a stupid one.

[pnwmom]

33. Libertarians believe in as little government as possible, which they think

is the only smart way to govern.

Progressives know that isn't true.

[Cha]

51. More Libertarian Hypocritical Bullshit from Rand Paul..

Rand Paul backs bill that could lead to crackdown on states where voters legalized weed

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024663470

[cui bono]

59. WTF does this have to do with Matt Taibbi leaving RS?

You guys just go off into your Libertarian LaLa Land for no reason what so ever. Your non-sequitors are truly awe inspiring.

Do you not think Matt Taibbi is a good reporter?

[Turbineguy]

46. Repubs want a stupid government.

At least the parts they want to shut down.

[Cha]

50. Then you haven't seen the gopropaganda machine. Everyone's always whining about

Last edited Sun Mar 16, 2014, 06:51 PM - Edit history (1)

big government and saying they want a small government. Well, Obama brought this up and said he "believes in a smart government". And, so do I.. not some "small government" like libertarian bullshit.

[arcane1]

55. Ah, I see. I didn't realize it was a retort on his part.

Besides, repubs produce a stupid government anyway

[woo me with science]

82. Oh my WORD.

Oh, these unparalleled Orwellian moments when the full-time, relentless dispensers of Third Way talking points turn around and start accusing everyone else of "propaganda."

You seriously can't even parody this stuff anymore.

[seveneyes]

57. Me? I just want a good Government job with benefits and good retirement plan.

That would restore a lot of trust in our government. It's not too much to ask.

[cui bono]

61. So you're just going to discount all his excellent and revealing reporting because someone says he's

possibly a Libertarian? You like labels rather than the person's substance? How does him saying he might identify as a Libertarian negate all the good reporting he has done?

And why did you bring Obama into this? What does that even mean? What was the point of saying that?

[pnwmom]

67. When he offers opinions on political issues, I'll take his perspective into consideration.

[2banon]

86. His perspective/expertise/beat was the Corruption in the Financial Industry...

Presumably he'll be bringing that background and focus to his new gig.. Not only have I learned a great deal from his in depth investigative reporting, but there's also an "entertainment value" (for lack of a better term) with his writing style.

Given that he spent some time as a journalist in Moscow several years ago, it will be interesting to read his stuff regarding current events, from the financial angle. Oligarchy, Gas lines, Sanctions etc.

[sabrina 1]

26. That does it then, from now when he reports facts, slap that label on and file it all away under

the new categorizing system for news sources other than the Corporate Media: 'LOOK OVER THERE'!

There, all fixed for you now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

48. Much needed advice for some, indeed.

Under all the throwing around of labels is the assumption that we are too dumb to read information and decide if we want to believe it.
sheesh.

[cui bono]

62. Not only that, but then they start going off on Rand Paul and praising Obama.

[questionseverything]

93. look at this instead!!!

firstlook has done great reporting so far

////////////////

In October 2012, United States Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. was in a tight spot.

Seeking dismissal of a legal challenge against an NSA warrantless electronic surveillance program, the Department of Justice had taken the position that the rabble-rousers represented by the ACLU had no standing to sue because they couldn’t prove they had been subjected to surveillance. But who, if anyone, could prove they were harmed by a program cloaked in secrecy?

Verrilli was ready with an answer: those criminals who had been caught by the program. In both written and oral arguments, the solicitor general assured the Supreme Court that the DOJ was bound by law to notify defendants when the program was used against them, stating that if the government planned to use evidence derived from the surveillance in court, “it must provide advance notice to the tribunal and the person.” It was an effective argument and one the Court ultimately found persuasive.

It just wasn’t true. While the DOJ had utilized warrantless electronic surveillance to identify suspects for years, no criminal defendant had received such notice. Ever. Once this discrepancy was exposed, the DOJ reversed course and began providing notice to defendants in late 2013.

Yet the critical question of how and why the Obama administration misled our highest court remains unresolved.
/////////////////////////

it begs the question, did the solicitor general even know he was " misrepresenting" things to the supreme court?

I do not understand those who constantly defend current admin not wanting to get to the bottom of this as it is current admin this "shadow" force is betraying unless they are afraid current admin actually wants this stuff going on

as disappointed as I have been over some policies, appointments of current admin I still can not bring myself to believe he would send top lawyer to sc to lie and we know bush infested the justice department with regency grads in civil service jobs so it is not beyond reason to think their are many there working against potus

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/26/doj-still-ducking-scrutiny/

long winded k&r to bump thread

[sabrina 1]

94. I think it's great to have so many great journalists in one place. They sure won't be allowed on the

Corporate Media ....

That is interesting, the question of whether or not they KNEW what was going on. Thanks for the link.

[cui bono]

58. So you don't think he's a good reporter? n/t

[fleabiscuit]

63. Oh that was nearly 7 years ago.

In the .net period we are in years that are faster than dog years. Besides, what is a lefty? That's just someone who usually stands on the other side of home base, not much of a descriptor.

[psiman]

12. Agreed

I'm not so confident that this is going to end as well as some people seem to think.

[TransitJohn]

13. LOL!

n/t

[frylock]

24. burn the witch!!12

[fleabiscuit]

66. Ermagerd, your sig makes me want to go wash my eyes from the inside out with vodka.

~eom

[Autumn]

14. That web site is fucking awesome.

My favorite journalists all in one place.

[sabrina 1]

28. I know, ACTUAL Journalists rather than Corporate Stooges. Watch the smear campaign begin.

Cannot have any truth telling in this democracy of ours. So when they can't control all of the media, they smear it. Problem for them is the tactic is worn out already. I doubt too many are listening to the talking points at this stage.

[druidity33]

69. haven't seen anyone mention

the fact that Catherine Wheeler (Emptywheel- best legal and policy analysis on the web) moved to Intercept as well. Now all we need is Juan Cole and Sy Hersch to join the team (maybe Charlie Pearce too) and we'll have all of my favorite bloggers/journalists on the same site!

[2banon]

87. Wheeler is there too?! awesome!! n/t

[woo me with science]

83. [phone] I consider it a real glimmer of hope.

Its very existence shames the toadying propaganda machine.

[wilsonbooks]

16. I can't seem to find a link to Facebook on their website.

Am I just missing it?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

18. Perhaps --

they are uninterested in a FB presence because of privacy concerns for their readers.

[fleabiscuit]

65. Facebook link.

https://www.facebook.com/theinterceptflm
~eom

[wilsonbooks]

73. Thank you for the link.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. Scahill AND Taibbi --

I am soooo there. Went and checked the First Look/The Interceptor site -- will make it a regular stop from now on. Can't wait to see the work that comes out of there.

[dixiegrrrrl]

49. I know! and don't forget Marcy Wheeler.

This reminds me of when Talking Point Memo was making the decision to go more "mainstream", after the
AttorneyGate stories. and it has succeeded.

[me b zola]

19. K&R

[Iggo]

20. Excellent!!!

[tea and oranges]

21. Almost too good to be true nt

[questionseverything]

89. i want to be hopeful

but in the back of my mind a warning does keep going off....be careful if it seems to good to be true...well you know how that old advise ends

brushing that aside firstlook has already done incredible reporting and in an effort to bump this thread, I will copy/paste some of the most offensive parts of what has been disclosed to date......

///////////////////////////


The NSA has a diverse arsenal of malware tools, each highly sophisticated and customizable for different purposes.

One implant, codenamed UNITEDRAKE, can be used with a variety of “plug-ins” that enable the agency to gain total control of an infected computer.

An implant plug-in named CAPTIVATEDAUDIENCE, for example, is used to take over a targeted computer’s microphone and record conversations taking place near the device. Another, GUMFISH, can covertly take over a computer’s webcam and snap photographs. FOGGYBOTTOM records logs of Internet browsing histories and collects login details and passwords used to access websites and email accounts. GROK is used to log keystrokes. And SALVAGERABBIT exfiltrates data from removable flash drives that connect to an infected computer.

The implants can enable the NSA to circumvent privacy-enhancing encryption tools that are used to browse the Internet anonymously or scramble the contents of emails as they are being sent across networks. That’s because the NSA’s malware gives the agency unfettered access to a target’s computer before the user protects their communications with encryption.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

so not only does our gov't waste our money spying on us, they also interfere with our communications and ruin the expensive equipment we buy

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/

[tea and oranges]

90. Wow! We have stopped making sense

It's amazing, is it not, the priorities our leaders set?

Destroy the safety nets. Let the infrastructure rot. Do nothing about gun violence/accidents. Allow NSA to maliciously spy on us.

(To what end? So we can each be placed in the appropriate privatized jail cell?)

First Look has assembled a 1st rate crew of fearless reporters. It's a start...

[Warren DeMontague]

22. K&R

[JEB]

25. Sounds like a good place to find excellent journalism.

[pnwmom]

34. Yes, if you're a Libertarian. Maybe not, if you're a progressive. n/t

[JEB]

36. Truth is truth regardless of political philosophy.

[pnwmom]

37. Yeah, right.

We all know there is such a thing as absolute truth.

[JEB]

41. Evidently there are some

who think only corporate Dems can speak absolute truth no matter what they say.

[pnwmom]

42. I know that this is supposed to be a progressive board

and that Libertarians are not progressives.

Taiibi himself said he was "not a lefty." So when people read his opinion pieces, they should understand the perspective he's coming from. Because it will affect his opinions.

[JEB]

43. Whatever he calls himself,

I find his work exposing the Banks and their activities very compelling.

[ucrdem]

44. Taibbi usually gets stories about half right.

Then in the second half, instead of blaming the actual perps, he finds a way to blame Obama and/or some other Dem and/or Dem voters. He'll fit right in with the ebay crowd.

[sabrina 1]

74. What sources of news are, in your opinion, credible, that it all right or even half as right as

Taibbi? We are all at a loss since almost every source appears to have been declared 'not credible'. So once again I am asking, can someone provide a list of sources we can trust?


Thanks in advance ....

[ucrdem]

75. Taibbi's fellow RS writer RFK, Jr. for one:

http://www.robertfkennedyjr.com/index.html

http://www.robertfkennedyjr.com/articles.html

[sabrina 1]

76. What if he joins Taibbi at this new media outlet? Looks like actual journalists are flocking to it.

[ucrdem]

77. Trust me, he won't.

And if he does I'll donate a carton of Guinness to the charitable organization of your choice.

[sabrina 1]

78. Okay, but I don't think most animals like Guinness, although I did see a dog in a pub

a few years who got a saucer of Guinness at the bar every evening at around six o'clock.

[ucrdem]

79. Mutatis mutandis, then.

"With the necessary changes having been made."

[woo me with science]

80. RFK would likely scold you for your propaganda here. RFK also does "Ring of Fire,"

which has been very critical of this administration's corporate betrayals of Americans, e.g., through Obama's aggressive push for the TPP. I suspect RFK is applauding this new venue for real investigative journalism in an ocean of corporate-purchased talking points.

https://www.ringoffireradio.com/2014/01/obama-fraud-tpp/

Is Obama A Fraud?? TPP
January 3, 2014 by Joshua DeLeon
Copyright © 2014 Ring Of Fire Radio: Robert Kennedy Jr, Mike Papantonio and Sam Seder

Is Obama A Fraud?? TPP

During his presidential run in 2008, Barack Obama made himself appear as a populist candidate; one who would act in the very best interests of the average American. Obama promised stricter Wall Street regulation and consumer protection. He promised protection for whistleblowers. He promised vast job creation and a stronger middle class. He promised change.

However, nothing has much changed and the provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) “trade deal” reveal Obama as more of a job-killing, corporate marionette. We are now forced to ask the question: Has Obama lost control or has he been defrauding the American public from day one?

The TPP trade deal is a “corporate trojan horse” with corporate-friendly provisions that even overshadow those of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA was passed 20 years ago during the Clinton Administration and was meant to lubricate foreign trade with lowered tariffs and eased foreign trade barriers. NAFTA’s true effect was that it limited corporate regulation and gave incentives to corporations that outsourced American work to low-wage countries. In the process, it destroyed American manufacturing.

Should there be any regulation that companies felt would interfere with profits, they could challenge the regulation before trade tribunals and demand government compensation over such regulation. NAFTA eventually killed millions of American jobs, created a $181 billion trade deficit with Mexico and Canada, and resulted in over $360 million of government compensation to corporations over policy disputes, policies designed for public interest. The TPP proves to have more devastating implications.

Ring of Fire - https://www.ringoffireradio.com/2014/01/obama-fraud-tpp/
Copyright © 2014 Ring Of Fire Radio: Robert Kennedy Jr, Mike Papantonio and Sam Seder

[ucrdem]

81. Ring of Fire is not a PayPal-Koch AEI mouthpiece.

Fail.

[woo me with science]

85. Um...what?

What are you claiming here, exactly?

[RufusTFirefly]

53. Taibbi was the keynote speaker at the recent Public Banking Institute Conference

... and Greenwald was a featured speaker at Socialism 2013.

Public Banking and Socialism: two well-known Libertarian causes.

(We now return you to the distractions and dissembling - already in progress.)

[mountain grammy]

27. Taibbi is excellent. I hope this works out for him.

[Lodestar]

29. A BIG kick for a kick-ass reporter!

Thanks for posting.

[bahrbearian]

30. Thanks theintercept is now bookmarked

[jtuck004]

32. K&R + a few. n/t

[krawhitham]

35. It was nice knowing you Matt

[OnyxCollie]

38. K&R. nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

39. Just a reminder to some folks here --

Fact are not partisan, they are not pro-Democrat/anti-GOPer or vice versa.

Facts are either accurate or inaccurate, true or false.

As I have witnessed here, some are apparently very sensitive to where facts can lead.

I am NOT one of those people. I (heart) facts. I love following wherever facts lead.

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead gentlemen!

[fleabiscuit]

64. YESH! ~ eom

[fascisthunter]

40. Awesome!

[Agony]

45. Rock & Roll!!!

an antidote to the Neo-Conservative and Neo-Liberal elements near and far!

[DonCoquixote]

47. I may hate his colleagues

but i wish MT the absolute best, as we need his work, badly.

At least he did not go to RT.

[Swede Atlanta]

52. I'll start watching this........

[ellenfl]

54. bump it up! eom

[niyad]

56. k and r for visibility

[sarcasmo]

60. Thanks, have to post this on Zombiebook.

[Douglas Carpenter]

68. knr

[Enthusiast]

70. As long as his voice continues to be heard.

That is my concern.

[Dj13Francis]

71. I don't see this as good

I think Matt may have sold out to Pierre just like Greenwald. Every man has his price.

[seveneyes]

72. I like Matt, and he knows that fire melts steel

Best of luck to him in keeping things real.

[Babel_17]

84. Kick! (nt)

[gulliver]

88. Most of his quality clicks came from his association with Rolling Stone

I'm thinking RS ejected him or decided he had run his course, similar to Salon and Greenwald. Taibbi can occasionally turn a phrase, but he doesn't have anything like the raw talent of HST. Associating with the likes of Greenwald means that Taibbi needs the money more than he needs credibility. He is taking an audience downgrade.

[dixiegrrrrl]

96. who is HST, pls?

[gulliver]

98. Hunter S. Thompson nt

[BobTheSubgenius]

91. His writing on the Texas megachurch he went undercover to research...

...was informative, and at times, hysterically funny. The "oversized clown shoes" narrative made me laugh SO hard.

A cross between Hunter Thompson and Dave Barry...and probably others. Brilliant.

[WillyT]

92. HUGE K & R !!!

[Ed Suspicious]

95. I don't know what I think of the move, but as long as he continues to speak truth

to power in an informative and entertaining way, I'm sure I'll be able to adjust to it from wherever he does it.

[woo me with science]

97. K&R for real journalism,

a dangerous profession these days.