Protest in the US is getting the same treatment as abortion clinics in Texas: a series of laws, enforced with bizarre strictness, leave it permitted in theory but not in practice.

Our response to this must be to say that such laws are just bricks in the wall, and breaking them is not wrong.

The same applies to laws that forbid government officials from telling us how the state really treats us.

Journalist Barrett Brown could be sentenced to 105 years in prison for journalistic activity, including posting a link to a site with scandalous information that had been obtained by a cracker from HBGary.

Kerry has convinced Israel and Palestine to restart negotiations. However, an unusually honest remark from an Israeli official suggests that Israel wants to be able to say, "See, we are negotiating," while making sure no agreement is reached.

Obama rebuked Putin for trying to lock up people that disclose the state's dirty secrets, even as the US made sure a fleeing international criminal would not be extradited.

I agree with Obama's rebuke: prosecuting whistleblowers is wrong when the Putin regime does it — just as wrong as when the Obama regime does it. However, as an American, I believe Americans have a particular responsibility to defend freedom and justice in our own country.

More such irony.

The ex head of the NSA is campaigning to imprison journalists, citing Glenn Greenwald as the base of his campaign.