Trump sets low bar as candidates trade slimy half-truths, fear-mongering, and repeated attacks on Obama, who isn’t running this year…..--Cruz faces attacks on citizenship, loans from Goldman Sachs, responds with attacks on Trump and NY Times and a dose of hypocrisy
--Cruz opened with scripted attack on “weak Obama” for this week’s Persian Gulf incident where US gunboats crossed into Iranian waters
--Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) introduces bill do repeal CISA law that was jammed into year-end budget bill
--yesterday, we reported on Britain’s use of Stingray-type cell surveillance tools; today, The Verge has published a detailed history of Stingray and its exposure
--we also reported on efforts in Canada to block law enforcement demands for dragnet cellphone information; today, we learn of frame-ups of “domestic terrorists” in British Columbia
--Jason Leopold reports at Vice News that ex-CIA agent Sabrina DeSouza will be extradited to Italy over botched kidnapping of Abu Omar in Milan
--Sean Penn will be on 60 Minutes Sunday, says he regrets that the anti-Drug War message of his Rolling Stone article was lost in the capture of El Chapo
--Planned Parenthood sues pro-birth con artists who secretly videotaped employees, then selectively edited the tapes to smear Palnned Parenthood
--San Francisco judge allows Catholic hospital to bar elective sterilization
--Goldman Sachs agrees to pay $5 billion for its role in the “Big Short” of 2008, no individuals will be charged
--Clinton campaign goes dirty, accuses Sanders of “negative” ad about Wall Street reform that doesn’t even mention Hillary
--ebola outbreak is declared over by World Health Organization
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