Author Archive for: emptywheel
About emptywheel
Marcy Wheeler is an independent journalist writing about national security and civil liberties. She writes as emptywheel at her eponymous blog, publishes at outlets including Vice, Motherboard, the Nation, the Atlantic, Al Jazeera, and appears frequently on television and radio. She is the author of Anatomy of Deceit, a primer on the CIA leak investigation, and liveblogged the Scooter Libby trial.
Marcy has a PhD from the University of Michigan, where she researched the “feuilleton,” a short conversational newspaper form that has proven important in times of heightened censorship. Before and after her time in academics, Marcy provided documentation consulting for corporations in the auto, tech, and energy industries. She lives with her spouse in Grand Rapids, MI.
Entries by emptywheel
Merry Christmas
/22 Comments/in Culture/by emptywheelI was going to post on boring depressing things. But instead I’m kibbitzing as my cousins play Fable 3. They suggested I post this YouTube instead. Maybe I’ll get around to those boring depressing posts after Santa comes. In the meantime, Merry Christmas to you all! Thanks for being such an integral part of this […]
If We’re Eliminating Symbols Used for Recruitment, Why Not Drones?
/26 Comments/in Drones, Gitmo Show Trials/by emptywheelHere’s what Obama said in response to a question of whether and why he was going to close Gitmo. Q But it makes me wonder where you are, sir, at about the two-year mark on Guantanamo, when closing it was one of your initial priorities, sir? THE PRESIDENT: Obviously, we haven’t gotten it closed. And […]
UN Describes “the Right of Every Person to … Know What Governments Are Doing on Their Behalf”
/19 Comments/in emptywheel/by emptywheelThe UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression issued a statement Wednesday laying out several principles parties should keep in mind in regards to WikiLeaks. It balances the importance of journalists’ self-regulation […]
Obama’s EO on Indefinite Detention: Wanting Bud McKeon’s Cake and Eating It Too
/49 Comments/in Indefinite Detention, Unitary Executive/by emptywheel[Update, 12/7/11: I find I’m still linking back to this post, and cringing everytime I see I got McKeon’s name, Buck, wrong. Apologies.] I plan to do some more reading on Obama’s proposed Executive Order on Indefinite Detention (not least, once an EO becomes public). But here are some preliminary thoughts after having read Adam […]
Today’s Lesson from the White House: Take Hostages
/135 Comments/in Obama Administration/by emptywheelAs we celebrate President Obama signing into law the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, I’d like to congratulate the activists who made it happen. This is the progressive high point of Obama’s presidency so far, and it came because of the hard work of a lot of people who relentlessly fought to win civil […]
Cheney Freedom Discounts Bigger than Cheap Chinese Toy Discounts
/20 Comments/in emptywheel/by emptywheelIn the race to see which would be discounted more quickly, Cheney’s freedom won out over cheap Chinese toys at Christmas season: the final price for Cheney’s freedom is $35 million. Oilfield contractor Halliburton has agreed to pay Nigeria $35 million to settle bribery allegations that led to charges against former Vice President Dick Cheney […]
Geezer Returns: Special Old Fart Trash
/15 Comments/in emptywheel/by emptywheelIn case you have not heard, some guy who last week was not a starting quarterback will suddenly start for the Minnesota Vikings tonight on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears. Who knows what this untested and unknown quarterback can bring to the game, time will tell. He will have to do it without […]