Stories by John Knefel

John Knefel is the co-host of Radio Dispatch and a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Follow him on Twitter at @johnknefel. subscribe to John Knefel's feed

Authoritarianism Has Quietly Enveloped Every Part of American Life -- We Must Fight Back

Posted on: Apr 22, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Privacy, not surveillance, is what must be justified now. We must make sure not to draw the wrong lessons from Boston.

Guantanamo Defense Lawyers Barred From Email After Suspicions of Massive Surveillance Arise

Posted on: Apr 11, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Defense attorneys have reason to believe their online activity is being monitored.

Bad Cop: 7 Cities Where Shocking Police Abuses Cost Taxpayers Millions

Posted on: Mar 4, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Bad police behavior runs roughshod over civil liberties, and costs cities millions of dollars in payouts to those who successfully sue.

Meet 6 Politicians Getting Rich from America's Endless Wars

Posted on: Feb 18, 2013, Source: AlterNet

The defense industry is a powerful and influential lobby.

Mystery, Paranoia, Confusion: You Won't Believe What's Happening at Guantanamo

Posted on: Feb 3, 2013, Source: AlterNet

A mystery is unfolding that highlights the peculiarities of the military commission system.

Meet the Contractors Turning America's Police Into a Paramilitary Force

Posted on: Jan 30, 2013, Source: AlterNet

You should know about them because they may already know about you.

5 Creepy New Ways for Police to Intrude on Your Rights

Posted on: Jan 14, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Handcuffs that give shocks? Mobile iris scan readers? Thanks to Homeland Security cash, police departments are stocking up on all kinds of creepy new technologies.

They Can Do That?! 10 Outrageous Tactics Cops Get Away With

Posted on: Dec 4, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Thanks to the war on drugs, the war on terror and general public apathy about civil liberties, police can stomp all over your rights.

“Jesus, Come Help Us!" What It's Like With No Power, No Running Water and Little Food Post-Sandy

Posted on: Nov 5, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Many New Yorkers can barely survive the week after the storm.

Dead Gitmo Prisoner's Tragic Letter About Why He Gave Up on Life

Posted on: Sep 13, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Adnan Latif suffered at the hands of the US government in ways that most people can't begin to comprehend.

No Papers, No Fear: Undocumented Immigrant Activists Arrested Outside DNC

Posted on: Sep 5, 2012, Source: AlterNet

An immigrants rights campaign is traveling the U.S. by bus to bring awareness to the terror undocumented people live with daily.

Did the NYPD Break International Law in Suppressing Protest?

Posted on: Jul 25, 2012, Source: AlterNet

A new report just out documents how the NYPD used excessive force, arrested reporters, and concludes that police broke international law in their handling of Occupy.

Rush to Sensationalize "Occupy Murder Link" Leads to Major Media Mistakes; Where are Retractions?

Posted on: Jul 12, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Despite dubious, anonymous sourcing and the total lack of evidence to implicate Occupy Wall Street protesters, the media jumped on the would-be scandal.

What the Mainstream Media Still Doesn't Get About Big Banks

Posted on: May 16, 2012, Source: AlterNet

JPMorgan Chase losing $2 billion on a risky trade has many pundits calling for more regulation. But they're still missing so much of the story.

Is the NYPD Out of Control? New Lawsuit Takes on Bloomberg's 'Private Army'

Posted on: May 4, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Rodriguez v. Winski calls for the creation of an independent federal position to oversee the NYPD.

When Mainstream Media Coverage of Occupy Fell Off, So Did Their Coverage of Inequality and Corporate Greed

Posted on: May 3, 2012, Source: Extra!

Would corporate media continue to talk about inequality without a vibrant protest movement forcing their hand? The answer, unsurprisingly, is no.

"We Want Your Retina?" My 37 Hours in Police Custody for Protesting Were an Eye Opener

Posted on: Dec 14, 2011, Source: Salon

Why it's important for occupiers to see the inside of the prison-industrial complex.