Dog the Bounty Hunter, or Duane Chapman, is reportedly going after Edward Snowden … even if that means illegally trying to capture him in Russia. “Sometimes you gotta bend the rules to save America,” Dog is quoted as saying. “And if I can catch this traitor Snowden and bring him back to God’s side, then it will be well worth the risk of a lifetime of hard labor in a Siberian gulag.” Sure thing. Dog is apparently not alone in his dogged pursuit. Reports say several bounty hunters are willing to risk their freedom to capture and return the “fugitive” NSA whistleblower , who sought asylum in Russia. None more high profile than Chapman, however. According to reports, he stated, “Every Dog has it’s day, but Snowden, your days are numbered. Me and Beth are gonna catch you and bring ya to justice.” “We’re gonna do it the American way. If you’re listening right now slick Eddy, the Dog’s comin’ for ya. You can run, but you can’t hide.” “The Dog has picked up your trail.” Dog and his wife Beth Chapman are said to be headed to Hong Kong first in an effort to sniff out possible clues in Snowden’s old hotel room there. This story may or may not be fake , as its sources are questionable and it has already sparked several denials … but even so, it’s a hilarious concept.
Much like the Edward Snowden short film , it was only a matter of time before someone took the story of Wikileaks and Julian Assange and turned it into a film. Enter The Fifth Estate trailer: The Fifth Estate Official Trailer Benedict Cumberbatch plays the Australian Julian Assange while Daniel Bruhl takes on the role of Assange’s first partner and friend, Daniel Domscheit-Berg. While the trailer seems to fall victim to somewhat unclear timeline issues, something that plagued the recent Wikileaks documentary, We Tell Secrets , with Bill Condon behind the camera, the concerns should be few. The man behind such great films like Kinsey and even the Breaking Dawn movies, there’s little doubt The Fifth Estate will be on par with other movies released this fall. Perhaps the most interesting thing to watch going forward however, will be the circus that still surrounds Assange and the Wikileaks organization. Holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy after having rape charges brought against him, Assange has spoken out saying The Fifth Element is a propaganda attack against both Wikileaks and himself. The Fifth Estate opens on October 11th.
Following the tragic death of Cory Monteith , it may not be important in the grand scheme of things – but it’s something Fox will need to consider: How will Glee Season 5 handle the passing of a central cast member? It’s not unprecedented for programs to deal with the loss of an actor or actress. The West Wing gave John Spencer’s Leo a heart attack. Just last year, Dallas wrote in a funeral for J.R. Ewing after Larry Hagman died. So… in which direction will Glee go? Will it make a mere, quick mention of Finn going far away for some reason? Will it actually kill the character off? What SHOULD it do? Weigh in now with your take on how Glee should deal with Monteith’s death: Kill off Finn Write Finn out Recast the role I don’t know View Poll »
A Swedish sociology professor has nominated NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, according to reports. In his letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Stefan Svallfors praised Snowden for his “heroic effort at great personal cost.” He stated that by revealing U.S. surveillance programs, Snowden showed “individuals can stand up for fundamental rights and freedoms.” Citing the Nuremberg trials of 1945, Svallfors notes that “‘I was just following orders’ is never an excuse for acts contrary to human rights and freedoms.” He also says Snowden “save the prize from the disrepute incurred by the hasty, ill-conceived decision” to give the 2009 award to Barack Obama. The head of the International Committee of the Russian State, Duma Aleksey Pushkov, says the U.S. won’t let Nobel Peace Prize go to Snowden. Nevertheless, his mere nomination speaks volumes, he says: “Not in a million years will the U.S. allow Snowden to get the Peace Prize. But his nomination is significant. Many in the West see him as a champion of democracy.” The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901 to individuals who “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.” The list of criteria also includes working toward “abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Edward Snowden isn’t be the first Nobel nominee of his kind. Just last year, Bradley Manning , the U.S. soldier accused of passing secret materials to WikiLeaks, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2011, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was nominated. Snowden’s nomination is expected to be reviewed by the committee for next year’s prize. The 30-year-old nominee is wanted in the U.S. on espionage charges. He fled American soil for Hong Kong in May and then flew to Moscow, Russia, where he has been stuck in an airport transit zone for three weeks. On Friday, he said he is seeking political asylum in Russia because he cannot fly to Latin America, where he previously sought protection. Edward Snowden : Hero Traitor View Poll »
Edward Snowden, the man who leaked details of U.S. government surveillance programs, is on the run in Moscow and seeking asylum in Ecuador. A onetime contract analyst for the National Security Agency (NSA), Snowden had been in Hong Kong, but left after the U.S. sought his extradition. He landed in Moscow, where a CNN crew spotted a car with diplomatic plates and an Ecuadorian flag at the Russian capital’s international airport. WikiLeaks, which facilitates the publication of classified information, is reportedly aiding the NSA whistleblower ‘s efforts to seek asylum on foreign soil. The group did not disclose what country would be Snowden’s final destination. Ecuador has given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange refuge in its London embassy since 2012 after he tried and failed to fight extradition to Sweden. The U.S. is asking Ecuador, as well as Cuba and Venezuela, not to admit Snowden, a senior Obama administration official told CNN on Sunday. The United States also is asking those countries to expel him if they do admit him, the official said, and has already revoked Snowden’s passport. Snowden “left Hong Kong legally” and is headed to Ecuador “via a safe route for the purposes of asylum,” WikiLeaks said in a statement issued Sunday. He is accompanied by diplomats and lawyers for WikiLeaks, including former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, a statement from the organization says. “The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr. Snowden’s rights and protecting him as a person,” said Garzon, who also represents Assange. “What is being done to Mr. Snowden and to Mr Julian Assange – for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest – is an assault against the people.” Snowden has admitted he was the source who leaked classified documents about the NSA’s surveillance programs to the British newspaper the Guardian. The documents revealed the existence of programs that collect records of telephone calls in America and monitor the Internet activity of overseas residents. The revelation of the leaks rocked the Obama administration and U.S. intelligence community, raising questions about secret operations of the NSA. The U.S. government has said it will charge Snowden with espionage and theft of government property and asked Hong Kong authorities to hold him. Didn’t happen. Justice Department spokeswoman Nanda Chitre said Hong Kong authorities had informed U.S. officials of Snowden’s exit. The U.S. government had also asked Hong Kong to issue a provisional arrest warrant for Edward Snowden, but Hong Kong did not comply. The documents provided by the U.S. government did not fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law, officials there said. Because Hong Kong didn’t have enough information, “there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong,” the government said. A Justice Department official said Sunday that the U.S. had met requirements with its request, disputing the assertion from authorities in Hong Kong. Last week, Snowden told the South China Morning Post that U.S. intelligence agents have been hacking computer networks in Hong Kong and China for years. Hong Kong said it wanted to have some words with the U.S. about that. U.S. federal prosecutors have charged Snowden with theft of government propert and unauthorized communication of national defense information. He is also accused of willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person under the federal Espionage Act. President Barack Obama, top legislators and national security officials defend the surveillance programs Snowden detailed as necessary to combat terrorism. They say the law allows collection of data, such as the time and numbers of phone calls, and that a federal court must approve accessing the content. Snowden said he fled with the classified documents after taking leave from his job as an intelligence analyst for NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. The company has since fired him. A series of blog posts this week purportedly by Snowden said he leaked classified details about said programs because Obama worsened “abusive” practices. Snowden added that he had to get out of the United States before the leaks were published worldwide to avoid being targeted by the government.
