A few months ago, a handful of reporters were shown a video that allegedly showed Toronto Mayor Rob Ford hanging out with drug dealers and smoking crack. Ford has denied the allegations. The individuals who owned this video told the reporters that they would sell them copies of it for the price of $200,000. In a guerilla journalism, crowd-sourcing experiment, Gawker then asked its readers to donate the funds needed to obtain and release the tape, in what they dubbed the ‘Crackstarter’ campaign.

As it turns out, people who own videos of politicians using drugs and conversing with dangerous drug dealers are evidently not all that reliable. The individuals who owned the tape weren’t very happy about the unexpected international media attention and revoked the offer, informing Gawker the tape was now “gone.” So, what’s Gawker going to do with the nearly $200,000 in cash it raised to bring down Rob Ford? They’re taking suggestions on which Canadian nonprofit benefiting “people suffering from addiction and its consequences” they should give it to. The existence of the video itself is still a mystery, though Anonymous now claims to have it in their “crosshairs” … Discuss

This whole PRISM domestic spying program is a pretty big deal. If you’re a United States Senator, you would definitely want to attend a briefing by the head of the NSA to fully explain the scope and details of the program to understand what its full impact on personal privacy and national security really is, right? After all, a majority of Senators voted for it in the first place and many said the NSA had purposefully deceived them about the program’s scope. This briefing to set the record straight is a pretty big deal. So, if you’re a Senator would you: A) Attend the briefing, ask good questions, take solid notes and fully understand the reach of this unprecedented program, or B) Pop in a Rebecca Black CD for a TGIF celebration, and blow off the meeting to leave town early for a three-day Father’s Day weekend? Considering only 47 out of 100 Senators attended the briefing, the correct answer would be B … Discuss

Should the government assist poor members of the community with social programs, or should that be left up to the church, private charities and community generosity? That’s essentially the question that has caused a major rift at North Carolina’s state capitol in recent months. There, hundreds of protestors have been arrested for promoting what they see as a biblical mandate to help the poor in “Moral Monday” gatherings organized by the local chapter of the NAACP. Many are angry over cutbacks and restrictions for programs that benefit poor families and provide services to low-income areas in the community. Most of the GOP legislators, however (many of whom are also Christians), have led efforts to cut government-run programs and have said the poor are best helped through the promotion of self-reliance, private charities and job creation. The protests and the recent string of arrests continue to highlight the different interpretations of how to help those in need in a democratic society … Discuss

As you have doubtless heard, the man who blew the whistle on the NSA's invasive spying program is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old (former) CIA operative who has been seeking asylum in Hong Kong. He went to the UK's Guardian newspaper to explain why he leaked the documents he did and how concerned he is about PRISM, the Government's (formerly) secret surveillance program that allows them to collect virtually any private data of yours through Google, Facebook, Apple and other major tech companies. Evidently, he told the CIA that he was taking some time off to deal with epilepsy before fleeing to Hong Kong, where may continue to stay, although he may be headed to Iceland.

"The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything," he told The Guardian. "With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your emails or your wife's phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards ...That is not something I am willing to support or live under." He went on to say that he stands by his actions. "I think the sense of outrage that has been expressed is justified. It has given me hope that, no matter what happens to me, the outcome will be positive for America. I do not expect to see home again, though that is what I want" ... Discuss

Recent FLOTUSes have not been known for being particularly fiery, and Michelle Obama wasn't an exception. But she's getting attention today for addressing a heckler at a private fundraiser. The heckler in question, an LGBT advocate, interrupted Mrs. Obama's speech to demand equal rights for same-sex couples. "One of the things I do not do well is this," Mrs. Obama responded, drawing cheers from the crowd. According to reports, she then got off the stage, faced her heckler, and said “Listen to me or you can take the mic, but I’m leaving.” The woman, Ellen Sturtz, beat Mrs. Obama to it—and either left the room or was escorted out, depending on whose version of the events you read. There's full audio at this link.

Her response is drawing a predictably mixed reaction. The Christian Science Monitor says the incident shows "Mrs. Obama still has stuff to learn about public speaking." Salon, on the other hand, called it "flawless" ... Discuss