Topic: Laura Poitras

The co-directors of the Cambridge Analytica documentary claim they are frequently detained for hours by Customs and Border Protection when entering the U.S. at JFK Airport. These claims mirror previous stories from filmmaker Laura Poitras regarding government harassment of whistleblowers. The hosts express skepticism, suggesting these anecdotes may be exaggerated for promotional purposes or related to common administrative issues.

New documents released by Edward Snowden detail NSA preparations for "cyber battle," including the ability to hijack private computers to conduct counterattacks. The hosts argue that the government taking over a citizen's computer for war purposes should be considered a violation of the Third Amendment, which prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes.

Edward Snowden has achieved "pop icon" status in Germany, with street art and posters dedicated to him appearing throughout Berlin. Despite his fame, Snowden remains in Moscow, while his associates like Laura Poitras and Jacob Appelbaum operate out of Berlin. The city is described as a hub for digital freedom fighters, though critics suggest it remains a primary target for NSA surveillance.

The hosts critique the Edward Snowden documentary Citizenfour, directed by Laura Poitras and executive produced by Steven Soderbergh. Curry highlights the involvement of Participant Media and Jeff Skoll, an eBay billionaire and associate of Pierre Omidyar. They argue that "Brand Snowden" has become a curated PR campaign, noting Snowden's appearances at tech conferences via Google Hangouts.

Filmmaker Laura Poitras is reportedly directing a movie about Edward Snowden for Jeffrey Skoll’s production company. Skoll, the first employee of eBay, has funded films like "An Inconvenient Truth." The hosts suggest that Poitras has been "sidelined" by her wealthy backers to control the narrative of the Snowden leaks.

Journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras returned to the United States to accept a journalism award without facing interference from customs officials. The hosts speculate that Greenwald's return is motivated by the potential for lucrative speaking engagements at universities and corporate events. They suggest he aims to rebuild his domestic profile after living in Brazil for an extended period.

The hosts analyze the roles of Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill within First Look Media, questioning their lack of recent journalistic output. They speculate that Poitras may have a background in intelligence and that the entire organization serves to contain the Snowden files. The segment suggests that these high-profile journalists have been effectively neutralized by their new corporate structure.

The hosts discuss a $20 million donation made by the parents of filmmaker Laura Poitras to MIT for psychiatric research, noting a family history of bipolar disorder. They also share an email from a producer regarding the technical flaws in a recent Greenwald/Poitras story about drone targeting via SIM cards, explaining how "boots on the ground" are actually used to clone and track phones in Afghanistan.

The Freedom of the Press Foundation recently named Edward Snowden to its board of directors. The organization, co-founded by Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, is fiscally sponsored by the Foundation for National Progress, which operates Mother Jones. This financial connection has raised questions about the foundation's neutrality and its role in the ongoing Snowden revelations.

The credibility of filmmaker Laura Poitras is questioned, specifically regarding an incident in Iraq where she was allegedly filming from a roof during an IED attack that killed U.S. soldiers. The hosts suggest the military's animosity toward her stems from claims that she had prior knowledge of the ambush. They posit that her involvement in the Snowden leaks may be part of a coordinated intelligence operation.

The hosts compare the new Breakthrough Awards to established honors like the Nobel Prize and MacArthur "Genius" grants. They argue that the tech industry's attempt to manufacture "rock star" scientists is a failing strategy to increase interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.

Glenn Greenwald appears on BBC's HardTalk to discuss the Edward Snowden documents. Greenwald clarifies that he and Laura Poitras possess the full set of documents and are collaborating with various international media outlets to publish them. Dvorak questions Greenwald's business model of selling stories to global newspapers.

Julian Assange argues that the "best and brightest" investigative journalists, such as Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, are being forced into effective exile to continue their work. The hosts discuss the irony of journalists having to leave Western democracies to report on those same governments. They jokingly consider their own "effective exile" in Texas and their offices.

The hosts analyze Glenn Greenwald's account of meeting Edward Snowden in a Hong Kong hotel, where a Rubik's Cube was used as a visual identifier. They question how Greenwald can be certain of Snowden's identity and whether the material is actually being managed by a third-party agency.

The hosts round up several news items, including the upcoming premiere of the Julian Assange biopic "The Fifth Estate." They discuss Glenn Greenwald's collaboration with Jeremy Scahill on U.S. assassination programs and a New York Times report by Laura Poitras on NSA social connection mapping. Additionally, they note the Amsterdam Internet Exchange's plan to establish direct lines to the U.S. East Coast.

Jacob Applebaum, co-founder of the Tor network, accepted a whistleblower award on behalf of Edward Snowden in Berlin. The ceremony featured a speech by Applebaum that emphasized "personal agency" and the ability to stand against corruption. Questions are raised regarding why Applebaum accepted the award instead of filmmaker Laura Poitras, and whether his rhetoric aligns with his past roles as a spokesperson for Julian Assange.

Questions are raised regarding the authenticity of Laura Poitras's accounts of being detained and her funding sources. Poitras is partially financed by the Bertha Foundation, which has links to activist groups and indirectly to the Muslim Brotherhood. The narrative surrounding David Miranda's detention at Heathrow is scrutinized for perceived inconsistencies.

Research into the Bertha Foundation reveals it is funded by Tony Tabatznik, a billionaire who made his fortune in generic drugs before selling his company to Merck. The foundation primarily funds documentaries with anti-imperialist or pro-Palestinian themes, including works by Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill. Tabatznik is described as a "self-loathing Jew" by some critics due to his financial support for projects critical of Israeli policy.

The discussion concludes with a focus on Jeremy Scahill's film "Dirty Wars" and its connection to the Bertha Foundation's executive producer, Neil Tabatznik. Speculation is raised that David Miranda's detention may have been part of a filmed documentary project involving Laura Poitras. The hosts sign off with a reminder to listeners to avoid Gmail and return for the Sunday show.

The story of how Edward Snowden first contacted Laura Poitras is detailed, noting that Glenn Greenwald initially ignored Snowden because he lacked encryption tools. Poitras worked with Jacob Applebaum to verify Snowden's identity using a series of questions about NSA programs like Stuxnet and the Utah data center. Poitras is criticized for her "styled" public persona and her connections to the surveillance film community.