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PBC News & Comment: Snowden Evades Dragnet; Did James Clapper Lie?

Snowden has pizza-pepsi birthday, leaves Hong Kong; at Netroots, we ask simple question: did top spook James Clapper commit perjury?Lawyer says Snowden didn’t want to be jailed during extradition fight if he couldn’t keep his computer.

–Snowden charges unsealed, including counts under Espionage Act

–Glenn Greenwald dispatches David Gregory and a stupid question on Meet the Press (with audio)

–at Netroots Nation last week, your humble host asked a senator and two House members, “Did James Clapper lie to the Senate under oath?” and only one gave a direct answer

–Rep. Nancy Pelosi was booed at Netroots Nation for supporting prosecution of Snowden, and Marc Perkel interrupted her like Medea Benjamin

–Sen. Leahy proposes some modest tweaks to spying laws, but we need a new Church Commission and real reform

–questions linger after suspicious death of journalist Michael Hastings, first photgrapher on the scene says Hastings’ car was not chased

–bipartisan Senate bill opposes arming Syrian rebels, as corporate media confirms reports of Pepe Escobar (Qatar paid to ship Libyan weapons to Syria, US troops have been training rebels in Turkey, Jordan)

–hunger strikers at Guantanamo report harsher treatment and rougher force-feeding

–in Italy, court finds Berlusconi guilty of paid sex with minor, imposes 7-year prison term

–blues giant Bobby “Blue” Bland dies at age 83, we end with “Stormy Monday Blues”