today on our team keeping tabs on you a new report looks at the growing trend of us police departments tracking for your cell phone so what are they looking for and who are they targeting drink up and place your bets everyone as cash strapped states and cities deal with budget woes many are turning to gambling and booze for the economic boost is this a fair way to balance the budget or recipe for disaster but. taking it to the streets protesters come out in full force in mexico claiming fraud in last week's presidential election but their voices be heard our team questions more.

it's monday july ninth four pm in washington d.c. i'm abby martin and you're watching our team. for the first time data has been collected on a national level that reveals the extent of cell phone wiretapping in the u.s. the level of surveillance has exploded in the last five years increasing about fifteen percent annually since two thousand and seven two thousand and eleven cell carriers reported that they've had one point three million dollars million demands from law enforcement agencies requesting text messages color locations and other information that is cell surveillance increases warrants for wiretapping has declined fourteen percent last year to only two thousand seven hundred thirty two so how is this happening and will this disturbing trend of exponential growth of the surveillance state continue unabated to break it all down i'm joined now by alan butler appellate advocacy council for epic thanks so much for coming in so so

what what does this all say explain a little bit about what was just uncovered well what we've learned is the extent of law enforcement requests given to cell phone companies for user data so subscriber data could be anything from the name or account information on your bill to the location of your cell phone as for making a call so i mean one point three million is such an enormous number. and it's not really stating what agencies federal local it's just kind of saying just a broad sweep of this number how can we be sure that these are really for legitimate purposes like they're claiming to be it's hard to know i mean a lot of the cell phone companies are making clear in their responses that you know they abide by the law they follow the rules that they're supposed to follow but a lot of these might be judgment calls in the case of you know subpoenas for information for what they call basic subscriber information and the threshold is

very low as to whether it's relevant to an investigation or a k. a particular case as to say location information which is you know increasingly seen as sensitive information the threshold is also lower than it. for a probable cause warrant the threshold is whether. that information is relevant to an ongoing investigation and so you know typically a court orders. company had to disclose that data but there's not really the typical legal process involved in obtaining a warrant there to prevent abuse so i mean there's very little warrants being issued yet such an insanely high number of these requests why why is that declining i guess is just is it opening more are the barriers more open now than they used to be anywise are such a little amount of actually the warrants you know shoot and such a high amount of surveillance requests i think that part of the problem is that the

warrants are hard to obtain and the process is a national disgrace high and yet more and more information is available through these other methods through subpoenas through court orders and so as long as one force and resources are strapped they're relying on these other methods that are much. make it much easier to obtain information than a traditional warrant and so one requests either stay the same or go down over time whereas requests for other data goes up as more people use cell phones as more people. go into these other modes of communication so so a lot more on what those are i mean that they say that their emergency requests a lot of cell phone carriers have responded saying you know we actually filed with the f.b.i. saying we didn't think that these were reasonable requests so what exactly are they saying in order to get this information without the warrant what are they well it depends on what they're asking for so again there is a category of information called basic subscriber information only supposed to

include information that show up on your cell phone bill for example and that information can be obtained through a court subpoena which is basically a request for information about related to it. case and that's russell does very low it's just kind of whether it's relevant to this issue so we know that one point three million and that's the least amount that we know how much do you think that we don't know well i think you know part of what we don't know is a lot of what we don't know from these reports is what standard is being applied for a particular kind of request information the reports don't exactly make clear what the standard is for example for location information which was sort of the impetus for the letter in the request in the first place and whether these companies require heightened standards for you know location information real time location information identifying where a cell phone is right now versus historic records of where the cell phone has been

as calls were made over the last few months. but what about the data dumps where in one instance you can have hundreds if not thousands of different carriers with just one request i mean how many do we even know how many of those have happened or is that just kind of an unknown number and it's obviously more than one point three million subscribers when you're looking at the references of these giant dumps of data right they're talking about requests here and some of those requests as you say are for what they call tower dumps which show let's say everyone has access to particular tower in a two hour period which could be you know thousands or tens of thousands of users and it's basically showing a unique record that that person was at that time at that place and we don't really have a breakdown of how many you know tower records requests they have versus a particular individual record request let's take a look really quickly because i think one of the most disturbing aspects of this story at least for me was the fact that u.s. taxpayers are centrally footing the bill to be surveilled in two thousand and seven

eighteen tee made two point eight million dollars and in two thousand and eleven they made eight point three million is this just something that we can expect to continue this trend of them just making millions of dollars and we're kind of footing the bill to you know ramp up this survey on state yeah well i think it is troubling and you know in part it has to do with the extent to which we're funding law enforcement activity at all they have to you know they're conducting investigations and this is sort of part of their cost and i think the cost has actually come down over time but all that you know is the cost come down comes down the activity increases so it's not really you know we have to i think control it in multiple different ways through you know whether the extent to which we're funding law enforcement and the extent to which these companies have to comply with their orders and so in certain circumstances but i mean in two thousand and six we saw this widespread wiretapping and the telecom industries were granted immunity and.

this big scandal but i mean so how likely are the telecom agencies really going to say you know we don't agree with this request they're getting paid to do it like how to really count on them to say you know we don't feel comfortable that this might be an invasion of privacy we don't feel like this is really an emergency right and i think it's also problematic because they've created basically compliance entire compliance sectors of their companies and so there are people whose job it is to comply with these requests and you know obviously if the requests go down in large amounts then those people you know might be out of a job so it's even with a similar sort of there's a status here that once we've reached this level where the requests are coming in at the rate of one point three million a year i think it you know propagates itself a bit. great point and what can we really expect in the future i mean should people ultimately care what does this mean for people's privacy what

about people who are just like you know i'm not doing anything wrong so it doesn't bother me you can you can really access anything you want you know i mean i think that if you think about tower dumps again telling law enforcement everyone that's been in a particular area particular time that affects thousands of people that have no idea that their information is now shared and they may not know how that affects them in the long run and also you know some of the carriers mentioned that that certain authorizations may allow them to get not only the location of the person who's calling who they're investigating but also the person who they're talking to on the other side of the phone so it may not matter whether or not you're innocent because it may matter who you're talking to or who you're interacting with or where you are on a particular day and there's all of this stored data mined and. i'm sure that once that information is accessed that's pretty much stored for good and being able to cross-reference later on which also maybe people should care about it's it's obviously stored by the carriers for

a certain amount of time and it depends on the carrier. in some cases it can be up to a year or more and with law enforcement there's you know haven't been specific disclosures about how long they would maintain that data but it could be a very long time definitely an interesting story thanks so much for coming on and elaborating on that was alan butler appellate advocacy council for epic. in today's tough economic times it looks like gambling and booze may be the answers to america's budget woes or at least that's what cities and states in the country are banking on with local and state governments struggling to raise revenue and we're seeing a trend across the country expanding liquor laws and curtain people to drink up but is this really the best way to solve the budget deficit and what are the true costs to society are to correspond to lose wall explores. las vegas the brake lights entice an influx of people looking for a good time. but if some cities and states across the country get their way what

happens in vegas won't stay in vegas struggling to raise revenue and close the deficit some governments want to bring a piece of sin city home and maryland maryland lie recently opened its doors more than three football fields long the massive adult playground is welcomed by some great employers put a lot of people to work great tax revenue great entertainment venue i think it's going to be a real plus for the area but despised by others it brings a lot more people on gambling i don't know how great that is for like the kid in the mall isn't really a family place now. and on the d.c. maryland border lies national harbor a picture arrested development along the water. they proposed to see you know would bring vegas to the potomac it's really nice here in vegas i mean even on the streets they hand you cards for prostitution what impact that would have

environmentally on their syria because you don't have to push out neighborhoods in order to build it. and beyond gambling cities and states across the country are banking on booze. here in d.c. the mayor wants to extend bar hours so they can keep those drinks flowing later into the night. it would take effect in october and bring in over five million dollars in two thousand and thirteen it's a short term gain for a big long term loss dr david jernigan warns of the dangers of encouraging people to drink up he says when alcohol consumption goes up so do alcohol related problems things like hospital room emergency emergency room admissions that's a more sensitive indicator interestingly liver cirrhosis tests are fairly sensitive to changes in availability and it's not just d.c. from connecticut that bill clears the way for package store sales and beer sales at

supermarkets every day of the year except thanksgiving christmas and new year's to georgia supporters say the sunday cereal could bring in millions of dollars in additional tax revenue since the recession sparked in two thousand and eight dozens of cities and states have eased liquor laws as a way to balance their budgets some say the answer instead is taxes whether it's taxing booze the best way is to raise an alcohol tax. in this country alcohol taxes do not keep up with inflation they are flat taxes based on the volume of the beverage or taxing the rich i think that. tax a tax hike for the super rich would be bad because i'm a super rich you know i think that would probably be a better idea well america during the government the cat and drinking way our sorrows may bring in the revenue of cities and states across the country so desperately needs and washington. are too. kind of action results be trusted in

a country the tories for election fraud thousands of people in mexico are saying no and took to the streets over the weekend to protest the results of last week's election for the reigning pre party candidate peña nieto won thirty eight point two percent of the vote left us presidential candidate manuel lopez obrador got thirty one point five percent of the vote the protesters are alleging that the pre-partition won by buying the votes and obrador is planning on formally challenging the outcome of the election so is there any evidence of voter fraud and what will mother term of pre mean for mexico to explore those questions and more i'm joined now by john ackerman professor at the national and thomas university of mexico thanks so much for joining us john. great to talk about this last weekend what did you see happen and what was it like there. well those really quite

incredible large there are over one hundred thousand mostly used. students taking the streets downtown mexico city plus tens of thousands of other units throughout the country in different capitals throughout the next going to thirty two states or about a dozen capitals that were also had had marches and the interesting thing about the march is that they were not organized by focus or by that second place finisher and that election nor were the six organized by this emerging student movement they do so a simple thing they don't want her to but which has arisen over the last few months started to have become a public presence this was really up spontaneous student and used movement people protesting against bennett so that was clear the idea here is that then yes so instead of actually winning the popular favoring election basically purchased his way into the presidency although he's not president yet the electoral tribunal

still needs to decide on whether this election was actually free and fair and democratic so we might be in the beginning of. a more widespread youth movement that you know similar to what happened in their countries earns fame or even i think to the act by going in last year it was interesting this is already brewing but the fact that after election this is continued on it makes one think about what might happen if you're in the future. so john you said that you know your. stance on pain data but i don't see movement it was very organic in this march and they didn't really take responsibility for organizing the margins kind of just happened very spontaneously a lot of grassroots actions going on there you also mention about the election fraud a library more on what's what's going on there i mean is there any really any proof that that he did buy some of the votes there. well yes there has

been lots of reports about. first of all gross violation of spending limits ok so mexico actually has a very controlled electoral system you can only spend up to three hundred thirty six million pesos that's about thirty million dollars a most of this money is public funding you are very strictly limited amount of money you can get from the private sector or the vigils and so the broad broad widespread suspicion is that this spending that has been gone over by you know four five six perhaps ten times by big deal in finding you know the special debit cards which had parallel accounts were supposedly used to fund operators they've also found thousands and thousands of. award cards for supermarkets and sort of a strange way of doing it but apparently these these cards had. about you know i've

been here between ten and one hundred dollars in them which were handed out to voters you know the day the elections or the days before so. whether this actually influenced the vote is a big question but actually mexico law is very explicit about the fact that even offer money in exchange for a vote even if the voter doesn't pay attention to this offer is a crime. so do you think that there is really a chance for a full recount i know that you said he isn't they still need to determine and find out kind of on election results but i mean in a country that has just pretty much been a torrijos for election fraud and we've seen this time and time again what are the chances here of really getting to the bottom of this john while the recounts already taken place the recount was last week they opened about half of the ballot boxes apparently that's not where the problem is the problem is more in terms of this vote buying and and also

a lot of people talking about the polls over the polls were about ten percentage points off most of the polls this is based on here's a many of the pollsters either were receiving kickbacks or otherwise had on a local practices where you wanted to they were trying to create a sensation that the great candidate was never to win and you know the bandwagon effect lots of people probably follow that affected voting for bringing it down because the pollsters were showing he was eighteen percent ahead of the polls in the end the event was only six percent a much closer election than expected and so if it's proven that money came in illegally for instance mexico is a very difficult choice in certain marco's and illegal economy it's money came in through illegally and that money was used to purchase votes or otherwise fund the printed book and claim this would be serious i would geishas that they like the tribunal would have to seriously consider. interesting that you mention

polls actually influencing the vote is a very interesting point how it can influence perception and maybe cause more people to vote for pain yet though i wanted to talk to you though just get your opinion on what will this mean if he does indeed stay seated pretty is already rain the country for decades i mean what do you see happening there if they just continue their leadership there in the country. one of the two sides to it one is the question of legitimacy for her brother so who wins prepare or he left right or center. looks like if they knew it was finally confirmed as president he will come in in a very weak situation similar to six years ago six years ago calderon won by point five percent of what a much closer difference in first and second place but there were very active protests against him it was even difficult for him to take the presidential oath

the chamber of deputies was overtaken by the left as opposition i'm he had to come through a back door they'd cut through the wall so that he could take his oath of office that was very problematic beginning for for his election not because he was accused of having stolen the election this time around when you know it's further ahead six or seven percent but it looks like the social on this content is great larger than six years ago six years ago was the leftist opposition the politicians this time it's spontaneous civil society manifestation of repudiation and fear of the overturn of of the pretty readers because these pretty leaders are well known for being highly corrupt and for being very i for terry and for instance with regard to press freedoms to other sorts of freedoms and many of them self you know was governor of the state of mexico and that's a one party state with mexico no other party has ever rule there in that state over the last eighty years and so if he pretends to rule the country as he ruled his

state we could have a very difficult situation in terms of social protest and authoritarian politics in mexico but it is a very long term for one party to rule john as a professor how do you see your students reacting to this do you see a lot of them getting involved and the activism mobilizing and do you think the resistance will just continue to grow against piri. yes well this is summer break here in mexico i don't have classes so i haven't had a chance to actually speak with my students but all of this was starting to happen at the end of the semester and yes is that the general feeling is that there is a sort of natured among the students to the possible return of the pre if you look at the exit polls for a sense of eloquence actually looked as though it was way ahead among the population that had a high school education or college education the pre-vote is really focused in the rural areas of the country voters who are over fifty and voters who are

a party loyalists and also voters who have only elementary school education the more dynamic sectors of society students use the people in the big cities where although to provoke thought so this really creates a tension a social tension been enough of this not represent sort of the new modern mexico even though in the profile of voters he's more of the old guard back again and sort of a new more than my dynamic society that has access to social networks and that's going to universities those are those people are overwhelmingly in favor of the setting up a sort of order but very critical of. the previous so we could have a very dynamic local situation and here the big question is how is thinking that they're going to respond as you can rest with repression with authoritarianism or if you're going to say well i will definitely be entertaining to find out it seems like there is a lot of dynamics at play and one of the gaps within the generations and thanks so

much for coming on in and breaking down is john ackerman professor at the national university of mexico. syrian leader bashar al assad is accusing the u.s. of hindering peace by ain the rebel forces within the country opposition leaders are asking the west for intervention against his regime but some of the country fear there for their lives in the hands of the rebels are to correspond to maria for notional reports from syria and i should warn you some of the following images are graphic. since the uprising in syria escalated the west has been consistently calling on assad and his government to step down you know defect to link the want to go to the demands of the armed opposition but it seems so far from its nuclear understanding of exactly they are. these fighters of the syrian opposition they're brave determined full of pride they took

the fate in their hands. but for some taken control of their destiny meant taking up arms in this amateur video posted on you tube which cannot be independently verified gunmen calling themselves members of the opposition militia from it live explain why this man was hanged and what really helped the syrian regime and was killing the rebels they say can i mean. on behalf of all fronts let me express my admiration by the bravery overt but this kind of justice only adds more anger to what has already been called a civil war. the terrorists are criminals murderers and i believe kill them is necessary for any citizen to leave us. we cannot ask the opposition to unilaterally give up their struggle for justice dignity and

self-determination in other media whose origin is hard to establish these men say they captured the syrian air force officer then they dispense even more rough justice. the united states will continue providing non-lethal assistance to help those inside syria who are carrying the fight to organize and better communicate. in this video just behind camera says the fight must go on it warns this will happen to anyone who cooperates with the assad government. they are top criminals these people are top of criminality how do they have the right. and when you find your country destroyed our country we've been building our lives. the whole world wants to see a political transition from this illegitimate regime regime to actually see one

that can take care of its people many however fear that should such people force assad to leave scenes like these will become a familiar occurrence and have little faith in western force democracy. where they're talking about democracy in the gulf or in other countries we are syrian people we should decide these things ourselves. this mantra that the syrian people alone should determine their country's future has been repeated by many nations and has finally been recognized by major world powers but why some states still continuing to call on assad to leave and support in his opponents fears mounting syria that this is the people that will pay the ultimate price. my version of ulti from damascus in syria that does it for now for more on the stories we covered go to our you tube channel. america or check out our website r.t. dot com slash usa we also follow me on twitter martin back here in

a half hour. more news today violence is once again flared up. and these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. china operation to rule the day.