Katie Rucke

Katie Rucke is a MintPress staff writer and investigative report specializing in the war on drugs, criminal justice, marijuana legislation, education and watchdog investigations as well as whistle-blowers. Her investigations related to the coverage of the 2010 Toyota recall scandal, and coverage of the trials of Anonymous hacker and proclaimed activist Jeremy Hammond as well as Bradley Manning have received international acclaim. Rucke has been recommended by the Wikileaks organization as a trusted journalist in 2013. Rucke has also written pieces for Yahoo! and various community magazines. Follow Katie on Twitter: @katierucke

Restrictive Medical Marijuana Laws: A Smokescreen Or Step Forward?

MintPress asks experts: should a state that has implemented cumbersome and restrictive medical marijuana laws really be considered a medical marijuana state?

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke
Medical Marijuana California

What qualifies a state for recognition as one that has legalized medical marijuana? It’s a question that has surfaced in recent months, as some states have passed restrictive medical marijuana bills that specifically outline how patients can consume their medicine, as well as which forms of medical marijuana will be available to patients in that

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DOJ Memo Reveals Big Change To Federal Interrogations

The DOJ takes a huge step forward in terms of what federal agencies will have to record throughout the course of a suspect’s interrogation.

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke
800px-Camp_echo_interview_room

The Department of Justice quietly issued a memorandum to all U.S. attorneys, criminal chiefs and appellate chiefs on May 12, stating that there must be audio and video recordings of all federal law enforcement interrogations of suspects in custody, starting from July 11. The memo issuing the change was obtained and published by The Arizona

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Are US Sanctions Against Iran Fostering Discriminatory Banking Practices Affecting Iranian-Americans?

Bank of America and other U.S. banks are closing the accounts of Iranians in the U.S. and Iranian-Americans, often without notice or explanation.

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke
Iran Sanctions

MINNEAPOLIS --- Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 in Iran that toppled the U.S.-backed dictator, Mohammad Rezâ Šâh Pahlavi, the Shah, the United States hit the Islamic Republic with economic and trade embargoes. The implementation of sanctions -- the blocking of assets and trade restrictions -- has taken an economic and psychological toll on

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A Change In FBI Drug Policy Ahead?

To meet its cyber crime personnel needs, the FBI may need to add marijuana smokers to the payroll.

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke
A sign for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offices in Washington, DC.

Earlier this year, Congress gave the FBI permission to hire about 2,000 additional personnel, most of whom would focus on cyber crimes. But if the agency plans to fill these hacker-like positions, it may first have to change its no-tolerance drug policy. As evidenced by Monday’s announcement that the Justice Department has charged five Chinese

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Report Shows Widespread Torture, Despite UN Convention

An Amnesty International report reveals that the rest of the world isn’t as worried as Americans about being tortured while held in government custody.

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke

A recent report from Amnesty International regarding the global public’s attitudes toward torture shows that people in England, Australia, Canada and even China are less afraid of being tortured by their government than those living in the United States. The report states that only about two-thirds, or 66 percent, of American respondents said

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NSA And DEA Eavesdrop On Calls Around The World

The locations may not make sense — the Bahamas, Mexico, the Philippines, Kenya — but that’s not stopping the DEA from teaming up with the NSA to amass information on phone calls there.

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke
Thomas M. Harrigan, John Walsh

Newly released documents obtained by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden confirm what many news agencies have reported throughout the past year -- that the NSA is working with the Drug Enforcement Administration to spy on people in other countries, without the knowledge of any foreign government, in an operation known as SOMALGET,

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Group That Claims 9/11 Was Inside Job To Distribute Truth Brochures At 9/11 Museum Opening

When the National September 11 Memorial Museum opens, a group will be protesting by passing out brochures that tell the truth about 9/11.

Katie Rucke
Par Katie Rucke
9-11-fake-museum-brouchure

When the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City opens to the public for the first time on May 21, groups arguing that the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 were actually an inside job and that the Twin Towers collapsed as a result of a controlled demolition, will be outside handing out brochures to museum-goers that look nearly identical to

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