Blogging History: NSA's Prism talking-points; UK top cops' multi-year fraud; Stanley Milgram's shocking biography

One year ago today

Leaked memo details NSA talking points on Prism: It's almost as though the NSA has grown accustomed to getting its own way by sneaking around behind America's back and doing whatever it wants, rather than by setting out its case with compelling logic.

Five years ago today

Hundreds of top British cops defrauded the taxpayer for millions in phony expense racket: Scotland Yard's top detectives were charging millions to their official AmEx cards, taking huge cash-advances at ATMs, buying clothes for their girlfriends, charging custom-made suits bought from mail-order bespoke tailors, etc. One officer charged £40,000 to his card in a single year. These were elite cops from special units — including the anti-terror squad, whose members are charged with inflating their expenses from investigating the 7/7 bombings.

Ten years ago today

Stanley Milgram's shocking new biography: The Man Who Shocked The World is a new biography about Stanley Milgram, the provocative social psychologist whose mind-blowing experiments three decades ago are still highly relevant in today's world of Abu Ghraib and Friendster.