Yearly Archives: 2017

New York Bill Would Help Protect Privacy, Thwart Some Federal Surveillance

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 12, 2017) –  A New York electronic data protection bill would ban the use “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant, and end warrantless collection of cell phone data in most situations. Passage of the bill would not only protect privacy in New York,…

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Alabama Committee Passes Bill to End Common Core in the State

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (May 11, 2017) – A state Senate committee has passed bill that would end the use of Common Core in Alabama schools. Sen. Harri Anne Smith (I-Slocomb) introduced Senate Bill 415 (SB415) on May 5. The legislation would void Common Core standards and create a framework to establish state standards to replace them. The…

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To the Governor: Colorado Passes Bill to Take on Federal Asset Forfeiture Loophole

DENVER Colo. (May 10, 2017) – Today, the Colorado legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill that would take a big step toward closing a federal asset forfeiture loophole. It now goes to the Governor’s desk for a signature. A bipartisan coalition of two representatives and two senators introduced House Bill 1313 (HB1313) on April 3. The legislation…

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Florida sheriff taunts drug dealers in video resembling ISIS propaganda

"The 90-second video message from Sheriff Peyton Grinnell features a stern message to heroin dealers in his community, as he's flanked by four deputies in body armor and black face masks, who stoically stare into the camera. Some people made comparisons to videos from the Islamic State, the terrorist group also known as ISIS whose propaganda often features masked men delivering fiery statements." Continue reading →

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Some consumer PCs also appear to have dangerous Intel exploit

"If you think you're immune from a scary exploit found in Intel's Active Management Technology just because you're a consumer, think again. The problem is, plenty of consumers use business-class hardware—and not just the fringe who'll buy or inherit commercial-class laptops and workstations. Many budget PCs use chipsets, firmware, and motherboards that were designed for small business machines. These machines may be exposed to the exploit through Intel's Small Business Advantage technology, which is is a scaled-down version of AMT." Continue reading →

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