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Phone Records of AP Journalists Seized by U.S. Government

"Federal investigators secretly seized two months of phone records for reporters and editors of The Associated Press in what the news organization said Monday was a 'serious interference with A.P.’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.' The A.P. said that the Justice Department informed it on Friday that law enforcement officials had obtained the records for more than 20 telephone lines of its offices and journalists, including their home phones and cellphones. It said the records were seized without notice sometime this year. The organization was not told the reason for the seizure." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPhone Records of AP Journalists Seized by U.S. Government

Ohio Appeals Court Forbids Traffic Stop Over Unpaid Parking Tickets

"Since April last year, Dayton, Ohio has been trying to generate millions in additional revenue by towing vehicles said to have unpaid photo enforcement or parking tickets. The city's policy instructed police to pull over motorists and take their car away until the alleged debt was paid. To keep a steady stream of $85 citations, Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia operates ten red light cameras and ten speed cameras in Dayton. In a decision late last month, the state Court of Appeals said Chief Biehl and the city have been flouting the Constitution." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOhio Appeals Court Forbids Traffic Stop Over Unpaid Parking Tickets

Internet Explorer 0-day attacks on US nuke workers hit 9 other sites

"Attacks exploiting a previously unknown and currently unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser have spread to at least nine other websites, including those run by a big European company operating in the aerospace, defense, and security industries as well as non-profit groups and institutes, security researchers said. The revelation, from a blog post published Sunday by security firm AlienVault, means an attack campaign that surreptitiously installed malware on the computers of federal government workers involved in nuclear weapons research was broader and more ambitious than previously thought." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInternet Explorer 0-day attacks on US nuke workers hit 9 other sites

Hacker encourages Florida motorists to ‘smoke weed erryday’

"A clever hacker broke into an LED highway sign in Winter Park, Florida on Saturday night and reprogrammed it to read: 'Smoke weed erryday.' The sign was clearly visible from Minnesota Avenue. It originally displayed a message about a pending road closure. Road signs like this are frequent targets for mischief-making hackers thanks to their ease of access and complete lack of basic security. Although they can be password protected, most road crews do not bother, leaving the default password as 'DOTS.' If they ever do, however, it won’t make much difference: all of the signs have a fail-safe that resets the password back to DOTS." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHacker encourages Florida motorists to ‘smoke weed erryday’

First major hemp crop in 60 years is planted in southeast Colorado

"Springfield, Colo., farmer Ryan Loflin on Monday planted the nation's first industrial hemp crop in almost 60 years. Loflin's plans to grow hemp already have been chronicled, and Monday's planting attracted the attention of more media in southeastern Colorado and a documentary film crew. Its cultivation in small test plots became legal last year under a Colorado law. The passage of Amendment 64 in November allowed commercial growing, even though hemp, like marijuana, is illegal under federal law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFirst major hemp crop in 60 years is planted in southeast Colorado

Vermont Becomes the 17th State to Decriminalize Marijuana

"State lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a measure that will decriminalize possession of limited amounts of marijuana in Vermont. The bill will now be transmitted to Gov. Peter Shumlin, who is expected to sign it into law in coming weeks, at which time Vermont will become the 17th state in the nation to decriminalize or legalize marijuana. House Bill 200, introduced by Rep. Christopher Pearson (P-Burlington) with a tripartisan group of 38 co-sponsors, will remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine, similar to a traffic ticket." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVermont Becomes the 17th State to Decriminalize Marijuana

Medbox: Dawn of the Marijuana Vending Machine

"'We are in the right place at the right time,' says Bruce Bedrick, a 44-year-old chiropractor, occasional pot user, and chief executive officer of Medbox (MDBX), maker of one of the world’s first marijuana vending machines. 'We are planning to literally dominate the industry.' Medbox’s core product resembles a Redbox DVD dispenser, only it’s black, refrigerated, and armored. Bedrick avoids the term vending machine because you can’t just saunter up to a Medbox, put in a few bills, and walk away with a stash of weed. The devices sit behind sales counters at state-licensed marijuana dispensaries." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMedbox: Dawn of the Marijuana Vending Machine

Tommy Chong claims cannabis helped cure his prostate cancer

"Tommy Chong, the veteran star of the dope-fuelled Cheech and Chong films, says he has beaten prostate cancer with a combination of cannabis use and a special diet. Chong, 74, was diagnosed with cancer in June last year following a three-year period in which he said he had been drug free. He now says he is 99% free of the disease after a Canadian doctor helped him change his diet to include a variety of special supplements, as well as hemp oil. He then sat for a number of sessions with a practitioner named Adam Dreamhealer, described as a 'world-renowned healer'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTommy Chong claims cannabis helped cure his prostate cancer

Montana’s Medical Marijuana Industry Goes Down

"The drop was driven in part by a tougher 2011 law on medical marijuana use and distribution. But more than anything, marijuana advocates say, the demise of the once-booming medical pot industry was the result of the largest federal drug-trafficking investigation in the state's industry. The three-year investigation by the U.S. attorney's office, the DEA and other federal agencies wrapped up last week when the last of 33 convicted defendants was sentenced. That allowed its architect, U.S. Attorney Michael Cotter, to speak publicly for the first time on the crackdown. Cotter said he believes he is on the right side of history, regardless of what is happening in the country." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMontana’s Medical Marijuana Industry Goes Down

USPS to raise stamp prices again, blames shrinking delivery volume

"The U.S. Postal Service board will look into hiking postage prices on all types of mail, as losses continue to plague the agency, the chief of the board said Friday. It would affect those sending first-class mail, the most common type of mail consumers use, as well as businesses that mail periodicals, newspapers, magazines and marketing material. In the three months ended March 30, the agency lost $1.9 billion. The service was hurt as the volume of first-class mail decreased by 4.3%, said USPS chief financial officer Joseph Corbett. 'It's extremely difficult to compete with free,' Corbett said, referring to electronic bill paying." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUSPS to raise stamp prices again, blames shrinking delivery volume