False Sense Of Security

The Purpose of Government is to Exploit — and Exacerbate — a Crisis

"[..] A similarly skewed set of priorities was displayed in the official response to the killing spree at the Washington Navy Yard. A SWAT team from the Capitol Police was dispatched in response to the shooting – but was reportedly ordered to stand down, rather than intervene in an attempt to save the victims. Twelve people were killed before the shooter was stopped. There are roughly 200 SWAT deployments each day in this country – almost none of which involve the protection of innocent people. Apparently, SWAT teams are reserved for low-risk drug raids and killing 107-year-old men armed with pistols, rather than for responding to actual danger." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Purpose of Government is to Exploit — and Exacerbate — a Crisis

The Purpose of Government is to Exploit — and Exacerbate — a Crisis

"[..] A similarly skewed set of priorities was displayed in the official response to the killing spree at the Washington Navy Yard. A SWAT team from the Capitol Police was dispatched in response to the shooting – but was reportedly ordered to stand down, rather than intervene in an attempt to save the victims. Twelve people were killed before the shooter was stopped. There are roughly 200 SWAT deployments each day in this country – almost none of which involve the protection of innocent people. Apparently, SWAT teams are reserved for low-risk drug raids and killing 107-year-old men armed with pistols, rather than for responding to actual danger." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Purpose of Government is to Exploit — and Exacerbate — a Crisis

U.S. missed ‘red flags’ about gunman

"The security clearances issued by the government are under intense scrutiny as the gunman, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, had a valid pass that enabled him to enter the sprawling Navy Yard, located blocks from Congress. Alexis had a security clearance despite a record of misconduct in the Navy and run-ins with the law, including two shooting incidents and a Rhode Island police report showing he had severe delusions. The 10-year security clearance, which was granted during his stint as a sailor from 2007-2011, remained valid once he left the service under an honorable discharge, according to the Navy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. missed ‘red flags’ about gunman

U.S. missed ‘red flags’ about gunman

"The security clearances issued by the government are under intense scrutiny as the gunman, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, had a valid pass that enabled him to enter the sprawling Navy Yard, located blocks from Congress. Alexis had a security clearance despite a record of misconduct in the Navy and run-ins with the law, including two shooting incidents and a Rhode Island police report showing he had severe delusions. The 10-year security clearance, which was granted during his stint as a sailor from 2007-2011, remained valid once he left the service under an honorable discharge, according to the Navy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. missed ‘red flags’ about gunman

Genetic modification blamed for rejected Washington alfalfa crop

"Authorities were investigating a new suspected case of crop contamination on Thursday – the second in the Pacific northwest in five months – after samples of hay tested positive for genetically modified traits. The investigation was ordered after a farmer in Washington state reported that his alfalfa shipments had been rejected for export after testing positive for genetic modification. Results were expected as early as Friday. If confirmed, it would be the second known case of GM contamination in a major American crop since May, when university scientists confirmed the presence of a banned GM wheat growing in a farmer’s field in Oregon." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGenetic modification blamed for rejected Washington alfalfa crop

NSA Efforts Damaged U.S. Cryptography Standard

"The fix may not be all that difficult—the tainted part of the standard is a highly inefficient algorithm that security experts identified as a problem long ago. In fact, the biggest mystery, those experts say, is why the NSA thought any company or government agency would willingly use that particular algorithm to protect their data. Despite Dual_EC_DRBG’s known flaws, prominent tech companies including Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec and RSA include the algorithm in their product’s cryptographic libraries primarily because they need it to be eligible for government contracts, cryptographer Bruce Schneier says." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA Efforts Damaged U.S. Cryptography Standard

China’s beverage billionaire Zong Qinghou victim of knife attack

"Multi-billionaire Zong Qinghou, China’s second richest man, was attacked and injured by a would-be job applicant wielding a knife, official media said Wednesday. Zong, China’s richest man until he was dethroned last week, is chairman of the country’s leading beverage producer Wahaha Group. Forbes magazine estimates his personal wealth at $11 billion, second only to Wang Jianlin, head of conglomerate Wanda Group, on $14 billion. Zong started his business in 1987 on a tricycle selling soft drinks and ice cream and built Wahaha into one of the top 500 private firms in China, according to the company’s website." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina’s beverage billionaire Zong Qinghou victim of knife attack

Ex-cops get new trial in post-Katrina bridge shootings

"A federal judge tossed the convictions of five ex-New Orleans police officers accused of shooting an unarmed family and firing on others as they tried to flee the flooded city. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt issued a 129-page ruling that cited a lengthy list of 'egregious and inflammatory' comments made online by at least three Justice Department officials. One of the top federal prosecutors in the case questioned how the officers were issued badges in a comment posted on a newspaper website just minutes before jury selection began, according to the ruling. Prosecutors are forbidden under Justice Department policies from making public statements that could influence the outcome of a case." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-cops get new trial in post-Katrina bridge shootings

Court: WiFi Sniffing Can Be Wiretapping Because WiFi Isn’t Audio

"A couple years ago, we were disappointed to see a judge take the technologically wrong stance that data transmitted over WiFi is not a 'radio communication,' thereby making sniffing of unencrypted WiFi signals potentially a form of wiretapping. Indeed, based on that, the court eventually ruled that Google's infamous WiFi sniffing could be a violation of wiretap laws. This is wrong on so many levels... and tragically, an appeals court has now upheld the lower court's ruling. There are serious problems with this. Under no reasonable view is WiFi not a radio communication first of all. That's exactly what it is." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCourt: WiFi Sniffing Can Be Wiretapping Because WiFi Isn’t Audio

Apple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’

"For the privilege to apply, however, the government must try to compel a person to make a 'testimonial' statement that would tend to incriminate him or her. When a person has a valid privilege against self-incrimination, nobody — not even a judge — can force the witness to give that information to the government. But a communication is 'testimonial' only when it reveals the contents of your mind. We can’t invoke the privilege against self-incrimination to prevent the government from collecting biometrics like fingerprints, DNA samples, or voice exemplars. Why? Because the courts have decided that this evidence doesn’t reveal anything you know. It’s not testimonial." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingApple’s Fingerprint ID May Mean You Can’t ‘Take the Fifth’