Homeland Stupidity

New York Mall Kiosks Raided by Homeland Security for “Terrorism” Goods

"Some people still might be unaware of just how long the reach of Homeland Security has become. How about counterfeit goods as possible terrorism? That is what has been suggested fairly recently as DHS has begun to conduct an increasing number of raids in several states over the past few years aimed at rooting out this 'threat to our liberty and economy.' Operations such as 2012's 'Operation Fashion Faux Pas' was part of a six-month crackdown that closed 20 businesses. As the video below illustrates, hundreds of others have been swept up in similar raids, many of which began by scouring the Internet for key words and indicators of illegal activity." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York Mall Kiosks Raided by Homeland Security for “Terrorism” Goods

After You Read This Kid’s Story, You’ll Think Twice About What You Post On Facebook.

"Meet Cameron D’Ambrosio. He’s 18 and lives in a small town outside Boston. He wants to be a rapper and calls himself 'Cammy Dee' in his YouTube videos. He’s been locked up without bail for weeks — facing terrorism charges and 20 years in prison — all for something he posted on Facebook. On May 1st, Cam was skipping school and messing around online. He posted some lyrics that included a vague reference to the Boston Marathon Bombing and called the Whitehouse a 'federal house of horror.' Shortly after that he was arrested and charged with Communicating a Terrorist Threat, a felony that carries 20 years in prison." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfter You Read This Kid’s Story, You’ll Think Twice About What You Post On Facebook.

Runaway goat leads New Jersey police on 90-minute highway chase

"A runaway goat on a New Jersey highway caused a four-car pileup Tuesday after leading police on an hour-and-a-half chase across a major highway. Now nicknamed 'Sky' for Tuesday’s episode on the Pulaski Skyway, the goat has been turned over to a rescue farm in Wantage, New Jersey, according to The Jersey Journal. But for a little while there, it didn’t look good for Sky as she was jumping over the highway’s divider and leaping atop cars trying to dodge police. While unharmed through the incident, it’s likely that she was on her way to a slaughterhouse and somehow escaped." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRunaway goat leads New Jersey police on 90-minute highway chase

While questioning him, FBI shoots and kills man connected to Marathon bombing suspect

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation visited the man, identified by CBS and an Orlando news outlet as 26-year-old Chechnyan national Ibragim Todashev, early Wednesday morning. WKMG-TV reported that Todashev was being observed by the Bureau because of a past association with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing case who was killed in a firefight with police on April 19. CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reported that 'something went wrong' while Todashev was being interviewed by agents. The Associated Press reported on Twitter that he became violent during questioning." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhile questioning him, FBI shoots and kills man connected to Marathon bombing suspect

Using a Gun to Save a Child’s Life in DC Will Get You a $1,000 Fine

"We have what at first seems like a feel-good story. A little boy is attacked by some vicious pit bulls. Other people in the neighborhood flee to protect themselves. But one man acts quickly and saves the child’s life. Mr. Srigley seems like a great guy. Or at least a guy who did something great. Surely he was rewarded, right? Did he get a commendation from the police department? A ceremonial key to the city from the Mayor? Don’t be silly. We’re talking about Washington, DC." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUsing a Gun to Save a Child’s Life in DC Will Get You a $1,000 Fine

Fort Hood shooting suspect paid $278,000 by Pentagon while in jail

"In a response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the station, the Defense Department confirmed that Nidal Hasan has continued to receive his usual salary while awaiting trial for an attack killing 13 service members and wounding 32 others due to a clause in the Military Code of Justice preventing his salary from being suspended unless he is proven guilty. Jury selection for Hasan’s trial is scheduled for May 29, with testimony set to begin on July 1. At the same time, the station reported that the Army has refused to classify the victims’ injuries as 'combat-related,' denying them wartime benefits accorded to service members and combat-related pay." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFort Hood shooting suspect paid $278,000 by Pentagon while in jail

Drones are cheaper and more powerful. In US, that’s a problem, lawmakers told

"With much of Capitol Hill riveted by IRS audits, AP phone records, and Benghazi e-mails, top US scholars gathered to testify in a little-watched congressional hearing that unmanned aircraft carrying cameras raise the specter of a 'significant new avenue for surveillance of American life,' as Christopher Calabrese, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, characterized it for lawmakers Friday. 'Many Americans are familiar with these aircraft – commonly called drones – because of their use overseas in places like Afghanistan and Yemen. But drones are coming to America,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDrones are cheaper and more powerful. In US, that’s a problem, lawmakers told

Gitmo-izing Air Passengers

"Sometimes the most unpleasant and important truths are disclosed in unintended ways. Speaking on behalf of military officials at Guantanamo, Lt. Col. Samuel House denied that the searches are abusive. According to House, the searches imposed on Gitmo detainees 'are conducted with clothes on, similar to pat-down searches conducted by an airport security screener.' Doesn’t this mean that it is standard operating procedure for TSA screeners to treat innocent American air travelers as if they were Gitmo detainees?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGitmo-izing Air Passengers

It’s time to tell the TSA what you really think of it – and for it to listen

"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ordered the TSA to engage in something known as notice-and-comment rulemaking on its screening procedures, and specifically its use of full-body scanners. You can leave your comment at the Federal Register website until June 24th. The TSA hopes the public it’s assigned to protect will approve of the scanners and the way they’re used. But it promises to 'review and analyze' the comments to develop a final rule related to the use of airport scanners. What could they do? That isn’t entirely clear. The lengthy document seems to suggest that four options are on the table." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIt’s time to tell the TSA what you really think of it – and for it to listen

The Feds Are Cracking Down On Mt. Gox (Not On Bitcoin)

"It’s important to note here that Homeland Security is not cracking down on Bitcoin itself, just on how it’s being exchanged by Mt. Gox. This is actually good news for Mt. Gox’s US-based competitors, such as Seattle-based CoinLab and San Francisco-based Coinbase, Bitcoin exchanges that have registered with the Treasury Department as money transmitters and thus are in the legal clear to conduct Bitcoin $ exchanges. Mt. Gox’s legal troubles don’t seem to be affecting the value of Bitcoin, which has been hovering in the $115 range for the last week." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Feds Are Cracking Down On Mt. Gox (Not On Bitcoin)