Mainstream News

Report: NSA Mimics Google to Monitor “Target” Web Users

"This revelation adds to the growing list of ways that the NSA is believed to snoop on ostensibly private online conversations. In what appears to be a slide taken from an NSA presentation that also contains some GCHQ slides, the agency describes 'how the attack was done' on 'target' Google users. NSA employees log into an internet router—most likely one used by an internet service provider or a backbone network. (It's not clear whether this was done with the permission or knowledge of the router's owner.) Once logged in, the NSA redirects the 'target traffic' to an 'MITM,' a site that acts as a stealthy intermediary, harvesting communications before forwarding them to their intended destination." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReport: NSA Mimics Google to Monitor “Target” Web Users

NSA chief Clapper: Data spying debate ‘probably needed to happen’

"'As loathe as I am to give any credit for what’s happened here, which is egregious…' said National Intelligence Director James Clapper, 'I think it’s clear that some of the conversations that this has generated, some of the debate… actually probably needed to happen.' Clapper, speaking at a conference in Washington, said the public discussion examining the balance between spying powers and privacy rights 'perhaps' should have taken place earlier. 'So if there’s a good side to this, maybe that’s it,' he said of the Snowden media leaks. His comments were the first time a senior US intelligence figure had portrayed the leaks as sparking a useful debate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA chief Clapper: Data spying debate ‘probably needed to happen’

Senator on journalists who publish leaks: ‘Historically, spies have been shot’

"In a contentious Senate panel hearing about what protections should be available to journalists who receive government secrets, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) said that 'historically, spies have been shot for revealing information,' and that the thinking on a shield law for journalists should proceed forth from that point. Earlier this year, journalists and editors working for the Associated Press found out that the Department of Justice had tapped and recorded their phone calls for more than two months. The Justice Department also used warrants to obtain the emails of reporter James Rosen. In each case, the government maintained that it was attempting to police its internal workings for leakers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSenator on journalists who publish leaks: ‘Historically, spies have been shot’

Two Colorado lawmakers lose recall elections over support for gun laws

"Senate President John Morse of Colorado Springs and Sen. Angela Giron of Pueblo lost their jobs as lawmakers in an election seen as a national measure of popular support for gun legislation. They were replaced by two gun-rights Republicans. Angered by new limits on ammunition magazines and expanded background checks, gun rights activists filed enough voter signatures for the recall elections - the first for state legislators since Colorado adopted the procedure in 1912. The recalls prevailed despite some $3 million in contributions for the incumbents. The recalls were the latest chapter in the national debate over guns - and, for some, a warning to lawmakers in swing states." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwo Colorado lawmakers lose recall elections over support for gun laws

Jordan lawmaker fires Kalashnikov assault rifle at colleague

"A Jordanian MP was arrested after firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle in parliament at a colleague on Tuesday, without causing injuries, judicial and parliamentary sources said. The source said the shooting came after an argument broke out in parliament on Sunday between Damissi and another member, Yahia al-Saud. Video footage emerged showing Damissi removing his shoes and Saud his belt during the dispute, which flared due to differences over parliamentary procedure, before they were separated. In July 2012, a live television debate on domestic issues between two deputies also degenerated into fisticuffs before one of them pulled out a gun and was overpowered." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJordan lawmaker fires Kalashnikov assault rifle at colleague

Police captain, chief, firefighter all sexually assault same teenage girl

"Old Forge Mayor Michele Avvisato confirmed police Capt. Jamie Krenitsky submitted a letter of resignation Friday morning. She declined to comment further, citing pending litigation against the borough. Police charged Mr. Krenitsky and Old Forge Police Chief Larry Semenza with sexually assaulting the same teenage girl around the same period of time. In 2004, the girl, then a 15-year-old junior firefighter, began a sexual relationship with Chief Semenza, also then a Fire Department captain. The relationship lasted until 2007. Former borough firefighter Walter Chiavacci, also accused of sexually assaulting the girl, pleaded guilty to indecent assault in December." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice captain, chief, firefighter all sexually assault same teenage girl

Questions persist after Ark. SWAT team fatally shoots 107-year-old man

"When the time came to move 107-year-old Monroe Isadore to a new home, police say he resisted and barricaded himself inside. Authorities tried using a camera to monitor him, along with negotiating tactics, and finally gas to get him to come out. So, a SWAT team went inside and was greeted by gunfire, authorities say. The team fired back, and Isadore died. The weekend confrontation raised a flurry of questions Monday as residents struggled to make sense of how someone known as a pleasant, churchgoing man who was hard of hearing and sometimes carried a cane had died in an explosive confrontation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingQuestions persist after Ark. SWAT team fatally shoots 107-year-old man

Drug-Sniffing Dogs Pose a Problem in States That Legalized Marijuana

"Police in Tacoma, Wash., aren’t ready to retire their four-footed marijuana sniffers. 'There are several instances where marijuana is still illegal,' says officer Loretta Cool. 'If you are under 21, you cannot possess marijuana. If you have more than an ounce, it’s illegal.' But half an hour north in Seattle, police have stopped teaching drug dogs to recognize pot. 'There’s constant training to make sure their sniffers are up to snuff, where we use real drugs from evidence and a dog is rewarded for sniffing it out,' says Sergeant Sean Whitcomb, a spokesman for the Seattle Police Department. 'Marijuana is not something they are training on—that skill is no longer being reinforced.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDrug-Sniffing Dogs Pose a Problem in States That Legalized Marijuana

Crooked cop admits to stealing $6K from DA’s office

"A crooked NYPD detective pled guilty last week to stealing nearly $6000 from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where he had headed a wiretap and surveillance squad. Michael Bazerman, an 18-year veteran, copped to misdemeanor official misconduct, forfeited his $70k a year pension and medical benefits – worth an estimated $3 million – and must pay full restitution. The Staten Island father of two faced up to 7 years in prison on over 300 counts of grand larceny, forgery and other charges for submitting bogus expense reports to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from 2009 to 2011." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrooked cop admits to stealing $6K from DA’s office

UN report: Afghan insurgents use marijuana fields as hiding places

"The amount of Afghan farmland planted with cannabis fell by nearly a fifth last year after one province launched a fierce eradication campaign, but a bumper crop meant that actual production rose compared with 2011, according to the UN. Overall Afghanistan produced 1,400 tonnes of commercial cannabis resin in 2012, worth around $65 million, the report estimated. Government efforts to stamp out poppy farming may even push up production of cannabis, the report warned. Last year the UN said Afghanistan’s importance as a source of resin for world markets might be growing as more farmers switched to the crop." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN report: Afghan insurgents use marijuana fields as hiding places