Mainstream News

60 U.S. military members fired in Pentagon sexual assault review

"Sixty people have been removed from jobs as military recruiters, drill instructors and victims counselors as a result of screenings ordered following a jump in the number of sexual assault in the U.S. armed forces, officials said on Friday. The Army said 55 people had been suspended from their positions since screenings ordered by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel began last month. The Navy said it had screened more than 10,000 recruiters, drill instructors and personnel responsible for assisting sexual assault victims and had removed five people from their positions." Continue reading →

Continue Reading60 U.S. military members fired in Pentagon sexual assault review

Russian ‘mobile malware’ industry could spread to other countries

"Businesses referred to as ‘Malware HQs’ accounted for more than half the overall mobile malware detections by Lookout during the first six months of this year. Malware HQs openly recruit ‘affiliates’ that could be anyone and provide simple do-it-yourself tools to distribute viruses with tactics such as booby-trapped websites or Twitter posts. Once on smartphones, viruses fire off premium text messages behind the scenes, with HQs getting the money and sharing it with affiliates who hooked the victims. 'We’ve seen evidence that these affiliate marketers have earned between $700 a month to $12,000 a month from these scams,' Smith said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussian ‘mobile malware’ industry could spread to other countries

Hacker: Sim card flaws leave ‘hundreds of millions of phones’ vulnerable to attack

"A German cryptographer says he has discovered encryption and software flaws in hundreds of millions of phones, leaving them vulnerable to attack, startling peers who had considered sim cards to be relatively safe technology. Karsten Nohl, 31, a respected hacker and specialist on phone security, said the vulnerability allowed outsiders to obtain a sim card’s digital key, a 56-digit sequence that exposes the chip to manipulation. 'What this means is that your sim card can work against you. The hacker can redirect calls, rewrite numbers, listen in on calls.' A criminal hacker, using an ordinary computer, could also commit payment fraud remotely controlling your phone." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHacker: Sim card flaws leave ‘hundreds of millions of phones’ vulnerable to attack

Local traders unmoved by SEC Bitcoin warning

"'The short answer is that financial scams are everywhere and it pays to be cautious about any investment and ensure that you understand it and trust those operating it, before giving them your dollars or your Bitcoins,' said Tulsa Bitcoin trader Ryan Underwood. 'This question of where to place confidence is not a Bitcoin-specific issue but a problem with all investments that make future promises in exchange for taking investor money in the present,' Underwood said. 'The SEC did not protect investors from Madoff despite numerous whistle-blowers coming forward in advance. Only their own diligence could have protected them.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLocal traders unmoved by SEC Bitcoin warning

Obama nominates former Freddie Mac executive to lead IRS

"President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated John Koskinen, who has held a variety of roles in government, to lead the Internal Revenue Service amid a controversy over the agency’s scrutiny of conservative political groups. Koskinen was in charge of the government’s effort to prevent computer failures to prepare for the year 2000, is a former executive of Freddie Mac, the government-controlled mortgage funding group, and served as deputy mayor for Washington, D.C." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama nominates former Freddie Mac executive to lead IRS

Portuguese court orders rehiring of drunk ‘happy worker’ garbage collectors

"A Portuguese court has ordered a waste removal company to rehire an employee it fired for being drunk on his rounds and said tipsy trash men appear happier to members of the public. The appeals court in Porto, a northern city renowned for its port wines, also ordered the company to pay the man 14 months’ worth of back wages. The three judges ruled that the waste collector had not broken any rules on alcohol consumption at work because the firm had not written any. It also rejected the use of a blood alcohol test submitted as evidence without his permission." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPortuguese court orders rehiring of drunk ‘happy worker’ garbage collectors

French president promises to keep ban on Monsanto GMO corn despite court ruling

"French President Francois Hollande said Friday that a ban on growing GM corn sold by US giant Monsanto would remain in place, despite a court ruling reversing the suspension. 'The moratorium will be extended,' he said on a visit to the southwestern department of Dordogne. France’s Council of State court ruled Thursday that the French moratorium imposed on growing MON810 corn since March 2012 failed to uphold European Union law. MON810 includes an inserted gene that makes the corn plant exude a natural toxin that is poisonous to insect pests. This offers a potential financial gain for farmers, as they do not have to use chemical pesticides." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench president promises to keep ban on Monsanto GMO corn despite court ruling

FDA: ‘Gluten-free’ foods now must legally have less than .002 percent gluten

"The FDA began examining potential regulations more than six years ago when Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, requiring the FDA to develop guidelines for gluten-free labels. The agency proposed gluten-free regulations in 2007 but did not finalize them. The delay came from scientific assessments, interaction with the celiac community and a safety assessment to validate 20 parts per million as a safe cut-off level, Taylor said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFDA: ‘Gluten-free’ foods now must legally have less than .002 percent gluten

Florida won’t investigate police shooting of Chechen man during questioning

"State investigators in Florida have rejected a request for an independent investigation of the fatal shooting of a Chechen man while he was being questioned about his ties to one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Florida’s department of law enforcement declined the request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida to look into the death of Ibragim Todashev. Todashev was killed in May while being questioned by FBI agents and others. Officials originally said Todashev lunged at an FBI agent with a knife. They later said it was no longer clear what happened." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFlorida won’t investigate police shooting of Chechen man during questioning

As Keystone stalls, TransCanada OKs bigger East Coast pipeline

"TransCanada Corp gave the green light to building a $12 billion oil pipeline to ship Canada’s Western oil sands crude to refiners on its east coast and beyond, scaling up the project as its U.S.-bound Keystone XL line remains stalled in Washington. The company said it would move forward with building a 1.1 million barrel per day Energy East Pipeline after “strong market support.” That would be larger than the 850,000 bpd capacity it had mentioned in April, when it first began seeking customer commitments for the project. TransCanada is also likely to face stiff resistance from some groups over the construction of the line." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAs Keystone stalls, TransCanada OKs bigger East Coast pipeline