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Sam Sacks - page 23

Sam Sacks has 859 articles published.

With Fears of Foreign Influence in U.S. Election Abound, DHS Eyes Voting Machine Vulnerabilities

During a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said that his department was “actively thinking about election security,” and considering granting voting systems new federal protections. Secretary Johnson’s comments, which were first reported by BuzzFeed News, suggest that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could soon classify the myriad of voting machines in use across the nation as “critical infrastructure.” DHS currently identifies 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the US that receive enhanced cybersecurity assistance from the federal government. They include… Keep Reading

First GOP Rep. Jumps Trump Train, Becomes Ready For Hillary

Donald Trump received word on Tuesday of his first defector in the House, as Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) announced he would be voting for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, in November. In an op-ed for the Syracuse Post Standard, Rep. Hanna called his party’s candidate for president a “national embarrassment.” He went on to say that although he disagrees with Clinton on “many issues,” he would vote for her. “I trust she can lead,” Rep. Hanna wrote of Clinton. “All Republicans may not like the… Keep Reading

Weekend of our Discontent: Trump, Clinton Spar Over Dueling Controversies

On the campaign trail Donald Trump insulted the family of a dead US soldier and Hillary Clinton repeated claims that were debunked weeks ago by none other than the Director of the FBI. The events capped off a weekend in an election characterized by sweeping discontent with the nominees of both major parties. Recent polls show growing numbers of Americans considering third party options. First it was Trump’s turn to horrify the nation, with numerous attacks, in press interviews and tweets, against the parents of Humayan Khan,… Keep Reading

Hawks, Neoliberals, Right-Wing Jingoism Shine at DNC Day Three

Speakers during Wednesday’s proceedings at the Democratic National Convention tugged at the militaristic and conservative wings of the party, eliciting jeers from progressives, which, in turn, led to Trump supporter-style chants of “USA! USA!” from the pro-Clinton contingent. Day three of the DNC in Philadelphia included voices such as former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. It was a rightward lurch from Monday, when the party yielded to lefty speakers like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Convention… Keep Reading

Federal Judge: O.K. to Bug Courthouse Steps

A federal judge in California ruled that the FBI acted lawfully when it placed recording devices around the steps of two county courthouses. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton said, however, that the surveillance scheme was “unsettling.” According to filings, the government bugged light fixtures along the steps and in nearby proximity to courthouses in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, in hopes of acquiring incriminating evidence on four defendants accused of real estate fraud. Lawyers for the defense had attempted to suppress the recorded conversations, saying they… Keep Reading

Clinton Campaign Manager Dismisses Future TPP Flip-Flop

Hillary Clinton’s staff moved to reassure voters on Tuesday night that her opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership is solid, and not just a campaign promise likely to be broken if she makes it to the White House. Campaign manager John Podesta took to Twitter to push back against comments that Clinton supporter, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), made to Politico, predicting Clinton would end up supporting TPP. “Listen, she was in support of it. There were specific things in it she wants fixed,” McAuliffe said.… Keep Reading

E.P.A. Looks to Curb Jet Pollution

The Obama administration is preparing a rule that would place new emissions limits on US airliners. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), jet fuel exhaust poses a public health risk and is accelerating the warming of the planet. The agency said it would therefore use its authority under the Clean Air Act to propose new regulations on pollutants generated by the industry. “Addressing pollution from aircraft is an important element of US efforts to address climate change,” said Janet McCabe on Monday. McCabe is the EPA’s… Keep Reading

Trump: US “Not a Good Messenger” to Promote Civil Liberties Abroad

Donald Trump dismissed the notion that the United States has the moral high ground in the world, and said the country should conduct itself accordingly. In an interview with The New York Times published Wednesday, the GOP nominee for President said that the US has little authority to exert itself and “lecture” abroad, and said the US must “fix our own mess” before intervening in other nations’ affairs. “Look at what is happening in our country,” he noted. “How are we going to lecture when people are… Keep Reading

Report: Shoddy Government Work to Blame for Rise in Patent Trolls

A government watchdog released a report on Wednesday that knocked the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for issuing low-quality copyrights vulnerable to bogus litigation. A review of district court filings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the number of patent infringement lawsuits have more than doubled since 2007, with more than 5,000 actions brought last year alone. The rise, according to the GAO, is a result of deficiencies within the US patent office.  The bureaucracy has yet to define what a “quality… Keep Reading

Possible Clinton VP, Housing Secretary Broke Rule, Likely Won’t Face Punishment

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) determined that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro broke the law when he campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton. The violation took place last April, during an interview with Yahoo News, which was broadcast from the department’s recording studio, with the HUD seal in the background. During the recording, Castro praised the former Secretary of State, claiming: “Hillary Clinton is the most experienced, thoughtful and prepared candidate for president that we have this year.” Although Castro prefaced his… Keep Reading

Trump’s Campaign Manager Advocates for Breaking up the Banks

The man steering Donald Trump’s run for the presidency, Paul Manafort, informed reporters that the party’s platform under the presumptive GOP nominee would include a call to break up certain big banks. During a morning briefing on Monday ahead of the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Manafort claimed that the party platform contained language pushing for the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act. He said that its revival was necessary to enact “barriers between what the big banks can do and try to avoid some… Keep Reading

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