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Sam Sacks - page 42

Sam Sacks has 859 articles published.

Budget Deal Struck By “Barn-Cleaner” Boehner Could Neuter Tea Party Until 2017

Speaker of the House John Boehner is likely to be out of job and back in Ohio by the end of the month, but not before delivering a parting shot at the forces that ran him out of Washington. Power brokers on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are throwing support behind a two-year budget deal that would keep the government open and its bills paid through 2017. The agreement would take off the table the sort of fiscal brinksmanship that for years right wing legislators… Keep Reading

U.S. Navy Sending Ships To Challenge Chinese Territorial Claims—Cue Sen. McCain Victory Lap

The White House stated that the US would “operate, fly, or sail anywhere that international law allows”—a message intended to challenge controversial Chinese claims to artificial islands in the South China Sea. The pronouncement came shortly after a US defense official confirmed to Reuters that the USS Lassen destroyer had been scheduled within 24 hours of Monday morning, Eastern Standard Time, to sail within twelve nautical miles of outposts assembled by China more than 1,000 miles off of its mainland. Administration Spokesperson Josh Earnest told reporters Monday… Keep Reading

Social Security Admin Feels Pressure From Capitol Hill for Giving Grief to Same Sex Spouses

The Social Security Administration isn’t “evolving” as quickly as certain policymakers and the Supreme Court when it comes to addressing the needs of Americans in same-sex marriages. More than 120 Democratic Representatives and Senators on Monday called on Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Carolyn Colvin to take responsibility for failing to update computer systems in the wake of historic Supreme Court decisions that validated gay and lesbian marriages across the nation. The glitches have resulted in lingering discrimination, the lawmakers claimed. They said that “for some… Keep Reading

The Tax Man Has His Own “Stingray”

Controversial cell phone surveillance technology has been found in the possession of another government agency not previously known to have it: the Internal Revenue Service. A week after federal law enforcement officials with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security testified on Capitol Hill about new regulations intended to bring more legal oversight and transparency over law enforcement officers’ use of cell site simulators, also known as “stingrays,” a new report revealed the Treasury Department also has the technology in its employ. Invoices obtained by The… Keep Reading

District Sentinel Radio Episode 12: Radio-ghazi

Hillary Clinton may have finally escaped the Benghazi controversy for good–but her decisions in Libya will continue to haunt her. Plus, the FBI Director defends warrantless surveillance flights. New restrictions on “stingrays” have flaws. And the latest on cyber information sharing legislation. Keep Reading

FBI Director Defends Baltimore Spy Flights, Says It’s Helpful To Know “Where Are People Gathering”

FBI Surveillance flights over Baltimore and Ferguson as residents of those cities engaged in civil disobedience against racially-motivated police violence were lawful and useful, bureau Director James Comey claimed Thursday. Comey said that the missions were flown at the behest of local law enforcement in each case, as demonstrations raged against the killings of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray by city cops. “If there is tremendous turbulence in a community, it’s useful to everybody—civilians and law enforcement—to have a view of what’s going on,” Comey… Keep Reading

Lawmakers Highlight Weaknesses In New Federal Cell Phone Surveillance Guidelines

Federal law enforcement officials were forced to admit that there are shortcomings in new policies implemented to address privacy concerns related to airplane-mounted surveillance devices. Justice Department Office of Legal Policy head Elana Tyrangiel acknowledged that the rules on cell site simulators do not apply to local police departments, except on occasions when they are working in conjunction with federal authorities. She said that it would be “complicated and difficult” for the DOJ to oversee the use of the so-called “stingrays” at the state and… Keep Reading

Disagreements Over Guantanamo, Pentagon “Slush Fund” to Precipitate Obama’s First N.D.A.A. Veto

The White House will veto a critical annual defense policy poll, claiming the legislation contained “irresponsible” spending gimmicks and onerous burdens restricting the administration’s efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. In a photo op Thursday afternoon, President Obama will cast his fifth veto since taking office—the fewest of any President since James Garfield. It will be the first time he wields the authority to reject a National Defense Authorization Act, despite a lengthy history of regular disagreements with Congressional Republicans over national… Keep Reading

Feds Funneled Billions To Charter Schools; Have No Clue Where The Money Went

An investigation into federal funding for charter schools revealed that American taxpayers have been kept in the dark about how their money is being used to bolster education profiteers. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released a report on Wednesday highlighting transparency woes related to more than three billion dollars spent at the federal level since 1995 to proliferate charter schools around the nation. According to CMD, the Department of Education has very little information on how much money it has granted to charter school organizations… Keep Reading

Threat Overblown? Only Six Americans Have Tried To Join ISIL In Last Three Months

The Director of the FBI informed lawmakers Wednesday that even fewer Americans from before have been trying to join the ranks of the Islamic State (ISIL) in the past three months. James Comey said in testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee that only six individuals attempted to hook up with the group over the last 100 days. “We are seeing fewer people attempt to travel to join ISIL in Syria,” Comey claimed. “We were seeing nine per month in all the months before that,”… Keep Reading

Congress, Courts Protect California Medical Pot Dispensaries From D.O.J. Overreach

In a move that could have set an important legal precedent, a federal judge cited Congressional intent to protect a California medical marijuana dispensary from being shut down by the feds. US District Judge Charles Breyer on Monday barred the Department of Justice from proceeding with legal actions to shutter the state’s first licensed pot dispensary, pointing to a budget amendment passed by Congress at the end of 2014. The policy rider prohibited the DOJ from using funds to crackdown on medical marijuana sellers complying with state… Keep Reading

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