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Sam Sacks - page 71

Sam Sacks has 859 articles published.

Watchdog Blasts Over-classification of TSA Report

The Transportation Security Administration is under fire from its inspector general for pushing back against revelations the watchdog made about information technology systems. “Over-classification is the enemy of good government,” said John Roth, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, in a statement released on Friday. The dispute was sparked by a report released by Roth’s office earlier this month, investigating the security of TSA IT systems at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Before its publication, TSA officials classified some of the… Keep Reading

Lawmakers Demand Explanation from DOJ Over New Radar Technology

A duo of lawmakers who steer the Senate Judiciary Committee are calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to defend new technology in the hands of law enforcement that allows cops to peer inside peoples’ homes without a warrant. “Technology that can essentially look inside peoples’ homes presents privacy concerns of the highest order,” said Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (R-Vt.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a letter to the Attorney General on Thursday. This week, USA TODAY… Keep Reading

DOJ Not Doing Enough to Stop Agents’ Frat Boy Partying Overseas

Almost three years after a presidential visit to Colombia resulted in federal agencies disciplining agents for hard-partying, a government watchdog says one department still doesn’t have policies in place to prevent future shenanigans abroad. The Department of Justice “lacks Department-wide policies and training requirements that address off-duty conduct, whether in the United States or foreign countries,” according to DOJ’s inspector general in a report released on Thursday. The investigation into department policies regarding off-duty conduct overseas was prompted following April 2012 incidents in Cartagena. Although… Keep Reading

Dem Communication Chair Speaks Out Against Administration Trade Deals

The lawmaker in charge of crafting and publicizing policy for House Democrats pushed back against President Obama’s renewed drive for international trade agreements. “Trade is going to be a very significant debate,” Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Chair, said on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Thursday morning. “At the end of the day, I’m going to have to see in a trade deal that we’re not just increasing Gross Domestic Product, we’re increasing actual paychecks,” he said. In his State of the… Keep Reading

Republicans’ Own Witnesses Attack GOP Net Neutrality Proposal At Hearing

With a little over a month to go until the Federal Communications Commission votes on new Net Neutrality rules, congressional Republicans are trying to preempt the commission’s actions with legislation that they claim will keep the internet open. But in a subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, a host of witnesses representing businesses and interest groups warned the lawmakers who invited them that their actions are misguided. “We are concerned that the proposal does not ban all types of discrimination online, leaving loopholes that could easily be… Keep Reading

In Sixth State of the Union, Too Little Too Late

No one in the liberal punditry class wants to read it, but a giant invisible elephant will be waving a sign as President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. It’s going to say: “None of this will happen.” In the weeks leading up to the annual speech, the administration has unveiled a series of progressive proposals that have reignited the Democratic base and buoyed the President’s approval ratings, only two-and-a-half months after Republicans bullied their adversaries in midterm elections. From… Keep Reading

Purse String-holding Senator Vows to Work “Hand and Glove” with Chamber of Commerce

A Republican Senator holding the reins of the body’s influential finance committee talked about working intimately with the nation’s largest business lobby to implement a legislative agenda throughout the 114th Congress. . In what was referred to as a “Prebuttal” to the President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) touched on tax reform, international trade, and healthcare in a speech at the US Chamber of Commerce. He promised to give the business lobby plenty of input when it comes to… Keep Reading

British Spying on New York Times Should Have Americans Directing Questions Toward Washington

Many ties bind the US to unsavory government around the world, but perhaps Washington’s most perverse strategic affixment isn’t with a military dictator, strongman, or banana republic. Documents provided to the Guardian by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden reveal that the Government Communications Headquarters, a British intelligence agency, has conducted mass surveillance on journalists, and listed independent muckrakers as a security threat. “Emails from the BBC, Reuters, the Guardian, the New York Times, Le Monde, the Sun, NBC and the Washington Post were saved by… Keep Reading

U.S. Boots on the Ground to Extend Syrian Intervention Mission Creep

Hundreds of US troops are deploying to the Middle East on a mission to boost the odds of a moderate rebel victory in Syria’s civil war. The news, reported on Thursday night, comes after Congress appropriated funds last December to help arm and train elements of the moderate Syrian opposition in their fight against both the Assad government and forces aligned with the Islamic state or al Qaeda. According to Defense One, more than 400 troops will be dispatched to Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia… Keep Reading

White House Won’t Dismiss Cameron’s Anti-Encryption Crusade

The White House refused to rule out the possibility that the federal government will move to drill backdoors in new, encrypted communications technology, ahead of a meeting with a key foreign ally who’s vowing to do just that. At Thursday’s White House press briefing, spokesman Josh Earnest took an aggressive posture toward tech companies like Apple and Facebook that offer encrypted communications services. “None of these technology companies want to be in a position where they are aiding and abetting people who wants to use… Keep Reading

Boehner Hails FISA for Thwarting Capitol Attack Set Up by FBI

One day after federal authorities arrested a man they claimed was plotting to blow up the US Capitol building, Speaker of the House John Boehner is applauding notorious surveillance programs for the disruption, while failing to offer any evidence to support his claims. “We live in a dangerous country and we get reminded every week of the dangers that are out there,” said Speaker Boehner (R-Ohio), while briefing reporters at the Republicans leadership retreat in Hershey, Pa. “The first thing that strikes me is we… Keep Reading

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