Category: Politics

Government Politics

US officials say less than 300 phone numbers were investigated in 2012, data thwarted terrorist plots

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As reported on Engadget. By Sean Buckley With all the coverage of PRSIM and the NSA’s data collection have been getting recently, it’s no surprise that the US government is eager to rationalize its actions. The crux of the latest defense seems to be that the government isn’t using its treasure trove of data very often: according to recently declassified documents, the NSA used the database to investigate less than 300 phone numbers last year. These efforts reportedly prevented terrorist…

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Military Politics

Turncoats: How the Taliban Undermines and Infiltrates the Afghan Local Police

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As reported on Wired. BY DAVID AXE ALP commander Toorjan in April 2013. Photo: David Axe   ZARI DISTRICT, Afghanistan — The sound of gunfire was the first sign that the Afghan cop’s loyalty was suspect. It was February in Hadji Musa, a village in the poppy-growing Zari district of northern Kandahar province, traditionally one of the most violent regions in a violent country. 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3-41 Infantry — part of the high-tech 1st Brigade of the 1st…

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Politics

Bombshell New Study Shows That Expanding Medicaid Does Nothing To Improve People’s Health

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As reported on Businessinsider.com by James Pethokoukis I’m not sure if this counts as one those healthcare “glitches and bumps,” President Obama talked about the other day. But whatever term you choose, it’s hardly a good harbinger for Obamacare and its dramatic Medicaid expansion. New results from the Oregon Health Study — a “landmark study” in the words of The New York Times – comparing thousands of low-income people in Oregon who received Medicaid access with those who didn’t found that…

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Culture Photography Politics Random

Pulitzer-winning photography captures chilling scenes of Syrian conflict

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As reported on The Verge. By Aaron Souppouris The Pulitzer Prize winners for breaking news and feature photography have been announced, and all depict scenes from the civil war in Syria. The near-century old journalism prize first began rewarding outstanding photography in the ’60s. This year’swinners for Breaking News are Rodrigo Abd, Manu Brabo, Narciso Contreras, Khalil Hamra, and Muhammed Muheisen, all for the Associated Press, while freelance photographer Javier Manzano picked up the best Feature Photography prize for his…

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Politics Story

‘Russian Banksy’ Pasha P183 Dies Aged 29

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As reported on Businessinsider.com by The Telegraph AP A graffiti with a sign reading “Give to get a ticket home” made by Russian street artist Pasha P183 in a street in Moscow, Russia A prominent Russian graffiti artist who hid his identity behind the tag Pasha P183 and has been compared to Britain’s Banksy has died aged just 29.  The Teatralnoye Delo theatrical production company, which recently commissioned him to create scenery for the musical Todd,…

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Apple Government Politics Random

Chinese state media warms to Apple after Tim Cook’s apology

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As reported on The Verge. By Aaron Souppouris China’s media has reacted positively to Apple CEO Tim Cook’s public apology over the recent warranty issues in the country. As reported by Reuters, the state-run newspaper People’s Daily said Apple’s reaction is “worth respect compared with other American companies.” A foreign ministry spokesperson was quoted saying “we approve of what Apple said,” praising the company for “conscientiously” responding to the issues. Apple drew fire in the press over claims that it was treating…

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Local Politics

A New York police state of mind: Bloomberg’s vision of a drone-filled city doesn’t fly

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As reported on The Verge. By Joshua Kopstein The world’s most powerful mayor welcomes ‘visibility’ — just not in city hall Taking a break from his crusade against sugary soft drinks, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg took some time during his weekly radio broadcast last week to downplay an issue that’s been at the forefront of privacy concerns in a growing number of US states: the use of unmanned aerial drones for ubiquitous police surveillance. “What’s the…

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Politics

Republicans Secretly Think Hillary Clinton Is Going To Crush Them In 2016

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As reported on Businessinsider.com by Grace Wyler  AP As Republicans begin to gear up for the 2016 presidential race, GOP insiders have one major concern that wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the RNC’s autopsy report.  Her name is Hillary Clinton, and Republicans worry that they won’t have a shot against her, regardless of what changes the party makes before 2016. Although most Republican strategists would not go on the record disparaging the party’s chances, in private conversations…

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Military Politics Story

I Tried to Make the Intelligence Behind the Iraq War Less Bogus

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As reported on Wired. BY NADA BAKOS U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Shane Chapman yells for a medic after a car bomb explodes in Mosul, Iraq, March 2008. Photo: U.S. Army   Ten years ago this week, the U.S. invaded Iraq, citing intelligence that turned out to be bogus. I had to work on some of it — and I also had to work on keeping the really, really terrible versions of it out of our analysis. Specifically, I…

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Politics

Why did North Korea just detonate a nuclear bomb?

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As reported on The Verge. By Russell Brandom It’s more about testing politics than testing technology Yesterday saw the first nuclear test since 2009 and North Korea’s largest detonation to date, over six kilotons of force generated from an underground site 20 miles west of the town of Hoemun. It’s a powerful reminder that the country is still nuclear, and still dangerous. But for all the diplomatic damage they’ve incurred, it’s hard to say what they’ve gotten…

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