We’ve been noting for years: when Senator Ron Wyden says that (1) there’s a secret interpretation of a law that is at odds with the public’s understanding of it, or (2) that government officials are lying, you should pay attention.
Category: Ignorant or unreasonable
GOP Congressman Responds to Ted Cruz’s Proposal: “We Shouldn’t Have a Police State”
Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, on Tuesday declined to endorse Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s call for law enforcement to preemptively “patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”
Source: GOP Congressman Responds to Ted Cruz’s Proposal: “We Shouldn’t Have a Police State”
Blackwater’s Founder Is Under Investigation for Money Laundering, Ties to Chinese Intel, and Brokering Mercenary Services
For more than a year, U.S. intelligence has been monitoring Erik Prince’s communications and movements, probing allegations that he used his company as a cover to set up Blackwater-style operations.
Hillary Clinton Attacks Israel Boycott Movement in AIPAC Speech
Clinton called the BDS movement “alarming” and accused activists of “bullying” Jewish students on college campuses.
Source: Hillary Clinton Attacks Israel Boycott Movement in AIPAC Speech
Prenda’s Paul Hansmeier Continues To Win Enemies, Influence Legislators With His ADA Trolling, Hiding Of Assets | Techdirt
Everyone behind the failed clown school that was Prenda Law deserves what’s happening to Paul Hansmeier. Unfortunately, it appears Hansmeier is taking the most damage from the fallout of Prenda’s disastrous copyright trolling… or at least he’s the one doing most of his suffering in public.
Of course, it’s his own fault. Rather than get out of the trolling business, Hansmeier doubled down. He swapped porn stars for wheelchairs, pursuing small businesses for Americans with Disabilities Acts violations. Fronting as a public interest, Hansmeier’s “Disabilities Support Alliance” is every bit the serial litigant Prenda was.
Now, it’s falling apart. As is Hansmeier himself. He’s currently facing possible disbarment for his participation in Prenda’s fraudulent behavior. He just lost one of his lawsuits against a Minnesota landlord for bogus ADA violations — one out of more than 100 lawsuits he’s filed against small businesses in the area. If Hansmeier’s asked to cough up legal fees, one wonders where he’ll find the money.
Man Faces Prison Sentence For Circumventing UK Pirate Site Blockade – TorrentFreak
A UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit has charged a man for operating several proxy sites and services that allowed UK Internet users to bypass local pirate site blockades. In a first of its kind prosecution, the Bakersfield resident is charged with several fraud offenses and one count of converting and/or transferring criminal property.
Source: Man Faces Prison Sentence For Circumventing UK Pirate Site Blockade – TorrentFreak
US Government Has Apparently Demanded, And Obtained, Tech Companies’ Source Code In The Past | Techdirt
The US government has made numerous attempts to obtain source code from tech companies in an effort to find security flaws that could be used for surveillance or investigations.
The government has demanded source code in civil cases filed under seal but also by seeking clandestine rulings authorized under the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a person with direct knowledge of these demands told ZDNet. We’re not naming the person as they relayed information that is likely classified.
With these hearings held in secret and away from the public gaze, the person said that the tech companies hit by these demands are losing “most of the time.”
Fearing no punishment, Denver cops abuse crime databases for personal gain | Ars Technica
A nurse complained she got a phone call from an officer at a hospital crime scene.
Source: Fearing no punishment, Denver cops abuse crime databases for personal gain | Ars Technica
Comcast failed to install Internet for 10 months then demanded $60,000 in fees | Ars Technica
Tech startup needs a new office because it can’t get Comcast Internet.
Source: Comcast failed to install Internet for 10 months then demanded $60,000 in fees | Ars Technica
ISPs Are Blocking Google Fiber’s Access To Utility Poles In California | Techdirt
And while this is generally an idea that would benefit all broadband providers, it would benefit new providers like Google Fiber the most. That’s why companies like AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been blocking this pole-attachment reform, in some cases trying to claim such policies violate their Constitutional rights. The ISPs figure that if they can’t block Google Fiber from coming to town, their lawyers can at least slow Google Fiber’s progress while they try to lock customers down in long-term contracts.
Source: ISPs Are Blocking Google Fiber’s Access To Utility Poles In California | Techdirt