The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
NSA in Utah: Mining a mountain of data
In many ways, the new Utah Data Center is the quintessential black box. But a sharper picture of what is likely to go on within its walls has come into focus with recently leaked documents on NSA surveillance, combined with prior revelations, building specifics, information from defense contractors and hints dropped by top NSA brass,…
Read MoreTo Cope with Sequester, Justice Department Staffs Unpaid Attorneys
A ProPublica report finds there are 96 unpaid special assistant U.S. attorneys working for the Justice Department, according to a spokesperson, who said paid assistant U.S attorneys have starting salaries ranging from $44,581 to $117,994.
Read MoreComputer Industry, Unions Big Donors to Immigration Bill Supporters
The 27 senators who voted against an immigration overhaul bill amendment, which strengthens border security but is also a step towards passing the overall immigration package, on average received very little money from the computer industry, human rights groups and labor unions, but did receive heavy support from donors in the agribusiness industry, according to…
Read MoreHennepin Co. commissioner voted for contracts tied to wife’s law firm
The Star Tribune reports Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin has repeatedly voted for multimillion-dollar trash-disposal agreements tied to the law firm where his wife works — and never disclosed the connection. Minnesota law says that officials taking action on a matter that would “substantially affect the official’s financial interests or those of an associated business”…
Read MoreState photo-ID databases become troves for police
The Washington Post reports that the faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver’s-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations.
Read MoreOregon program has $576,000 budget and restores gun rights to three people
An Oregon program designed to help those with mental health histories restore gun ownership rights currently operates with a $576,000 budget and has restored those rights to just three people, according to an investigation by The Oregonian. The program comes from federal money — the result of lobbying efforts by the National Rifle Association —…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: NSA leaks, secret fracking settlements, predatory tire rentals
Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations | The GuardianThe 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA’s history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows. See more coverage of the NSA surveillance. High prices are driving more motorists to rent tires |…
Read MoreEdward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations
In this article published by The Guardian, the 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA’s history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows. Read this IRE Transparency Watch report for more coverage of the NSA surveillance.
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: terrorism fears and chemical plants, mental health gaps, factory farm pollution
Terrorism fears have led government to cloak the danger of hazardous chemical plants | The Houston Chronicle“Around the country, hundreds of buildings like the one in West store some type of ammonium nitrate. They sit in quiet fields and by riverside docks, in business districts and around the corner from schools, hospitals and day care…
Read MoreTerrorism fears have led government to cloak the danger of hazardous chemical plants
The Houston Chronicle published the results of an Associated Press investigation that used public records to find hazardous chemicals stored in the U.S. “Around the country, hundreds of buildings like the one in West store some type of ammonium nitrate. They sit in quiet fields and by riverside docks, in business districts and around the…
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