2014
FBI Director Comey: New iPhone Encryption Shields Criminals from Investigators
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Apple’s privacy features on the new iPhone and iPad protect pedophiles, terrorists and other criminals because investigators can’t access the information, FBI Director James Comey said. The new encryption scrambles information as it travels through Apple services. Comey isn’t happy about that. “The notion that people have devices… that with court…
Column: Americans Have Little Reason to Trust Secret Service After Recent Blunders
By Glenn Harlan Reynolds USA Today Column There’s a connection between the Secret Service’s Colombian hooker scandal and Americans’ increased worry about Ebola. Both have to do with trust. Until recently, if you’d asked Americans to pick government institutions characterized by efficiency and professionalism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Secret Service…
Experts: Secret Service Could Benefit from Hiring Director from Outside Agency
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Some members of Congress and other experts believe the next director of the Secret Service should come from outside because much of the agency’s problems are its insular culture, the USA Today reports. If the White House taps someone with no ties to the agency, it will be the first time…
Wooden Replica of Branch Davidian Compound in Waco Keeps ATF Memories Alive
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com It was one of the darkest days in ATF’s history – Feb. 28, 1993. Four agents were killed that morning, instigating what would be a 51-day standoff that ended with a raging fire and the deaths of about 80 Davidians members. To remember that fateful day, an architectural firm donated a wooden…
TSA Bag Handlers Shocked When They Find Kit for IEDs at Honolulu Airport
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com It’s not everyday that the TSA finds a training kit for military-improvised explosive devices packed into luggage. But that’s exactly what TSA bag handlers discovered in a checked bag at the Honolulu airport. The items included detonators, blasting caps, detonating cord and C-4, the Henry Daily Herald reports. The TSA evacuated…
DEA ‘Most Interested’ in Americans Who Invest in Medical Marijuana Industry in Canada
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The DEA said it is “most interested” in U.S. residents who invest in Canadian medical marijuana, Reuters reports. Some experts say those investors are violating the Controlled Substances Act because pot is still illegal on the federal level. Using a bank to transfer funds also could be considered money laundering. Reuters…
Review of Beleaguered Secret Service Will Be Led by 4 Former Senior Government Officials
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Four former senior government officials will head up an independent review of the beleaguered Secret Service, Washington Times reports. The review panel will include two former officials for former President George W. Bush and two who have served under President Obama. The panel is expected to submit its findings and recommendations…