News Story
Former CIA Director Petraeus Faces Sentencing for Leaking Classified Information
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Former CIA Director David Petraeus faces sentencing Thursday for allegedly leaking classified information to a mistress who was writing his biography, Reuters reports. The retired U.S. Army General has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material. But Petraeus won’t be sent to prison because…
Proponents of Medical, Recreational Marijuana Celebrate DEA Head’s Resignation
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The resignation of DEA Director Michele Leonhart is a big victory for proponents of medical and even recreational marijuana. Leonhart was steadfastly – some say stubbornly – opposed to pot use and even ignored President Obama’s assertion that federal agencies should respect the marijuana laws of each state. “The real reason we’re…
Reason.com Editorial: FBI Cuts Constitutional Corners, Breaks Law
Editorial reason.com editorial Does the FBI manifest fidelity, bravery, and integrity, or does it cut constitutional corners in order to incriminate? Can the FBI cut the cable television lines to your house and then show up pretending to be the cable guy and install listening devices? Can FBI agents and technicians testify falsely and cause…
Secret Service Failed to Fix Alarm at Former President Bush’s House for 1+ Year
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com For more than a year, former president George H.W. Bush’s home had a broken alarm system and Secret Service failed to fix it, the Washington Post reports. Although the alarm system monitors the property and the house, the agency rejected requests to replace it since 2010, according to an inspector general…
Justice Department Opens Civil Rights Investigation over Baltimore Death
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Freddie Gray was seen walking and talking when he was placed into a Baltimore police van. But when he emerged, Gray “could not talk, he could not breathe,” Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said in a story in the Washington Post. Gray died after suffering a severe spinal cord injury. Six…
Residents Want Permission to Monitor Border Patrol Checkpoints from Just 20 Feet Away
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Border Patrol are making an unusual request: They want permission to monitor agents from 20 feet away. Two residents of an Arizona town, Arivaca, filed a lawsuit last year, claiming the Border Patrol violates their First Amendment rights and bullies anyone who protests the checkpoint,…
Homeland Security Setting Up Office in Silicon Valley, Plans to Recruit Tech Talent
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Homeland Security is headed for the Silicon Valley, and the federal agency plans to take advantage of the abundance of tech talent. The department will open a satellite office soon, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said at a conference in San Francisco, Mercury News reports. The office will “serve as…
How a Single Hair Led to 39 Years in Prison on False Conviction, Faulty Science
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A single hair has put George Perrot behind bars for nearly 30 years. Perrot, then 17, was tried and convicted of rape and burglary based on a piece of hair found on the bed sheet of a 78-year-old woman who had been raped, The Guardian reports. There was no blood or…