News Story
Congress Is About to Block the Feds from Cracking Down on Medical Marijuana
By Tim Burger Vice WASHINGTON –– On the eve of the deadline to pass spending legislation that will avoid another government shutdown debacle, Congress appears poised to send a bill to President Obama that would ban the Department of Justice from meddling with state medical marijuana laws. Tucked at the bottom of page 213 of…
Hacking Attack on Sony Pictures Was Alarmingly Sophisticated, FBI Said
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The hacking attack on Sony Pictures was so sophisticated and unprecedented that most governments and companies could not have defended against it, Variety reports. An FBI official gave an alarming assessment of the attack to a Senate Committee on Wednesday. “The malware that was used would have slipped, probably would have…
Federal Judge Sets Deadline on DOJ’s Decision to Subpoena NYT Reporter
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A federal judge has given the Justice Department until Tuesday to decide whether to subpoena New York Times reporter James Risen to testify against a CIA operative who allegedly leaked classified information to the journalist, the Huffington Post reports. U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema issued the order Tuesday. Former CIA…
Border Patrol Agent Accused of Fatally Shooting Man over Argument Pleads Not Guilty
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A Border Patrol agent accused of fatally shooting a 27-year-old man following an argument last month pleaded not guilty Wednesday, CBSLA.com reports. John Richard Demery, 40, is charged in the killing of Adam Thomas in an early morning dispute. Demery was off-duty at the time. Prosecutors said the confrontation may have…
Border Patrol Agents Intercept Invasive Insects from Latin American Cargo
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Border Patrol agents aren’t just worried about illegal immigrants and terrorists entering the U.S. Fox News reports that CBP agriculture specialists intercepted invasive insects coming from in on container ships. “Keeping these insect pests out of the United States is of grave concern for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and our…
Suspected Drug Smuggler Sues U.S. After Border Patrol Dog Mauls Him
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A drug smuggler mauled by a Border Patrol dog while trying to bring drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border is suing the federal government, The Week reports. Jose Manual Marino-Najera, 31, said he crossed the border into Arizona and fell asleep under a tree when the dog mauled him. The lawsuit claims…
FBI Director Refuses to Say “Never” When It Comes to Agents Impersonating Reporters
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com FBI Director James Comey said he’s unwilling to pledge an end to agents posing as reporters, but emphasized that such a tactic should be rare and “done carefully with significant supervision, if it’s going to be done,” the Seattle Times reports. The comments at a round-table discussion with reporters came after…
Justice Department Says It Won’t Reopen Criminal Probe Into Torture Cases
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Justice Department roiled civil rights advocates on Tuesday by saying it would not reopen a criminal probe into the CIA’s handling of terrorism suspects following a sobering report about torture, the USA Today reports. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report disclosed several types of abuse – water-boarding, extreme sleep deprivation and others…