News Story
Homeland Security Boosts Security for European Travelers to U.S. Over Terror Concerns
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Travelers flying to the U.S. on Western passports will face increased screenings as Homeland Security officials express concern about European Islamic militants trying to launch attacks, the Los Angeles Times reports. The idea is to “to learn more about travelers from countries from whom we do not require a visa,” Homeland…
Former FBI Agent Hired by School District to Scour Social Media Comments by Students
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com One school district in Alabama has taken the unusual step of hiring a former FBI agent to monitor students on social media, the Daily Intelligencer reports. The idea was to catch students who make statements linking them to drugs, guns, sex and gangs. The effort led to 14 expulsions last year….
New York Times: FBI Deception Goes Too Far in Investigating Gambling Ring
New York Times Editorial Board If your Internet service goes down and you call a technician, can you be certain that the person who arrives at your door is actually there to restore service? What if he is a law enforcement agent in disguise who has disabled the service so he can enter your home…
Armed Security Guard Who Took Elevator Trip with President Obama Was Fired
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The highlight of Kenneth Tate’s career as a private security guard was riding an elevator with President Obama in Atlanta. That ride has cost Tate his $42,000-a-year job, the New York Times reports. President Obama was visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when Tate took the elevator ride. It…
FBI Agent’s Alleged Misconduct Forces Mass Release of Convicts, Suspects
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Alleged misconduct by an FBI agent has forced authorities to release at least a dozen convicts from prison, the Washington Post reports. Others awaiting trial on drug charges also have been freed as investigators examine the agent’s role in the case. It’s not yet clear what the agent is suspected of…
Justice Department Lacks Evidence to Warrant Civil Rights Charges Against Ferguson Cop
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Not enough evidence exists to bring civil rights charges against the white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, investigators for the Justice Department said. The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department is reluctant to acknowledge the lack of evidence because of high tensions in the…
Coffee, Anyone? Homeland Security Spends $30,000 at Starbucks Using ‘Purchase Cards’
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Homeland Security officials appear to have an affinity for Starbucks. NBC-4 Washington reports that Homeland Security employees spent $30,000 at the coffee chain in 2013. The drinks were bought with so-called purchase cards. At a Starbucks in Alameda, Calif., agency employees spent $12,000. “I don’t know the agency’s needs or contingencies,…