News Story
U.S. Government Gets Bigger, Largely Because of Growth of Homeland Security
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The number of federal government workers rose from 1.9 million to 2.1 million between 2004 and 2012, the USA Today reports, citing the Government Accountability Office. Homeland Security grew nearly 4% annually on average between 2004 and 2012. The GAO report, which was released Wednesday, found: From 2004 to 2012, the federal…
Lengel: The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Needs to Do Better
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The issue over the legalization of marijuana is a very heated one these days. It’s also very complicated. Federal law and state laws clash. It’s confusing. An intelligent, mature airing of opinions is not only good, but necessary. But I have to say I found it a little bothersome when I…
FBI Raids Arkansas Company That Licenses, Digitizes Images from Newspapers
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com One of the largest collections of photos from newspapers nationwide is the target of an FBI investigation in North Little Rock, Arkansas, UALR Public Radio reports. FBI agents were seen removing boxes from Roger Photo Archive, known for digitizing photos from newspapers. “I saw a number of FBI agents milling around,” said…
Justice Department Squanders $100 Million on Faulty Grants to Organizations
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Justice Department wasted as much as $100 million by issuing grants to duplicate organizations or to programs that didn’t follow through on promises, the Washington Post reports, citing an inspector general report. “There is virtually no visibility on how grant funds are actually used by the recipients,” said Michael Horowitz, the…
CBP Indefinitely Grounds Fleet of Drones After $12 Million Aircraft Crashes into Ocean
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com CBP is grounding its remaining fleet of nine drones after one of them crashed off the Southern California coast because of mechanical problems, Reuters reports. Monday’s crash was the second involving the agency’s drones since it began using them in 2006. “While on patrol off the Southern California coast, the unmanned aircraft,…
Chicago Tribune Editorial: Should ATF Headquarters Be Named for Eliot Ness
By the Chicago Tribune Editorial Page Chicago We all know crime fighter Eliot Ness brought down Chicago mobster Al Capone, right? Not quite. Ness spent the best years of his life in a hunt to put Capone behind bars, but he had less to do with the final outcome than legend has it. Ness retired…
Updated: War of Words Heats Up in Controversy Over DEA’s Leonhart’s Criticism of Obama’s Remarks
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The war on drugs has turned into a war of words. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FlEOA)is publicly defending DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, who criticized President Obama’s remarks downplaying the dangers of pot. He said it was no more dangerous than alcohol. The Marijuana Policy Project has called for her…
Feds Want to Give a Break to Close Kwame Kilpatrick Confidante Who Testified Against Him
Emma Bell/DOJ photo By Allan Lengel Deadline Detroit DETROIT — Emma Bell, Kwame Kilpatrick’s chief fundraiser who provided helpful testimony against the ex-Detroit mayor in last year’s corruption trial, should get a break in her sentencing Thursday in federal court for income tax evasion, federal prosecutors wrote. In a sentencing memorandum filed Monday, prosecutors Michael Bullotta and…