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Surrogate Son of Accused Mobster ‘Whitey’ Bulger Testifies in Murder, Racketeering Trial
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A man who was considered to be the surrogate son of James “Whitey” Bulger testified Monday against the accused Boston mobster, describing a cold killer who stopped at nothing to protect himself. “I was with him for 20 years,” Kevin Weeks, who was a critical witness, told the court during Bulger’s murder…
Brazilian Official Seeks Protection from U.S. Secret Surveillance of Phone, Email Records
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A top Brazilian official has expressed anger over the U.S.’s secret surveillance of telephone and email conversations in his South American country, The USA Today reports. Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said he’d learned that the NSA has subjected Brazilian residents to espionage through the widespread surveillance of phone and email records. The…
Obama’s FBI Nominee, James B. Comey, Faces Tough Questions about Domestic Surveillance
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to grill James B. Comey about his views on enemy interrogations and government surveillance during a hearing today, The New York Times reports. President Obama’s choice to be FBI director has faced a tough confirmation process in the midst of revelations that the U.S. is conducting…
Obama Administration Removed More than 100,000 Immigrants with No Criminal Record This Year
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Obama administration is deporting fewer people, but his administration continues to oust tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who don’t have criminal records, The Washington Times reports. The deportation of rank-and-file immigrants – more than 110,000 this year – is incensing advocacy groups. “DHS consistently misleads the public about who it…
The Berlin Wall was toppled, the Iron Curtain pulled back
And I can t imagine anyone (in the future) paying more than that, or even that kind of money. If you re spending $1,000 on a Hernandez jersey, good luck to you. You just wasted $1,000.. Beck’s performance has moved him to within striking distance of reaching 100 career points. He has 93 career points…
Leaked Pakistani Report Rips Its Government for “Gross Incompetence” in Hunt for Osama bin Laden
Doug Stanglin USA TODAY Osama bin Laden lived undetected in Pakistan for nine years before he was killed by U.S. forces, according to a leaked Pakistani government report that blasts the country’s civilian and military leadership for “gross incompetence” over the bin Laden affair. It finds that Pakistan’s intelligence establishment had “closed the book” on…
Russia: NSA Leaker Snowden May Be Down to ‘Last Chance’ As Venezuela Gets Involved
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Venezuela appears to be NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s last hope of gaining asylum, an influential member of Parliament said, USA Today reports. Alexei Pushkov, head of the Parliament’s international affairs committee, wrote on Twitter: “Venezuela is waiting for an answer from Snowden. This, perhaps, is his last chance to receive political asylum.”…
NSA’s Surveillance of Domestic Calls Was Permitted by Secret Court in Mid-2000s
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A secret court played a major role in the NSA’s ability to gather phone data on millions of Americans, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court decided in the mid-2000s to broaden the definition of “relevant,” which allowed the collection of millions of people’s phone records. The information includes…