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Gun Lobby Keeps ATF Under-Resourced, Beleaguered As Industry Grows
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Following the mass shooting in a Connecticut elementary school, attention has shifted to the ATF, the federal agency responsible for regulating the gun industry. A Washington Post investigation found that ATF is inadequately resourced and so beleaguered that it hasn’t had a director in years. Sources said the gun industry, particularly the NRA,…
Pentagon: A Top Candidate for Next CIA Director, Michael Vickers, Disclosed Classified Information
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers, among the possible candidates for the next CIA director, leaked classified information about the hunt for Osama bin Laden to filmmakers of an acclaimed movie, Pentagon investigators have concluded, McClatchy Newspapers reports. The Justice Department, however, has declined to pursue criminal prosecution since receiving the…
Florida Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Hacking Celebrities’ Email Accounts for Nude Photos
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A Florida man who hacked into the email accounts of celebrities for nude photos and private information was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a federal judge, Reuters reports. Christopher Chaney, 36, a former office clerk, said he hacked into the accounts because of an addiction to spying on more than…
FBI Launched ‘Wanted Bank Robbers’ Website to Combat $38 Million in Annual Theft
Steve Neavling tickltethewire.com Bank robbers bagged more than $38 million from banks last year, and the money was recovered in only one in five robberies. To increase the success of nabbing thieves, the FBI has launched a website, Wanted Bank Robbers, at www.bankrobbers.fbi.gov. It’s dedicated to enlisting the public’s help in identifying suspects, the bureau…
Top Assistant New Orleans U.S. Attorney Retires Amid Controversy
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Jan Mann, the first Assistant U.S. Attorney in the New Orelans office, who was embroiled in controversy, has retired from the office, along with her husband, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Gordon Russell of the Times-Picayune reports: Jan Mann was demoted from her dual management posts last month — she had…
ATF: Connecticut Gunman, Mom Visited Shooting Range Before Friday’s Slaughter
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Shooter Adam Lanza, who killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school, and his mom visited a shooting range before Friday’s tragic events, the Associated Press reports, citing the ATF. The agency declined to identify the shooting range or give more specifics What’s clear, according to the ATF and…
Family of Border Patrol Agent Slain Along Border Sues Federal Government
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The family of a Border Patrol agent killed in a firefight along the Arizona-Mexico is suing federal officials, saying the botched “Fast and Furious” gun-running operation put law enforcement authorities at grave danger, the Associated Press reports. The lawsuit is the latest fallout from an investigation that allowed gun-smuggling rings to…
Justice Department Withheld Recommendations on Curtailing Gun Violence Until After November Election
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Justice Department compiled a list of ideas to reduce gun violence but it was postponed until after last month’s elections, the Washington Post reports, citing anonymous sources familiar with the efforts. In March 2011, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. asked officials to draw up a list of recommendations to reduce…