Monthly Archives: January 2014

CONFIRMED: The DEA Struck A Deal With Mexico’s Most Notorious Drug Cartel

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"El Vicentillo" being presented to the media in Mexico City on March 19, 2009.

“El Vicentillo” being presented to the media in Mexico City on March 19, 2009.

An investigation by El Universal found that between the years 2000 and 2012, the U.S. government had an arrangement with Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel that allowed the organization to smuggle billions of dollars of drugs while Sinaloa provided information on rival cartels.

Sinaloa, led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, supplies 80% of the drugs entering the Chicago area and has a presence in cities across the U.S.

There have long been allegations that Guzman, considered to be “the world’s most powerful drug trafficker,” coordinates with American authorities.

But the El Universal investigation is the first to publish court documents that include corroborating testimony from a DEA agent and a Justice Department official.

Read more at Business Insider

N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers

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By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKERJAN. 14, 2014

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.

While most of the software is inserted by gaining access to computer networks, the N.S.A. has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not connected to the Internet, according to N.S.A. documents, computer experts and American officials.

The technology, which the agency has used since at least 2008, relies on a covert channel of radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards inserted surreptitiously into the computers. In some cases, they are sent to a briefcase-size relay station that intelligence agencies can set up miles away from the target.
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The radio frequency technology has helped solve one of the biggest problems facing American intelligence agencies for years: getting into computers that adversaries, and some American partners, have tried to make impervious to spying or cyberattack. In most cases, the radio frequency hardware must be physically inserted by a spy, a manufacturer or an unwitting user.

The N.S.A. calls its efforts more an act of “active defense” against foreign cyberattacks than a tool to go on the offensive. But when Chinese attackers place similar software on the computer systems of American companies or government agencies, American officials have protested, often at the presidential level.

Read more at The New York Times
Related: Obama to Place Some Restraints on Surveillance

Jackson: Gun owner unarmed, unwelcome in Maryland

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tbo.comHUDSON – John Filippidis, silver-haired family man, business owner, employer and taxpayer, is also licensed to carry a concealed firearm.

He’d rather he didn’t feel the need, “but things aren’t like they used to be. The break-ins, the burglaries, all the crime. And I carry cash a lot of the time. I’m constantly going to the bank.

“I wanted to be able to defend my family, my household and the ground I’m standing on. But I’m not looking for any trouble.”

Filippidis keeps his gun — a palm-sized Kel-Tec .38 semiautomatic, barely larger than a smartphone in a protective case — in one of two places, always: in the right-hand pocket of his jeans, or in the safe at home.

“There are kids in the house,” Filippidis says, “and I don’t think they’d ever bother with it, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

He’s not looking for any trouble, after all.

Read more at The Tampa Tribune

Maine becomes second state to require GMO labels

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Monsanto has threatened to sue other states over labeling legislation; in 2012, the threat of legal action effectively halted a GMO measure that had been advancing through the Vermont legislature.

Top_Stories_Maine-009dc_image_982wMaine will become the second state to require labels on food that contains genetically modified ingredients under new legislation signed by Gov. Paul LePage (R) this week — but only after other states follow suit.

LePage signed the legislation, initially introduced by a Republican state representative, over the objections of agriculture giants who produce many of the raw ingredients that go into everyday foods.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 70 percent of the food products sold in supermarkets contain genetically modified ingredients, the Portland Press-Herald reported.

Read more at Washington Post

Maricopa County GOP votes overwhelmingly to censure John McCain

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JOHN-MCCAINU.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is frequently characterized by his critics as a “RINO” — Republican in name only — but such criticism hit especially close to home on Saturday.

The Maricopa County Republican Party, McCain’s home county, voted overwhelmingly to censure the 2008 Republican nominee for president for his “betrayal” of party values, according to the local CBS affiliate.

McCain was admonished for pushing liberal legislation, backing liberal nominees and for “assaults on the Constitution and 2nd amendment,” the resolution said.

The vote wasn’t even close, with 1,169 voting for censure, compared to just 358 voting against it.

The censure concluded that “until he consistently champions our Party’s Platform and values, we, the Republican leadership in Arizona will no longer support, campaign for or endorse John McCain as our U.S. Senator.”

Read more at BizPac Review

The drunk helicopter pilot act

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Description of the YouTube video above.

During the late 1950’s, the North Dakota National Guard Aviation Facility in Bismarck was formed. The unit flew the Hiller OH-23 Raven helicopter (UH-12 civilian version). In those days, the helicopter was a rare sight in the area, and most people had never seen one up close, let alone fly. The helicopters were displayed all around the region at small towns, county fairs, and centennial celebrations. This was a short comedy display about someone who had too much to drink, and needed some medical attention. They put him in the helicopter while they go look for a pilot that can fly him home. Obviously he takes off by himself. The routine featured some barrel tricks, including blowing the barrel into the announcer. The drunken part of the act was replaced with more precision flying, and eventually with the aircraft just being a static display for liability reasons. Pilot of the helicopter was Col. James Grimstad. A side note, as some of the small towns did not know what to expect when the helicopter was scheduled to arrive at their celebration, a number of them had mowed long runways by the fairgrounds. It was always amusing when the helicopter would over fly the runway they worked so hard on, and land in the middle of town.

Just for laughs updated the gag in 2011.

http://www.hahaha.com Free helicopter ride with drunk pilot, how about it? Protip: When the pilot puts on a parachute and doesn’t give you one, get the hell out of there. A presentation of the Just For Laughs Gags. The funny hidden camera pranks show for the whole family. Juste pour rire les gags, l’émission de caméra caché la plus comique de la télé!

Sheriff’s office seek person for questioning in Oak Creek sexual assault.

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oak-creek-suspectThe Coconino County Sheriff’s department has issued a flyer of a person wanted for questioning in a sexual assault incident in Oak Creek on January 8.

The sexual assault allegedly took place on the Canyon Day use area side of south highway 89A on January 8 at approximately 9:30 am.

The person wanted is a male mid to late forties, approximately 5′ 10″ of medium build and dark brown, medium length hair. He was last seen wearing brown pants with side pockets, a colored sweat shirt and cowboy boots.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s office at (928)774-4523 or toll free at 800-338-7888. You may also call silent witness at (928)774-6111.

Where President Obama’s Promise Zones Can Meet Rand Paul’s Economic Freedom Zones

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Across the aisle, Senator Rand Paul introduced a bill to Congress to create “Economic Freedom Zones” that would reduce taxes and ease government regulation in distressed areas.

imgres2Income inequality is the name of the political game in 2014.

Democrats and Republicans alike have taken on the challenge of addressing America’s rampant, deep-seated inequality as the cornerstone of their platform for the upcoming midterm elections.

President Obama made it clear in his 2013 State of the Union address that the growing income gap in America is the greatest challenge of our time. And just this week, Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Paul Ryan – both potential White House hopefuls – have made the issue their own, with Rubio proposing his own changes to anti-poverty programs and Ryan discussing it with NBC’s Brian Williams.

To be sure, this has traditionally been a Democrat issue and we have recently seen the Democrats push to increase the federal minimum wage and extend unemployment benefits.

Read more at Forbes

Afghan risks US fury over ‘Taliban’ prisoner releases

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_72182267_72182266Afghanistan will release scores of prisoners considered by the US to be a security threat because there is insufficient evidence against them, President Hamid Karzai’s office says.

A statement said there was not enough evidence against 72 out of 88 prisoners previously held by the US.

Correspondents say that the move will further strain relations with the US.

The two countries are at loggerheads over President Karzai’s refusal to sign a security deal with Washington.

The US is strongly opposed to the releases because it says the prisoners have been involved in the wounding or killing of US and Nato troops.

Hundreds of prisoners from Bagram jail have been freed since Kabul took over the running of the prison in March 2013.

The Afghan government says that there is no evidence against 45 out of 88 prisoners, while the evidence against a further 27 detainees is not enough to put them on trial.

Read more at BBC News

Woman Sexually Assaulted in Oak Creek Canyon

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Oak Creek Canyon—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives are investigating the sexual assault of a fifty two year-old woman from Tucson, Arizona who was sightseeing in Oak Creek Canyon on Wednesday, January 8, 2014.

On Wednesday at about 11:19 am the Sheriff’s Office received a call from an Emergency room in Sedona reporting a sexual assault. Deputies responded and conducted an initial interview with the victim. According to the victim she was vacationing in Flagstaff and was driving through Sedona on her return trip to Tucson. She stopped on the side of South 89A in close proximity to the Call of the Canyon day use area for the purpose of looking at the creek. While standing outside of her vehicle the victim was approached from behind and physically assaulted. During the attack the victim was sexually assaulted and at the conclusion of the assault the suspect left on foot possibly in a southerly direction. Detectives are investigating the possibility that the suspect was armed at the time of the assault.

The suspect is described as a white male, mid to late forties in age, with medium length dark colored hair, a scraggly dark colored beard and moustache. He was last seen wearing brown pants with side pockets, a dark colored sweat shirt and cowboy boots.

Individuals who believe they may have information regarding this crime or who possess information regarding the possible identity of the suspect are urged to call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523 or toll free at 1-800-338-7888 or Silent Witness at (928)774-6111.