Tag Archives: feds

MS Offers Free Security Patch After Feds Give Alert

The Associated Press reports: The National Security Agency has discovered a major security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system that could allow hackers to intercept seemingly secure communications. But rather than exploit the flaw for its own intelligence needs, the NSA tipped off Microsoft so that it can fix the system for everyone. Microsoft released a free software patch …

Read More »

Federal Vaping Ban May Be Coming After All

Bloomberg News reports: A possible ban on flavored e-cigarettes appears to be back on the table, as the White House is currently reviewing a new guidance from the FDA. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) began reviewing the guidance from FDA on Dec. 26. The administration finished reviewing an earlier version of the guidance in November, but …

Read More »

Feds Drop Usage Of “Survey Foot” Measurement

The Associated Press reports: Change is afoot for the official measuring stick used to size up big places in America. The reason? There are actually two different definitions of the 12-inch measurement known as a foot. Some land surveyors use what’s known as the U.S. survey foot. Others use the definition that’s more accepted by the broader world: the international …

Read More »

FCC To Establish 3-Digit National Suicide Hotline

The Associated Press reports: The Federal Communications Commission is setting up a new three-digit number to reach a suicide prevention hotline. Once it’s implemented, people will just need to dial 988 to seek help, similar to calling 911 for emergencies or 311 for city services. Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses a 10-digit number, 800-273-TALK (8255). Callers are routed …

Read More »

Federal Election Commission Effectively Shuts Down

The Center for Public Integrity reports: Federal Election Commission Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen announced his resignation today. This means the agency that enforces and regulates the nation’s campaign finance laws will effectively shut down — something that hasn’t happened since 2008 — because it won’t have the legal minimum of four commissioners to make high-level decisions. Petersen’s resignation, first reported …

Read More »

Federal Reserve: There Are Now More $100 Bills In Circulation Than $1 Bills (And Most Are Held Overseas)

The International Monetary Fund reports: A curious thing recently happened in US currency: in 2017 the $100 bill overtook the ubiquitous $1 bill in circulation volume, for the first time in history. In other words, the most valuable US banknote became the most widely circulated. (The $20 bill is in third place.) According to the Federal Reserve, there are more …

Read More »

Feds Hit Michael Avenatti With 36-Count Indictment

The Associated Press report: Federal prosecutors said Thursday that attorney Michael Avenatti has been charged in a 36-count federal indictment in Southern California. Details of the case were scheduled to be made public at a midmorning news conference by U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna and the Internal Revenue Service, Hanna’s office said in a statement to news outlets. The indictment alleges …

Read More »

2020 US Census Adds Seven New Language Options

NPR reports: Speakers of Arabic — one of the fastest-growing languages in the U.S. — will have one fewer barrier to participating in the upcoming 2020 census. For the first time, the federal government is planning to officially collect census responses in Arabic along with six other new language options for the head count, including French, Haitian Creole, Japanese, Polish, …

Read More »

FAA To Revamp Oversight Of New Aircraft Models

The Associated Press reports: The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing’s new 737 Max raised questions of whether the FAA has gone too far in letting companies regulate themselves, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. For decades, the FAA has delegated some authority for …

Read More »

US Pressures Chinese Company To Sell Grindr Over Security Concerns Regarding US Military Personnel

Reuters reports: Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd is seeking to sell Grindr LLC, the popular gay dating app it has owned since 2016, after a U.S. government national security panel raised concerns about its ownership, according to people familiar with the matter. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has informed Kunlun that its …

Read More »

Avenatti Out On Bail, Vows To Expose Nike [VIDEO]

CNBC reports: Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti denied on Tuesday that he had tried to shake down Nike, and he accused the sports apparel giant of committing a “crime and coverup.” Avenatti tweeted his denial a day after he was arrested on federal charges, including trying to extort up to $25 million from the sports apparel company by threatening to reveal …

Read More »

Stormy “Saddened, Not Shocked” By Avenatti’s Arrest

The Hill reports: Adult-film star Stormy Daniels said Monday that she was “saddened but not shocked” at charges brought against her former attorney, Michael Avenatti. “Knowing what I know now about Michael Avenatti, I am saddened but not shocked by news reports that he has been criminally charged today,” Daniels said in a statement. “I made the decision more than …

Read More »

FDA Issues Warning: Be Careful With Edible Glitter

Via press release from the FDA: FDA wants you to be aware that some decorative glitters and dusts promoted for use on foods may, in fact, contain materials that should not be eaten. Many decorative glitters and dusts are sold over the Internet and in craft and bakery supply stores under names such as luster dust, disco dust, twinkle dust, …

Read More »

Tons Of Ground Beef Recalled For E Coli Contamination

USA Today reports: According to a notice issued Wednesday by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, Cargill Meat Solutions is recalling approximately 132,000 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the cow. Officials said the ground beef was produced and packaged on June 21, 2018, and affects 12 different Cargill products. …

Read More »

Trump Spikes Planned Pay Raise For Federal Workers

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump said Thursday that civilian employees of the federal government will not receive raises in 2019. In doing away with the 2.1 percent across-the-board pay increase that was scheduled to take effect in January, Trump said he was working “put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course.” Scrapping the raises will save more than $25 billion, …

Read More »

Homeland Security To Compile Database Of Bloggers And Journalists, Monitor Content For Their “Sentiment”

Bloomberg Law reports: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to monitor hundreds of thousands of news sources around the world and compile a database of journalists, editors, foreign correspondents, and bloggers to identify top “media influencers.” It’s seeking a contractor that can help it monitor traditional news sources as well as social media and identify “any and all” coverage …

Read More »

Objections Raised After Controversial HIV Researcher With Ties To Abstinence Group Tapped To Head CDC

The New York Times reports: A leading AIDS researcher and proponent of medication-assisted therapy for addiction was appointed Wednesday to oversee the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alex M. Azar II, secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, announced that the agency’s new director would be Dr. Robert R. Redfield, a professor at the University of Maryland School …

Read More »

FBI Disciplinary Office Calls For Firing Former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Days Before His Retirement

The Washington Post reports: The FBI office that handles employee discipline has recommended firing the bureau’s former deputy director over allegations that he authorized the disclosure of sensitive information to a reporter and misled investigators when asked about it — though Justice Department officials are still reviewing the matter and have not come to a final decision, a person familiar …

Read More »

Charges Dropped Against Most Inauguration Protesters

Courthouse News reports: Federal prosecutors will drop charges against 129 of 188 people who were accused of felony rioting after President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said Thursday. Prosecutors will still press cases against 59 defendants they contend were most responsible for the demonstrations, which resulted in smashed windows, property damage …

Read More »

DOJ Blindsided Banks With Reversal On Legal Pot

Bloomberg reports: When the U.S. Justice Department said last week it was reversing policy on the $7 billion marijuana business, it failed to first notify federal officials who advise banks in states where the drug is legal, sources in Congress said. The announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime critic of legalizing marijuana, caused confusion among banks about …

Read More »