Tag Archives: feds

CBS New York reports: Police and the FBI are investigating a suspicious piece of mail that was sent to Donald Trump’s son, Eric. Police were seen outside Eric Trump’s residence at 100 Central Park South early Friday morning. Authorities swarmed the building, known as Trump Parc East, on Thursday after sources told CBS News that a threatening letter was sent …

From Atlanta’s ABC affiliate: A young couple is recovering from severe burns after police say a man threw burning water on them — because they are gay. The victims told Channel 2’s Nicole Carr that they were sound asleep, resting after a long day at work, when they were attacked. “The pain doesn’t let you sleep. It’s just, like, it’s …

Via press release from Lambda Legal: Today Lambda Legal announced the resolution of its lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) brought on behalf of Kathy Murphy, a Texas widow denied spousal benefits after the death of her wife, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (the National Committee). “The Social Security Administration has finally adjusted Kathy’s …

Via press release: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has filed its first two sex discrimination cases based on sexual orientation. The federal agency’s Philadelphia District Office filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Scott Medical Health Center, and, in a separate suit, in U.S. District Court for the …

Apple CEO Tim Cook today issued a lengthy public letter which forcefully denounces a federal court’s order that his company provide the means to hack the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists.  The Associated Press reports: Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says his company will fight a federal magistrate’s order to hack its users in connection with the …

Politico reports: About 1-in-4 federal employees would consider leaving their jobs if Donald Trump is elected president, according the results of a recent survey conducted by the Government Business Council. Overall, about 2-in-3, or 67 percent said they would not think about leaving the federal government if Trump becomes president, but 14 percent said they would and 11 percent said …

“In God We Trust” first appeared on US coins in 1864 and was added to paper currency in 1957 during the height of the red scare. Atheist activist Michael Newdow is trying again to put an end to it, but this time he’s using the Hobby Lobby tactic. Hemant Mehta reports at Friendly Atheist: The federal lawsuit, which was filed …

The Associated Press reports: The nation’s three-decade-old ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men was formally lifted Monday, but major restrictions will continue to limit who can donate. The Food and Drug Administration said it is replacing the lifetime ban with a new policy barring donations from men who have had sex with a man in the previous …

Whoa. Bloomberg Business reports: A boyish drug company entrepreneur, who rocketed to infamy by jacking up the price of a life-saving pill from $13.50 to $750, was arrested on securities fraud related to a firm he founded. Martin Shkreli, 32, ignited a firestorm over drug prices in September and became a symbol of defiant greed. The federal case against him …

Via press release from the State Department: Current information suggests that ISIL (aka Da’esh), al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics, using conventional and non-conventional weapons and targeting both official and private interests. This Travel Alert expires on February 24, 2016. Authorities believe …

Rand Paul wants a federal government “so small you can barely see it.” And part of that plan might include doing away with the USPS. Listen below. In related news, yesterday the Postal Workers Union endorsed Bernie Sanders.

The Washington Post reports: The White House endorsed legislation Tuesday that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, plunging into the next front in the national battle over LGBT rights. Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration “has been reviewing for several weeks” …

Now that marriage equality is the law of the nation, the State Department has announced that it will phase out domestic partners benefits. Via the Washington Blade: Diplomatic and consular posts on Oct. 14 notified Foreign Service personnel that the State Department will begin to phase out the Same-Sex Domestic Partner program on Dec. 14. The SSDP will officially end …

A division of the US Department of Health and Human Services today issued a formal call for the end of so-called conversion therapy. Reuters reports: The report released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) comes less than a year after the Obama administration endorsed efforts to ban the practice, which aims to change a person’s …

Anti-gay Alabama probate Judge John Enslen wants his state’s Supreme Court to rule that only the federal government should have to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. AL.com reports: Enslen also asked that the Alabama justices issue an order declaring the state will only honor same-sex marriage licenses either issued by the federal government or a state that has a …

Freedom To Marry may have already held its “going out of business” party, but founder Evan Wolfson still has marriage battles to fight. Via the Guardian: US embassies in Europe have invited an instrumental figure in the movement to legalize same-sex marriage to visit three countries where it is not yet legal. Evan Wolfson, founder of marriage equality campaign group …

“Why would Obama suddenly bring the hammer down on homosexual prostitution? Maybe, in the wake of the Ashley Madison hack, he wants to get all the client information from this website in federal custody to protect the identities of his political and social friends who may be customers. Or Obama believes, with homosexuality being the flavor of the year in …

Breaking news from New York City’s NBC affiliate: Federal agents raided the Manhattan headquarters of RentBoy.com as part of a money laundering and state prostitution investigation Tuesday, law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York. Seven people, including a high-ranking executive, were arrested as part of the RentBoy.com raid at the offices on 14th Street and Fifth Avenue, the sources …

If you are living in one of the eleven states that didn’t have same-sex marriage until the Obergefell ruling, the federal government will now retroactively offer Social Security spousal benefits. The Hill reports: Susan Sommer of Lambda Legal said the government’s decision “could right a wrong for hundreds of same-sex spouses” who lived in the 11 states that didn’t recognize …

From the Human Rights Campaign: Four new major American companies have become the latest to endorse the Equality Act, federal legislation that would establish full, federal equality for all LGBT Americans. In doing so, these leading companies – IBM, Oracle, Orbitz, and Symantec – made clear that they believe all LGBT Americans should have the protections from discrimination in federal …