"Real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness."
"I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon." -- Trump, man of superficiality
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| AUSTRALIA |
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| READ |
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| Department of Justice |
QUESTIONS ABOUT DOJ CYBER TASK FORCE - The
Department of Justice's new cybersecurity task force is confusing current and
former government officials who say it might be an example of unnecessary new
bureaucracy. The task force will study how DOJ
currently combats cyber threats to elections and America's critical
infrastructure, how it responds to mass data thefts and how it handles
investigative hurdles like encryption, according to a Tuesday memo from Attorney
General Jeff Sessions. But experts said the structure and focus of the group
raised serious questions. "I don't understand what could be
accomplished," said a DOJ employee familiar with the department's cyber
work. "It is just way too broad."
The DOJ employee also
questioned why election and infrastructure security was included in
the task force's mandate, given that those missions are the primary
responsibility of DHS. And Michael Zweiback, a veteran former cybercrime
prosecutor in California, added that if encryption is on the agenda, the task
force will need to meet with representatives from Silicon Valley - outreach
that is not mentioned in Sessions' memo. "It remains to be seen how much
added value this task force can offer," said a second DOJ official
familiar with the agency's cyber work.
The new DOJ unit may
be a well-intentioned attempt to focus resources on
an increasingly pressing problem, former officials said, but that doesn't mean
it will work. "A DOJ task force of this kind can be very hit-or-miss and
some are more impactful than others," said Brian Fleming, a former counsel
to the head of DOJ's National Security Division, in an email. Adam Bookbinder,
who spent 13 years working cyber cases at the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's
Office, agreed. "While there is always room for improved
communication," he told MC via email, "it's not immediately clear to
me what constructive measures are likely to come out of this new task
force."
Other former officials
cautioned against prejudging the task force's worth.
"Given the scope and scale of the threat, anything that streamlines
coordination and increases resources for agents and prosecutors could be a good
thing," said John Carlin, the former assistant attorney general for
national security, in an email. "Not every task force delivers: Time will
tell if this task force and its study advance the ball given its very broad
mandate." The second DOJ official agreed that the task force could help
get all parts of DOJ on the same page about "what sort of trends we are
seeing with respect to cyber threats, the kinds of investigations happening and
the investigative techniques being used." Right now, they said, DOJ's
bureaucratic and geographic sprawl "complicate things." [POLITICO's Morning Cybersecurity, February 21,
2018]
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MIKE
PENCE
U.S. Vice President |
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JOHN
F. KELLY
Chief
of Staff
|
Kelly has lots of enemies in the building. Many White House staff feel Kelly walked in the
door with a condescending "daddy's here now" attitude. Based on leaks
I've received from inside the building, the chief of staff has lost the support
of a good number of his subordinates. Several senior staff have privately
questioned his honesty. Several officials told me they believe he lied about
how he handled the Rob Porter disaster (His story directly contradicts the story the White House press shop told the media
in real time.)
Bottom line: Trump resents
Kelly, and no longer gives him the benefit of the doubt. But he hasn’t decided
what to do about that. [Sneak Peek, February 18, 2018]
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H.R.
MCMASTER
Head of the National Security Council
|
ON THE GROUND IN
MUNICH ... Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is getting "lots
of love" at the Munich Security Conference this weekend despite not
attending, according to a tipster. Other interesting moments: National Security
Advisor H.R. McMaster firing back at the Russians, who deny allegations that
they meddled in elections, saying the "the evidence is now
incontrovertible." [POLITICO Playbook,
February 17, 2018]
General McMaster forgot to say
that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the
Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC
and the Dems. Remember the Dirty Dossier, Uranium, Speeches, Emails and the Podesta
Company! [Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump 10:22 PM - 17 Feb 2018]
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LGBTQ
|
California: Insurance
department to investigate insurance denials for gay men. The investigation will identify whether gay men in California
are being denied life, disability or long-term care insurance because they are
taking anti-AIDS medications to prevent them from contracting HIV. The probe
was prompted by an article published
in the New York Times, and comes a day after New York financial regulators on Wednesday said they would investigate the claims.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said such denials "could
amount to illegal discrimination based on sexual orientation under California
law, and if so, the companies doing so could be penalized."[ POLITICO Pulse, February 16, 2018]
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| WOMEN'S RIGHTS = HUMAN RIGHTS |
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| ISIS |
MONUMENT POLICY SIGNS PEPSICO: Pepsico has
hired Monument Policy Group to lobby on "issues related
to trade, NAFTA, and commerce," according to a recent filing. The filing
lists Stewart Verdery, former assistant secretary and consultant at the DHS;
T.A. Hawks, former minority staff director for the Senate Agriculture Committee;
Rich Thomas, former legislative director for Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)
and Kimberly Ellis, former legislative director for Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas.)
In addition to PepsiCo, Monument Policy will lobby for the SAS
Institute Inc on issues "related to judiciary, homeland security,
immigration and agriculture" and for Akamai Technologies on
"telecommunications, cybersecurity, trade and government," according
to new filings. [POLITICO Influence, February 15, 2018]
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| INFRASTRUCTURE |
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| IMMIGRATION |
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| CANDIDATES |
NOTE: The news sources here vary. Not all sources have the same credibility, but in an effort to share some different perspectives, they are included here. This compendium itself cannot claim to be unbiased. Please take into consideration where these different perspectives originate in assessing their value. Thank you
NOTE: I have no official connection to any organization from which information is shared.. Occasionally, I post informational material and/or an opportunity to donate or join as a "community service" announcement. These again are shared for their varying perspectives.
Any books listed are random or topic-related to something else in the post. Think of these as a "library bookshelf" to browse. They are shared for informational or entertainment value only, not as being recommended
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