WindBourne writes: Newt Gingrich and an eclectic band of NASA skeptics are trying to sell President Donald Trump on a reality show-style plan to jump-start the return of humans to the moon — at a fraction of the space agency’s estimated price tag. The proposal, whose other proponents range from an Air Force lieutenant general to the former publicist for pop…
Tag: Politico
Trump repeatedly asks NASA administrator why we can’t go straight to Mars
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/19/20701061/president-trump-nasa-administrator-jim-bridenstine-artemis-mars-direct-moon-apollo-11…
Trump White House Reportedly Debating Encryption Policy Behind Closed Doors
According to a report in Politico, the Trump administration held a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday that weighed the challenges and benefits of encryption. “One of Politico’s sources said that the meeting was split into two camps: Decide, create and publicize the administration’s position on encryption or go so far as to ask Congress for legislation to ban end-to-end encryption,”…
Congress Scraps Provision To Restrict IRS From Competing With TurboTax
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ProPublica: Congressional leaders are planning to scrap a provision of an IRS reform bill making permanent the Free File deal between the government and private tax filing companies, torpedoing a long-sought goal by industry giant Intuit, the maker of TurboTax. The development, first reported by Politico Pro and confirmed to ProPublica by a House…
Software Vendor May Have Opened a Gap For Hackers in 2016 Swing State
A Florida election software company targeted by Russians in 2016 inadvertently opened a potential pathway for hackers to tamper with voter records in North Carolina on the eve of the presidential election, POLITICO reported on Wednesday, citing a document and a person with knowledge. From the report: VR Systems, based in Tallahassee but with customers in eight states, used what’s known…
Pipeline Protesters Could Face up to 20 Years in Prison Under New Trump Proposal
Jake Johnson – The Trump administration unveiled a proposal that would criminalize pipeline protests at the federal level. Source: https://www.wakingtimes.com/2019/06/04/pipeline-protesters-could-face-up-to-20-years-in-prison-under-new-trump-proposal/…
To Protect Secrets, US Won’t Charge Assange Over Exposing CIA Tools, Reports Politico
Some interesting news from Politico. America’s Justice Department will still prosecute Julian Assange for allegedly assisting Chelsea Manning, and for 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act — but “has decided not to charge Julian Assange for his role in exposing some of the CIA’s most secret spying tools, according to a U.S. official and two other people familiar with the…
Florida Legislature approves bill requiring former felons to pay fines and fees before voting
Source: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/5/3/18528564/amendment-4-florida-felon-voting-rights-fees…
The US Navy Wants Pilots to Report UFO Sightings
The Navy is drafting new guidelines for pilots and personnel to report unexplained encounters. Source: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/43jv7d/the-us-navy-wants-pilots-to-report-ufo-sightings…
Vox Sentences: Decoding the Mueller report
Source: https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/4/18/18485860/vox-sentences-mueller-report-takeaways…