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Aryan Brotherhood suspected in Texas prosecutors killings
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies believe the white supremacist group the Aryan Brotherhood could be behind the murders of a Texas district attorney and his wife last weekend, and the death of an assistant district attorney earlier this year.
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Pervasive surveillance threatens privacy, gives power advantage to the watcher
Surveillance is everywhere, from street corner cameras to the subject of books and movies. A researcher says that pervasive surveillance menaces our intellectual privacy and it gives the watcher a power advantage over the watched, which can be used for blackmail, persuasion, or discrimination.
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FBI wants 1994 online surveillance law updated
The FBI said the agency’s top priority this year is to update a surveillance law so authorities can monitor in real time Web activities of Americans suspected of committing crimes. The 1994 law, known as the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), applies to telecommunication companies, but only partially to Web-based companies.
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Debate in California over reward money for killer’s finders
Several donors in California have pulled back their portion of a $1 million reward which was offered for information leading to the capture and conviction of Christopher Dorner, who went on a 10-day shooting spree and killed four people, including Riverside police officer Michael Crain, earlier this year. The donors who pulled back their pledges say the criterion for the reward has not been met because Dorner killed himself. Those donors who have decided to pay up say it would be disingenuous not to honor the reward pledge.
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DHS agent charged with sharing child porn
A DHS agent was charged and arraigned in San Francisco on Tuesday for possessing child pornography. The large number of material prompted DHS Security to launch a lengthy investigation.
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Pennsylvania Sheriff charged for making terrorist threats
A Pennsylvania sheriff was arrested and charged Monday for threatening to chop off a Democratic campaign worker’s hands, shoot a reporter, and intimidate witnesses.
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DHS denies plan for large ammunition buy
DHS announcement that it was planning to buy 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition over the next five years was greeted with questions by some and a sense of alarm by others. Now DHS is explaining its move.
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Police departments report difficulties buying ammo
Local law enforcement agencies around the country are finding it hard to buy ammo these days. The shortage is in part due to gun owners stocking up on bullets due to concerns about new gun laws at the federal and state levels. DHS plan o buy 1.6 billion bullets only adds to the ammo shortage.
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Gun manufacturer to leave Colorado after governor signs gun bill
Colorado governor John Hickenlooper on Wednesday signed a state gun control bill which will expand background checks and limit ammunition magazine capacity. The measure is notable because Colorado has been considered a firearm-friendly state.
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Alabama wants to teach you how to deal with active-shooter situations
The Alabama Department of Homeland Security (ADHS) has paid for a series of billboards, informing the public there is a video on how to deal with an active shooter situation in a work place or other public settings.
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Fighting gun restrictions on the international scene
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has taken its campaign against measures aiming to tighten gun control to the international level. The organization has been leading a campaign fight a UN treaty designed to restrict the flow of arms to conflict zones. The treaty is likely to pass, but the NRA appears to have enough support in the Senate to prevent ratification.
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Was Mexican border firefight killing 40 real?
It would seem that drug violence only stops at the Mexican border in the imaginations of Washington politicians. On example: Mexican journalists, because of fear for their own lives and the safety of their families, are increasingly reluctant to cover drug cartels’ violence and mayhem. What has occurred in recent months is that American reporters located in American border cities also have stopped reporting on drug-related violence across the border for the same reasons as their Mexican counterparts.
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Gun manufacturers take action against states which passed tough gun laws
Gun manufacturers are starting to push back against strict gun laws in some states by refusing to sell their products to law enforcement agencies in these states, or to employees of these agencies. So far, more than 110 specialty manufacturers of firearms have joined the movement, which calls itself the Firearm Equality Movement.
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Proposed Utah law would bar the feds from regulating guns in the state
Responding to post-Sandy Hook initiatives to tighten gun regulations, lawmakers in twenty-five states are pushing bills which would give their states the sole right to regulate firearms within the state. Utah has now joined this group of states.
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Bipartisan proposal makes gun-trafficking a federal crime for the first time
Lawmakers yesterday introduced a proposal to toughen federal penalties for people who illegally purchase firearms for someone else. The bill would make gun trafficking a federal crime for the first time, with penalties of up to twenty years for “straw purchasers.” The bipartisan proposal is an indication that Democrats and Republicans are exploring areas of agreement to reduce gun violence in the United States.
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More headlines
The long view
How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse
I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.
Southport Attacks: Why the U.K. Needs a Unified Approach to All Violent Attacks on the Public
The conviction of Axel Rudakubana for the murder of three young girls in Southport has prompted many questions about how the UK handles violence without a clear ideological motive. This case has also shown up the confusion in this area, and made clear the need for a basic reframing of how we understand murderous violence against the public today.
Strengthening School Violence Prevention
Violence by K-12 students is disturbingly common. Ensuring that schools have effective ways to identify and prevent such incidents is becoming increasingly important. Expanding intervention options and supporting K-12 school efforts in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) would help.
Memory-Holing Jan. 6: What Happens When You Try to Make History Vanish?
The Trump administration’s decision to delete a DOJ database of cases against Capitol riot defendants places those who seek to preserve the historical record in direct opposition to their own government.
Evidence-Based Solutions to Protect Against Mass Attacks
Mass attacks like the New Year’s Day incident in New Orleans stir public emotion and have tragic consequences. While the investigations into this case will take time, we know from our work that there are things law enforcement and the public can do to mitigate and perhaps stop mass casualty events.