Free Republic

DOJ to Congress: Make ISPs keep tabs on users By: Tony Romm May 10, 2011 12:05 PM EDT As a new Senate privacy panel considers the data collected by iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys, the Department of Justice is reminding lawmakers that it needs Internet providers to store more data about their users to help with federal investigations. Current law doesn't require those Internet service providers to "retain any data for any particular length of time," although some already do, said Jason Weinstein, deputy assistant attorney general at the DOJ's Criminal Division. And many wireless companies — which must collect some...

One of the most compelling reasons for the massive government bailout of Wall Street and other large corporations is that they asked for it. The largest of the large Wall Street investment firms begged the government to give them taxpayer funds to avoid 'the biggest crash in American history.' Fannie and Freddie essentially did the same thing. So did General Motors. Of course it would not be appropriate for them to beg for the money for selfish reasons, such as, to save their own skins, which is precisely the real motive for the bailout. The corporate conglomerates had to come...

Google Inc. said an internal investigation has discovered that the roving vans the company uses to create its online mapping services were mistakenly collecting data about websites people were visiting over wireless networks. The Internet giant said it would stop collecting Wi-Fi data from its StreetView vans, which workers drive to capture street images and to locate Wi-Fi networks. The company said it would dispose of the data it had accidentally collected. *snip* "It's now clear that we have been mistakenly collecting samples of payload data from open (i.e. non-password-protected) Wi-Fi networks, even though we never used that data in...

The controversial immigration bill passed in April by the Senate will do more than legislate illegal immigration — it will track the sources of wages and compensation of all Americans — even the kid who mows your lawn — as well as those workers in the U.S. illegally, the Raleigh Chronicle reported. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, approved by the Senate and headed for debate in the House, makes it illegal to hire anyone for paid wages unless both the employee and the employer fill out new registration requirements, including the employee's work history for the past five...

Earlier this year, Congress launched an investigation into the sale of cell phone records after the FBI and Chicago Police warned that Web-based firms could sell their officers' calling lists to criminals. Now some of the companies under investigation for fraud are telling Congress they have provided personal information to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. On Monday, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., blasted the FBI after learning that Advanced Research Inc. sent Congress a letter saying the firm did work for the bureau. Attorney General Lisa Madigan has sued Advanced Research for allegedly using fraud to obtain Illinois consumers'...

As anyone who knows me can verify I've often railed about people who refer to our government as a Democracy when it is a Republic. It seems that there is a movement, with all of the "each vote counts" hullabaloo and the calls for the removal of the Electoral College, to bring about actual Democracy in America, yet that too won't make a difference. Because, and I hate to burst the bubble of those desiring a Democracy, and it doesn't matter what form of government is in place, we all face a more deadly peril that needs to be taken...

13:21 EDT Wednesday Washingtonpost.com demands stats for entry Jeff Clabaugh Staff Reporter The Washington Post's Web site will began requiring visitors to provide information about themselves to get full access to the paper's online content. Beginning Wednesday, visitors are given the opportunity to voluntarily fill out a short survey. Beginning next week, it'll be mandatory. The three question survey requires a visitor to enter year of birth, sex and ZIP code. The Post says it will require no personally identifiable information from users. Washingtonpost.com CEO Christopher Schroeder says the site will use the information to develop new products and to...

<p>It wasn't a guess, exactly. But Ivory Small, a forecaster for the National Weather Service, was relying on experience as much as science recently when he called for sunny skies across Orange County.</p> <p>The key computer models that form the basis of forecasts disagreed. One said it would rain. The other said it wouldn't.</p>

<p>NASA's Aqua satellite is scheduled to soar into orbit early Saturday, carrying instruments designed to significantly improve short- and mid-term weather forecasts and expand science's understanding of climate systems, particularly Earth's water cycles.</p> <p>The $952 million spacecraft features a unique sounder that will take unprecedented temperature and humidity readings at various levels of the atmosphere.</p>