Category: National Issues

Russian operation hacked a Vermont utility, showing risk to U.S. electrical grid security, officials say

The following article by Juliet Ellperin and Adam Entous was posted December 31, 2016 on the Washington Post website:

A code associated with the Russian hacking operation dubbed Grizzly Steppe by the Obama administration has been detected within the system of a Vermont utility, according to U.S. officials.

While the Russians did not actively use the code to disrupt operations, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a security matter, the discovery underscores the vulnerabilities of the nation’s electrical grid. And it raises fears in the U.S. government that Russian government hackers are actively trying to penetrate the grid to carry out potential attacks. Continue reading “Russian operation hacked a Vermont utility, showing risk to U.S. electrical grid security, officials say”

Trump must prove that he supports ‘our LGBTQ citizens’

The following editorial from the Editorial Board at the L.A. Times posted the following December 29, 2016:

Artwork and signatures cover a fence around the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. on Nov. 30. In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in July, Donald Trump brought up the mass-shooting that took place at the nightclub. (John Raoux / Associated Press)

Among the many constituencies viewing the presidency of Donald Trump with apprehension are gay, lesbian and transgender Americans, who are disturbed by what they’ve heard from members of the president-elect’s inner circle and by language in the Republican platform.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence, for example, has espoused troubling views on issues of importance to the gay community. As a member of Congress, for instance, he supported a constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage, warning that “societal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family.” As governor of Indiana, Pence signed a “religious freedom” bill that many feared would allow businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation (though he later signed a revised version making it clear that businesses couldn’t deny services to anyone based on sexual orientation or gender identity). Continue reading “Trump must prove that he supports ‘our LGBTQ citizens’”

The Continuing Financial Muddle At A Pro-Trump Political Committee

The following article by Robert Faturechi and Derek Willis was posted on the ProPublica website December 24, 2016:

‘America Comes First’ can’t seem to decide if it’s a PAC or a super PAC, but in either case its federal filings remain problematic.

A political action committee that backed Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency is continuing to flout campaign finance laws.

Earlier this month, ProPublica reported that the America Comes First PAC had violated the rules by not disclosing the source of its funding before Election Day and by exceeding caps on contribution amounts.

America Comes First gave $115,000 to Trump Victory, a group that raised money for the Trump campaign and for national and state-level Republican groups. It now ranks as the second-biggest PAC contributor to Trump Victory, according to a list compiled by the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics — behind GEO Group, a private prison company.

Continue reading “The Continuing Financial Muddle At A Pro-Trump Political Committee”

Some lessons from Jesus, for all of us

The following by the Editorial Board at the Washington Post was posted on their website December 24, 2016:

FOR SOME years now, around Christmastime, there has been a pseudo-controversy going on — promoted if not wholly created by various talky people on radio and TV — about a “war on Christmas,” seen as a concerted effort by the disciples of secularism to eliminate or ignore religious elements of the holiday. Now, with a new administration coming to power, the war apparently has been won — by the righteous. “You can say again, ‘merry Christmas’ because Donald Trump is now the president,” proclaimed Corey Lewandowski, a former aide to President-elect Trump, who has himself voiced similar sentiments.

Actually, we’ve been at liberty to say “merry Christmas” for quite a few centuries; this isn’t like the early Christians emerging from the Roman catacombs into the bright light of freedom. But it’s true that social pressure arising from the effort to avoid giving offense to people of other faiths, or of none, has led to some silly evasions and to a great many spare and uninspiring greeting cards. Probably, though, no amount of training was ever going to condition many of us to replace “office Christmas party” in everyday speech with “holiday party” (the amount of misbehavior being about the same at either). After centuries of use, wishing someone a merry Christmas has become a fairly innocuous statement of good cheer, with widespread appeal. Continue reading “Some lessons from Jesus, for all of us”

Trump On Nuclear Weapons Tweet: ‘Let It Be An Arms Race’

The following article was released by Reuters December 23, 2016:

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, asked to clarify his comments about expanding U.S. nuclear weapons capability, said, “Let it be an arms race,” and that the United States would win it, MSNBC reported on Friday.

Trump had alarmed non-proliferation experts on Thursday with a Twitter post that said the United States “must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.” Continue reading “Trump On Nuclear Weapons Tweet: ‘Let It Be An Arms Race’”

Breitbart Admits Role As Trump Enforcer, Showing Why It Should Be Denied Congressional Press Credentials

The following article by the Media Matters staff was posted on their website December 21, 2016:

Breitbart Editor Says Republicans Should Fear The Website If They Cross Trump

In a Politico article detailing how President-elect Donald Trump’s “horde of enforcers” — Breitbart.com listed prominently among them — are scaring Republican lawmakers away from criticizing him, a Breitbart editor said Republicans are right to fear the right-wing website, which was previously run by Trump senior counselor Stephen Bannon. This admission from Breitbart that the outlet plans to support Trump, rather than objectively cover his incoming administration, further demonstrates that the website is not editorially independent enough to warrant permanent Capitol Hill press credentials. Continue reading “Breitbart Admits Role As Trump Enforcer, Showing Why It Should Be Denied Congressional Press Credentials”

Donald Trump is holding a government casting call. He’s seeking ‘the look.’

The following article by Philip Rucker and Karen Tumulty was posted on the Washington Post website December 22, 2016:

Donald Trump believes that those who aspire to the most visible spots in his administration should not just be able to do the job, but also look the part.

Given Trump’s own background as a master brander and showman who ran beauty pageants as a sideline, it was probably inevitable that he would be looking beyond their résumés for a certain aesthetic in his supporting players. Continue reading “Donald Trump is holding a government casting call. He’s seeking ‘the look.’”

Cybersecurity firm finds evidence that Russian military unit was behind DNC hack

The following article by Ellen Nakashima was posted on the Washington Post website December 22, 2016:

The Post’s Ellen Nakashima goes over the events, and discusses the two hacker groups responsible. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post)

A cybersecurity firm has uncovered strong proof of the tie between the group that hacked the Democratic National Committee and Russia’s military intelligence arm — the primary agency behind the Kremlin’s interference in the 2016 election.

The firm CrowdStrike linked malware used in the DNC intrusion to malware used to hack and track an Android phone app used by the Ukrainian army in its battle against pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine from late 2014 through 2016. Continue reading “Cybersecurity firm finds evidence that Russian military unit was behind DNC hack”