Andrew Blake

Trump admin. sued over rules blocking medical marijuana patients from gun ownership

Lawyers for a medical marijuana patient have sued the Trump administration over a federal law that bans licensed firearm dealers from selling guns to people who use the plant in states that permit it.

November 16, 2018

Maria Butina, alleged Russian agent, asks DOJ to dismiss charges

Attorneys for alleged Russian agent Maria Butina have asked a U.S. federal court to dismiss the government's case against her, calling the Justice Department's charges "overbroad and unconstitutional."

November 16, 2018

Neil Young takes aim at Trump while urging for environmental reform amid California fires

Neil Young pleaded against letting President Trump divert attention from environmental reform in light of the Grammy-winning musician losing a house in the ongoing wildfires ravaging California, pledging support for the ambitious "Green New Deal" resolution led by incoming congressional Democrats.

November 15, 2018

Nevada’s marijuana sales in August generate $8.1M in tax revenue, set new monthly record

Marijuana sales made Nevada more than $8 million richer during the month of August, setting a new record a little over a year since the state legalized retail pot and launched a system for regulating and taxing the plant.

November 15, 2018

Jamal Benomar, defendant in hacking case, shielded by diplomatic immunity from Trump admin.: Report

Republican fundraiser Elliot Broidy has hit a snag in his lawsuit against Jamal Benomar, a former United Nations diplomat accused of participating in a scheme to hack and leak the GOP operative's emails to journalists, after the White House determined the latter is immune from litigation.

November 15, 2018

Facebook parts ways with Definers Public Affairs, firm that attacked company’s rivals and critics

Facebook on Thursday said it parted ways with Definers Public Affairs, a Washington-based consulting firm, hours after it was revealed that the latter's work involved quietly attacking the social network's competition and critics.

November 15, 2018

BitChute, YouTube alternative, cries foul over apparent punt from PayPal

BitChute, a video hosting service touted as an alternative to YouTube, accused PayPal of censorship on Wednesday in light of allegedly joining Alex Jones, The Proud Boys and anti-fascist groups in being abruptly punted from the payment processing service.

November 14, 2018

Alex Jones’ Infowars store infected with malware capable of skimming payment data

Customers keeping Alex Jones and his Infowars brand in business may have had their payment data compromised by malware recently discovered on the right-wing media personality's online store.

November 14, 2018

Charlottesville court tells ‘Unite the Right’ participants to surrender social media, cellphone data

A federal court in Charlottesville, Virginia, has ordered defendants being sued over their involvement in the deadly 2017 "Unite the Right" rally to surrender data stored on their cellphones and social media accounts.

November 14, 2018

National League of Cities calls for federal marijuana reform: Report

The National League of Cities, an organization representing more than 19,000 municipalities across the country, has passed a pair of resolutions urging the federal government to reform the country's existing marijuana laws.

November 14, 2018

Queen earns highest-charting record since 1980 with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ soundtrack

Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has given the British rock group its highest-charting record in 38 years, earning the band both the number three spot on the Billboard 200 and its first double appearance on the list's top ten.

November 13, 2018

WannaCry cyberattacks persist more than a year after global outbreak: Report

WannaCry, a crippling computer virus blamed on North Korea, continues to spread widely in the wake of abruptly claiming victims in 150 countries last year, security researchers warned Monday.

November 13, 2018

Guccifer, Romanian hacker, extradited to U.S. to finish prison sentence: Reports

Marcel Lehel Lazar, a prolific computer hacker known as "Guccifer," has been extradited to the United States to finish serving a prison sentence related to a cybercrime spree credited with exposing Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email account while secretary of state, outlets in his native Romania reported Monday.

November 13, 2018

PayPal punts Proud Boys, antifa groups for discrimination

PayPal is canceling accounts operated by groups on both fringes of the political spectrum, including the Proud Boys founded by far-right provocateur Gavin McInnes and various anti-fascism, or antifa, organizations, putting an obstacle in their efforts to maintain funding.

November 10, 2018

HealthCare.gov breach compromised applicants’ financial, immigration data

Personal data including immigration status and employment information were compromised in a breach of HealthCare.gov that affected people who applied for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama's hallmark healthcare reform law, the Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.

November 10, 2018

Victoria’s Secret exec apologizes for remarks about transgender models

Victoria's Secret is reeling from an executive's explanation for excluding transgender models from the lingerie company's annual fashion show.

November 10, 2018

Trump crossed a ‘red line’ with appointment of ‘stooge’ Matthew Whitaker: Bill Maher

President Trump crossed a "red line" by appointing Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general, Bill Maher said during Friday night's episode of the comedian's weekly HBO program.

November 10, 2018

Celebrities flee southern California homes as deadly wildfires approach

Celebrities including Kim Kardashian West and Alyssa Milano are among thousands of southern California residents forced to flee their homes as wildfires ravaged areas west of Los Angeles into the weekend.

November 10, 2018

Vittorio Dominelli, former Toronto cop, pleads guilty to eating marijuana chocolate on duty

Vittorio Dominelli, a former officer for the Toronto Police Service, pleaded guilty Friday to obstruction of justice in connection with consuming a confiscated marijuana-infused chocolate bar while on duty and then calling for backup.

November 9, 2018

Russian trolls risk exploiting close midterm races facing recount, warns Sen. Mark Warner

Russia could still meddle in the 2018 midterm races regardless of Election Day being over, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee warned in an interview aired Friday.

November 9, 2018