Andrew Blake

House panel pushes Jeff Sessions to greenlight more marijuana growers

Legislation tripling the number of facilities allowed to grow medical marijuana for federally approved research cleared a key hurdle Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

September 13, 2018

Reddit bans ‘QAnon’ conspiracy theory communities

Reddit has quashed online communities devoted to "QAnon," a fringe conspiracy theory that alleges the existence of a "deep state" secretly plotting against President Trump.

September 13, 2018

Jimmy Buffett adds marijuana to Coral Reefer business empire

Jimmy Buffett cuts a licensing deal with a medical cannabis company, Suterra Wellness, placing the "Margaritaville" singer in the same category as pot-friendly artists including Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson.

September 12, 2018

Mike Rogers, former NSA chief, strays from fellow ex-intel officials over John Brennan’s clearance

Retired Navy Adm. Michael Rogers, the former head of both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, revealed his reasoning Tuesday for not joining scores of other veteran intelligence officials in denouncing President Trump for recently revoking former CIA director John Brennan's security clearance.

September 12, 2018

Former intel chiefs say U.S. election system ‘better defended’ under Donald Trump

President Trump's administration is better suited than Barack Obama's to protect the U.S. election process against foreign interference, former intelligence officials Michael Hayden and James Clapper said Tuesday.

September 12, 2018

Andrew Miller, Roger Stone associate, challenges Robert Mueller’s authority in D.C. appeals court

An attorney for Andrew Miller, an associate of President Trump's former campaign adviser Roger Stone, filed a brief in federal appeals court early Wednesday challenging Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel.

September 12, 2018

Apple bans Infowars app as Alex Jones cries ‘digital martial law’

Alex Jones had his digital reach diminished further in the form of Apple removing his Infowars application from its App Store late Friday, leaving him with one fewer outlet hardly a day after being permanently booted from Twitter on the heels of similar bans imposed by tech peers including Google's YouTube and Facebook.

September 8, 2018

Joseph Mifsud, professor who discussed Clinton ‘dirt’ with George Papadopoulos, may be dead: DNC

Joseph Mifsud, an elusive professor considered a missing link between President Trump's election campaign and Russia, may have died during the course of being sought in connection with Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016 race, attorneys for the Democratic National Committee claimed Friday.

September 8, 2018

Sean Hannity wants Secret Service to investigate author of anti-Trump op-ed

Sean Hannity joined President Trump on Friday in urging federal authorities to identify the author of the anonymously written op-ed responsible for rocking the White House this week, calling their conduct a crime worthy of being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.

September 8, 2018

Bill Maher implores Al Franken to reenter politics, debate Donald Trump

Bill Maher on Friday urged former comedian and senator Al Franken to reenter politics hardly eight months since leaving office, calling his ousting over sexual misconduct allegations an "overreaction" that cost Democrats a potential White House candidate possibly capable of defeating President Trump in 2020.

September 8, 2018

Chelsea Manning interview nixed over question on WikiLeaks, Osama bin Laden

An interview with Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst convicted of espionage for sharing classified documents with WikiLeaks, abruptly ended when she declined to discuss her reaction to hearing that some of that material may have reached Osama bin Laden.

September 7, 2018

Alex Jones accuses Twitter of manipulating midterms by banning his accounts

Alex Jones on Friday accused Twitter of permanently suspending his accounts to suppress conservative content prior to the November 2018 midterm elections, calling the purge a culmination of critics from the corporate media colluding against him.

September 7, 2018

Cybersecurity professionals say hackers will target midterms, note little improvement since 2016

Cybersecurity professionals overwhelmingly expect the November midterm elections will experience at least some form of malicious hacking, and few believe the United States has made progress toward protecting against the sorts of cyberattacks encountered during the 2016 race, a report said Thursday.

September 6, 2018

Bob Woodward recalls exchange between Donald Trump and cyber adviser: ‘I want to watch the Masters’

President Trump preferred watching golf over listening to former White House adviser Tom Bossert, according to a newly released excerpt from reporter Bob Woodward's forthcoming book, "Fear."

September 6, 2018

British Airways discloses data breach compromising customer financial data

British Airways, one of U.K.'s largest airlines, disclosed a data breach Thursday affecting customers who booked travel arrangements through its website and mobile application.

September 6, 2018

Medical marijuana bill let veterans obtain weed with VA’s approval

Democrats have proposed legislation that would let the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recommend marijuana to patients receiving treatment in states that have legalized the plant for medicinal purposes, eliminating obstacles caused by its status as a federally controlled substance.

September 6, 2018

House passes cyber deterrence bill that would name and shame foreign hackers

The House of Representatives has passed legislation directing the president to essentially name and shame foreign hackers accused of participating in state-sponsored cyberattacks against the United States government and the nation's most vital computer networks.

September 6, 2018

Apple team will train law enforcement on digital forensics: Report

Apple intends to launch a dedicated team tasked with training law enforcement officials on digital forensics, according to a report published Wednesday, potentially alleviating challenges faced by inexperienced criminal investigators inundated by data.

September 5, 2018

Google approved Russian-paid political ads months before midterms: Report

Russian internet trolls accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. elections could have easily exploited Google's advertising service to meddle in the November 2018 midterms, according to a report released on the eve of Wednesday's tech hearings on Capitol Hill.

September 5, 2018

Russian human rights official urged to secure return of Maria Butina, alleged spy arrested in D.C.

Relatives of Maria Butina, the Russian gun-rights activist charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, have appealed to Moscow's human rights ombudsperson in hopes of securing her release from U.S. custody, her father said Wednesday.

September 5, 2018