Andrew Blake

Alex Jones appears outside Senate tech hearing on Capitol Hill

Right-wing media personality Alex Jones made an unexpected appearance on Capitol Hill early Wednesday as executives from Twitter and Facebook testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

September 5, 2018

Google accused by Moscow of meddling in Russian elections

Moscow has warned Google against meddling in regional and municipal elections scheduled for Sunday, raising concerns over YouTube videos urging Russians to participate in protests this weekend organized by opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

September 4, 2018

Roger Stone, former Trump adviser, denounces the late John McCain as treasonous, ‘epically corrupt’

President Trump's former campaign adviser Roger Stone spent Labor Day vilifying John McCain in a pair of social media posts, denouncing the recently deceased Arizona senator as treasonous and corrupt.

September 4, 2018

Alex Jones seeks congressional invite on eve of tech executives testifying on political censorship

As executives from Facebook and Twitter prepare to discuss topics including political censorship during hearings Wednesday on Capitol Hill, right-wing media personality Alex Jones said he wants to offer his own perspective to lawmakers in light of being punted off some of the internet's biggest platforms.

September 4, 2018

Reddit says website hosted Iranian influence operation

Reddit, one of the world's most popular websites, discovered scores of accounts linked to a suspected influence operation recently reported to be covertly promoting pro-Iranian political narratives on Facebook and Twitter, Reddit's chief technology officer said Friday.

September 1, 2018

California sends net neutrality bill to governor’s desk

California is poised to pass legislation countering the Trump administration's repeal of Obama-era net neutrality protections after the state Senate advanced a bill Friday prohibiting internet service providers from engaging in business practices including throttling connection speeds and extrajudicially blocking websites.

September 1, 2018

Stephen Mantha, former USPS employee, sentenced for viewing child porn on postal service computers

A former U.S. Postal Service technician caught accessing child pornography from government computers was sentenced in federal court Friday to 16 years in prison for related sex crimes.

September 1, 2018

Reality Winner, NSA leaker, says she’ll seek clemency from Donald Trump nulling ‘so unfair’ sentence

Reality Winner, a former National Security Agency contractor recently sentenced to over five years in prison for leaking classified material to the media, will seek a reprieve from the White House in light of President Trump calling her punishment "so unfair," she said Friday.

September 1, 2018

Bishop apologizes to Ariana Grande for being ‘too friendly’ during Aretha Franklin funeral

Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, the Pentecostal preacher who officiated Aretha Franklin's funeral, has apologized for his handling of pop star Ariana Grande during Friday's service.

September 1, 2018

Ian Smith, ex-DHS analyst linked to white nationalists, attended White House policy meetings: Report

Ian Smith, a former Department of Homeland Security analyst who recently quit his job amid questions over his ties to white nationalists, attended multiple immigration policy meetings at the White House convened by President Trump's senior adviser Stephen Miller, said government officials familiar with his work.

August 31, 2018

Orrin Hatch asks FTC to investigate Google again as Trump touts possible antitrust probe

Sen. Orrin Hatch asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google, calling into question the company's business practices amid President Trump's recently launched attack on Silicon Valley.

August 31, 2018

Russian firm blocked from challenging Mueller’s legitimacy in appeal mounted by Roger Stone ally

A federal appeals court ruled in favor of special counsel Robert Mueller's office in blocking a Russian company accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential election from intervening in the contempt case brought against an associate of President Trump's former campaign adviser Roger Stone.

August 31, 2018

Geert Wilders, Dutch politician, cancels Muhammad cartoon contest, citing ‘Islamic violence’

Geert Wilders, a far-right Dutch opposition politician notorious for his criticism of Islam, has canceled a contest inviting participants to submit cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, he said Thursday.

August 31, 2018

Alex Jones, opposing lawyers praise ruling in Parkland shooting lawsuit against Infowars

Infowars' Alex Jones predicted Thursday that he will prevailing against against an onslaught of pending litigation after a Texas court dismissed elements of a lawsuit filed on behalf of a man whom Mr. Jones' website previously identified as a suspected school shooter.

August 30, 2018

George Papadopoulos will stick with plea deal after weighing reversal, wife says

George Papadopoulos, a member of President Trump's 2016 election campaign, has decided against withdrawing his plea agreement with special counsel Robert Mueller, his wife said Wednesday, setting the stage for the former policy adviser to be sentenced next week over lying to FBI agents investigating Russia's involvement in the 2016 race.

August 30, 2018

Reality Winner, NSA leaker, thanks Donald Trump for calling her espionage sentence ‘so unfair’

President Trump received kudos Thursday from Reality Winner, a former National Security Agency contractor recently ordered to spend more than five years in prison for leaking a classified report involving Russian election meddling, after condemning her sentencing last week as "so unfair."

August 30, 2018

Sarah Palin not invited to John McCain funeral services: Reports

Sarah Palin, John McCain's running mate during his 2008 presidential campaign, was not invited to attend memorial services being held for the six-term Republican senator this week, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

August 30, 2018

FBI says no evidence Clinton server was compromised, contradicting Trump’s Chinese hacking claim

The FBI on Wednesday contradicted President Trump's claim that Chinese hackers compromised Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's personal email server.

August 29, 2018

Trump administration quietly fighting against marijuana support, legalization: Report

President Trump's administration has quietly launched a multi-agency effort aimed at portraying marijuana in a negative light, BuzzFeed News reported Wednesday.

August 29, 2018

Roger Stone, former Trump adviser, claims DNC contractor more likely behind hack than Russians

President Trump's former campaign adviser Roger Stone pushed back Wednesday against a key finding reached by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 general election, casting doubt on the origin of Guccifer 2.0, the suspected state-sponsored internet persona he admittedly communicated with during Moscow's alleged multi-pronged interference campaign.

August 29, 2018