Andrew Blake

Sessions asked to probe claims of Russian hackers harassing U.S. military families

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was asked in a letter released Friday to investigate claims that Russian state-sponsored hackers masqueraded as Islamic State terrorists to harass the relatives of U.S. military personnel.

July 13, 2018

Facebook says fake news is free speech in support of allowing InfoWars, Alex Jones website

Facebook has come under fire for permitting InfoWars, a website run by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to maintain a presence on the web's largest social networking site.

July 13, 2018

Russian trolls shared legitimate local news through ‘sleeper’ Twitter accounts: Report

Russian internet trolls accused of spreading disinformation and sowing discord during the 2016 U.S. presidential race simultaneously operated dozens of Twitter accounts that posed as legitimate news sources geared toward American audiences in cities throughout the country, a report said Thursday.

July 13, 2018

Mueller team pressing Roger Stone associates in Russian collusion probe: Report

Special counsel Robert Mueller has contacted at least seven people associated with Roger Stone, President Trump's former election campaign adviser, during the course of his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 race, ABC News reported Friday.

July 13, 2018

Charlottesville rally organizer vows no weapons or shields at potential repeat event

Jason Kessler, the organizer of last summer's deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has entered an agreement with the city intended to prevent any "private paramilitary activity" from happening in town on the event's anniversary next month.

July 12, 2018

James Cole, Obama’s deputy AG, defends marijuana policies rescinded under Trump

Federal marijuana legalization is inevitable despite opposition from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to the author of Obama-era pot policies.

July 12, 2018

FBI documents detail gang investigation into Juggalos, fans of Insane Clown Posse group

The FBI on Wednesday released a trove of records compiled by investigators prior to placing Juggalos, die-hard fans of the Insane Clown Posse rap group, on its 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment.

July 12, 2018

Cory Gardner: Russia ought to be named a state sponsor of terror

Sen. Cory Gardner, Colorado Republican, said Thursday that he believes Russia is worthy of being designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

July 12, 2018

Donald Trump’s second SCOTUS announcement watched live by fewer than first: Report

President Trump's prime-time Supreme Court nominee announcement Monday was witnessed by a live television audience of nearly 26 million, according to Nielsen data -- a sizable viewership, but smaller than his last.

July 11, 2018

Rage Against the Machine sends cease-and-desist order to Nigel Farage, ‘Farage Against the Machine’

British politician Nigel Farage is facing pressure from Rage Against the Machine to change the name of his podcast, "Farage Against the Machine."

July 11, 2018

Charlottesville cites circuit court ruling in support of banning proposed ‘Unite the Right 2’ rally

A judge's ruling letting a lawsuit proceed against Jason Kessler, the organizer of last summer's deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, illustrates the risk of letting him hold another event on its first anniversary, attorneys for the city argued in a separate case Tuesday.

July 11, 2018

Reaper drone documents offered for sale online after being stolen in Air Force hack: Report

Sensitive information involving the MQ-9 Reaper drone and other military documents were stolen from a U.S. Air Force captain's computer and advertised for sale on the dark web, a threat intelligence firm said Tuesday.

July 11, 2018

‘Pepe the Frog’ artist gets unauthorized cartoons scrubbed from hate site: Report

The artist behind "Pepe the Frog" has made progress in reclaiming his anthropomorphic amphibian from the alt-right, a report said Tuesday.

July 10, 2018

Charlottesville court allows civil rights suit to proceed against ‘Unite the Right’ organizers

A civil rights lawsuit can proceed against individuals involved in last summer's deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a federal judge ruled Monday.

July 10, 2018

Medical marijuana reforms survive governor’s veto in Maine

Maine lawmakers on Monday overturned the governor's veto of a medical marijuana reform bill, putting the state on path to loosen its rules for letting patients legally use the plant.

July 10, 2018

Charlottesville court sets hearing to consider white nationalist rally on deadly event’s anniversary

A federal court on Friday scheduled a hearing to decide whether to let Jason Kessler, the white nationalist who organized the deadly August 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, hold another demonstration in town on the event's first anniversary.

July 7, 2018

DOJ drops charges against accused Inauguration Day rioters

Federal prosecutors have moved to dismiss the government's case against the final few dozen defendants facing rioting charges related to destructive protests in the District during President Trump's inauguration.

July 7, 2018

Steve Ditko, Spider-Man co-creator, dead at 90

Steve Ditko, an influential comic book artist credited with contributing to the creation of iconic characters including Marvel's Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, has died in New York City at the age of 90, authorities said Friday.

July 7, 2018

Rose Knight, Justin Trudeau’s accuser, breaks silence on groping allegation

A former Canadian news reporter claimed Friday to be the woman who anonymously accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of groping her prior to his career in politics, breaking her silence for the first time since the allegation resurfaced nearly two decades after first appearing in an unsigned newspaper editorial.

July 7, 2018

Twitter tackles fake accounts with surge of suspensions

Twitter on Friday confirmed suspending more than 70 million accounts in May and June, or an average of more than 1 million each day, amid efforts to curb suspicious and malicious activity, The Washington Post reported.

July 7, 2018