Andrew Blake

New Jersey raises age for tobacco sales to 21, joining California and Hawaii

Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill Friday banning the sale of tobacco products in New Jersey to anyone under the age of 21.

July 22, 2017

Helicopter pilot and passengers survive crash landing in Los Angeles

A commercial helicopter crash-landed in Los Angeles on Friday, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries for it's pilot and all three passengers.

July 22, 2017

Donald Trump: ‘the U.S. President has the complete power to pardon’

President Trump claimed Saturday he has "the complete power to pardon," publicly responding for the first time to recent news reports suggesting he's seeking pardons for individuals being investigated by prosecutors probing Russia's role in last year's White House race, including relatives, staffers and himself.

July 22, 2017

Federal judge approves $11.2-million settlement for Ashley Madison users over data breach

A federal judge has approved an $11.2-million settlement between hacked hook-up site Ashley Madison and users exposed by its massive 2015 data breach.

July 21, 2017

Feds conduct fact-finding trip focused on Colorado’s first-in-the-country retail marijuana industry

The Trump administration discussed Colorado's cannabis industry with state and local officials this week during a fact-finding trip focused on the nation's first recreational marijuana marketplace.

July 21, 2017

Preet Bharara, ousted federal prosecutor, blasts Donald Trump over Mueller probe reports

The prospect of President Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller prompted ousted federal prosecutor Preet Bharara to question Thursday whether the "rule of law" can withstand the current administration.

July 21, 2017

Natalia Veselnitskaya, Russian attorney from Trump Tower meeting, represented FSB: Report

Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who infamously met last summer with President Trump's eldest son and members of his 2016 campaign, represented Russia's federal security service for more than a decade, Reuters reported Friday.

July 21, 2017

WikiLeaks will ‘take down America any way they can’: Mike Pompeo, CIA Director

CIA Director Mike Pompeo has doubled down against WikiLeaks and endorsed using antiquated espionage legislation to impede the website's publication of classified U.S. documents.

July 21, 2017

Obama administration considered deploying military to counter Election Day cyberattacks: Report

The Obama administration pondered deploying armed federal agents to polling places last November to counter any potential cyberattacks targeting the U.S. election system, according to a newly released playbook prepared during last year's race.

July 20, 2017

Marijuana taxes in Colorado surpass $500 million milestone

Colorado has collected more than $500 million in marijuana taxes since becoming the first state in the nation to legalize recreational weed, a cannabis consulting firm said Wednesday, surpassing previous expectations several times over barely three years after beginning retail pot sales.

July 20, 2017

Dark web marketplaces fueling illegal U.S. gun exports: Report

Lax gun laws in the United States are likely fueling an international firearms trade made possible by underground websites like the recently shuttered AlphaBay, according to a new report.

July 20, 2017

DOJ takes credit for shuttering AlphaBay, dark web marketplace at center of illegal drug deals

International law enforcement authorities took credit Thursday for seizing and shuttering AlphaBay, a dark web marketplace where prosecutors said vendors sold approximately one billion dollars in illegal products ranging from firearms to fentanyl, the synthetic drug at the center of America's opioid crisis.

July 20, 2017

FedEx expects material impact after falling prey to Petya virus cyberattack

FedEx said an cyberattack suffered by computer systems the world over last month will likely have a material, adverse impact on the delivery company's operations once it fully understands the damages caused by the debilitating Petya virus.

July 19, 2017

Clinton, Romney campaign managers join initiative to prevent election hacking

Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney's former campaign managers will co-lead a Harvard initiative aimed at safeguarding the nation's elections from future cyberattacks after hackers meddled in last year's White House race.

July 19, 2017

Ike Kaveladze, Russian oligarch’s rep, identified as eighth participant at Trump Tower meeting

Irakly "Ike" Kaveladze, an associate of a wealthy Russian oligarch with business ties to President Trump, has been named as the eighth person present at the now-infamous meeting last summer between Donald Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-connected lawyer.

July 19, 2017

Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort cleared by Robert Mueller to testify before Senate panel

Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russia's role in last year's White House race, has cleared President Trump's eldest son and former campaign chairman to publicly testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee as concerns mount over their meeting last summer with a Kremlin-linked attorney, the panel's ranking Democrat said Tuesday.

July 19, 2017

Chris Sununu, New Hampshire governor, signs marijuana decriminalization bill

The Live Free or Die State has become the last in New England to decriminalize marijuana after New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu autographed a bill rolling back penalties for cannabis possession.

July 19, 2017

Pennsylvania endured 90 billion attempted cyber intrusions in 2017: Report

Hackers tried to breach Pennsylvania government computers over 90 billion times in 2016, a state official said Tuesday, highlighting the scope of the cybersecurity risks at hand across the country as concerns linger surrounding hacking's role in last year's U.S. election.

July 18, 2017

Appeals court green-lights gag orders for secret FBI surveillance requests

The FBI doesn't run afoul of the First Amendment by muzzling companies whose customers fall under investigation, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

July 18, 2017

Iranian hackers breached Vermont tech company to bypass sanctions, export controls: DOJ

The Justice Department has announced criminal charges against two Iranian nationals accused of bypassing U.S. export controls by hacking into a Vermont tech company and then stealing and reselling sensitive aerodynamics software.

July 18, 2017