Andrew Blake

Secret Service loosens marijuana policy in bid to boost recruits: Report

The head of the U.S. Secret Service is reportedly relaxing the agency's policy against hiring marijuana users in hopes of employing hundreds of new recruits within the next two years.

June 2, 2017

New Hampshire legislature decriminalizes marijuana possession, sends pro-pot bill to governor’s desk

New Hampshire is slated to decriminalize marijuana possession within a matter of months after the state House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday reducing penalties for individuals caught with small amounts of pot.

June 1, 2017

Roger Waters, Pink Floyd co-founder, targets Donald Trump with new album, tour

Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters blasted President Trump as a con-man keen on kleptocracy in an interview published Wednesday as he readies the release of his first solo studio album in 25 years, "Is This the Life We Really Want?"

June 1, 2017

Sean Hannity seeks out Julian Assange, WikiLeaks publisher, as possible fill-in host

Julian Assange is considering filling in for conservative commentator Sean Hannity during a future episode of the latter's widely listened radio show, the WikiLeaks publisher said Wednesday.

June 1, 2017

White House considers returning diplomatic compounds to Russia: Reports

The Trump administration is reportedly in talks to let Russia resume control of diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland, putting the White House on a path to potentially reversing Obama-era sanctions imposed against Moscow over its purported involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential race.

June 1, 2017

Shadow Brokers, hacking group, offers subscription service for stolen cyber weapons

A hacker group responsible for leaking cyber weapons stolen from the National Security Agency and enabling the recent, wide-scale WannaCry ransomware attack detailed its plans Tuesday to unload its next batch of exploits through a monthly subscription service.

May 31, 2017

DNC launches search for chief technologist to secure systems in wake of historic email leak

The Democratic National Committee is hiring a person to harden its information systems against hackers in the aftermath of last year's historic data breach.

May 31, 2017

Yevgeniy Nikulin, internationally-sought hacking suspect, will go to either U.S. or Russia: Judge

A hacking suspect at the center of an international custody dispute may be extradited to either the U.S. or his native Russia, a Czech judge ruled Tuesday.

May 31, 2017

Christopher Wheeler, Florida man, jailed for refusing to disclose smartphone passcode

A Florida man was sentenced to nearly six months behind bars Tuesday for failing to give investigators the password needed to unlock his Android smartphone.

May 31, 2017

Kay Ivey, Alabama governor, signs law protecting Confederate monuments from removal

Alabama's Republican governor has effectively safeguarded the state's Confederate monuments from removal amid a recent purge of Civil War relics within neighboring states.

May 27, 2017

Gregg Allman, founding Allman Brothers Band member, dies at 69

Gregg Allman, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and co-founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, has passed away at the age of 69.

May 27, 2017

Hillary Clinton cleared of Benghazi lawsuit brought by victims’ parents

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by relatives of two Americans killed during the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya.

May 27, 2017

Jeremy Joseph Christian faces double murder charges over Portland light-rail attack

Two men were stabbed to death aboard a Portland, Oregon, commuter train on Friday after intervening in another passenger's bigoted tirade, authorities said afterwards.

May 27, 2017

Jared Kushner under fire over reported talks with Russian ambassador

President Trump's senior advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is under fire for a series of new allegations involving his past interactions with Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak.

May 27, 2017

Chipotle says malware compromised credit cards used at ‘most’ locations

Chipotle Mexican Grill on Friday said a recent security incident may have compromised the personal information of customers who used credit cards at "most" of its locations during a recent three-week span.

May 26, 2017

Julian Assange advised against leaking as Ecuador’s new president readies transfer talks with U.K.

Ecuador's newly inaugurated leader warned Julian Assange against meddling in the affairs of Ecuador and its allies on Thursday as the administration of socialist President Lenin Moreno looks to resolve the international legal dispute surrounding the widely sought-after WikiLeaks chief.

May 26, 2017

Nicholas Dean, New Orleans principal, loses job after Confederate rally appearance draws fire

A New Orleans charter school has parted ways with a principal who was seen sporting symbols frequently associated with white supremacy while attending a rally in support of the city's Confederate monuments.

May 26, 2017

Disney chief dismisses hacking claim, says extortionists didn’t hold unreleased film for ransom

Pirates probably didn't pilfer the new Johnny Depp movie after all, Disney CEO Bob Iger said Thursday.

May 26, 2017

Nash Farm, Civil War museum near Atlanta, shutters amid Confederate flag dispute

A Civil War museum outside of Atlanta is shuttering its doors next month over a dispute involving the Confederate flag and a county commissioner.

May 25, 2017

Google, Facebook, internet giants wary of Republican-backed bill for online privacy protections

Lobbyists representing Google, Facebook and other online titans are voicing concerns with a Republican-backed bill that would strengthen privacy protections by making internet service providers, websites and apps obtain permission from customers prior to sharing their information with advertisers.

May 25, 2017