Andrew Blake

Texas legislature broadens hate crime law to protect police officers, judges

Police will become a protected class in Texas after legislators agreed to broaden the state's hate crime law following an ambush in Dallas last year that left five officers dead.

May 25, 2017

Chelsea Manning grants first TV interview to ABC News following 7-year sentence for WikiLeaks role

ABC News will broadcast an interview next month with U.S. Army Private Chelsea Manning, her first televised sit-down since serving seven years in military prison for leaking classified documents to the website WikiLeaks.

May 25, 2017

Medical marijuana patient wins Rhode Island employment discrimination suit, appeal pending

A Rhode Island fabrics company violated the state's medical marijuana law when it refused to hire a card-carrying patient who couldn't pass a drug test, a state Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday.

May 24, 2017

FCC won’t discipline Stephen Colbert over Trump-Putin joke

The Federal Communications Commission won't discipline "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert for making an oral sex joke this month involving President Trump and his Russian counterpart, the regulatory agency said Tuesday.

May 24, 2017

Marijuana legalization bill vetoed by Vermont governor

The governor of Vermont vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have legalized marijuana within the Green Mountain state.

May 24, 2017

Fox News finishes third among key demographic range as MSNBC takes top spot

Fox News floundered in the ratings among 25- to 54-year-olds last week on the heels of a record-setting first quarter as audiences within the coveted age range tuned to the competition for prime-time cable news coverage.

May 24, 2017

American Legion, veterans’ group, leans on Trump administration to loosen marijuana laws

The nation's largest veterans' group has requested a meeting at the White House to discuss rescheduling marijuana's status as a federally controlled substance so medical researchers may legally study its potential to help vets suffering from conditions including traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

May 23, 2017

Concealed carry permit holders exposed by data breach

The names of thousands of concealed carry permit holders in Florida may have been leaked as the result of a recent data breach, state officials said.

May 23, 2017

Sony hackers ‘highly likely’ responsible for WannaCry ransomware attack: Report

The hacking group widely blamed for breaching Sony Pictures in 2014 was "highly likely" behind the unprecedented WannaCry ransomware attack responsible for crippling computer systems around the world this month, a leading American cybersecurity firm said Monday.

May 23, 2017

North Korea denies responsibility over WannaCry ransomware attack

North Korea on Friday blasted allegations suggesting it waged a wide-scale ransomware attack last week crippling computer systems in over 150 countries.

May 19, 2017

Putin’s party accuses U.S. media of interfering in Russian election

Fresh allegations of election meddling involving Moscow and Washington emerged Friday with the publication of a new report prepared by President Vladimir Putin's ruling party, United Russia, turning the tables on accusations of interference.

May 19, 2017

WannaCry virus primarily targeted Windows 7 computers: Report

About two-thirds of the internet-connected computers sidelined by last week's unprecedented ransomware attack were running outdated versions of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system at the time of infection, according to a new report.

May 19, 2017

Vermont’s legal marijuana bill faces final hurdle in Republican governor

Phil Scott, the first-term Republican governor of Vermont, has until Wednesday to act on a bill that would make his state the ninth in the nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

May 19, 2017

Facebook expands on encrypted chat feature with new Messenger app update

An updated version of Facebook's widely successful Messenger app now lets users of the world's largest social network to communicate privately across multiple devices, Facebook said Thursday.

May 18, 2017

Jimmy Kimmel offers Trump-friendly media literacy test: ‘Anything Wolf Blitzer says is fake news’

President Trump's panache for assailing the press has divided the current media landscape into two categories, late night host Jimmy Kimmel joked Wednesday: fake news and Fox News.

May 18, 2017

Jakiw Palij, accused Nazi guard living in New York, facing requests for deportation

Rep. Joseph Crowley of New York asked Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson on Tuesday to deport a former concentration camp jailer deemed persona non grata over a decade ago.

May 18, 2017

Alex Jones settles Chobani lawsuit, apologizes over ‘migrant rapist’ claims

Right-wing radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones walked back claims concerning the Chobani yogurt company Wednesday in order to settle a defamation lawsuit filed last month in Idaho federal court.

May 18, 2017

Bipartisan marijuana legalization bill gets renewed push on Capitol Hill

The bipartisan sponsors of a marijuana legalization bill currently before Congress renewed their efforts in the name of criminal justice reform Wednesday as the Trump administration pushes for further punish drug offenders.

May 18, 2017

Poor security practices make Trump properties ripe targets for hackers, spies: Report

President Trump's privately owned properties, including his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida and Trump International Hotel in D.C., are rife with digital insecurities making them prime targets for hackers, according to a new report.

May 17, 2017

Gambling websites raise the odds of Trump impeachment amid Comey scandal

Odds are better than ever President Trump won't survive four years in office, British bookmakers said Wednesday amid heightened calls for impeachment.

May 17, 2017