Douglas Ernst

China has power to shut down U.S. power grid with cyberattacks: NSA director

Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency and head of U.S. Cyber Command, said Thursday that China and "one or two" other countries have the power to shut down the U.S. electric grid with cyberattacks.

November 20, 2014

U.K. ‘Bio-Bus’ that runs on local human waste takes to the streets

A bus that runs on local human and food waste — specifically biomethane gas — has taken to the streets in the United Kingdom.

November 20, 2014

Russia moving MiG-31 fighter jets near Ukraine border: report

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said Friday that Russian fighter jets and radar stations are being moved near Ukraine's eastern border.

November 19, 2014

New Washington state gun laws lead museum to begin removing World War II-era rifles

New gun laws in Washington state have prompted one museum to begin removing World War II-era weapons on loan to them from collectors.

November 19, 2014

Facebook changes to deny 2016 candidates capabilities Obama leveraged in 2012

President Obama's 2012 Facebook app leveraged the social media giant's capabilities to amass 45 million users and register more than 1 million voters online. Coding changes to the website will make duplicating that feat difficult, if not impossible, in 2016.

November 19, 2014

Yahoo’s concerns for constitutional rights brushed off by judges, documents show

Declassified documents from a legal showdown between Yahoo lawyers and surveillance judges in Providence, Rhode Island, show panel members brushing off the company's concerns about infringements on constitutional rights.

November 19, 2014

Vladimir Putin: Russia, North Korea alliance would ensure ‘regional stability and security’

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that a strong alliance between Russia and Kim Jong-un's North Korean regime would be a stabilizing force in the region.

November 19, 2014

Islamic State takes Libyan city; 100K under terror group’s control as chaos spreads

The Libyan city of Derna has a population of 100,000, and it's now under the Islamic State group's control.

November 18, 2014

FBI: 150 Americans suspected of fighting in Syria with Islamic State

The FBI is concerned that roughly 150 Americans it is tracking have gone to Syria and are fighting alongside the Islamic State group.

November 18, 2014

U.S. spends $300K per hour on Islamic State airstrikes, says Congressman

A member of the House Armed Services Committee says the U.S. spends $300,000 per hour on efforts to degrade and destroy the Islamic State group through airstrikes.

November 18, 2014

U.S. troops in Europe ordered not to wear uniforms off base

U.S. military bases in Europe have been ordered to "limit to the max extent possible" instances where personnel wear uniforms off base.

November 18, 2014

Army chooses 31 women for spring Ranger Course assessment

The U.S. Army Ranger school has 31 female candidates for its planned Ranger Course Assessment next spring.

November 18, 2014

Russia warns France of ‘serious’ consequences for carrier denial: report

Russia issued a stark warning to France regarding two Mistral helicopter carriers that are supposed to be delivered by Nov. 14.

November 14, 2014

Jay Carney: Jonathan Gruber ‘speaks from the ivory tower with remarkable hubris’

Former Obama White House Press Secretary Jay Carney attacked one of Obamacare's key architects, Jonathan Gruber, as a man who "speaks from the ivory tower with remarkable hubris."

November 14, 2014

Navy first: Littoral Combat Ship deployed with drone aircraft

The deployment of the USS Fort Worth to Singapore includes a Navy first: an MQ-8B Fire Scout drone with a range of up to 100 miles.

November 14, 2014

ACLU sues Army over religious exemption denial for Sikh ROTC applicant

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the U.S. Army on behalf of a Sikh ROTC applicant who was denied a religious exemption.

November 14, 2014

Chuck Hagel: $10 billion needed for nuclear force overhaul

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Pentagon reporters Friday that he wants roughly $10 billion over the next five years to help overhaul management of the U.S. nuclear forces.

November 14, 2014

Justice Department puts fake cellphone towers on Cessna planes to spy on Americans

The Justice Department is using Cessna aircraft outfitted with fake communications towers in its attempts to catch criminals, but each flight gleans information on tens of thousands of Americans.

November 13, 2014

Obama seeks waivers for war funds that may go to human rights violators

The Obama administration is seeking a waiver for war funds that would allow it to send aid to groups suspected of "gross human rights violations."

November 13, 2014

Islamic State, al Qaeda agree to join forces in Syria

A prominent Syrian official and a rebel commander say the Islamic State group and al Qaeda have put aside their differences and vowed to work together in Syria.

November 13, 2014