Category: US News

Trump denies, denounces reports on Russia ties: ‘a disgrace’

Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer were defiant as they denounced reports that Russia had obtained compromising personal Opening his first news conference since the election, President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday responded to suggestions that U.S. intelligence agencies leaked unsubstantiated reports to the media about his relationship with Russia, calling it a “tremendous blot on their record if they did that.”

David Plouffe joins Zuckerberg’s philanthropy

David Plouffe, a former senior White House adviser and Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, is joining Zuckerberg’s philanthropic project as head of policy and advocacy efforts. The organization is also bringing on Ken Mehlman, a former campaign manager for President George W. Bush, to head a newly created policy advisory board.

US Intel: Russia hacked Republican groups during election

Democratic groups and figures weren’t the only ones targeted in Russia’s suspected campaign to influence last year’s U.S. election. Russian cyberspies also targeted computers from state-level Republican groups and stole information from local voter registration records, FBI director James Comey said.

WikiLeaks: Russia hacking report was political document

In this Feb. 5, 2016 file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange speaks from the balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Assange on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, denounced last week’s U.S. intelligence report on Russian hacking, calling it a politically motivated “press release” that provided no evidence that Russian actors gave WikiLeaks hacked material.

CNN anchor confronts Trump adviser on Russia: ‘How can you say…

CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed President-elect Donald Trump’s top counselor over why his team hesitated to admit that they benefited from internal emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign exposed by Russian hacking and leaking. In an interview on CNN on Sunday, Tapper asked Kellyanne Conway why she dismissed the hacking’s impact on the 2016 election.

Kentucky legislature caps first week by passing 7 bills

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers brings down the gavel, accepting the vote and passage of Kentucky House Bill 1, making it illegal for workers to have to join a labor union or pay dues to keep a job, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Frankfort, Ky. The bill, pasting the Senate, now awaits the Governor’s signature.

Kentucky legislature caps first week by passing 7 bills

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers brings down the gavel, accepting the vote and passage of Kentucky House Bill 1, making it illegal for workers to have to join a labor union or pay dues to keep a job, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Frankfort, Ky. The bill, pasting the Senate, now awaits the Governor’s signature.

Private eyes look for runaways, sex-trade victims to rescue

Private investigator Joseph Travers at his Oceanside home, where he runs non-profit Saved in America to recover runaways at risk for being forced into sex trafficking. Private investigator Joseph Travers at his Oceanside home, where he runs non-profit Saved in America to recover runaways at risk for being forced into sex trafficking.

Private eyes look for runaways, sex-trade victims to rescue

Private investigator Joseph Travers at his Oceanside home, where he runs non-profit Saved in America to recover runaways at risk for being forced into sex trafficking. Private investigator Joseph Travers at his Oceanside home, where he runs non-profit Saved in America to recover runaways at risk for being forced into sex trafficking.

The reaction to a viral Facebook video of a hate crime tells us something about postelection America

Chicago police speak to press about the attack of a man with special needs that was captured in a Facebook Live video and the resulting charges filed against four people involved in the attack. Chicago police speak to press about the attack of a man with special needs that was captured in a Facebook Live video and the resulting charges filed against four people involved in the attack.

Trump says focus on Russian hacking is ‘political witch hunt’

President-elect Donald J. Trump said in an interview this morning that the storm surrounding Russian hacking during the presidential campaign was a political witch hunt being carried out by his adversaries, who he said were embarrassed by their loss to him in the election last year. Mr. Trump spoke to The New York Times by telephone three hours before he was set to be briefed by the nation’s top intelligence and law enforcement officials about the Russian hacking of American political institutions.

All U.S. ambassadors directed to quit by Jan. 20

Ambassadors in some of the most desirable foreign capitals such as London and Paris have been told they must end their service immediately on Jan. 20, with “no exceptions,” State Department officials confirmed Thursday. The unusually stern and specific directive to “political” ambassadors – often presidential donors and friends – came at the behest of the incoming Trump administration, two officials said.

U.S. spy chief ‘resolute’ on Russia cyber attack, differs with Trump

The top U.S. intelligence official said on Thursday he was “even more resolute” in his belief that Russia staged cyber attacks on Democrats during the 2016 election campaign, rebuking persistent skepticism from Republican President-elect Donald Trump about whether Moscow was involved. James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said he had a very high level of confidence that Russia hacked Democratic Party and campaign staff email, and disseminated propaganda and fake news aimed at the Nov. 8 election.

Elon Musk says SpaceX ready for launch, but FAA isn’t

SpaceX has test fired the engines for its scheduled launch next week, the first time the aerospace manufacturer will try to launch a Falcon 9 rocket since a devastating September explosion. “The FAA has not yet issued a license to SpaceX for a launch in January,” the Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday.

Intelligence Chiefs ‘Stand More Resolutely’ Behind Finding Of Russia Election Hacking

Intelligence agency leaders repeated their determination Thursday that only “the senior most officials” in Russia could have authorized recent hacks into the U.S. electoral and political system. The director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, affirmed an Oct. 7 joint statement from 17 intelligence agencies that the Russian government directed the election interference – and went further.

Letters: Where’s the proof of Russian hacking?

The Inquirer joins those blaming Hillary Clinton’s defeat, in part on “a cyberespionage and information-warfare campaign” . But no U.S. intelligence authority suggests that the emails exposed were false or doctored, or that the Russians, or anyone else, hacked into the U.S. electoral system.

The FBI Never Asked For AccessTo Hacked Computer Servers

The FBI did not examine the servers of the Democratic National Committee before issuing a report attributing the sweeping cyberintrusion to Russia-backed hackers, BuzzFeed News has learned. Six months after the FBI first said it was investigating the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s computer network, the bureau has still not requested access to the hacked servers, a DNC spokesman said.

[Rachel Marsden] Accusations turn intelligence into propaganda

The outgoing Obama administration apparently isn’t quite finished politicizing intelligence for the purpose of propaganda. With his final term coming to an end, US President Barack Obama has signed an executive order to address a “national emergency with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities.”

Obama has some big holes in his legacy

President Barack Obama’s legacy is particularly troubling in two aspects that will affect our youth for some time, in my opinion. I think he was a president that hid behind the race card whenever his decisions were questioned, he’s handing off a country with much more racial tension than the one he received.

U.S. Senators Call for More Sanctions Against Russia

U.S. senators are continuing to call for even stronger sanctions against Russia over allegations Russian agencies meddled in November’s U.S. election. Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Amy Klobuchar visited the country Georgia over the weekend and vowed action against Russia.

SpaceX rockets will finally fly again this week

SpaceX has been anxiously waiting for the right time to resume rocket launches since the unexpected explosion that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket in mid-September during ground preparations. That date might be January 8th, a new report says, assuming everything goes according to plan.