Archive for October, 2013
$2 Billion NSA Spy Center is Going Up in Flames
October 9th, 2013Via: The Fiscal Times: The National Security Agency’s $2 billion mega spy center is going up in flames. Technical glitches have sparked fiery explosions within the NSA’s newest and largest data storage facility in Utah, destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, and delaying the facility’s opening by one year. And no one […]
Ameridumb
October 8th, 2013Via: AP: It’s long been known that America’s school kids haven’t measured well compared with international peers. Now, there’s a new twist: Adults don’t either. In math, reading and problem-solving using technology – all skills considered critical for global competitiveness and economic strength – American adults scored below the international average on a global test, […]
Microsoft and Lockheed Martin Team Up for Government Cloud Platform
October 8th, 2013Via: Information Week: Microsoft will soon launch a dedicated multi-tenant cloud environment that meets the distinct requirements of U.S. government agencies. The Windows Azure U.S. Government Cloud will be an exclusive community cloud available for U.S. state, local and federal government agencies. It will be hosted in Microsoft data centers located in the U.S. and […]
“Soon, Drones May Be Able to Make Lethal Decisions on Their Own”
October 8th, 2013Acronym of the day: LAR – Lethal Autonomous Robot Via: National Journal: Scientists, engineers and policymakers are all figuring out ways drones can be used better and more smartly, more precise and less damaging to civilians, with longer range and better staying power. One method under development is by increasing autonomy on the drone itself. […]
NSA Director Alexander Admits He Lied about Phone Surveillance Stopping 54 Terror Plots
October 8th, 2013Via: AllGov: The head of the National Security Agency (NSA) admitted before a congressional committee this week that he lied back in June when he claimed the agency’s phone surveillance program had thwarted 54 terrorist “plots or events.” NSA Director Keith Alexander gave out the erroneous number while the Obama administration was defending its domestic […]
FBI Accused of Using No-Fly List to Recruit Informants
October 8th, 2013Via: AllGov: Is this the beginning of the end for the federal government’s no-fly list? Just weeks after federal Judge Anna J. Brown of Portland, Oregon, refused to dismiss an ACLU suit against the list because there is “a constitutionally-protected liberty interest in traveling internationally by air which is affected by being placed on the […]
And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is… The Man From Monsanto
October 8th, 2013Via: NPR: Ever heard of the World Food Prize? It’s sometimes called the “Nobel Prize for food and agriculture,” but it has struggled to get people’s attention. Prize winners tend to be agricultural insiders, and many are scientists. Last year’s laureate, for instance, was , a pioneer of water-saving “micro-irrigation.” This year, though, the World […]
Carter: Middle Class Today Resembles Poor of 1970s
October 8th, 2013Via: AP: Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that the income gap in the United States has increased to the point where members of the middle class resemble the Americans who lived in poverty when he occupied the White House. Carter offered his assessment of the nation’s economic challenges Monday at a Habitat for Humanity […]
Recovery: Alcatel-Lucent to Cut 10,000 Jobs
October 8th, 2013Via: Dice: Alcatel-Lucent is planning to cut 10,000 workers by 2015 as the telecom equipment maker continues to restructure. Alcatel-Lucent logoBack in June, Alcatel-Lucent announced its Shift Plan, which aims to save 1 billion Euros in fixed costs as it retools its operations. However, at the time, it didn’t give an estimate of how many […]
Social Security Warns Benefits Could Get Cut
October 8th, 2013Via: Wall Street Journal: The Social Security Administration has begun warning the public it cannot guarantee full benefit payments if the debt ceiling isn’t increased. When asked by the public, the agency is notifying beneficiaries that “Unlike a federal shutdown which has no impact on the payment of Social Security benefits, failure to raise the […]
