Using Game Ads to Recruit Spies

One of the UK's intelligence agencies will use advertising within video games to recruit possible spies.

The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Britain's intelligence listening post, will embed the adverts as billboards in video games including "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent" in a bid to attract "computer-savvy, technologically-able, quick-thinking" recruits.

Lantos: Yahoo! Lied About China

Congressman Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says that Yahoo! has provided false information to Congress regarding its part in the arrest and imprisonment of Shi Tao. He is now asking Yahoo! executives Jerry Yang and Michael Callahan to appear before the committee early next month.

"Our committee has established that Yahoo provided false information to Congress in early 2006," Lantos said in a written statement. "We want to clarify how that happened, and to hold the company to account for its actions both before and after its testimony proved untrue. And we want to examine what steps the company has taken since then to protect the privacy rights of its users in China."

via huffpost

Verizon: 720 Warrartless Disclosures

Verizon has told Congress it has turned over customer data, on an emergency basis and without a court order, more than seven hundred times to Federal authorities. The requests not only included information about who made and received the phone call, but also about people they called.

Verizon also disclosed that the FBI, using administrative subpoenas, sought information identifying not just a person making a call, but all the people that customer called, as well as the people those people called. Verizon does not keep data on this "two-generation community of interest" for customers, but the request highlights the broad reach of the government's quest for data.

via tpm

Insect Spy Drones at Rallies?

Are robotic dragonflies being used at anti-war rallies?

No Money for Innocence

The Feds spend hundreds of millions of dollars collecting DNA samples. But none of that is going to prove anyone's innocence.

"DNA evidence is such a powerful tool in proving guilt or innocence that it's inexcusable not to use it," says Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the chief sponsor of a bill to provide more funding for what is known as innocence testing.

via tpm

Dozens Suspended In Clooney Privacy Leak

Dozens of medical personnel have been suspended and are being investigated over the leak of George Clooney's medical information following a recent motorcycle accident. The union representative believes an apology should be enough.

"It was inappropriate but they are paying a steep price. But I don't even think George Clooney would want people to pay. Again, the apology to him for his privacy rights [is necessary], but I think in fact the hospital is overreacting," says Jean Oterson of the HPAA.

Problem with the Podcast

I'm currently having some technical problems with my audio editor. I'm hoping to fix it this weekend. Then I'll be able to update the audio archive and podcast. Sorry about that. Really.

Living "Off the Grid" in Decorah

Tonight's edition of Now included a feature on "Off the Grid" families near Decorah, Iowa.

RIAA Wins in Court

The RIAA has won its case against Jammie Thomas, who has now been ordered to pay $222,000 in damages for copyright infringement.

CNN Weatherman: Gore's Film is Fiction

A CNN weatherman openly agreed with a British judge who said the film An Inconvenient Truth promoted "partisan political views."

CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano responded to this story by applauding and saying,"Finally, finally," before commenting sarcastically that "the Oscars, they give out awards for fictional films as well."

Beware Remote Control Toys

The DHS and TSA are cracking down on the growing threat of remote control toys.

In an announcement Monday, Kip Hawley, the assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security in charge of aviation security, said travellers can expect to see more scrutiny of toys as they pass through inspection gates at airports.

The Germs Are Missing!!

From the Associated Press:

American laboratories handling the world's deadliest germs and toxins have experienced more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003, and the number is increasing steadily as more labs across the country are approved to do the work.