Monday, January 31, 2011

Renewing the Patriot Act While America Sleeps

Of course, there is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists. If we lived in a country that allowed the police to search your home at any time for any reason; if we lived in a country that allowed the government to open your mail, eavesdrop on your phone conversations, or intercept your email communications; if we lived in a country that allowed the government to hold people in jail indefinitely based on what they write or think, or based on mere suspicion that they are up to no good, then the government would no doubt discover and arrest more terrorists. But that probably would not be a country in which we would want to live. And that would not be a country for which we could, in good conscience, ask our young people to fight and die. In short, that would not be America.

--Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), voicing his concerns over Congress' passage of the USA Patriot Act (Oct. 25, 2001)

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In Messages, Lobbyist Says DeLay Pressed for Donation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 - Newly disclosed e-mail messages from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff show that he told an Indian tribe client that he was being pressured by Representative Tom DeLay for a contribution for a $25,000-a-table Republican fund-raiser and that Mr. DeLay had personally phoned the lobbyist's office in search of the money

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Abramoff Emails Show How Money Targeted to Republicans | Public Campaign Action Fund

Abramoff Emails Show How Money Targeted to Republicans Public Campaign Action Fund

EXCLUSIVE EMAILS: Jack Abramoff Describes Relationship With President Bush

ThinkProgress has obtained emails written by Jack Abramoff in which the fallen lobbyist personally describes his relationship with President Bush. They depict a relationship far more extensive than has been previously reported.
The emails written by Abramoff was addressed to Kim Eisler, the national editor of Washingtonian magazine. The Washingtonian recently reported on the existence of several photographs showing Abramoff and Bush together. Eisler is also the author of Revenge of the Pequots, a book about tribal politics for which Abramoff was interviewed.
In the emails, Abramoff describes meeting Bush “in almost a dozen settings,” and details how he was personally invited to President Bush’s private ranch in Crawford, Texas, for a gathering of Bush fundraisers in 2003. Abramoff did not attend, citing a religious observance.
Abramoff emailed Eisler about his invitation to Crawford and his decision not to attend:

NO, IT WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL ON SATURDAY (SHABBOS). YES, I WAS INVITED, DURING THE 2004 CAMPAIGN. IT WAS SATURDAY AUGUST 9, 2003 AT THE RANCH IN CRAWFORD.

The White House has continually downplayed the relationship between Abramoff and President Bush. At a January 26 press conference, President Bush said “You know, I, frankly, don’t even remember having my picture taken with the guy. I don’t know him.”

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McCain Withheld Controversial Abramoff Email

In the 2006 Senate report concerning Abramoff's activities, which McCain spearheaded, the Arizona Republican conspicuously left out information detailing how Alabama Gov. Bob Riley was targeted by Abramoff's influence peddling scheme. Riley, a Republican, won election in November 2002, and was reelected in 2006.

In a December 2002 email obtained by the Huffington Post -- which McCain and his staff had access to prior to the issuance of his report -- Abramoff explains to an aide what he would like to see Riley do in return for the "help" he received from Abramoff's tribal clients.

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Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal

The Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal is a US political scandal involving the work done by lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on behalf of Indian casino gambling interests. The lobbyists are accused of orchestrating lobbying against their own clients in order to force them to pay for lobbying services.
In the course of the scheme, the lobbyists are accused of illegally giving gifts and making campaign donations in return for political favors to several senior Republican politicians, in particular Tom DeLay, Conrad Burns and Bob Ney

Insulting references to clients

In emails now made public by the FBI, which is investigating him, Abramoff repeatedly refers to Native Americans as "monkeys", "troglodytes" and "idiots."
Abramoff via email once asked his conspirator Michael Scanlon to meet a client. The reason Mr. Abramoff couldn't do it was because, as he put it, "I have to meet with the monkeys from the Choctaw tribal council. You need to close the deal... with the client..."
About one tribal client (date unknown) Abramoff wrote to Scanlon, "These mofos are the stupidest idiots in the land for sure." In another e-mail message he wrote, "we need to get some money from those monkeys!!"

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Secure Client Information Exchange: The Hushmail Myth

Secure Client Information Exchange: The Hushmail Myth: "According to their website: Hushmail is the most secure web-based free email service in the world. Since 1999, millions of people and thous..."

Exposed Email Alert!: Question: SAFe - Mail. Is it Really Safe and Secur...

Exposed Email Alert!: Question: SAFe - Mail. Is it Really Safe and Secur...: "This is what SAFe-Mail claims on its website; Safe-Mail.net 'Safe-mail is the most secure, easy to use communication system. It includes en..."

Apple service briefly suspended in Saudi Arabia

The battle between governments and the internet took another turn yesterday when Saudi Arabia appeared to block access to Apple's MobileMe service. The Saudis gave no reason for the block, did not apply it to everyone in the country and lifted it within a few hours for at least some without an explanation.

Word of the government's block came from Apple World, a Saudi website.

MobileMe is Apple's cloud service, a conduit for email, contacts and calendar services, as well as storage for pictures, video and backups. It syncs with Macs, iPhones and iPads. Apple has a huge investment in MobileMe because of the growing interest in cloud computing, reportedly spending $1 billion to build a 4.6-hectare server farm in North Carolina for the service.

Last summer, the Saudi government threatened to shut down Blackberry services unless the Canadian company that runs Blackberries, Research in Motion (RIM), granted access to encrypted text and email messages sent from the devices. The Saudis claimed the step was necessary to hamper communication by terrorists. RIM worked out a settlement, agreeing to put a Blackberry server in Saudi Arabia and gave a government a key to the encryption code.

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She knows who they are

Don’t under-estimate the pressure from the top, as Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown stands by her suggestion that under-performing city councilors must find ways to improve their performance.

The mayor stayed calm after discovering that a councilor had leaked one of her emails to the media. She told the New Tasman blog: “I am aware of which councillors may have an interest in disruption rather than creativity now they are back from holiday. But I don’t intend to worry about who spread this around.”

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Leaked emails cast doubt on dam operation

A series of leaked emails suggests the floods that devastated parts of Brisbane would have been less severe if operators had not allowed water to build to high levels in the Wivenhoe Dam before severe rain drenched the region

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Integrity commissioner condemns email leak

Mississauga's integrity commissioner hasn't been able to determine who leaked two internal emails to The National Post, but he says the distribution of one of them to the newspaper constitutes a "clear breach of confidentiality ... bordering on contempt."
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SNP minister reported over leaked email

Education Secretary Michael Russell has been referred to the Scottish Parliament’s Standards Commissioner after he was accused of interfering in a council’s plans for rural school closures.

Mr Russell was referred after leaked emails showed he intervened personally with SNP councillors in Argyll and Bute over their proposed support for a package of school closures

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A revelation that gives hope to Tommy Sheridan

Even in a case bristling with tales of betrayal, illicit sex and visits to swingers' clubs, one detail lodged itself in the minds of the reporters at the perjury trial of Tommy Sheridan.

Sheridan's defence team had sought emails from News International relating to its alleged hacking of his phone and its contract negotiations with Ms Khan.

News International supplied some emails but Mr Bird, testifying under oath, repeatedly said others had been lost on the way to India. The police also disclosed some emails from News of the World to the defence.

News International now says Mr Bird unintentionally misled the court, but insists that all the emails sought by the defence were disclosed to it either by the newspaper or the police.

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Anna Bligh told MP Betty Kiernan to deny her involvement in Xstrata employee sacking, documents show

PREMIER Anna Bligh tried to cover up Labor MP Betty Kiernan's involvement in the sacking of a constituent, government documents show

In documents suggesting Mrs Kiernan confirmed her involvement in the sacking, email records show she initially wanted to defend herself on the basis Mrs Christie sent the asset sales email to others first and had not told her to keep it confidential.
In an early draft statement sent to the Premier's office on July 10, Mrs Kiernan wrote: "The information which was circulated was sent to other parties and no emails were sent to me as strictly confidential.

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Climate science must move on from UK email scandal

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Reviews last year of a scandal over scientists' leaked emails correctly ruled out data manipulation and showed it was time for climate science to move on, a panel of UK lawmakers said on Tuesday. It is the fourth British review of a scandal dubbed "climategate" which had partly involved the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit, based in eastern England.

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Risque e-mails show personal relationship between Newport-Mesa schools chief and former subordinate, prosecutors contend in financial-improprieties case

Los Angeles prosecutors on Wednesday introduced e-mails they say showed a relationship between the superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and a former subordinate of his when he worked as schools chief in Beverly Hills.

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Emails Show Bear Stearns Was Selling Its Investors “A Sack Of Sh*t

And Now JPMorgan May Be Forced To Pay Up

Bear Stearns mortgage execs who now head up desks at Goldman, BofA, and Ally Financial have been accused of defrauding investors of millions through shoddy mortgage securities they engineered and sold when they were at Bear Stearns, Teri Buhl at The Atlantic reports.
And Bear's current parent JPMorgan may be forced to pay.
Emails in a lawsuit unsealed last week show Jamie Dimon's bank has known about the alleged fraud since 2008, but has fought tooth and nail to keep it "from the public eye through legal maneuvering," the Atlantic says

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-bear-ambac-lawsuit-2011-1#ixzz1CbtJ41uZ

Starbucks, Kraft emails show coffee spat not new

Starbucks says repeatedly told Kraft about deal concerns
* CEO emails in January discuss problems in grocery
* Kraft says emails "selectively leaked"

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Emails Show Goldman Foresaw the Meltdown of Subprime

Goldman Sachs (GS) made a lot of money by shorting the heck out of the subprime market, a collection of internal e-mails released by a Senate panel showed on Saturday

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Goldman profited on shorts

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Other internal Goldman emails released on Saturday morning by the Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations, which conducted an 18-month-long investigation into the bank, showed that the firm was relieved it had taken short positions as the housing market worsened. When it emerged that the firm had made $50m in one day by taking short positions that gained value as the market for mortgages collapsed, David Viniar, chief financial officer, said in an email: “Tells you what might be happening to people who don’t have the big short.”
In another email, a Goldman manager reacted to the downgrade of $32bn in mortgage backed securities by credit rating agencies by noting that, unlike other investors who were taking heavy losses, the bank had bet against them. “Sounds like we will make some serious money.”
To which a colleague responded: “Yes we are well positioned.”

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Goldman emails show rise of technology and traders

Embarrassing emails aren’t new to Wall Street. After the dotcom bubble, star tech analysts were condemned for sending messages mocking the same stocks they urged investors to buy. Now Goldman Sachs is in the spotlight after Senate investigators uncovered correspondence from current and former executives which suggest they were anticipating the collapse of the mortgage market even as they flogged related products to clients.

What’s most striking about the messages, however, is who wrote them. Goldman’s senior executives have long preferred voicemail over email for confidential communication. Indeed, some Goldman bankers believe it was this technological difference that helped the bank to dodge the Internet-related scandals that tainted rivals Merrill Lynch and Citigroup: voicemails are harder for investigators to scan.
Goldman is still a heavy user of voicemail. After the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed fraud charges against the bank, Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein used company-wide voicemail messages to convey his defiance to employees. But emails released by the Senate subcommittee on investigations – and by the bank itself – suggest an increasing dependence on written messages.

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Do Stolen E-Mails Show Climate Science Malfeasance?

Scientists testify to the U.K. government that, despite "awful e-mails," climate change is unequivocal

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Petraeus emails show general scheming with journalist to get out pro-Israel storyline

Last March General David Petraeus, then head of Central Command, sought to undercut his own testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that was critical of Israel by intriguing with a rightwing writer to put out a different story, in emails obtained by Mondoweiss.

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Leaked Internal Emails Show Microsoft Overstated Windows Live Spaces Numbers

Joe Wilcox at BetaNews has posted a must-read article in the wake of the announcement – made at TechCrunch Disrupt SF – that the Redmond software giant would be transitioning all its Windows Live Spaces users to Automattic‘s WordPress.com platform.
You may recall Dharmesh Mehta, Director of Product Management for Windows Live, stating that there were roughly 30 million active Windows Live Spaces accounts.
Wilcox, however, has managed to obtain internal e-mail messages exchanged between (yet unnamed) Microsoft employees that suggest far lower numbers.

However, according to a senior Microsoft manger e-mailing colleagues: “The net is: 300k sites are expected to migrate of the 30M ‘blogs’ — most are dead. WordPress is adding somewhere in the order of zero servers to handle this capacity. This was a ‘who has the best online service for blogging for our customers’ and had nothing to do with technology.”

Ouch – so basically most of the 30 million so-called active blogs are in reality dead, and Microsoft expects a mere 300,000 sites to effectively migrate to WordPress.com (which currently hosts just south of 14 million blogs).

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