U.S. Department of Homeland Security

After Hackers Pwn Twitter, New York State Beefs Up Its Cyber Security

"In the 21st century, almost all of our daily activities are linked to the internet - from banking to shopping to using our telecommunications networks and physical infrastructure systems," Governor Cuomo said, announcing the creation of an all-star New York cyber security advisory board last week. ... More >>

Bloomberg to Pass New Law to Keep NYC the Most "Immigrant-Friendly" City in the U.S.

Today Mayor Bloomberg will sign off on two hefty pieces of immigration legislation that will maintain New York's reputation as one of the most immigrant-friendly cities in the nation. The two laws, which passed 40-7 in City Council at the end of February, are a reaction to Secure Communities, the h ... More >>

Counterfeiters Busted Selling Fake IDs to Undocumented Immigrants in Brooklyn

Two Brooklyn men were indicted on forgery charges yesterday for creating counterfeit identification cards and distributing them out of a Sunset Park bakery. Jose Mateo Castro, 56, and Leonel Escamiilo, 43, allegedly sold counterfeit Social Security Cards, Green Cards and driver's licenses to undocu ... More >>

Are Food Trucks Terrorist Threats? The FDNY Seems to Think So.

We knew the Wafels and Dinges truck was too good to be true!According to a recent PowerPoint presentation obtained by the research group Public Intelligence, the Fire Department of New York has been warning its members to keep their eyes out for food trucks of all shapes and sizes. The reason? Well, ... More >>

MADDOW FOR PRESIDENT

The MSNBC host takes on
the government

BREAKING: Anonymous Claims to Take Down CIA Website

Runnin' Scared just got word from Anonymous's Twitter feed that the hacktivist group has taken down the Central Intelligence Agency's website, writing: "CIA TANGO DOWN: https://www.cia.gov/ #Anonymous (via @RT_America) http://goo.gl/zBW2b." As of 3:53 p.m., the CIA's website does not appear to be w ... More >>

Two British Tourists Denied Entry Into U.S. for Twitter Jokes

​Someone needs to give the U.S. Customs Department a lesson in Humour 101. Last Monday, two British tourists were denied entry into Los Angeles after one of them said on Twitter that he was going to "dig up Marilyn Monroe" and "destroy America" in two separate tweets. (The latter tweet was a ... More >>

Obama Admin Okays Monitoring of Reporters? No, No, Says Homeland Security Flack

The web is abuzz today with reports that the Department of Homeland Security has approved collecting of personal information from television anchors, news reporters, bloggers, and anyone else who uses social media. The so-called Media Monitoring Initiative allows the government to keep data on peop ... More >>

Al Qaeda Wants to Be Your Friend on Facebook

According to a recent study from the University of Haifa, your latest friend request on Facebook may be from a terrorist organization, for, like the rest of us, they have shifted their Internet activity focus to...social networks, obvi! "Today, about 90% of organized terrorism on the Internet is bei ... More >>

Relax, That Terrifying 'Extreme Alert' Message on Your Cell Phone Is Only a Test

Alert: You need a new phone.​Today between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., the Office of Emergency Management will be sending out texts that say "Severe Alert" or "Extreme Alert." This would be frightening, perhaps even terrifying, but, not to worry, this is only a test! In partnership with the Department ... More >>

U.S. Airport Radiation Detectors Being Triggered by Japanese Passengers

​There are fewer words scarier than "nuclear meltdown" and, of course, "radiation." So it's not surprising that Americans are concerned, particularly on the West Coast, where low, reportedly "not dangerous" levels of radiation are now headed, about possible fallout from the nuclear crisis at J ... More >>

Ray Kelly, Police Commissioner, Buys NYPD Gear In Secret

​In yet more evidence that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly does his own thing, the NYPD violated federal and state bidding regulations in purchasing $4.1 million in anti-terror equipment without holding an open bidding competition, according to a new audit by the Department of Homeland Security ... More >>

U.S. Travelers Will No Longer Be Able to Travel With Their Favorite Large Ink Cartridges

A tampered-with large ink cartridge.​Well, this is going to put a damper on things. According to the latest air cargo security regulations (following reports of suspicious packages found on UPS planes en route from Yemen to Chicago, which turned out to contain explosives), airline passengers w ... More >>

What Happens When You Call Barack Obama a Pussy? You Get Banned. From America.

Eat a Spotted Dick.​You're British? You wanna call our president a "pussy"? Guess what: You're the pussy. Not only that, but we'll ban you. From America.

Week in Review: Female Guitar Players Are the New Black

The beach is in Bed-Stuy, suckers. Photo by Rebecca Smeyne.​In the week we asked a Georgia-certified divorce attorney whether The-Dream had left his wife while she was eight and a half months pregnant because he would have had to pay more child support had he waited the full nine (or was it ju ... More >>

Morning Links: New York City's Homeland Security Cuts; Strippers Want a Pole Tax; New Baby Falcons!

​• President Obama is in New York today, the day after the Department of Homeland Security cut funding to prevent terrorism in New York. (The final DHS budget decision for the year gives the New York City area $111 million for transit security -- a 27% cut from last year's funding of $153 mi ... More >>

Bernie Kerik, the Next Lil Wayne, Blogging Before Prison

​In the least likely to have a blog category, you might put rapper Lil Wayne, who is currently serving a year at Riker's Island after pleading guilty to gun charges. And yet Weezy Thanx You is thriving, the latest entry being a think piece on the Eagles trading quarterback Donovan McNabb. (The ... More >>

April Fool's Prank Still on Subway Wall

​ Reader Rick Shur notes that an April 1st prank poster about extreme subway security measures, put up on the 110th Street downtown #1 subway wall, is still there! And the satirical poster involves all kinds of intrusive, invasive body searches that Homeland Security is allowed to do on passe ... More >>

Marduk

Rangel Under Investigation by House Subcommittee for Caribbean Trips

The House of Representatives is investigating five Democratic members for accepting "improper" travel arrangements, and our own Charlie Rangel made the cut. The Carib News Foundation sponsors an annual Multinational Business Conference on Caribbean affairs, and is said to have flown the lawmakers in ... More >>

NYCLU Sues Homeland Security Over Spying on Citizens

The New York Civil Liberties Union is suing the Department of Homeland Security to find anything it can about the NYPD's plans to build a massive surveillance system in Lower Manhattan. The system will allow the NYPD, and possibly the federal government, to create a computerized database on the mo ... More >>

Refugees to U.S. Get a Few Breaks from Washington

Refugee camp, Afghanistan. Photo (cc) Tracy Hunter. One the most disastrous and lasting consequences of the Patriot Act of 2001 and its extremely broad definitions of terrorism has been the impact on people seeking asylum in the United States. We wrote about a pretty extreme case last year, in wh ... More >>

Fox News Sticks up for the Voice!?

We tried to warn you about Janet Napolitano.Yesterday, her Department of Homeland Security was backpedaling after a gaffe so stupid FOX NEWS found itself defending the Village Voice.Yeah, think about that one for a minute.Some idiots who work for Napolitano apparently thought it would be a good idea ... More >>

Freedom Fighter or Terrorist? The US Can't Decide about Bangladeshi Immigrant Sachin Karmakar

Welcome to America, freedom fighter. Now go stuff yourself.

CODE RED

Mike Daisey explores the Department of Homeland Security

Vlogged to Death

Romero and his zombies return to lambast the media. Plus: The truly and spectacularly horrifying Inside.

Peeping Bomb

Private eyes are watching you, but Look can't be bothered to care

New Terror Plot, Same Old Money Problem

Go, Sam, Go!

It's ready, set, interrogate for Alito and Team Bush

Relief at the Point of a Gun

Relax, y'all: It's butter and bullets for big security firms in New Orleans

Theater

Protection Racket

Questions about Albany's cut of New York's homeland security money

Real Reporters, Fake News

Department of the Fence

Building walls and fences to keep out Mexicans and Canadians

Too Hot for the Homeland

Montserrat volcano victims get the heave-ho from the U.S.

Jackboots on Broadway?

Defense insider calls for the abridging of civil rights

Letters

Theater

Hatching a Plot

Alabama's eggheads ponder how to protect their hens, roosters corporations mount a schmear campaign during the conventions

The Un-Convention: When Hackers Attack, Resistance Is Futile

Hey, You Huddled Masses? Get in Line!

The Tip-Off: Bikes!

Homeland Security Follies

Bio-Whatchamacallit

Tom Ridge's 'Crazy' Plan to Watch the Sky for Spores

Key Interceptions

INS Selects a Least Valuable Squad of Workers

Virtually Helpless

The threat of cyberwar looms large. Our best homeland defense may be surprisingly small

Joe Lieberman Joins Big Brother

The Return of the Thought Police

Ashcroft’s Master Plan to Spy on Us

'Citizens Will Not Become Informants'

Protecting the Homeland

Ten Ways to Keep America Safer Without Trampling on Immigrants

Bush's Little Shop of Horrors

Where Fear Is Always on Sale—and the Truth Is Made to Order