Security researcher Brian Wallace was on the trail of hackers who had snatched a California university’s housing files when he stumbled into a larger nightmare: Cyberattackers had opened a pathway into the networks running the United States power grid.
Digital clues pointed to Iranian hackers. And Wallace found that they had already taken passwords, as well as engineering drawings of dozens of power plants, at least one with the title “Mission Critical.” The drawings were so detailed that experts say skilled attackers could have used them, along with other tools and malicious code, to knock out electricity flowing to millions of homes.
Wallace was astonished. But this breach, The Associated Press has found, was not unique.
About a dozen times in the last decade, sophisticated foreign hackers have gained enough remote access to control the operations networks that keep the lights on, according to top experts who spoke only on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter.
The public almost never learns the details about these types of attacks – they’re rarer but also more intricate and potentially dangerous than data theft. Information about the government’s response to these hacks is often protected and sometimes classified; many are never even reported to the government. (Read more from “Iranian Hackers Have Gained Access to ‘Mission Critical’ American Blueprints” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-23 00:02:312016-04-11 10:54:44Iranian Hackers Have Gained Access to ‘Mission Critical’ American Blueprints
Responding to the deadliest attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan in more than three years, the White House issued a statement Monday saying its “thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and their loved ones.”
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the six U.S. service members killed and to all of those injured in today’s Taliban attack near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan,” said the statement, issued by White House press secretary Josh Earnest.
There was no statement from President Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii with his family. Obama played golf on Monday afternoon at the Mid-Pacific Country Club, after a morning workout at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
“Obama attempted a chip shot of about 40 feet and made it into the hole,” an AP report stated at the end of the afternoon’s golf. “He reacted by dropping his wedge and raising his hat and arms into the air. He then pointed his finger at the media and tipped his hat and waved toward the gallery watching him from the road.”
According to Operation Resolute Support public affairs office, the suicide bombing that killed six American troops at Bagram, the largest U.S. base in the country, occurred at around 1:30 PM on Monday – around 4 AM Monday in Washington, and 11 PM Sunday night in Honolulu. (Read more from “No Word from Golfing Obama After Deadliest Attack on US Troops in Afghanistan in 3 Years” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-23 00:01:192016-04-11 10:54:45No Word from Golfing Obama After Deadliest Attack on US Troops in Afghanistan in 3 Years
By Dr. Joel McDurmon. Conservative outlets all over are blasting the Paul Ryan-led omnibus bill for a total sell-out of conservative voters. Breitbart calls it a betrayal of America. Rush Limbaugh concurred, using language even more vulgar.
Reading through their reasonings and rantings, one can gather just how badly we have been sold out. But you would not see the depth of it, actually. The depth of this depravity can be judged merely by analyzing the vote as it was taken in the House.
The record vote reveals that only three (count them—3) Republicans opposed the bill. That means that virtually the entire clan of so-called “Liberty caucus” conservatives supported the sell-out.
But it gets worse. 77 Democrats voted for this bill specifically because Paul Ryan went out of his way to court their vote (with late-night, secret deals reminiscent of the ObamaCare passing). Ryan not only sold out conservatives on Trillions in spending and new deficits, but virtually rubber-stamped Obama’s executive orders, his regionalism program to back-door annex suburbs by major urban centers (the Alinskyite-activists’ dream for years), funds Planned Parenthood, and funds a variety of other miscreant bureaucratic measures (including increased funding for activist bureaucracies in the Department of Education, as well as slipping in an internet spying amendment, among others. . .
What the numbers reveal is that Paul Ryan (or the Republican establishment in general) actively courted Democrat votes when they didn’t need them. Apparently, Ryan and company wanted so badly to present this bill as “bipartisan” that he caved seriously on a number of leftist issues just to woo a couple handfuls of Democrats. (Read more from “Understand Just How Badly You Got Sold out by the Ryan Spending Bill, and Why” HERE)
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Paul Ryan Ends the Year with an Omni-Bust – Jail Break Is next
By Daniel Horowitz. It started in September with passage of the original bill to bust the budget caps and raise the debt ceiling for the remainder of the Obama presidency. Then it was the bill to reauthorize federally-mandated testing under No Child Left Behind for another five years. After that, it was the $65 billion highway bailout bill.
Moving on to immigration and our national emergency with the flood of migrants from the Middle East, Ryan promoted a phony bill on refugees. It did nothing to stop Obama’s refugee resettlement scheme and his violation of coordinating with states, as mandated by law. In doing so, Ryan blocked all amendments from conservatives to strengthen the bill, even though he promised an open process as Speaker. Finally, he promoted a visa bill related to Europe, which did absolutely nothing to address the core of the problem with the Visa Waiver Program, much less focus on the real problem – mass migration and refugees directly from the Middle East.
On Friday, Paul Ryan closed the loop by passing an Omnibus bill, which funds all of Obama’s priorities for the remainder of the year. Here’s a list of the top 11 Christmas presents Paul Ryan’s omnibus gave President Obama.
The only provision addressing immigration actually quadruples the number of low-skilled workers brought in under the H2-b program, ignoring the cries of Americans while doing the bidding of the K Street lobbyists. And once again, every single proposed amendment was blocked from consideration on the floor of the House.
Every one of the aforementioned bills passed with either unanimous or super-majority support from Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats. The Omnibus bill was no different. It passed with more Democrats than Republicans, garnering the support of all but 18 of Pelosi’s troops.
Nonetheless, it is still quite revealing that roughly 60% of Republicans supported a complete giveaway to Obama; a Christmas present that was jubilantly lauded by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It is evident that a majority of Republicans believe so strongly in the cult of Paul Ryan’s personality that, unlike with John Boehner, they are willing to follow him off the cliff into the political abyss.
So what does Paul Ryan have planned for next year? Did he “clear the decks” and capitulate this year so that he can be free to fight Obama’s fundamental transformation next year?
Not a chance.
Ryan told Meet the Press he plans to focus on common ground next year. And as Chuck Schumer already made clear, common ground means giving the Democrats what they want on the most critical issues of our time.
“I think what we will probably try to do is where we can get things done, where we can find common ground without compromising principles, get those things done. Make sure that government works.”
And guess which issue was first out of Ryan’s mouth? Criminal justice “reform”!
Thus, Ryan’s biggest priority for next year is the same as Obama’s biggest priority for the remainder of his presidency – to release as many violent criminals from prison as possible. Lost in the news cycle on Friday was news that Obama plans to commute the sentences of 95 additional drug felons. And as is always the case, a number of them are not merely drug felons but criminals convicted for armed robbery and firearms violations. You read that correctly: at a time when Obama plans to clamp down on law-abiding gun owners, he is releasing violent gun felons from prison. And yet, instead of stopping this dangerous policy, Ryan and the Republicans plan to codify it into law.
Don’t you just wish the Democrats had their version of Paul Ryan leading them in the House and Senate? (For more from the author of “Paul Ryan Ends the Year with an Omni-Bust – Jail Break Is next” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-23 00:01:002016-04-11 10:54:45Understand Just How Badly You Got Sold out by the Ryan Spending Bill, and Why
As the Obama administration mulls the possibility of gun control by executive fiat, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced on Tuesday that it will no longer recognize concealed-carry permits from 25 states whose qualifications fall short of Virginia’s safety standards.
“Virginia, and nearly every other state in the country, have recognized that carrying a concealed handgun is a significant responsibility that should be extended only to those who have gone through a process to prove a level of competency and responsibility,” Attorney General Mark Herring said in a news release.
Herring said the standards set by Virginia “should be applied evenly, consistently, and fairly to anyone who wants to lawfully conceal a handgun in Virginia.”
After Virginia State Police conducted an audit of other states’ laws and safeguards, the commonwealth announced it is revoking concealed handgun permit recognition (reciprocity) with 25 states effective February 1, 2016 because their laws are not sufficient to prevent someone who is disqualified under Virginia law from receiving a concealed handgun permit . . .
Virginia will no longer recognized concealed carry permits issued in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. (Read more from “Virginia Will No Longer Recognize Concealed-Carry Permits Issued in 25 Other States” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-22 23:51:452016-04-11 10:54:45Virginia Will No Longer Recognize Concealed-Carry Permits Issued in 25 Other States
A poll published on Wednesday by ABC News showed that despite a rash of high-profile shootings, 53% of Americans reached in the survey opposed a ban on assault weapons.
That was the highest percentage in 20 years of the poll. Just 45% percent of respondents said they supported the ban.
The latest Democratic gun-control push in Congress is essentially a renewal of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban under President Bill Clinton . . .
Critics argue that an assault-weapon ban would be an ineffective fix to the mass-shooting problem, and that the definition of an “assault weapon” is superficial rather than substantive. But gun-control advocates argue that a ban would limit the mass-killing potential of shooters. . .
ABC’s polling data showed that just 22% of respondents felt confident in the government’s ability to protect them from lone-wolf shooters, such as Charleston’s Dylann Roof, or Adam Lanza of Sandy Hook. In contrast, 77% percent of respondents said they felt the government cannot protect them. (Read more from “Poll Shows a Shocking Lack of Trust in the US Government That’s Fueling the Gun Debate” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-22 23:51:252016-04-11 10:54:45Poll Shows a Shocking Lack of Trust in the US Government That’s Fueling the Gun Debate
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz believes the 2016 race for the Republican presidential nomination is becoming a two-man contest between Donald Trump and himself.
Cruz celebrated his 45th birthday in Tennessee on Tuesday, where the senator stumped as part of his tour of the March 1 nominating states — particularly those in the “SEC primary.”
“I did think it was interesting that Donald Trump said a couple of days ago that he thinks this race will come down to him and me. I think Donald may well be right,” Cruz said in Tennessee. “I think it could easily end up being a two-man race between Donald Trump and me. And I think that presents a good choice to the American people. This process is a job interview. It is a job interview where each and every one of us is standing before 330 million Americans and trying to make the case in terms of who is best prepared to be commander-in-chief.” (Read more from “Cruz Agrees with Trump on GOP Race” HERE)
Scientists feared the last of Australia’s short-nosed sea snakes died about 15 years ago, which makes this new sighting doubly auspicious: A wildlife official snapped a photo of not one but two of the snakes swimming off the western coast—and they were making googly eyes at each other.
“What is even more exciting is that they were courting, suggesting that they are members of a breeding population,” says researcher Blanche D’Anastasi of James Cook University in a press release.
Photo Credit: Grant Griffin, W.A. Dept. Parks and Wildlife
No such snake had been spotted since the species disappeared from its habitat at Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea more than a decade ago. Scientists at JCU confirmed that the photos, taken at Ningaloo Reef, captured images of the sea snakes in the journal Biological Conservation. (Read more from “‘Extinct’ Snakes Spotted off the Coast of Australia” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-22 23:48:522016-04-11 10:54:46Must See: ‘Extinct’ Snakes Spotted off the Coast of Australia
Hillary Clinton’s donors say they think Bernie Sanders will raise more money in the fourth quarter than their candidate for the first time ever — a testament to the underdog’s online cash juggernaut and a harbinger of donor fatigue among the front-runner’s backers.
Clinton campaign officials said she remains on track to reach her goal of $100 million for the primary by the end of the year; she had already collected $77 million by the end of the third quarter.
But Sanders nearly matched Clinton in the most recent quarter — raising an eye-popping $26 million to Clinton’s $28 million — and multiple fundraising sources on Clinton’s team told POLITICO they expect the Vermont senator to beat her when the next financial disclosures are filed on Jan. 30, just before the Iowa caucuses.
“People are feeling very complacent — and more reluctant to contribute — because they don’t take Bernie Sanders that seriously,” top Clinton donor Alan Patricof told POLITICO. “They look at the other side and think, how could anyone possibly back any one of them? The attitude of sensible people is that she’s the only one who makes any sense.” None of the donors or campaign insiders POLITICO spoke with Monday disputed the notion that Sanders was on track to beat them in the end-of-year cash race.
Low-balling your candidate’s fundraising totals is a time-honored practice in presidential politics: If Clinton somehow manages to come out on top, her campaign can portray the quarter as exceeding expectations — no easy feat in a race where she is leading Sanders by 20 to 30 percentage points nationally. (Read more from “Clinton Donors Say Sanders Is Raising More than the Front-Runner” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-22 23:45:572016-04-11 10:54:46Clinton Donors Say Sanders Is Raising More than the Front-Runner
Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a lawsuit on December 2, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking records of communications from National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials regarding methodology for collecting and interpreting data used in climate models (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Commerce (No 1:15-cv-02088)). The lawsuit sought the same documents unsuccessfully subpoenaed by a House committee. Less than week after Judicial Watch served its lawsuit on NOAA, the agency finally turned over the targeted documents to Congress.
Judicial Watch sued the Department of Commerce after the agency failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted on October 30, 2015 – NOAA is a component of the Department of Commerce. The timeframe for the requested records is October 30, 2014, through October 30, 2015, and requests all documents and records of communications between NOAA officials, employees, and contractors regarding:
The methodology and utilization of night marine air temperatures to adjust ship and buoy temperature data;
The use of other global temperature datasets for both NOAA’s in-house dataset improvements and monthly press releases conveying information to the public about global temperatures;
The utilization and consideration of satellite bulk atmospheric temperature readings for use in global temperature datasets; and
A subpoena issued for the aforementioned information by Congressman Lamar Smith on October 13, 2015.
Judicial Watch is investigating how NOAA collects and disseminates climate data that is used in determining global climate change. NOAA collects data in thousands of ways – from temperature gauges on land and buoys at sea, to satellites orbiting Earth. Considered the “environmental intelligence agency,” NOAA is the nation’s leading collector of climate data. In July, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) asked NOAA for both data and internal communications related to a controversial climate change study. After the agency refused to comply with the document request, Smith’s committee issued a subpoena on October 13. According to the Science, Space, and Technology Committee:
In June, NOAA widely publicized a study as refuting the nearly two-decade pause in climate change. After three letters requesting all communications from the agency surrounding the role of political appointees in the agency’s scientific process, Chairman Smith issued a subpoena for the information. Smith subsequently sent a letter on December 1st offering to accept documents and communications from NOAA political, policy and non-scientific staff as a first step in satisfying the subpoena requirements.
(Read more from “Judicial Watch Sues for Documents Withheld from Congress in New Climate Data Scandal” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-12-22 23:45:002016-04-11 10:54:46Judicial Watch Sues for Documents Withheld from Congress in New Climate Data Scandal
Western Journalism reported Monday on emcee Steve Harvey’s blunder during Sunday’s Miss Universe pageant. The incident occurred when Harvey misspoke and announced Miss Colombia as the winner of the pageant when, in fact, it was Miss Philippines who earned the title.
Former pageant owner Donald Trump, who was quick to mention that he made a lot of money off of the sale of the pageant, tweeted out a response that it would have never happened had he still been the owner of the pageant . . .
To his credit, Harvey was very apologetic, but the damage was done. It is unclear whether there will be any lawsuits for damages as a result of announcing the wrong winner of the pageant. Harvey took full responsibility for his actions and reminded everyone not to “take it out on the ladies.” Western Journalism is now getting a look at the cue card from which Harvey was reading when he made the mistake.
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2015-12-22 23:44:042016-04-11 10:54:46Here’s What the Card That Caused Steve Harvey’s Epic ‘Miss Universe’ Blunder Looked Like
