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☆ 'Planned in plain sight': Senate report finds intel agencies failed in the lead-up to Jan. 6
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Ryan Nobles | Ryan J. Reilly | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement agencies failed to correctly analyze a wide range of intelligence showing the potential for violence on Jan. 6, 2021, Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee concluded in a report released Tuesday. That post was one of many alluding to the potential for violence leading up to Jan. 6. "What was shocking is that this attack was essentially planned in plain sight in social media," Peters said in an interview, "And yet it seemed as if our intelligence agencies completely dropped the ball." According to the report, similar streams of intelligence continued to flood federal agencies tasked with keeping watch for violent activity. "On the contrary, these threats were made openly, often in publicly available social media posts, and FBI and I&A were aware of them."

Persons: Sen, Gary Peters, Parler, …, Peters Organizations: Senate Homeland Security, FBI, Department of Homeland Security's, of Intelligence, Capitol, U.S . Capitol Police, Washington Metropolitan Police, Washington Field Office, DHS National Operations Center Locations: WASHINGTON, Washington

☆ The fate of millions of student-loan borrowers is set to be decided this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Supreme Court is set to decide on Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan this week. Recent rulings from the court could shed light on how it might handle the debt relief cases. The Supreme Court is now entering the last week of its term, and it's set to hand down all remaining decisions on pending cases. And recent rulings from the Supreme Court shed light on how justices are taking a stricter look at standing issues . Of course, it's unclear if the Supreme Court will handle the student-debt cancellation cases in the same manner.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden's, Brown, Biden, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Barrett, Kavanaugh, they're, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez Organizations: Service, US Department of Education, GOP, Liberal, Indian Child Welfare, . Texas, Texas, Department of Homeland Security, Education Department, Democratic, New York Rep Locations: . Nebraska, Brackeen , Texas, States, ., Texas, Alexandria, United States

☆ Five or six Secret Service agents have testified before Jan. 6 grand jury, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Julia Ainsley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It is not known what the agents' proximity to Trump was on Jan. 6 or what information they may have provided to the grand jury. Sources told NBC News that about 24 Secret Service agents appeared before the grand jury that considered that case in Washington before the case moved to Florida. A spokeswoman for the Secret Service declined to comment. Ornato took a leave of absence from the Secret Service to serve as deputy chief of staff for Trump beginning in 2019 and then returned to the Secret Service when Trump left office. Both Engel and Ornato have since left the Secret Service and it is not known whether they have testified before the grand jury.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith's, Cassidy Hutchinson, Hutchinson, Trump, Bobby Engel, Tony Ornato, Ornato, Engel, Mike Pence Organizations: Capitol, NBC News, Secret, Secret Service, Trump, Jan, White, Service, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Trump, Florida, Washington

☆ Why Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan might not be doomed after 2 new rulings from conservative Supreme Court justices
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Two recent Supreme Court rulings have struck down cases due to a lack of states' standing to sue. In February, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the two lawsuits that paused the implementation of Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers. And that's what the Supreme Court has done with two recent rulings. "In Justice Barrett's own words, the ruling for student debt relief should be 'open and shut' in favor of mostly low-income families burdened with the crushing weight of student debt." Student loan borrowers and advocates gather for the People's Rally To Cancel Student Debt During The Supreme Court Hearings On Student Debt Relief on February 28, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Brown, Biden, they'd, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, Braxton Brewington, Barrett's, Countess, MOHELA, James Campbell Organizations: GOP, Service, US Department of Education, Republican, Indian Child Welfare, . Texas, Department of Homeland Security, Supreme, Relief, Getty, Nebraska who's Locations: . Nebraska, Texas, States, ., Louisiana, Washington ,, United States, scrutinizing, Missouri

☆ Supreme Court Revives Biden Immigration Guidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last summer, Judge Drew B. Tipton of the Federal District Court in Victoria, Texas, issued a ruling that blocked the use of the guidelines throughout the nation. A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans, refused to pause the ruling. The Biden administration filed an emergency application asking the Supreme Court to block Judge Tipton’s ruling. In a brief order in July, the court refused by a 5-to-4 vote. Lawyers for two states responded that the court’s ruling in the case, United States v. Texas, No.

Persons: Drew B, Biden, Tipton’s Organizations: Tipton, Federal, Court, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Department of Homeland Locations: Victoria , Texas, New Orleans, United States, . Texas

☆ Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh rules states can't sue the government just over 'indirect' harm from a federal policy. One of the lawsuits blocking Biden's student-debt relief involves 6 states d
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored a new opinion that ruled two states didn't have standing to sue the government. It's the second case led by a conservative justice that scrutinizes a state's standing to sue. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that the states lack standing to bring the suit, with Justice Sam Alito as the lone dissent. "But in our system of dual federal and state sovereignty, federal policies frequently generate indirect effects on state revenues or state spending. Kavanaugh's opinion was, of course, only responding to the Texas case and there was no reference to the pending student-debt relief cases.

Persons: Brett Kavanaugh, didn't, —, Joe Biden's, Kavanaugh, Sam Alito, they'd, Brown, Biden, MOHELA, weren't, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett Organizations: GOP, Service, Conservative, . Texas, Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Education, . Nebraska, Republican, Indian Child Welfare Locations: States, ., Texas, Louisiana, United States

☆ Russian ransomware hacker extorted millions from U.S. businesses, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A 20-year-old Russian hacker was part of a campaign that worked to extort tens of millions of dollars from more than 1,400 victims, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Astamirov allegedly deployed ransomware called LockBit to steal sensitive data from the servers of businesses, then lock those systems and demand payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Department of Justice prosecutors allege Astamirov was directly responsible for five different attacks against U.S. businesses in Florida and Virginia, as well as international businesses based in France, Japan and Kenya. LockBit-powered attacks account for 16% of ransomware attacks against state and local governments, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Astamirov will face a federal judge Thursday, prosecutors said in a release announcing his arrest.

Persons: Ruslan Astamirov, Astamirov, ransomware, Astarimov, cybercriminals, Lisa Monaco, LockBit, Carlos Del Toro Organizations: Department of Justice, U.S, Department of Homeland Security, NBC, CNBC, U.S . Navy Locations: Russian, Chechen Republic, , New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, France, Japan, Kenya, Russia, China

☆ Biden to host thousands at White House Pride party
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will host the largest White House Pride Month celebration in history on Thursday, in a deliberate contrast to a cascade of Republican legislation and other attacks targeting LGBTQ+ people. Biden, a Democrat, will host thousands of people on the White House's South Lawn for an evening celebration of LGBTQ+ families that will feature singer Betty Who and Baltimore DJ Queen HD. "This year we're seeing a disturbing surge in violent threats against LGBTQ community organizations," Tanden told reporters on a conference call. In April, the White House warned bills targeting LGBTQ kids and gender-affirming care for youth set a dangerous precedent. Florida has led restrictions of the LGBTQ community under governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who recently entered the battle for the 2024 presidential election, challenging Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Betty Who, Neera Tanden, Tanden, Barack Obama, Ron DeSantis, Nandita Bose, Jeff Mason, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Gerry Doyle Organizations: White, Democrat, Baltimore DJ Queen, Republican, Gallup, Department of Education, Civil, The Department of Homeland Security, Department, Justice, Department of Health & Human Services, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: United States, statehouses, Florida, Washington

☆ Judge gives US government one week to handle request for Prince Harry’s visa records
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A federal judge has given the Department of Homeland Security until next Tuesday to decide how it will handle a conservative think tank’s request for Prince Harry’s US immigration records. The group is questioning whether immigration officials properly granted Prince Harry’s application, since admission of past drug use can be grounds to reject a visa application. In court filings, DHS has noted that the US Customs and Border Protection agency originally denied the requests from Heritage because the group did not have Prince Harry’s authorization or consent to release the information. “A person’s visa … is confidential,” DHS attorney John Bardo said in court Tuesday. When asked about the privacy aspect of their records request, attorney Samuel Dewey, who represents Heritage, said Prince Harry’s privacy on the issue of past drug use has been “extraordinarily diminished” given his public remarks on the subject.

Persons: Prince, Prince Harry’s, Carl Nichols, John Bardo, Samuel Dewey, “, ” Dewey, “ He’s, ”, Dewey, Prince Harry, it’s Organizations: CNN, Department of Homeland Security, Heritage Foundation, US Border Patrol, DHS, US Customs, Border Protection, Heritage Locations: Washington , DC, London

☆ US special counsel probes Trump firing of then-top cybersecurity official, New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - A U.S. special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss are examining his firing of a cybersecurity official whose office said the vote was secure, the New York Times said on Wednesday. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is also probing Trump's handling of classified documents, has subpoenaed former Trump White House staff as well as Christopher Krebs, who oversaw the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under Trump, the Times said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Representatives for Krebs and Trump could not immediately be reached for comment. In the state of Georgia, a county prosecutor also is probing alleged interference in the state's 2020 election with charging decisions expected by Sept. 1. Trump also faces several other legal threats, including Smith's probe into classified documents found at Trump's personal residence in Florida after the former president left the White House in early 2021.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Christopher Krebs, Trump, Krebs, Joe Biden's, Smith, Susan Heavey, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, New York Times, Trump White House, Infrastructure Security Agency, Trump, Times, Department of Homeland Security, Republican, Capitol, House, Department of Justice, White, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Florida, York

☆ The American Asylum Lottery Is, Shockingly, a Rare Border Success Story - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Dara Lind | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

And it must work toward evaluating everyone’s asylum claims on the merits. The lottery doesn’t determine who wins asylum; it chooses who’s allowed to apply for it. Hundreds of slots a day are assigned to asylum seekers waiting on the Mexican side of the border, who’ve signed up for the lottery using the CBP One app, run by Customs and Border Protection. Those who are selected are given an appointment time 13 days in advance, at a port of entry. Everyone else has to meet a far higher standard to be allowed to file a full asylum application and face an immigration judge.

☆ Fact Check-False claims online say only male migrants try to enter the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Instances of women and children trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border have been widely documented despite online allegations that only men attempt to enter the United States. Between January and April this year, there were 715,236 total encounters at the border, according to CBP data. Reuters has widely reported on immigration to the United States and interviewed migrants trying to cross the southern border (here) (here) (here). Some examples of photographs and videos documenting women and children migrants are viewable (here) here) (here) (here). It has been widely documented that women and children are among migrants that try to enter the United States.

☆ The Biden administration built a 'digital wall' by requiring asylum-seekers to use a glitchy app in the aftermath of Title 42, immigration experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

That's because the Biden administration is handling almost all asylum claims through a glitchy app. Friday marked the official end of Title 42, a public health measure imposed by the Trump administration in March 2020. The catch, immigration advocates said, is that the app is borderline unusable for many migrants who have reached the border. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)Advocates working at the border told Insider that on the day Title 42 expired, the app was not working. The Biden administration did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

☆ Disinformation researcher who led now-defunct DHS unit sues Fox News for defamation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The researcher, Nina Jankowicz, briefly served in the Biden administration as head of the now-defunct Disinformation Governance Board, which was housed in the Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of high-profile defamation cases brought against Fox News in recent years. The network last month settled a lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, the largest publicly known settlement in US history. Smartmatic’s case survived a motion to dismiss filed by Fox News last year and continues to move through the court system. Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of Fox Corporation, the parent company of the right-wing channel Fox News, said on Tuesday that the company will fight Smartmatic’s lawsuit.

☆ Biden to take unprecedented measures to manage the border but concerns remain over end of Title 42
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration is rolling out unprecedented measures intended to levy consequences against migrants who cross the border unlawfully in the wake of Title 42’s expiration this week. But, officials concede, the high number of border arrests in the coming days will still pose a steep challenge. “This is a really unprecedented moment in the Americas,” a senior administration official said Tuesday. But senior administration officials stress the actions are necessary to encourage people to use lawful pathways to come to the US. When asked by CNN Tuesday what measures authorities are taking to drive down in-custody numbers, the senior administration official said officials are working closely with NGOs and have expanded transportation contracts.

☆ What is Title 42 and what happens next at the border?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here are answers to some key questions about Title 42, what’s happening on the ground and what could happen next. Migrants encountered under Title 42 have been either returned to their home countries or sent back into Mexico. What will happen at the border after Title 42 is lifted? Advocates say for many of those who were expelled under Title 42, the situation has been dire. The Title 42 border restrictions were controversial from the moment the Trump administration announced them.

☆ Biden to Deploy Active-Duty Troops to Southern Border as Title 42 Ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A group of migrants walked between two fences at the Mexico–U.S. border near San Ysidro, Calif., last week. Photo: JORGE DUENES/REUTERSWASHINGTON—President Biden is planning to send 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border in anticipation of Title 42 immigration restrictions lifting next week, the Department of Homeland Security said. The administration has been scrambling to prepare for what they expect will be a significant surge of migrants as the Title 42 policy ends on May 11, with illegal crossings potentially doubling to 10,000 or 11,000 a day in coming weeks. Title 42, the pandemic-era measure introduced by former President Donald Trump in 2020, allows migrants to be turned back to Mexico even if they ask for asylum.

☆ Biden administration to send 1,500 troops to southern border for support roles ahead of expected migrant surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Priscilla Alvarez Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As they’ve done before, the troops would serve in administrative roles and not perform any law enforcement function, the sources said. “At the request of DHS, DOD will provide a temporary increase of an additional 1,500 military personnel, for 90 days, to supplement CBP efforts at the border. These 1,500 military personnel will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until CBP can address these needs through contracted support. They will not be doing any law enforcement work,” a US official said in a statement. Austin approved a deployment of 2,500 troops to the border, who remain there now, and the 1,500 troops are expected to join them in the coming days.

☆ Biden will end Covid vaccine mandates for federal workers and international travelers on May 11
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration will end its Covid-19 vaccine mandates for federal employees, contractors and international air travelers next week. The White House said in a statement Monday that those vaccine requirements will end on May 11, the same day the Covid public health emergency expires. The Health and Human Services Department also will start phasing out its vaccine mandate for health-care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid, the White House said. In addition, it will end vaccination requirements for Head Start programs. And the Department of Homeland Security will lift vaccination requirements for people entering the U.S via its land borders with Canada and Mexico, according to the Biden administration.

☆ US confiscates Iran oil cargo on tanker amid Tehran tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As oil markets remain jittery, the cargo seizure is the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran after years of sanctions pressure by the U.S. over Iran's nuclear program. Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while Washington suspects Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb. Iran has previously responded tit-for-tat following seizures of Iranian oil cargo." Last year the U.S. tried to confiscate a cargo of Iranian oil near Greece, which prompted Tehran to seize two Greek tankers in the Gulf. In a step likely to exacerbate tensions, 12 U.S. senators on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to remove Treasury Department policy hurdles that have prevented the Department of Homeland Security from seizing Iranian oil shipments for more than a year.

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - As Iran's oil exports rise despite U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program, senators from both parties urged President Joe Biden to enable a federal government agency to seize Iranian oil and gas shipments. Senators Joni Ernst, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said in a letter to Biden that the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office has not been able to seize an Iranian oil shipment for more than a year. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while the United States suspects Tehran wants to develop a nuclear bomb by enriching uranium. Iran's oil exports have reached their highest level since the reimposition of U.S. sanctions in 2018, Iranian oil minister Javad Owji said last month. Last year the U.S. tried to confiscate a cargo of Iranian oil around Greece, which prompted Tehran to seize two Greek tankers in the Gulf.

☆ DHS task force will examine how to use A.I. to protect homeland security
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, speaks during a new conference in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security will establish a new task force to examine how the government can use artificial intelligence technology to protect the country. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the task force Friday during a speech at a Council on Foreign Relations event. Mayorkas gave two examples of how the task force will help determine how AI could be used to fine-tune the agency's work. Mayorkas asked Homeland Security Advisory Council Co-Chair Jamie Gorelick to study "the intersection of AI and homeland security and deliver findings that will help guide our use of it and defense against it."

☆ CFPB says employee sent confidential data of 256,000 consumers to personal email
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —An employee at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sent confidential data about hundreds of thousands of consumer accounts to their personal email, the agency told CNN on Thursday. The employee also sent two spreadsheets that listed names and transaction-specific account numbers related to about 256,000 consumer accounts at one institution. “The numbers are used internally by the institution, are not the consumers’ bank account numbers, and cannot be used to gain access to a consumer’s account,” the CFPB said. “This unauthorized transfer of personal and confidential data is completely unacceptable. All CFPB employees are trained in their obligations under Bureau regulations and Federal law to safeguard confidential or personal information,” the agency said in a statement to CNN.

☆ Federal workers feel less engaged in their jobs for the 2nd year in a row: 'It's heading in the wrong direction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Federal employees feel generally less engaged in their jobs for the second year in a row. "There's all kinds of more demand being put on these federal employees. That said, good leaders were able to improve engagement," Stier said. In fact, over the longer term, focusing on the employee engagement will actually improve the chances of better delivery of all these services." The issue is particularly worrisome, Stier said, for younger federal workers aged 30 to 39, who reported the lowest engagement and satisfaction score of 59.5.

WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) - The Biden administration next week will begin testing faster asylum screenings for migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, the Department of Homeland Security said on Saturday, part of preparations for the end of COVID-19 border restrictions in May. U.S. asylum officers will conduct initial asylum screenings for a small number of migrants within days while they remain in the custody of border authorities, Homeland Security spokesperson Marsha Espinosa said. U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has implemented new border restrictions in recent months as he grapples with record numbers of migrants caught crossing illegally. Since March 2020, U.S. authorities have been able to quickly Rexpel migrants caught crossing the border illegally back to Mexico under a COVID-19 order known as Title 42. Reuters first reported in December that Biden officials were weighing whether to use the accelerated asylum screenings among other Trump-style restrictions.

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