Articles by Terri Harel

A court ordered the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday to follow through with a request from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which asked for papers regarding a cybersecurity pilot program via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request back in July of 2011. The Department of Justice additionally requested the ability to “claw back” documents that they determine, at a later time, to have breached their classification or jeopardize the program in any way. The court denied this ...

In 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported on a National Security Agency program called “Perfect Citizen.” The program has been officially “unconfirmed” until now, although NSA offered some vague explanations about its aim to protect utility networks from cybersecurity hacks. The program is supported by a reportedly $100 million contract with defense and technology specialist, Raytheon. Through the Freedom of Information Act, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) obtained documents c...

Visual.ly and SurveyMonkey team up to bring us this interesting infographic about Americans and firearms. Recent national tragedies like the Aurora, Colorado theatre shooting and the Sandy Hook shooting have reinitiated national debate about gun control, the true meaning of the Fourth Amendment, and mental health in America. by anibalinfographics. Learn about data visualization tools....

The House let the Violence Against Women Act, which supports critical rape and domestic violence counseling programs and other violence prevention strategies, silently expire this week. Earlier this month, Democratic senators wrote to female Republican House representatives, urging them to push the legislation within their party. The women indicated they were open about the Senate’s broader Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill, which incorporated provisions extending protections and ...

Photo: Occupy Wall Street // occupywallst.org A recent find by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund revealed secret nationwide monitoring of the Occupy movement’s participants and organizers. While this is not of great surprise, this should alarm, not just Occupy activists, but Americans in general, particularly given the renewal of FISA, NDAA, and the overall conversation surrounding surveillance at the moment. In particular, the distinct targeting of peaceful protestors reveals the broad s...

The President offerred little new news in his press conference remarks on the fiscal cliff this afternoon at the White House, although he tried to assure the press the internal debate was hopeful about reaching a deal. He note Americans shouldn't hold their breath, for Congress will use ever last second they have before the deadline to reach an agreement. The President said, "An agreement to prevent this New Year tax hike is in site, but is not done. We are hopeful that Congress can get it done...

Companies spend billions every year to lobby legislators in Washington, D.C. Those activities often result in government subsidies, or other monetarily beneficial legislation, for a wide range of sectors. Here is a breakdown of how 5 industries got what they wanted an at what costs to them, you, and the government. by JLMC. Browse more data visualization....

Companies spend billions every year to lobby legislators in Washington, D.C. Those activities often result in government subsidies, or other monetarily beneficial legislation, for a wide range of sectors. Here is a breakdown of how 5 industries got what they wanted and at what costs to them, you, and the government. by JLMC. Browse more data visualization....

On Thursday, Governor Jerry Brown’s appointment to California corrections secretary, Jeffrey Beard, was sworn in at the capitol. The appointment as head of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations (CDCR) still needs to be confirmed by the California Senate. A little over a year into California’s realignment program, in which low-risk felons are being transferred to local corrections facilities and programs, the state is still facing significant budget constraints, prison ove...